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First, a reader must understand the way gender was understood in Shakespeare’s time. “If we are going to insist in understanding the Elizabethan dramatic artifice, let us also insist in examining Othello according to the traditional values which Shakespeare has injected implicitly and explicitly into the play (Kirschbaum, 284).” This quote given by another author shows the importance of understanding the original texts. The original text, while maybe outdated, is still vital in understanding the culture and history behind the play. A student must understand the implications that Shakespeare originally intended to be understood by the audience. There are three main characters in the play. These women are Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. These women all show true, strong affection to the main men in their lives.…
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In the tragedy ‘Othello’, written by William Shakespeare, he portrayed Othello as a sweet, honest, and trusting man. However, as soon as the smallest hint of doubt entered his thoughts, his personality reversed completely. Believing that Desdemona is unfaithful, Othello “intend(s) to do a murder, (which he sees)... as a sacrifice”(Othello pg.116 Lines 74- 76). Violence against women was apart of our history since before even Shakespeare’s time. Although the title of the crime has evolved, the means and the reason have remained constant throughout every culture and people.…
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In Othello, Shakespeare adheres to some of but ignores some of the rules set from A Discourse of Marriage and Wiving, while he creates conflicts in Othello’s marriage to Desdemona. While everything starts out great with Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, things slowly unravel when Iago, the villain of the play, begins to fill the heads of his ‘friends’ with lies. Othello is boastful of the beauty and gentleness of his wife, causing the work for Iago to be minimal. Othello allows his sweet Desdemona to be around his friends more often than he should and by doing this Iago finds it that much easier to make his plan fall in place. Othello grows very jealous as Iago fills his head with lies of his sweet Desdemona and from there everything goes spiraling downward into an awful fate.…
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Women have more rights and freedoms in today's society than in previous eras. The lines between social classes are more relaxed, expectations have been lowered, and a woman speaking out has become more accepted. Today, women are allowed to do whatever men are. This, however, was not always the case. Take, for example, William Shakespeare's play Othello. There are two main female characters in the play: Desdemona, Othello's wife; and Emilia, Iago's wife. Both of these women fit into a certain social category from the time, each category with its own specific expectations and requirements. Throughout Othello, whether or not these women take action to break through the societal expectations has a great effect on their ends.…
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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 behave, perceived…
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In the play Othello by Shakespeare there are numerous various male and female roles, that between husband and wife, mater and servant relationships as well as the relationship between men and women in the set society which is patriarchally based. The male/female relationships have a large part to play in influencing the final outcome of this tragedy. Notably the relationships between Brabantio and Desdemona, the relationship between Roderigo and Desdemona, the relationship between Cassio and Desdemona, the relationship between Iago and Emila and finally as well as ultimately the relationship between Desdemona and Othello. These four associations impact in both a small and large way to the ending of this play, the death of Desdemona, Emila and Othello.…
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In William Shakespeare’s drama “Othello” the vast differences in gender perception is highlighted in the characters of Othello and Desdemona. Being a moor Othello should be part of the lowest social class yet because of his position in the military his men need to show him respect while inwardly they despise him, this two faced behaviour can be seen in Iago. Desdemona on the other hand has been naturally born to high society but when she chooses to marry Othello she is ostracized and marked as a social outcast. Because of Desdemona’s gender she is abandoned by those in her own class while because he is a man Othello is given respect…
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When a person thinks of a devoted female character, Desdemona from Othello is the first that should pop into mind. While Desdemona is perceived as a one of Shakespeare’s brightest and most loyal female characters, she is also a clear victim of the gender stereotypes of the time. One of the first things that we know about Desdemona and Othello’s relationship was that they were not brought together necessarily her sexuality, but by Othello’s interest in her mind. In fact, the first time that Desdemona is introduced in Act 1, scene 3, she is presented as strong, independent, and capable of making her own decisions. In her first lines of the play, she says;…
