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Othello by William Shakespeare depicts a contrasting ideology to A Doll’s House. In Othello, women are all victims of male dominance. They had to do everything they were told or risk being punished and sometimes even killed. In the play, Desdemona disobeys her father and marries Othello. In that time period, women were not able to choose their partners. Therefore she redefines her role as a woman. Although Desdemona was independent in her actions, her outcome was much…
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When a person thinks of a devoted female character, Desdemona from Othello is the first that should pop into mind. While Desdemona is perceived as a one of Shakespeare’s brightest and most loyal female characters, she is also a clear victim of the gender stereotypes of the time. One of the first things that we know about Desdemona and Othello’s relationship was that they were not brought together necessarily her sexuality, but by Othello’s interest in her mind. In fact, the first time that Desdemona is introduced in Act 1, scene 3, she is presented as strong, independent, and capable of making her own decisions. In her first lines of the play, she says;…
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Many of Shakespeare’s plays revolve around the common source of love and hatred. In “Othello” and “Much Ado about Nothing” there is an obvious love story between Othello and Desdemona and Claudio and Hero. In both plays, women have put shame on their families. Desdemona betrays her father by marrying a Moor and Hero was accused of cheating on her wedding day. In “Othello” women are degraded and are looked down upon, as inferior. Iago has the mind-set that women are only good for one thing, having the pleasure to pleasure men.…
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In Othello, Shakespeare adheres to some of but ignores some of the rules set from A Discourse of Marriage and Wiving, while he creates conflicts in Othello’s marriage to Desdemona. While everything starts out great with Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, things slowly unravel when Iago, the villain of the play, begins to fill the heads of his ‘friends’ with lies. Othello is boastful of the beauty and gentleness of his wife, causing the work for Iago to be minimal. Othello allows his sweet Desdemona to be around his friends more often than he should and by doing this Iago finds it that much easier to make his plan fall in place. Othello grows very jealous as Iago fills his head with lies of his sweet Desdemona and from there everything goes spiraling downward into an awful fate.…
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First, a reader must understand the way gender was understood in Shakespeare’s time. “If we are going to insist in understanding the Elizabethan dramatic artifice, let us also insist in examining Othello according to the traditional values which Shakespeare has injected implicitly and explicitly into the play (Kirschbaum, 284).” This quote given by another author shows the importance of understanding the original texts. The original text, while maybe outdated, is still vital in understanding the culture and history behind the play. A student must understand the implications that Shakespeare originally intended to be understood by the audience. There are three main characters in the play. These women are Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. These women all show true, strong affection to the main men in their lives.…
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Women have more rights and freedoms in today's society than in previous eras. The lines between social classes are more relaxed, expectations have been lowered, and a woman speaking out has become more accepted. Today, women are allowed to do whatever men are. This, however, was not always the case. Take, for example, William Shakespeare's play Othello. There are two main female characters in the play: Desdemona, Othello's wife; and Emilia, Iago's wife. Both of these women fit into a certain social category from the time, each category with its own specific expectations and requirements. Throughout Othello, whether or not these women take action to break through the societal expectations has a great effect on their ends.…
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In the play Othello by Shakespeare there are numerous various male and female roles, that between husband and wife, mater and servant relationships as well as the relationship between men and women in the set society which is patriarchally based. The male/female relationships have a large part to play in influencing the final outcome of this tragedy. Notably the relationships between Brabantio and Desdemona, the relationship between Roderigo and Desdemona, the relationship between Cassio and Desdemona, the relationship between Iago and Emila and finally as well as ultimately the relationship between Desdemona and Othello. These four associations impact in both a small and large way to the ending of this play, the death of Desdemona, Emila and Othello.…
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In William Shakespeare’s drama “Othello” the vast differences in gender perception is highlighted in the characters of Othello and Desdemona. Being a moor Othello should be part of the lowest social class yet because of his position in the military his men need to show him respect while inwardly they despise him, this two faced behaviour can be seen in Iago. Desdemona on the other hand has been naturally born to high society but when she chooses to marry Othello she is ostracized and marked as a social outcast. Because of Desdemona’s gender she is abandoned by those in her own class while because he is a man Othello is given respect…
