Representation of Women in Othello

Discuss the representation of women in the patriarchal world of Othello

Shakespeare’s play, Othello, represents women as victims of the patriarchal society in which they live. Early modern England, founded on Christian theology, viewed women, daughters of Eve, as sexual temptresses who needed to be ruled over by men in order to have their innate tendency of lasciviousness restrained (Marriot 10). Consequently, social expectations were placed on women to be chaste, silent and gentle in demeanor and submissive and obedient to male authority (Ranald 131). Othello portrays women in such a society as victims abused by men who take advantage of their position of authority, powerless to change the oppressive ideological structures, and forced to either conform to the ideal image of the perfect woman or face a tragic fate for challenging the system. Through the character of Emilia, Shakespeare represents women as victims of the patriarchal society in which they live, mistreated by men who abuse their position of authority. Grennan (283) contends that despite Emilia conforming to the image of the perfect wife, she still is an ‘abused victim of patriarchal authority’, being treated cruelly by Iago as nothing more than an ‘object to be used and disregarded’ at his own pleasure. This is demonstrated as Iago humiliates Emilia by publically berating her as a ‘nagging wife’, when in reality, as Desdemona points out, up to this point in the play she fits the image of the perfect wife in having ‘no speech’ (Othello 247). Emilia’s victimization is further shown when Iago uses his position of authority, knowing that as his wife Emilia must obey him, to attain Desdemona’s handkerchief. After Emilia obediently steals the handkerchief, Iago silences her queries with a perfunctory, ‘Go, leave me’ (301). This reveals how Iago views her merely as a tool to be used in his evil machinations, neither someone he loves or for whom he cares. Further, Shakespeare represents women as victims of the patriarchal society in which they live, subject to harsh treatment by men who abuse their position of authority, as Emilia seemingly reveals, through the raw intensity of her speech, what appears to be a painful personal experience of sexual mistreatment. She reflects, ‘Tis not a year or two shows us a man: They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; they eat us hungerly, and when they are full they belch us’ (Othello, 319). This graphic metaphor presents women as sexual objects, free to be used by and disposed of by men who misuse their positions of authority, using women to satisfy their sexual desires. This metaphor illustrating the abuse women suffer under the authority of men is further illustrated through Bianca’s character. Neill (177) contends that Cassio abuses his position of authority, exploiting Bianca as a ‘mere customer’ to satisfy his sexual desires, disregarding her feelings and worth as a human being who holds ‘genuine love’ for him. She further is portrayed as abused by men as she is denied a position of humanity by the names men call her (Grennan 282). To Iago and Cassio she is monkey, bauble, fitchew, trash or strumpet. Additionally, Shakespeare represents women as victims of the patriarchal society in which they live as they are forced to either conform to the ideal image of the perfect woman or face a tragic fate for challenging the system. Marriot (33) argues that the only sin the women in Othello are guilty of is not conforming to society’s ideal image of woman. She further suggests that in not submitting to societal expectations, and thus challenging male authority, that each woman becomes a victim of the patriarchal world that saw ‘violence as necessary to maintain control over women’ (Marriot 34). Corbett (15) contends that Desdemona becomes a ‘victim of the male ego’, as Othello is tricked by Iago to believe that she has failed to carry out her ‘duties as a female’, to be faithful to her husband, and in consequence has ‘denounced’ his ‘authority’. In order for Othello to restore his position of dominance the patriarchal society requires he punishes Desdemona and thus, despite her innocence, she is rendered defenseless to his reprimand. Desdemona uses the ‘Song of Willow’ to speak through a male authoritative voice to emphasise her innocence and position as a victim of the male-dominant society. When she is asked by Emilia who was the person responsible for the crime committed against her, she doesn’t accuse her husband, but rather takes the blame on herself saying ‘Nobody, I myself’ (Othello, 381). Bartels (430) suggest that she doesn’t blame Othello because like the voice of the ballad threatens, ‘her incriminations of him will only lead to his recriminations against her’. She continues, suggesting that as Desdemona takes the blame on herself she actually ‘reiterates her loyalty’ to her husband, rendering herself as the perfect wife who wouldn’t have committed the accused crime of being unfaithful, and thus portrays herself as an innocent victim (Bartels, 430). Similarly, Emilia is represented as a victim of the patriarchal society in which she lives as she is punished by death for challenging male authority when revealing her husband’s evil machinations. Iyasere (71) reflects that despite complying with the stereotype of the perfect woman throughout the play, after Desdemona’s murder, she is ‘transfigured’, ‘condemning the corrupt patriarchal society of Venice’ as she convicts Othello and repudiates her husband for his transgression. Emilia further threatens male authority by not obeying her husband’s commands for her to be silent and go home. She says ‘Tis proper I obey him, but not now. Perchance, Iago, I will n’er go home’ (Othello, 386). Here, for the first time in the play she asserts herself as independent from Iago. Iyasere (71) contends that as a result she is shown to become a victim of patriarchal authority; Iago cannot ‘tolerate’ her action of self-assertion, interpreting her ‘psychological freedom’ as repudiating ‘his existence’, and as a result, humiliated by his loss of ability to ‘dominate her as he has in the past’, loses control, fatally stabbing his wife. Further, Bianca is portrayed as a victim of the patriarchal world as she is condemned to face a tragic fate, being taken away to be tortured, for challenging male authority as she fails to reflect the image of the conventional female. Bianca threatens the patriarchal society through her blatant display of sexuality. Grennan (283) reflects that as a prostitute, Bianca portrays the sexuality that in the Garden of Eden tempted Adam to sin, and that of which the patriarchal society, through having men dominate over women, aimed to bring into order. Thus, by not conforming to the expected conventional image of the chaste and faithful woman, not coming under a male covering to restrain her innate lasciviousness, she poses as a threat to the male-dominant society. It is because of Emilia’s defiance of the conventional view of woman that Iago is able to frame her as a suspect for Cassio’s attempted murder. Thus, she is represented as a victim of the patriarchal society in which she lives, taken away to be tortured until she confesses to attempting to kill Cassio, despite being innocent of the accusations. Women in Othello are represented as victims of the patriarchal society in which they live. They are portrayed as victims, abused by men who take advantage of their societally ordained position of authority to use women to achieve their personal goals and satisfy their sexual desires. Further, they are presented to suffer in the male-dominant world as they are forced to either conform to the conventionally expected behaviours of women, or be condemned to a tragic fate as punishment for challenging the patriarchal authority of the day.

