Truth is a very powerful thing that can change anything and also keep the people content with themselves. Truth is what every person wants whenever they are in a difficult situation and the truth is the only thing that can help them solve their problems. However, sometimes the truth can be manipulated to change how the situation is viewed by others. In situation such as this, the real truth is being hidden which may cause problems to whom the truth is needed. Some may be blind to the truth while some may be blinded by the truth, or both of the outcomes may occur. The ones who hear the truth after being lie to have varieties of strong emotions which could lead them to take dire actions. The power of truth can give life and also take life away. …show more content…
However, This is just a ploy created by Iago to hide the truth from Othello. Because of Iago 's anger for revenge, he plans to create doubt in Othello 's mind towards the people he truly trusts. One of Othello 's weakness as a tragic hero is him being oblivious to the truth. Othello is also a gullible character who gets tricked and by Iago multiple times. In act 3, scene 3, Othello says to himself, "...This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds" (Johnson 1298). This statement of Othello telling himself that Iago is honest and doubtful shows the readers that he trusts Iago too much, when in fact, Iago is his main enemy. Another reason Othello is unaware of the truth is because he lacks trust in his wife, Desdemona. Othello has been manipulated by Iago to believe that Desdemona is committing adultery acts against him. When Othello confronts Desdemona, she is shocked and tell him the truth she knows. However, Othello does not believe her at all and stifles her in disappointment. After eventually learning the truth, Othello is shocked and regretful of his actions. He blames himself for being blinded by Iago 's manipulation to the truth and kills …show more content…
Desdemona is the daughter of Brabantio, the senator of Venice. She ran away and decided to get married with Othello with the approval of her father. Thing may be the only unfavorable thing she did, but she had no choice because Brabantio would certainly disapprove. Her character is is portrayed as a kind and innocent woman who seems to be another victim in part of Iago 's ploy against Othello. She is been the victim of lies, trust, and belief all, against her. In a article written by Galić Kakkonen and Ana Penjak which brings ecofimnestic critical thinking to Shakespeare 's female characters, they write, "By applying ecocriticism, we have investigated how Juliet, Cordelia and Desdemona have been pictured in oppression" (Kakkonen 30). The authors suggest that Desdemona 's character as a female receive unjustified treatment. Her husband loses trust in her slowly and she is unaware of why this was happening. Towards the falling action of the play she tries to explain to Othello that she has always been faithful to him but Othello takes her life anyway without believing her. Desdemona still blames herself for what had occurred without realizing the truth that Othello was being misinformed and also was not willing to trust
public perception of being honest he could never get Othello to believe that Desdemona was
Throughout the play Othello is convinced by Iago that Desdemona has had an affair with Cassio, when really Iago is trying to bring as much misery into Othello’s life as he possibly can. At one point Othello, Desdemona, and a few others are talking with Desdemona’s cousin and everything that Desdemona says helps to convince Othello that she is in love with Cassio. Eventually Othello gets mad enough and slaps her in which she reacts in a much different manner than most women of that time period would have. “Othello: I am glad to see you mad. Desdemona: Why, sweet Othello - Othello:Devil! [Strikes her.] Desdemona: I have not deserved this (4,1,217-220).” This is not the only time we see Desdemona tell Othello that he is wrong in his actions. Later, in act four, he calls her a “whore” and accuses her of sleeping around and rather than taking the heat and dealing with the verbal abuse Desdemona speaks out. “Othello:...Impudent strumpet! Desdemona: By heaven, you do me wrong! (4,2,81-82).” Desdemona tries throughout the rest of the play to convince Othello that she is faithful to him and loves him, but as hard much as she tries Othello does not believes any of it and ends up killing her. Shakespeare has made this very vocal female character to show women that even if they were to speak their mind and try to defend themselves no man would ever believe
Love and story of Othello and Desdemona is full of dramatic irony which was caused by differences between reality and appearance, result and expectation, intention and meaning. Their love was beautiful and ugly at the same time. It was beautiful because they seemed to be truly in love with each other. On the other side it was crippled by distrust and jealousy. As it was stated before, Othello was a different person with a totally different outlook on life and reality. Unfortunately Iago was pretty skillful in manipulating Othello and using situations to his advantage. He managed to distort Othello’s reality and made him think Desdemona was not true
The character Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s play Othello holds on to her dignified behavior until the very end, when her life is taken by her jealous husband, is indicative not only of her chaste mind, but also of her virtuous fortitude. Women of that time were largely seen mostly one of two extremes – either virtuous or licentious. Desdemona’s strength as a virtuous woman are clearly illustrated in two pivotal scenes in Shakespeare’s play: in her poise when confronted with her husband’s collapse of his gentlemanly facade; and in the dignified way she faces her own demise head-on, feeble on affirmations, yet overflowing with grace.
