Unwritten Rule

An Unwritten Rule There are many rules that are followed in society today, whether they have been around for hundreds of years, or just natural instincts of kindness. They are not usually things people would get punished for if they did not follow, they are more of an act of respect. Things like holding the door open for people behind you, saying please and thank you, or not eating until everyone at the table has their food. These rules mostly come from what is taught to children at young age, or what is learned from watching people around the world. They are important to people today because they keep order, and maintain respect for others. Without these rules, people could come across as rude and not thoughtful, and the world would just be a mess. One very common unwritten rule in society today that has been around for years, is meeting the parents of a boyfriend or girlfriend before marriage. For most people, this act just comes naturally, and is not too big of a deal to do. But for Othello and Desdemona, it was a completely different story. The young love birds knew what they were doing was wrong, so they insisted on keeping it a secret. Instead of Desdemona introducing Othello to her father so he could ask for her hand in marriage, they instead snuck away in the middle of the night and got married. When Brabantio heard of this awful act of disrespect committed against him, he was furious. It is hard to keep social order without rules like these, because people can take it in different ways. In Brabantio’s situation, he took it as a slap in the face, and that Othello could not possibly be worth his daughter’s love. If Othello would have just followed the unwritten rule of meeting Desdemona’s father, there would have been a much greater chance that the two could live happily together without everyone in the town trying to get involved to destroy their relationship. While some may think these rules are silly and unnecessary, they actually do a lot that people may not even realize. When these rules are followed, it shows a preview of the person’s character. It gives other people the idea that they are a very generous, respectful and caring person who puts others above themselves. And when the rules are not followed, the person could seem like sneaky, stuck up or disrespectful. Who would have thought that little things like helping someone pick up their books they dropped could mean so much to them?