The Tragedy of Desdemona
The Tragedy of Desdemona
Throughout the play of Othello, Shakespeare takes the audience through a series of events that allows good and evil to be distinguished amongst the characters introduced. This play also gives off a strong sense of heroism and how easily that can be diminished by the impact of evil. The life of Desdemona is most closely effected by evil through her husband being convinced that she has been adulterous, causing an overwhelming amount of corruption to they’re relationship as well as giving Desdemona the label of being unfaithful. Desdemona is considered a tragic hero because she falls from a height of prosperity, suffers unexpectedly till her death, and this is ultimately the result of exceptional external manipulation from other characters.
Desdemona, the wife of Othello, is firstly shown as a character with a lot of power because of the control she has over her successful husband due to his irrevocable love for her. Desdemona unexpectedly begins to receive emotional and physical abuse from her husband, sparking the beginning to her heroic tragedy. The audience witnesses Desdemona’s abuse from Othello as he strikes her (IV.i.pg189) and calls her a whore (IV.ii.pg199) when he assumes she is unfaithful. This physical abuse is seen as unnecessary and inhumane because the reader knows Desdemona is in fact honest and loyal. This treatment is out of the ordinary and unexpected because Desdemona’s husband was recently unconditionally in love with her and proved so when he declared his love for her in front of the Duke as well as her father and other authorities (I.iii.190-196). The audience sees Desdemona as a tragic hero because she has done nothing wrong and is unpredictably being attacked by Othello despite that she has only ever proven her love for her husband.
Desdemona’s character demonstrates prosperity and pureness to her husband, followers and audience. Her character experiences a fall from being courageous, honest and caring
Throughout the play of Othello, Shakespeare takes the audience through a series of events that allows good and evil to be distinguished amongst the characters introduced. This play also gives off a strong sense of heroism and how easily that can be diminished by the impact of evil. The life of Desdemona is most closely effected by evil through her husband being convinced that she has been adulterous, causing an overwhelming amount of corruption to they’re relationship as well as giving Desdemona the label of being unfaithful. Desdemona is considered a tragic hero because she falls from a height of prosperity, suffers unexpectedly till her death, and this is ultimately the result of exceptional external manipulation from other characters.
Desdemona, the wife of Othello, is firstly shown as a character with a lot of power because of the control she has over her successful husband due to his irrevocable love for her. Desdemona unexpectedly begins to receive emotional and physical abuse from her husband, sparking the beginning to her heroic tragedy. The audience witnesses Desdemona’s abuse from Othello as he strikes her (IV.i.pg189) and calls her a whore (IV.ii.pg199) when he assumes she is unfaithful. This physical abuse is seen as unnecessary and inhumane because the reader knows Desdemona is in fact honest and loyal. This treatment is out of the ordinary and unexpected because Desdemona’s husband was recently unconditionally in love with her and proved so when he declared his love for her in front of the Duke as well as her father and other authorities (I.iii.190-196). The audience sees Desdemona as a tragic hero because she has done nothing wrong and is unpredictably being attacked by Othello despite that she has only ever proven her love for her husband.
Desdemona’s character demonstrates prosperity and pureness to her husband, followers and audience. Her character experiences a fall from being courageous, honest and caring
Cited: Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Othello. New York, NY: Washington Square Press, 1993. Print.