Bibliography
Bartels, E.C. “Strategies Of Submission: Desdemona, The Duchess, And The Assertion Of Desire.” Studies in English Literature. 36.2 (1996): 417-433 Print.

Corbett, L.A. 2009, "Male Dominance And Female Exploitation: A Study Of Female Victimization In William Shakespeare 's Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, And Hamlet." Web. 21 Apr. 2014, http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/93 http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1637&context=dissertations. Douglass, A. "A Society That Kills: Patriarchal Violence in Othello." Shakespeare Studies 30.4 (1993) 1-14 Print.

Goldberg, J. Shakespearean inscriptions: the voicing of power. Shakespeare and the Question of Theory. New York: Methuen, 1985. Print.

Grennan, E. “The women 's voices in Othello: speech, song, silence.
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Iyasere, S. "The Liberation Of Emilia." Shakespeare In Southern Africa 21.1 (2009): 69-72 Print.

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Lynch, K. “Power, Patriarchy, And Punishment In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello.’” Studies in English Literature 33.1 (1993): 1-11 Print.

Marriot, J.E. 2009, "Challenging Cultural Stereotypes: Women Tragic Protagonists In Jacobean Drama." Web. 21 Apr. 2014. http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/

Neely, C.T. "Women And Men In Othello: 'What Should Such A Fool Do With So Good A Woman? '." Shakespeare Studies 10.1 (1977): 133-159 Print.

Ranald, M.L. "The Indiscretions Of Desdemona." Shakespeare Quarterly 14.2 (1963): 127-139 Print.

Bibliography: Bartels, E.C. “Strategies Of Submission: Desdemona, The Duchess, And The Assertion Of Desire.” Studies in English Literature. 36.2 (1996): 417-433 Print. Corbett, L.A Goldberg, J. Shakespearean inscriptions: the voicing of power. Shakespeare and the Question of Theory. New York: Methuen, 1985. Print. Grennan, E Shakespeare.” Quarterly 38.3 (1987): 275-292 Print. Iyasere, S Levenson, J.L. "The Society Of Women In The History Of Othello From Shakespeare To Verdi." University Of Toronto Quarterly 81.4 (2012): 850-859 Print. Lynch, K Marriot, J.E. 2009, "Challenging Cultural Stereotypes: Women Tragic Protagonists In Jacobean Drama." Web. 21 Apr. 2014. http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/ Neely, C.T Ranald, M.L. "The Indiscretions Of Desdemona." Shakespeare Quarterly 14.2 (1963): 127-139 Print.