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Finally, near the end of the play, Emilia realizes “we must think men are not gods” (3.4.144). Although she knows her correct role in society in order to be accepted, she has come to see the lack of equality between men and women. She understands that in order to be presented to society, they must put on an act for their husbands. They do not need to think of them as gods, but must treat them as they are. She now believes that a woman being referred to as “whore” (4.3.74) is not tolerable. When something goes wrong, the men should not have the power to put the blame on the women. Emilia comes to this realization when she speaks her mind to Desdemona and says “But I do think it is their husbands’ faults / If wives do fall” (4.3.87-88). This is foreshadowing the fate of both woman’s lives in the play. They both die by “faults” of their husbands. “The ultimate irony in the play’s representation of male-female relations is the fact that two women accused by their husbands of “falling” morally, actually fall not morally but physically, before [their] eyes” (Vanita 352). In a…
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Desdemona is Othello’s wife and the daughter of Brabantio. Desdemona secretly married Othello, against her father’s wishes. Throughout the play, Desdemona’s power is not clearly conveyed to the audience, but her presence has an effect. Roderigo is in love with her and her presence has an effect on him- he wants Othello out of the way, so to speak, so he can once again attempt to win Desdemona’s love. As the play unfolds, different aspects of Desdemona’s character are revealed, and blend into a unique personality. Throughout the play, Desdemona is loyal to her husband, but once again, her presence (with Cassio) leads Othello to believe that she is disloyal to him. Her handkerchief plays a pivotal role in the play- by Desdemona dropping it, Emilia gives it to Iago, who then stealthily gives it to Cassio. Othello sees Cassio with the handkerchief and believes Desdemona gave it to…
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“Look at her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee.” Othello is a play written by Shakespeare that presents a gendered society in which women are inferior to men. Unmarried women are regarded as their fathers’ property, while when married, continuously have allegations made towards them due to the jealousy of their husbands. The women in Othello end up betraying their husbands, without actually being at fault. In Othello, women are always assumed as promiscuous while the men are shown as heroic, but are both victims in this gendered society. Gender roles and the way the gendered society is set up is a prominent issue displayed throughout Othello.…
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Desdemona shows great determination and a kind heart in fighting for Cassio. Ironically it this kind heartedness that brings about her downfall and her death. It is her persistence that fuels Othello’s jealousy, filling his head with thoughts of her love for Cassio. It is known how strong Othello’s love for D is and that he cares for her more than his own life, however, this then amplifies Othello’s jealousy causing such tragic consequences.…
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In "Othello", the expectations for women are one the most important theme that runs throughout the play. Even though, "Othello" is a play that revolves majorly around men, the way female characters in the play like Desdemona and Emilia behave, perceived…
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Alternatively Desdemona is revealed to be the ideal woman, Cassio even admits“She is indeed perfection.” Othello often makes remarks on her beauty and her wit. Even when he thinks she has betrayed him, he cannot help himself from looking upon her fondly even stating that she is “so delicate with her needle: an admirable musician: O! she will sing the savageness out of a bear: of so high and plenteous wit and invention:—“ despite Desdemona’s perfection Othello lets himself be manipulated into thinking she is unfaithful to him, and he kills her. Emilia, while not as perfect as Desdemona appears to be an obedient wife to Iago. She even gives him Desdemona’s handkerchief without knowing the reason he wants it, when stealing the handkerchief she says “what he will do with it Heaven knows, not I; I nothing but to please his fantasy.” In the end of the play however, she chooses to honour Desdemona and she exposes her husband's treachery as opposed to supporting it. Iago kills her due to this one moment of disobedience. Through the killing of Emilia and Desdemona at the hands of their husbands and the fact that Bianca lives, Shakespeare reveals what he thinks of the relationships husbands have with their wives. He is exhibiting how women are never good enough for their husbands. Desdemona and Emilia are honest women, but in Desdemona’s case Othello believes she is having an affair and to him this is inexcusable. Emilia is killed because Iago sees it as a fit punishment for her disobedience and her lack of support of his dishonesty. Bianca on the other hand has no husband and thus she appears to follow no rules but her own and suffers no dire consequences because she has no one ruling over her. Shakespeare is showcasing the oppression that husbands had over their wives. On top of that Shakespeare is suggesting…
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The senes including Desdemona and Emilia one can see the terrible effect of Othello's brutality. Emilia is cynical and bawdy, and she gives Desdemona every…
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