Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Othello

Shakespeare's plays are one of the most successful literatures of all time. His plays addressed many important issues in the world. “Othello” effectively brings together critical themes of love, appearances, racism, jealousy and most importantly role of women in the Elizabethan era. Through the exploration of gender role in “Othello” and other plays written by Shakespeare, this essay will argue that literature is most successful when dealing with global issues like gender role.

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 are expected to behave, treated
"The globe" discovered that “this belief stemmed from the narrative of the original sin and Eve’s role in the fall of mankind. Female sexuality, therefore produced a great anxiety within marriage” This evidently leads to the idea that women should be dominated by men, as they cannot be trusted. Furthermore, this is one of the reasons why women couldn't inherit her family fortune, unless she was a royal. Men were strictly in control of woman in Elizabethan society. In addition, all women devoted their lives to their husbands and were expected to try to please their husband at any cost. This concept was clearly illustrated in the play "Othello." Fulfilling her role as a woman, Emilia obeyed Iago, her husband, as she does “nothing, but to please his fantasy.” As a result, she unknowingly betrayed her good friend Desdemona. Emilia's action majorly contributed to the tragic ending. Conversely, her character illustrated a hint of modern woman as she stood up against her husband, Iago. Although, it costs her life, she stood up for the right thing. Back in the days, Emilia needed a lot of courage to stand up to men, especially her husband. Emilia's action was truly
Yet, gender inequalities still stand. It is one of the world's biggest issues. Many still advocates for gender equality, including "The United Nation", a world recognized organization, who had launched a campaign called "He for She" to support gender equality. This shows that gender role was and still remains a big issue worldwide. Numerous plays written by Shakespeare, especially "Othello" deal greatly with the idea of woman expectations. This idea touches the reader of all times, from the past, present and will continue to do so in the future as long as gender inequality remains an issue. Most readers feel very strongly about the way woman were treated. This led them to feel involved with the story, making the play memorable.

By exploring the role of woman in Othello and other Shakespeare’s plays, this essay has demonstrated that literature is most successful when dealing with a worldwide issue like gender role. A memorable play is a successful play. Gender inequality, a current critical subject, is an important theme found throughout the play. It has powerfully developed the readers’ feelings towards the subject and the play, making it unforgettable. Shakespeare’s plays are truly