Desdemona and Othello Though her world was fall apart with Iago creating false images of an affair between her and Cassio to Othello, Desdemona strangely remains kind, innocent, and willing to grant grace. When Cassio approaches her for help, she quickly agrees to help her old friend. While she discusses relationships with Emilia, she rejects all thoughts of infidelity. She had every reason to fight Othello when Othello carries out her murder, yet she resist only a little, She responses, “The Lord have mercy on me…[and] mercy on you too” to Othello’s “Thou diest” (Othello 5.2.50; 71-74). When she is briefly revived and quested by Emilia as to who her murderer is, Desdemona only replies, “I myself” (Othello 5.2.152). Othello is different visually from the other characters of his own play, in that he is a Moor (African) among Italians. In a time frame where Africans were not seen as equals to those of Caucasian descent and when black could be seen as evil, Othello had to work harder than most to gain a positive reputation. As he recounts how he wooed Desdemona, he recalls, “These arms of mine had seven years’ pith…They have used …show more content…
In the opening scene, for instance, Othello and Desdemona travel to their wedding under cover of night. Whenever Iago speaks to the audience, it is nighttime or he is in an ill-lit room. The downfalls of Cassio and Othello take place at night; as well as the murders of Roderigo, Desdemona, and Emilia. Parker takes this theme one step further by having Iago show the audience a white queen, a white knight, and a black king as chess pieces. The white queen is Desdemona because she is innocent and is the general’s wife. Othello is the black king because he is a Moor, the general, and he will soon be tainted by Iago’s advice. Iago is the white knight because he appears to be honest, though he is the
Foremost, Desdemona is a round character because she exhibits Christ-like traits. Her Madonna-like actions are most obvious in her relationships with Cassio and Emilia. With Cassio, she seeks to restore his rank as well as his friendship with Othello. Desdemona states “I would do much t’ atone them… for the love I bear for Cassio.” Her desire to reinstate Cassio’s reputation is noble and selfless- traits that Jesus epitomizes. Dr. Greg Maillet, English professor at Crandall University, relates Desdemona’s proclamation to the biblical scripture “bear ye one another’s burdens” (Maillet). Maillet’s connection reiterates Desdemona’s role as a representation of a Christ-like figure. Similarly, Desdemona uses her untainted nature to gain a loyal and loving friendship with Emilia. Ultimately, Emilia’s admiration of Desdemona influences her to speak the truth against her husband Iago. Emilia’s admission pardons her from the guilt she holds for partaking in Iago’s heinous deed. In a way, Desdemona’s influence is the source of Emilia’s salvation before her death just as Jesus did for man. However, the most prominent act that links Desdemona to a Christ-l...
Despite multiple signs of Othello’s intent to kill her, and even Othello directly stating that he would like to kill her, Desdemona does nothing but hope that Othello will somehow spare her. She hollowly hopes that Othello will believe her, that the bond she had with Othello
Othello is seen as a brave and loyal soldier, but is initially presented as dark and dangerous by Roderigo and Iago. To Brabantio, Othello appears to have black magical powers, but in fact, the private truth is that Othello won Desdemona with stories of "disastrous chances ... moving accidents [and] hair-breadth scapes". Othello is concerned with his reputation and upholds a strict code of honour both privately and publicly. He dismisses Cassio as soon as he discovers his officer's drunken actions. Similarly, as soon as he suspects Desdemona of adultery, Othello watches her like a hawk. Finally, the act of killing his wife is not an act of revenge for Othello, but of justice. He justifies his actions: "She must die, else she'll betray more men". Emilia initially believes that he killed Desdemona for no reason as Desdemona has appeared innocent to her throughout.
Othello, a play written by William Shakespeare in approximately 1603, focuses on two opposite characters named Othello and Iago. Othello is a respectable army general who tragically dies in the end. The readers believe that his flaw is jealousy, which ruins his calm and makes him believe Iago, a character nobody should trust. The antagonist of the play, Iago, is a cunning liar who lies and tricks almost every other characters in the play to ruin and manipulate Othello. The play starts on the street of Venice where Iago convinces Roderigo to plot against Othello by planning falsely accuse Othello’s wife, Desdemona, of cheating. Interestingly, another specific detail critics usually look at is that Shakespeare choose to make the character of Othello a dark-skinned man, which was not a common feature a hero should have during the Elizabethan. Some of the common themes in Othello are the role of race and racism, the effects of jealousy, and the differences between genders during the Elizabethan.
