Portrayal Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

Anmol Paudel
Eng3UO
6th March 2014
Portrayal of Women in Othello
Women are one of the powerful aspects of the society. They also are unit of our society and are equally important as man. As, per conception of the people women are created as a companion for men or vice-versa. Women plays the role like mother, sister, daughter, wife with a great responsibilities. Years back in the 15, 16 century women were more behind than men, the society was male dominating and the main purpose of women was to serve their men. As famous author “William Shakespeare” in his play Othello has express that the women are the combination of love, power, loyal and obedient, even if when it comes to the matter of life and death they are not afraid to reveal the
In addition, she also swear to him to do everything that a friend can do to save one’s post and if takes to the circumstance of relationship between Desdemona and Othello and even it is the matter of life and death, than also she is going to keep her words. This shows that an obedient and a loyal friend can even play with fire or face death to save one’s life. Shakespeare has shown the friendly relationship between Cassio and Desdemona in which the suspicion of Othello increases that leads to the great massacre (chaos) in which Desdemona have to lose her life due to the commitment to her friendship. And after she is stab by Othello than also she commits her husband as the incarnation of God, and save him by saying that she committed suicide, “Nobody; I myself. Farewell. / Commend me to my kind lord. O farewell!” (V. ii. 125-126). She shows far phenomenal strength than her husband that she never ruin the vows in marriage that she committed to do nothing wrong to her husband and always to love and serve him. Desdemona’s these lines is one of the finest line in the play which shows the love and affection towards one’s beloved and compared to Othello it seems him a pathetic excuse for him. Furthermore, she also ask him to take care of her even after her death to the Moor which establish how much she love, respect him. In
(Medieval & Renaissance Drama in England; 2005, Vol. 17, p132-164, 33p)
This explains that even if the suspicion of Othello take her life but her love for Othello is same and always be same. She express herself as a love that cannot be broken apart and thus the trait (negativity) has kill her but not his love. So by this, Shakespeare through Desdemona reveals that express that love is the most powerful, than anything and it is prove she is loyal and honest to her husband. In this instant there is no doubt that how much she deserve respect. Therefore, Shakespeare has portrays Desdemona as the symbol of love, loyalty and