The love between Othello and Desdemona is a great venture of faith. He is free; she achieves her freedom, and at a great cost. Shakespeare, in creating the figure of her wronged father, who dies of grief at her revolt, sharpened and heightened, as everywhere, the story in the source. Her disobedience and deception of him perhaps cross her mind at Othello’s ominous ‘Think on thy sins.’ If so, she puts the thought aside with ‘They are loves I bear you.’ . . . Othello is a drama of passion and runs to the time of passion; it is also a drama of love which, failing to sustain its height of noon, falls at once to night. (141)
Feeling betrayal from the person you love can be one of the most hurting and painful feelings somebody gets to experience in life, but the feeling of being betrayed accompanied by publicity can cause more harm to the situation. That feeling of “Everybody knew except for myself” can be extremely excruciating and can cause extreme harm like portrayed on the story written By William Shakespeare Othello. In the story Othello, we have the protagonist Desdemona and Othello who are married to each other, and the antagonist, Iago, who ruined their marriage by lying to Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful to him. This story ends in a tragedy as we would expect from the author Shakespeare, but the key that led to the tragedy was the theme of pride. Othello was a very powerful and prevailing male character, who believed his men above anyone including his wife. Othello wouldn’t have been able to go on with the embarrassment of knowing people believe his wife has been lying to him. Othello’s self-conscious and pride was the motive that led him to killing his innocent wife, Desdemona.
Now, when Othello and Desdemona, get the hesitant approval of their marriage by Desdemona’s father by blessing their marriage, the Father of Desdemona says “She has deceived her father, and may thee (Act 1, 3, 294).” This may not at first give Othello concern that his wife might cheat on him, but later with the help of Iago’s lies, this line becomes more relevant to Othello, giving him the idea that Desdemona may not always stay loyal. Now here Othello has some proof, of Desdemona’s betrayal but it is not very strong proof, at least not enough to go to the extreme the Othello went to. Now, Iago also makes himself seem innocent, by warning Othello, of jealousy and acting like a good friend, this shown when Iago warns Othello of the dangers of jealousy.... ...
Throughout the novel, up until his insanity, Othello is described as a temperate man whose honor does not allow him to believe assumptions unless he has been shown proof. Firstly, when the men of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, confront Othello’s men, Othello calmly says, “Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.” (10). Othello is confronted on the matter of his elopement with Desdemona with force and with words. Not only is he very cool about his dealings with violence, but also when he is asked to tell the story of how he had Desdemona fall in love with him he states the truth, and he doesn’t leave out any details of how he accomplished it. He openly admits that had any other man told his story, that man also would have won her heart. Only a truly honorable man can admit that it was a story, and not his personality that truly won the woman’s heart. Othello’s honor is shown by his trust in the people he knows and loves. When Iago tells Othello that he believes Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair, Othello does not believe Iago initially.
The society in which Othello takes place is a patriarchal one, where men had complete control over women. They were seen as possessions rather than being just as equally human and capable of duties performed by men. All women of the Elizabethan were to obey all men, fathers, brothers, husbands, etc. Which leads me to the most reliable and trustworthy character of Desdemona, whom goes through many trials just to satisfy her love. Shakespeare brings the thought of Desdemona into the play by Barbantio, her father, “It is too true an evil. Gone she is....Oh, she deceives me Past thought! …” (1.1.163)(1.1.168-169), whom has just found she has taken off with Othello and firstly suspects they have been hitched. Shakespeare gives reader the impression Desdemona is a devious imp full of disrespect towards her father. However, surpassing normal tradition of asking of her fathers’ permission to wed, Desdemona ran off and did marry the moor. This in a sense was her emancipation of her father’s possessiveness and oblivion of Othello’s dominance over her. Othello replies to Barbantio’s accusation, sedating or using black magic on his daughter, by saying, “My very noble and approved good masters, That I have ta’en away this old man’s daughter. It is most true.” (1.3.79-81), which brings me to the claim that Desdemona’s character in this tragedy, was only to become and to serve as Othello’s private possession rather than a typical beloved daughter or wife as in modern time. Shakespeare bases this tragedy on the foundation of Desdemona’s character by the symbol of the discrimination of women in the Shakespearean time era. Desdemona even for the first and only time within the play stands up and challenges her inferiority under her father’s aut...
