Women in Othello are very profound. They are very dependent on their men. During the 16th Century, women were traditional and accustomed to being submissive to their men/husband. Desdemona secretly married Othello a “Moor” (a black man). She is devoted to her husband, and respects and obeys his wishes. Even though Othello can be cruel to Desdemona, his wife Desdemona responds to her husband in a way that she gets her point across, and still respects Othello. Women during the 16th century were not highly honored by men. During that time women in Othello were very dependent on men.
Desdemona father has learned that she has married Othello. Her father Senator Brabinto is very furious.
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They are but stomach, and we all but food; they eat us hungerly; and when they are full they belch us” (act III scene4 v 99-102)
Emilia is stating that when men bellies are full and they had enough to eat they move on to the next meal.
Bianca, a very fair looking woman, and is only mentioned in small detail. She is considered to be a prostitute. Cassio, Bianca’s lover has left a handkerchief behind from their previous night together and now she is very jealous.
“ Bianca’s active, open-eyed enduring affection is similar to that of the other woman. She neither romanticize love nor degrade sex"(act III scene4
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She mocks him just as he laughs behind her back. Though she is believed to be a prostitute, she is no whore. She has morals just as
Emilia. All Bianca mats is to be loved and respected without the feeling of unworthiness.
Women were empowered by their men. They had been betrayed by them. Cassio betrayed Bianca, Desdemona’s husband Othello showed jealousy, and rage, Emilia’s husband Iago was very violent and dishonest. These women along with others have been and became very dependent upon the men.
All of the women, in spite of their affection, good sense, and energy fail to transform or to be reconciled with the men. Each woman consumed to their own feelings about each other, because the men have misconceived the women. Men were not loyal to their women, but yet and still the women loved their men.
“The handkerchief them presentd martial chasity- sexuality transformed by loving fidelity. Its function to chasten and control mens love and desire.” (Othello Pg 98)
Women in the Renaissance Period appeared to look very royal. Their clothing were as a queen, long sleeves, lace, high collar dresses, and hair curled up. It was as if you were looking at
Shakespeare shapes the tension between Othello and other characters by a moor as an army general of high power, and was generally accepted as a man in society. However, as Othello and Desdemona are secretly married, the view of Othello instantly changes due to interracial marriage being seen as immoral. Shown in act 1 scene 3 Othello stands before the court, and is accused of stealing the daughter of Brabantio, as there is a generalization that Desdemona could never marry a moor, unless it was against her will. Othello says “her father loved me, oft invited me, Still questioned me the story of my life From year to year – the battles, sieges, fortunes That I have passed.” The marriage of Othello and Desdemona has changed Brabantio’s view on the ‘moor’, as he was acceptin...
During this time period, the men would work to support their family. Additionally, the woman would stay at home and care for her husband and children. This society thought of women as weaker than men. They were often treated as possessions of their husbands, “This concurs with Othello 's own insight when he describes murderous jealousy as innate in the husband-wife relationship which posits the wife as the exclusive possession of the husband and is thus at odds with the human condition wherein one can never know another person 's inmost thoughts and desires” (Vanita 342).The language Shakespeare uses in the play supports that men seemed freer than women. When Brabantio speaks of his daughter he describes her as obedient. Likewise, Desdemona obeyed Othello’s orders and stated she is indeed obedient to him. When Othello was convinced Desdemona was cheating on him he proceeded to murder
In Shakespeare’s “Othello”, the role of women is deeply emphasized; the significant characters of the play Othello, Iago, and Casio, each have a lady that stands behind him. These women each have commitment to remain faithful and respect their husband's needs, especially Desdemona and Emilia.
It is apparent that Othello idolizes Desdemona, through the language he uses in describing her as well as how he treats her during their interactions. While most female characters in the play are oppressed and demeaned by their male partners, Othello’s respect for Desdemona is a testament of his feeling inadequate and strive to entice her. Although he has an alterior motive of evading a conviction of witchcraft to win Desdemona’s heart, he confesses to many noblemen including Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, that Desdemona does not love him, just his war stories. Incidentally, his war accomplishments were the only way a man of his background would be able to be so close to a prestigious woman such as Desdemona in a time plagued with so much racism. In the second scene of Act V, Othello has been pushed well beyond his breaking...