The early modern definition of race very much differs from the current usage and definition of race today, according to Margo Hendricks, “the word race referred not to the linking of character with physical appearance, but to family and lineage” in addition to cultural customs. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is esteemed for his military power; he is welcomed by Barbantio, and invited into his homes to tell of his adventures. Yet, in many instances the fact that he is a moor takes precedence over any military prowess he may possess. As a general in the Venetian Army, it is expected that utmost respect be shown at all times, yet this is not the case for Othello. Regardless of his acclaimed position of general in the Venetian military, the prejudices held by Iago and Barbantio outweigh his credentials as a civilized human being. His ally Barbantio questions his methods of getting Desdemona to marry him, and concludes that it had to be of some sort of Moorish witch craft or drug. Othello is also disrespected by Iago, a trusted confidant; his very essence is degraded and compared to that of a wild animal while Desdemona is seen as a pure white lamb, whom Othello has corrupted. Iago purposely uses the preconceived notions about Moors to convince others that his culture represents chaos, sexual immorality, and corruption. Iago also preys on Othello's jealousy to twist Othello’s emotions and convince him that Desdemona has been unfaithful.
Within Shakespeare’s Othello, it conveys moral and subsequent reflection of events in its current society. In Act 4, Scene 2 (Part 1) demonstrates the road to Othello’s downfall and the success of Iago’s revenge. Within this scene, Othello interrogates Emilia for suspicion of Desdemona and Cassio’s affair, in which they have none, and with Othello's confrontation, he questions and insults her of her unfaithfulness and infidelity leaving Desdemona confused about what happened to Othello. Iago, called by Emilia, pretends to offer Desdemona comfort and Emilia raises notions of the possibilities and hypothesising that someone is 'feeding' Othello lies. Iago hastily covers these ideas to avoid exposure of the truth. This strong and indecisive scene twists the ideas of human nature within Othello’s mind and convinced perceptions of Desdemona, fulfilling Iago’s Revenge.
Othello is noble, tender, and confiding; but he has blood of the most inflammable kind. Unfortunately, Othello was naïve enough to be swayed by Iagos misplaced trustworthiness and the accusations cause the entire play to unfold. Once someone brings up a sense of all his wrong doings, he cannot be stopped by considerations of remorse of pity until Othello has extinguished all that fuels his rage and despair. Othello is described as a “Moor” by his critics (Brabantio, Iago). A “Moor” is a slang word used for the dark skinned appearance of the Muslim people from the northwest part of Africa.
The story of Othello begins in Venice when Roderigo and Iago having a discussion. Before the discussion with Iago, Roderigo finds that Desdemona has already been married off, to a Othello, a moor, none the less. Iago is enraged by this news, he decides that he now has more than one reason to hate Othello. Othello has not only taken the woman that Iago so desperately longs for, but he had just recently surpassed him over for the position of lieutenant for Michael Cassio, who is not as experienced as Iago. Iago and Roderigo go to the house of Brabantio, the father of Desdemona, to tell him that his dearly beloved daughter has been kidnapped and has married a moor. They tell him to go and check on his daughter to see if she is in the house, when Brabantio goes to check his daughter's room he indeed realizes that she is missing and he quickly sends out some of his officers to find Othello. These events show that Iago will take any chance that he can to take a stab at Othello, no matter what the risks may be, if the king...
Othello is not judged for his race in his professional life, and Othello eventually opens up to Desdemona who doesn’t see him as a general, nor does he feel like one ar...