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Finally, near the end of the play, Emilia realizes “we must think men are not gods” (3.4.144). Although she knows her correct role in society in order to be accepted, she has come to see the lack of equality between men and women. She understands that in order to be presented to society, they must put on an act for their husbands. They do not need to think of them as gods, but must treat them as they are. She now believes that a woman being referred to as “whore” (4.3.74) is not tolerable. When something goes wrong, the men should not have the power to put the blame on the women. Emilia comes to this realization when she speaks her mind to Desdemona and says “But I do think it is their husbands’ faults / If wives do fall” (4.3.87-88). This is foreshadowing the fate of both woman’s lives in the play. They both die by “faults” of their husbands. “The ultimate irony in the play’s representation of male-female relations is the fact that two women accused by their husbands of “falling” morally, actually fall not morally but physically, before [their] eyes” (Vanita 352). In a…
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Desdemona is Othello’s wife and the daughter of Brabantio. Desdemona secretly married Othello, against her father’s wishes. Throughout the play, Desdemona’s power is not clearly conveyed to the audience, but her presence has an effect. Roderigo is in love with her and her presence has an effect on him- he wants Othello out of the way, so to speak, so he can once again attempt to win Desdemona’s love. As the play unfolds, different aspects of Desdemona’s character are revealed, and blend into a unique personality. Throughout the play, Desdemona is loyal to her husband, but once again, her presence (with Cassio) leads Othello to believe that she is disloyal to him. Her handkerchief plays a pivotal role in the play- by Desdemona dropping it, Emilia gives it to Iago, who then stealthily gives it to Cassio. Othello sees Cassio with the handkerchief and believes Desdemona gave it to…
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Othello by William Shakespeare depicts a contrasting ideology to A Doll’s House. In Othello, women are all victims of male dominance. They had to do everything they were told or risk being punished and sometimes even killed. In the play, Desdemona disobeys her father and marries Othello. In that time period, women were not able to choose their partners. Therefore she redefines her role as a woman. Although Desdemona was independent in her actions, her outcome was much…
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Men and women and their actions, thoughts, and behaviours have been at the centre and focal point in several types of literature. The relationships between one another have been portrayed in various ways, each one representing each gender differently. The representation of women has been a common and controversial subject. The female gender roles depicted in each time period have always been present in literature throughout history. These traditional female roles that society has placed on women have not always been evident. Even with different time periods, there has always been a break in the traditional female roles. Traditional female roles have always represented women as having the subordinate, submissive position in society with respects to the male and being the nurturers and caregivers to children. This stereotypical woman is forbidden to step outside the boundaries of her duties as a woman, nor allowed to speak out against their dominant male counterpart; leaving them to be completely dependent. Some authors, both male and female have characterized their women as breaking from the confined- societal traditions. These women are illustrated as being strong, liberated, independent women in their society. In the William Shakespeare’s Othello, Desdemona, the protagonist’s wife is a bold courageous woman that is an example of the break from tradition. In Othello, the tragic hero Othello is a highly esteemed general in the service of Venice. He is depicted as being a Moor; someone not belonging to the society he dwells in and his appearance is different from the Venetians. The play is surrounded by the manipulation and trickery that the antagonist, Iago generates. Desdemona is the loving wife of Othello but although she conforms to her role as the wife, she breaks from society’s traditions and demonstrates her free spirited character. Comparably, the protagonist in Henrik…
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Desdemona shows great determination and a kind heart in fighting for Cassio. Ironically it this kind heartedness that brings about her downfall and her death. It is her persistence that fuels Othello’s jealousy, filling his head with thoughts of her love for Cassio. It is known how strong Othello’s love for D is and that he cares for her more than his own life, however, this then amplifies Othello’s jealousy causing such tragic consequences.…
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Based on the situations that the three female characters of Othello endure it is clear that Shakespearean society viewed women as lesser beings who existed only to serve the men in their lives, and who were supposed to subservient, submissive, pure and above all else obedient. Obedient to their husbands, father, brothers and all men. Patriarchal rule justified women's subordination as the natural order because women were thought to be physiologically and psychologically inferior to men. Although the women in Othello are measured against these ideals and in this society. Shakespeare is not inviting the audience to accept these standards, but rather to assess them with a critical eye. This is shown through his representation of the women and…
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The senes including Desdemona and Emilia one can see the terrible effect of Othello's brutality. Emilia is cynical and bawdy, and she gives Desdemona every…
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