Desdemona is more in love with Othello than he is with her. She shows her love in the scene that involved him attempting to kill her then when he attempts to smother her. Even though she knows she is going to be killed by Othello she was serene with the thought about it, she knew he was deceived and she acknowledged and accepted it.
This passage is a soliloquy or speech from Othello to Desdemona’s father. He is telling how she has become his wife. Othello plea’s with Desdemona’s father for his blessing and to be a family. Othello states that her father has treated him well for many years and should honor his daughter for loving such a man. Othello and Desdemona is a love made in heaven. They are willing to fight alongside each other in battles and love one another in happy times.
In Act 1. Desdemona admits that she fell in love with Othello's eloquence and harrowing adventures; 'I saw Othello's visage in his mind'. This outlines his sense of nobility in language,which empahsis how much of an experienced warrior ans revered noble man he is. Moreover Desdemona reveals Othello's nobility of love, 'She loved me for the dangers I had passed/ I loved her that she did pity them'. She succeeds in unveiling a side in Othello's nature which show him as a loving, respectful husband. He is clearly trustful of Desdemona and is not by any means jealous of him, as he allows her to travel to Cyprus with Iago,' To his conveyance I assign my wife'.
The role of women in Othello is a strong role. They are treated as though they are property, but yet are a man’s weakness. They are expected to follow, and worship their husband as if he is her master. “Women must think of themselves as ‘other’ and man as primary or ‘subject’” (Iyasere 70). Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca are all treated with this role in Othello, but in the end Desdemona is ultimately Othello’s weakness. The women in Othello were not treated as a man’s equal, but instead his property; these women were used against the heroes, and caused much commotion throughout the play.
Although Desdemona is a prideful woman, Othello falls in love with her and loves her jealously. Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian senator, lives in her father’s household. Her father, Brabantio,
All through history, the role of women and their place in the general public has tremendously changed. William Shakespeare’s Othello was established during a time period where the role of women and their collective value were downgraded in the Venetian and Elizabethan era. During the Venetian era women were dominated by their sexual orientation. The Venetian era had a patriarchal society. In a patriarchal society, the father is the head of the household and men have authority over women and children. During the Elizabethan era the conduct toward women was vicious. Women were considered second class citizens. Males only consider women as possession, who is obligated to remain submissive and meek. Additionally, women are expected to be quiet, obedient to male figures, and chaste. Women were either considered a good wife or a whore. There are only three women in Othello; Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. Desdemona is the passive wife of Othello who has a quite idealistic take on life and marriage. Emilia is the cynical, perceptive women who seem to have a bitter take on her marriage to Iago. Bianca is portrayed as the whore of the play, and she has relations with Cassio. Although, each woman varies in roles and personality, they all had a common trait; they lived in a patriarchal society and suffered together. Each of them live in a society where it was ideal to think women were psychologically and physiologically inferior to men, however in reality each of them knew their role in society.
The Shakespearean classic work Othello enchants the readers mind through the tragic love story of the witty and cunning soldier Othello and the charming and powerful Desdemona. The continuous reinforcement of their tragedy is molded by the gender roles present in the play, particularly those of Bianca, Desdemona, and Emilia. Although the men are important within the outcome of the play, mainly Iago and Othello, the women take a more subtle, yet effective approach in manipulating the work through their personalities. Bianca is a woman of self-esteem and sexual power while Desdemona is the keeper of Othello’s heart and handkerchief, never once denouncing him, even her death. Emilia subtly represents that women are just as powerful, if not more,
During the Shakespearean time women were treated as inferiors. The three women in Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca encountered many degrading and unfortunate situations. They were to be obedient. The women had to comply with the commands, orders, and the instructions of the men. Women were made to believe that they had no rights. The men would publicly humiliate the three women. It was difficult for the women to stand up for themselves due to that time in society. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, he portrayed the three women to be viewed as obedient, loyal, and submissive to their husbands.
In the beginning of the scene, Desdemona is loyal to her husband. When her father was against her marriage with Othello because he’s black, she defended her husband. She proved to her father and the other people that her love is pure. Othello didn’t do anything to force her into marriage, it took place after they both fell in love with each other at first sight. This is how Desdemona proved her loyalty to her husband. She wasn’t afraid to voice her thoughts about her husband to other people.
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...