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Discuss the role of iago in othello
Themes of betrayal and jealousy in Othello
Discuss the role of iago in othello
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Feminist criticism interprets the relationship between genders; it does so by examining the patterns of their thoughts, behavior, values, enfranchisement, and the power one has within the relationship(s). William Shakespeare's play, Othello, tells the tragic love story between Othello of Morocco and Desdemona of Venice whose lives and marriage are sabotaged by a deceitful and envious soldier, Iago. A feminist viewing of Shakespeare’s play would best communicate the message that loyalty and betrayal hang in the balance of love.
The feminist literary criticism highlights the stereotypes attached to the representation of women, such representation could be chatty, playful, indecisive, and being dependent on others. Majority of the time women will
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Desdemona’s conversation with Brabantio shows the strength that she has a woman: “My noble father, / I do perceive a divided duty. /To you I am bound for life and education. / My life and education both do learn me / How to respect you. You are the lord of duty / I am hitherto your daughter. But here is my husband. / And as 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.” (1. 3. 208-218). With this being her most important speech within the entire play, Desdemona shows her powerful capacities as a woman. She is informing her father that she’s decided on remaining loyal to Othello as his wife and she’s unwilling to change her mind on that decision. Within the speech she compliments her father ways of raising her and shows appreciation of everything he’s done, therefore retaining the respect she has for him. Her persuasive speech was done with the purpose of convincing her father that she was not purposely trying to offend or hurt him, but also as a way to make others realize her actions were completely justified and should not be questioned by …show more content…
“So that, dear lords, if I be left behind, / A moth of peace, and he go to the war, / The rites for why I love him are bereft to me / And I a heavy interim shall support / By his dear absence. Let me go with him.”(1. 3. 290-294). The very last sentence in her speech conveys her resistance on her decision to go with Othello wherever he be, and it also comes to show how stubborn she really is. Instead of asking politely to remain at his side, she commands the Duke of Venice; thus showing the determination she had to get her way in this
In equation with the Elizabethan era, Shakespeare offers us a male dominated society in his renowned tragedy, Othello. Consequently, this definitely persuades a negative attitude and demeanor towards the women of the times. The female characters in the play: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca; play relevant roles in contributing to one’s understanding of this exhausted Elizabethan view. In contrast to the larger portion of the play, Emilia, spouse to the scandalous Iago, takes an opinionated stand for Desdemona in relation to her wholesome gone sour relationship with the Moor of Venice, Othello. I recognize Emilia’s “Betrayal lecture” as a justified outlook in accordance with today’s period and events surrounding Desdemona’s and Othello’s fatal misunderstanding.
The Shakespearean drama Othello renders less to the female gender than it does to the male gender. All the women characters are victims – unjustly so. Let’s talk about the obvious sexism throughout the play.
During the Elizabethan era women had a status of subordination towards men. They had a role to marry and oblige to their husband’s wishes. Shakespearean literature, especially illustrates how a woman is psychologically and physically lesser to their male counterpart. The play, Othello, uses that aspect in many different ways. From a Feminist lens others are able to vividly examine how women were subjected to blatant inferiority. Being displayed as tools for men to abuse, women were characterized as possessions and submissive; only during the last portion of the play did the power of women take heed.
have done nothing but in care of thee - of thee my dear one" (line
Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello is an unfortunate example of gender bias, of sexism which takes advantage of women. The three women characters in the drama are all, in their own ways, victims of men’s skewed attitudes regarding women. Let us delve into this topic in this essay.
He claims that Othello "hast enchanted her! / she had/ run from her guardage, to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou/(1.3.64-73). This shows that Brabrantio thought his daughter to be unacceptable of choosing a husband ... ... middle of paper ... ... n the play are tragically the ones who suffer the most.
Throughout the length of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello there is a steady undercurrent of sexism. It is originating from not one, but rather various male characters in the play, who manifest prejudicial, discriminatory attitudes toward women.
...ps their characters to function with adjusted roles in culture. In his novel Othello, William Shakespeare reveals Desdemona and Emilia’s courage through situations involving conflict to portray the ability for women to stand up for themselves as he exhibits his idea of feminism through their actions. The courageous attitudes of these women and their passionate voice grew stronger throughout the play as they eventually died staying true to their beliefs. This transformation parallels the rights of women over history, as the female population progressed very slowly towards a more equal position in society. With Shakespeare being an advocate for women’s unheard voices during the Elizabethan period of time, he is able to use Desdemona and Emilia’s characteristics to contrast what the world was like during that era, and how he viewed and wished the world would function.
As the details of her recent marriage to Othello unfold, Desdemona appears to be a woman driven by emotions. She marries a man because he has shared his stories of grand adventure. In order to do so, she elopes from her loving father’s house in the middle of the night. These seem like actions of emotion stemming from her love – or possibly infatuation – for Othello. Contradictory to this, when asked to speak about her willingness to enter the marriage, she responds with a very clear and sensible reason for staying with Othello:
These lines are the first hint given that Desdemona may not have always been completely captivated by her husband. These words, not denied by Othello, sit in contrast to his own. Upon hearing her words, Othello seems a changed man, depressed and submissive, his new attitude brought on by “Desdemona’s own honest account of her original feelings for Othello and the role Cassio played in Othello’s winning of her” (Macaulay 269). With just a little concern for Othello’s own pride, Desdemona have chosen to withhold some words or soften their blow. Instead, her own pride continues to lead her headlong onto a destructive
First of all, the degradation of female characters builds a culture where males are valued more and therefore hold power while deepening the roots of misogyny. In the text, Desdemona marries the titular character, Othello, against her father’s wishes. Brabantio feels betrayed and extremely angry that his daughter married the Moor, a black man. In his anger, Brabantio warns all “fathers, from hence trust not your daughters’ minds by what you see them act” (1.1.192-193). In not so many words, Brabantio is saying that the actions of a woman are not enough to earn a man’s trust because women will always betray that trust.
While there have been a great number of changes in the world since Shakespeare wrote Othello, there are a few truths about humanity and society that remain true. Othello is notorious for it’s examination of race, but is not given enough credit for its observations of gender. Iago embodies masculine gender roles in a severe and exaggerated way, allowing his desire for proving his masculinity to corrupt him morally. Iago then turns and uses his own fears of inadequacy against Othello as the root of his revenge and to improve his own self-image. Desdemona is hurt most by the need for gender roles, which ultimately ends up in her death. The characters in Othello are severely harmed by the gender roles they feel the need to adhere to.
Since women are possessions and are supposed to obey their husbands every command, one could assume that women were also weak and submissive, Desdemona is seen as the epitome of the downtrodden woman by some modern day feminists, and there is a sufficient amount of evidence to support this claim. Desdemona herself states 'I am obedient' (III...
Desdemona explained to her father, in his frustration, that she had been enchanted by Othello's tales, and fell in love with him because of the valor he showed through them. She said, "my heart's subdu'd even to the very quality of my lord: I saw Othello's visage in his mind; and to his honors and his valiant parts did I my soul and fortunes consecrate." (Shakespeare Act 1 scene 2) She was constantly following him and doing as she was told. When she was asked a question, she answered immediately and honestly.
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...