Iago's honest betrayal has left Othello pondering over Desdemona's faithfulness. Believing the words of his most honest ancient, Othello gullibly succumbs to his insinuations of his wife, Desdemona, as being unfaithful. Through Othello's soliloquy, he is not the self-confident General formerly portrayed as. Instead, his indecision over his wife's infidelity has caused him to explore his flaws as a human being, showing signs of appearance versus reality.
to his self over-idealization, that he wishes to remain hidden. Unfortunately, Iago uncovers these flaws and because the flaws are unique to Othello, Iago is able to manipulate Othello more easily than anyone else.
Regardless of the status of women, Desdemona demonstrates independence and maturity. She makes her own decision to marry Othello without her father’s permission. When her father, Brabantio, discovers of the wedlock of her and Othello, she defends her decision by saying, “here’s my husband. And so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord” (I, 3, 213-218). Desdemona does not just succeed in defending her decision, but she exhibits her independence from her father and that he cannot restrict her from marrying Othello. In addition to her independence, her maturity is shown by the fact that she has no racial prejudice. This level of racial tolerance she displays differs from the insults to Othello from Iago and Rodrigo, as well as the subconscious bias of the rest of the characters. While explaining her love for Othello to her father, Desdemona explains that she “saw Othello’s visage in his mind” (I, 3, ...
Othello is a very gullible person and believes everything that Iago throws at him. He is very easy for Iago to lure and fall into his evil plan due to the fact that he is so in love with Desdemona. For example he was tricked by Iago, into thinking that Desdemona was really having an affair with Cassio. When Iago told Othello that Cassio had a dream about Desdemona, Othello replied “Oh, monstrous! Monstrous!" He trusts Iago too much and totally relies on Iago therefore making him really vulnerable to his evilish schemes. He lets his thoughts take over, he loses control of himself and acts on his emotions. He lets his thoughts clutter his mind and good judgment. Another example would be when Emilia told Othello about Desdemona death, and he admits to murdering his honest wife Desdemona, but says that he killed her because she was untrue to him. When Emilia told him that it was false Othello said “Ay, twas he that told me on her first. An honest man he is and hates the slime that sticks on filthy deeds.” By reading that quote, Othello gullibility is fully observed. Othello believes Iago and his lies because he thought that Iago was an honest person. Iago’s plan was so powerful that Othello praised him for his “honesty”, which led to the demise of
Once Iago has poisoned Othello’s mind with lies about an affair between Cassio and Desdemona, Othello becomes suspicious and distrusting of Desdemona. He is convinced that his wife is a whore, but never speaks to her about his suspicions. Othello refuses to confront Desdemona because, just as their society mandates, to him women are untrustworthy and decietful. Othello (and society) truly believes that if he asks her about Cassio, she will deny sleeping with him. Because Desdemona is a woman, she is not given a chance to speak on her own behalf. It is this same societal issue that played a part in her death. Othello the man and thus obviously stronger and more logical, suffocates Desdemona without hearing her side of the story first. The society in which they live gave Othello permission to kill Desdemona without her even really knowing why.
Desdemona is portrayed as the highest class a female could accomplish. She is elegant, honest and loyal to her husband as any other good Elizabethan married woman would be. She is presented as the ideal woman. Desdemona symbolizes innocence and helplessness against men. Shakespeare presents Desdemona as a mature and knowledgeable woman for her age as she defends her love for Othello to her father, Brabantio. However this is seen differently in the eye's of the society. Brabantio declares her as "Against all rules of nature"(scene.. line...). This statement reveals what the society believes what is natural and what is unnatural. To the society, "natural" is when a women complies to their husbands and fathers wishes, but it's unnatural for a women to do anything else. Women are referred to as property, clearly stated when Desdemona's father angrily calls Othello a "theif" (scene...line..). Here, Brabantio addresses Desde...