Although Desdemona demonstrated how she loved Othello in front of the Duke and the Barbantio the father, Iago still felt no matter how far the couple have reached, Othello’s color does not permit him to
In Shakespeare’s Othello, race is a concept that is only minimally explored. Characters in the play assume that, since they are English, they are superior and foreign characters (like Othello the Moor) are inferior. This is not questioned much at all, and in fact it is assumed outright that Othello is indeed a lesser man because of his skin color and the ways in which characters like Iago and Roderigo treat him. While an early modern audience would accept this concept without hesitation, an audience of today’s age is left to question whether Othello is actually acting out because of the societal pressures, beliefs, and actions put upon him, or because he is inherently different as a person who is not white. While Shakespeare seems to think the contrary, Othello’s development in his actions and words—from a confident general to a depressed, wife-killing maniac—show clearly that his demise and his reactions were products of his peers (namely, Iago) and that he is not inherently different because of his race. Ultimately, it was all Iago’s fault.
The director uses specific language and tone to stress the issue of race in Othello. The controversy of racial relationships is expressed through Brabantio's negative attitudes and words. He refers Othello to a 'foul thief, implying that his daughter could never love a man of a different colour, and that therefore Othello has stolen her from him. Brabantio compares Othello to someone that no one would want and he is disgusted that Desdemona would "run from her guardage to the sooty bosom". Thus implying that Othello is dirty and undesirable. The choice of language from the director highlights the other characters pessimistic and disrespectful attitudes towards Othello due to his skin colour.
Othello goes so far as to admit that “[Desdemona] must die, else she’ll betray more men” (IIII, ii, 3-9). The misogynistic tendencies of the antagonist begin seeping into Othello’s morals by the end of the play, as he is reduced to a man focused solely on revenge. By act five, Othello has a plan of execution as to how he is going to slaughter the love of his life -- in their bedroom, on their wedding sheets. The Othello that diffused tension and prevented violence no longer exists by the final act of the play. In cold blood, Othello smothers his wife just before bed, convinced through the help of Iago that this woman was to make a cuckold of him, and that it was his personal duty to stop her from betraying anyone else. Reason is out of the question by the final scene, and upon Othello’s bed, after a brutal intervention, lay not only Desdemona, but Emilia, Iago’s wife, with the blood of Roderigo and Cassio still spilling. By the time Gratiano and Lodovico enter the bed-chamber, Othello sneers, “[Desdemona’s] like a liar gone to Hell!”, continuing to admit that “I killed her”, as plain and simple as that (Act V, ii, 159-161). Nonetheless, by the end of act five, Othello has killed himself, along with directly, his wife, and indirectly, two others, an entirely expansive modification from the original character in scene one. Without saving time for the reasonable Othello
There are many picnic tables and they sit on one across from each other. It is a bright sunny day. In the distance there is a row of bushes before the forest. Iago and Othello discuss Cassio and Desdemona. Iago explains the intercourse they had to Othello causing him to go into a frenzy and a seizure. During Othello’s seizure on the ground Cassio shows up, but Iago tells him to come in a few minutes. Iago instructs Othello to hide behind the bushes because Cassio is coming. Othello is out of earshot. Iago and Cassio laugh about a prostitute. Othello believes Cassio is laughing about Desdemona, and he is furious. The prostitute, Bianca, shows up with Desdomona’s handkerchief and gives it to Cassio, which gives Othello enough proof to believe Cassio is sleeping with Desdemona. Cassio leaves and Othello runs from the bushes, angered. Iago tells Othello that Cassio was bragging about sleeping with Desdemona. Othello and Iago agree that Iago will kill Cassio, and Othello will kill
...f her imminent death. She, not Othello, asks Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed, and she asks Emilia to bury her in these sheets should she die first. The last time we visually perceive Desdemona afore she arouses to find Othello standing over her with murder in his ocular perceivers, she sings a musical composition she learned from her mother’s maid: “She was in love; and he proved mad / And did forsake her. She had a musical composition of willow. / . . . / And she died singing it. That musical composition tonight / Will not go from my mind” (IV.iii.27–30). Like the audience, Desdemona seems able only to visually examine as her husband is driven insane with jealousy. Though she maintains to the cessation that she is “guiltless,” Desdemona additionally forgives her husband (V.ii.133). Her forgiveness of Othello may avail the audience to forgive him as well.