Marriage and Othello

Women in Shakespeare’s Othello Othello is a play written by Shakespeare. This book shows the role of women in the Elizabethan England. Three women are used to portray how society perceived women in the 15th century. Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca are the chief female characters in this play. They are shown as being innocent and submissive to their husbands. They do what they are told and honor the commands of their husbands. Through these three characters, the role of women in Othello is revealed. The three have varying characteristics. Class, intelligence, and virtue are the three levels through which women in Othello are presented (Wright 89). Desdemona is a virtuous and noble character who makes her own verdicts; Bianca is a low class woman presented as a strumpet, and Emilia is a maid, a middle class woman who is vulnerable to manipulation from Iago. She is loyal to Desdemona. In this book, Iago sees women as weak, absurd, and lazy characters whose main desires are physical pleasures. All through the play, Desdemona comes out as a helpless and innocent character. As we encounter her first in the book, she is described as a mature and focused lady. This is clearly depicted in the way she defends her love for Othello. When her father, Brabantio objects the love, she goes defensive and convinces him that Othello is the love of her heart. On several occasions, Iago confesses that Desdemona is cheating because he (Iago) is lying to Othello that she is committing infidelity with Cassio. In Othello, women are perceived to be caring. Desdemona sympathizes with situations of other people, like Cassio. She is a close attention payer to other people’s problems. Othello becomes jealousy when Iago tells him that Casio and Desdemona were talking in privacy. Another character of Desdemona is that she is always pessimistic when she differs with people. This is one woman who is loyal to her husband both physically and mentally. She is depicted as a peacemaker. When Othello gets furious and want to fire Cassio, she intervenes (Shakespeare 23). She goes to talk to Casio in private, a scenario that leads to her husband’s accusation of adultery. After the Casio and Othello fight, it is Desdemona who wants them to make peace. Bringing Desdemona to the modern society, she can be portrayed as a caring housewife who is behind her husband in all aspects of life. However, in the Elizabethan time, she is portrayed as a weak woman who is abused by her husband leading to her death by her own husband (Kemp 172). Emilia, Iago's wife is a character portrayed to be submissive. She is married to a totally evil man. On the other hand, she is a maid of the most benevolent, Desdemona. Emilia can be seen as being non-sensitive. This is what makes here play a massive role in Iago’s evil plans without suspecting. At one point, she is contrary to Desdemona. While Desdemona champions the idea of women being loyal to their husbands, Emilia thinks that women should also be heard in the society (Ekici 25). When Othello accuses Desdemona of infidelity, Emilia gets angry. She says … , “But I do think it is their husbands' faults/ If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties, /And pour our treasures into foreign laps; /Or else break out in peevish jealousies, /Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us, /Or scant our former having in despite: /Why, we have galls; and though we have some grace, /Yet have we some revenge…” (Shakespeare 217).
Even though, she is loyal and faithful, she is a lady who honors independence. She does not rely on her husband fully. She is the perfect character of the modern day elite class of women. In Act 4, Scene 3 she questions if men can do without women. She is against the idea of men taking women as weak characters who they treat as slaves. To her, women should have an equal say as men and be treated with respect. When we encounter Bianca in the book, she is presented as being kind, sweet-tempered and obedient. This is a character that acts as bait for many suitors. Many men want a hand in marriage with her because she is well-mannered. She is a minor character in this book but then extremely crucial. She is a woman with a vision. She is after getting true love and trust from a man even though many perceive her as a “loose” woman, especially Emilia. In the book, Bianca is used as Cassio’s jealous mistress. Cassio gives her a handkerchief belonging to Desdemona. This is something she does take interest to know the real owner of this handkerchief. She comes to learn later as the play closes. She is a risk taker. She is dead much aware of the risk undertaking of marrying a moor, but this does not prevent him from getting married to this man. The major women characters in Othello are of the view that just like men, women too should be accorded the respect they deserve. They are advocating for equality in society who need to have a say just like men do. During the Elizabethan time, women were never given a chance to compete with men. The three women manage to survive by their own wills. Their visions are what drive them. Iago and Othello see women as unfaithful and strumpets. She readily buys the story Iago cooks that Desdemona is in an affair with Cassio. Othello is convinced to extent that she perceives her faithful wife as being a whore (Shakespeare 267). Desdemona hides here character all in the name of being loyal to the husband. She feels that women should not rock horns with their husbands. She is a woman who has been curtailed by traditions. This is what makes her husband abuse her to death. When Othello accuses her of adultery, she does not defend herself. It takes the courage of Emilia to defend her. At this point, Emilia represents women activists who are ready to fight for their rights in society. Bianca is a representative of independent women. She is not committed to anyone in particular. She is portrayed as a woman who is after affections with any man she wants. From Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca, we are able to derive how society viewed women in the 15th century. It can be seen that even in the old days, women fought for equality and respect. Even though, their freedom is being curtailed by stereotypes, there are strong women who are ready to command voice and respect in society (Kemp 83). The theme of women roles in this Shakespeare book shows how women were treated as lesser people who had no say before men. A famous poet, Simone de Beauvoir, once said “One is not born, but becomes a woman.”(Wright 76) In reflection to this saying, it can be concluded that the view of society about women is created artificially.

Work cited
Alpers, Silvia. Othello - A feminist Shakespeare and a drama about a handkerchief. GRIN Verlag, 2004, 7-12
Ekici, Sara. Feminist Criticism: Female Characters in Shakespeare's Plays Othello and Hamlet. GRIN Verlag, 2009, 23-34
Kemp, Theresa. Women in the Age of Shakespeare. ABC-CLIO, 2010, 67-189
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Cambridge University Press, 2005. 5-320
Wright, Courtni. The Women of Shakespeare's Plays: Analysis of the Role of the Women in Select Plays with Plot Synopses and Selected One-Act Plays. University Press of America, 1993, 53-92