How Does Shakespeare Present Desdemona's Relationship In Othello
In William Shakespeare's play Othello, Shakespeare portrays the complex relationship between the seemingly ideal couple of Othello, a noble, black war captain, and Desdemona, the daughter of the wealthy politician Brabantio. While the image of a strong, valiant soldier marrying a loyal and supporting wife seems to be the perfect scenario, their seemingly harmless expectations and views of each other soon impairs their judgments, thus launching the start of their demise. Their unattainable standards that they hold of each other distorts the reality of their situation and intensifies the devastation that results from their misjudgments, while their ignorance and innocence blinds them from the truth.
Othello’s notable characteristics, such as his confidence and calm disposition, are what attract Desdemona, but they also cloud her view from seeing any of Othello’s flaws. As Desdemona listens intently to Othello’s heroic battle stories, she is wooed by the image of a brave and valiant soldier, so when she sees Othello respectfully and honorably defending their relationship to
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If Othello had directly questioned Desdemona about her relationship with Cassio or told her about his insecurities about her faithfulness, their fate could have been avoided; however, Othello’s ignorance of Desdemona’s loyalty and Iago’s deceitfulness prevents him from reasoning and intensifies his rage towards Desdemona. Similarly, Desdemona’s failure to speak out against Othello’s unjust behavior or to tell the truth about the lost handkerchief enables Othello to believe Iago’s slanderous opinions, for there is no verbal evidence to say otherwise. The possibility of redemption for the couple is most possible in the end when had Othello not have been consumed by anger or had Desdemona not been overwhelmed by grief and despair, their conflicts could have been
Vulnerability In Shakespeare's Othello
1384 Words | 6 PagesNow, Desdemona does not get to live out her life, all because of one man’s jealousy. These two examples reveal that Othello’s stupidity and his desire for revenge influence his decision to yell at and eventually kill Desdemona, showing how an innocent woman was caught in the crosshairs of a bigger
Desdemona And Emilia In Shakespeare's Othello
729 Words | 3 PagesAt one point in time, women were not humans but objects who were expected to be obedient, serve their family, and reproduce. William Shakespeare hinted that he was against these values through the characters Desdemona and Emilia in his tragic play, Othello. The play took place in Cyprus, Italy, as well as Venice, Italy. Desdemona was loyal to the protagonist of the story, Othello, who was General of the Venetian Army. Emilia was married to the story’s cynical antagonist, Iago, who was 2 ranks under Othello.
True Friendship In Othello
876 Words | 4 PagesDue to the fact that there is not a single relationship in Othello that demonstrates true friendship, the tragedy unfolds and results in all characters ' demise. This can be seen when Othello vilifies Desdemona for being a disastrous wife and says, "I will withdraw, To furnish me with some swift means of death, For the fair devil [Desdemona]. Now art thou my lieutenant" (3.3 543-545). As a result, this shows how arguably the most sacred friendship is not even true in between Othello and Desdemona. Othello is notably naive in this instance due to the fact that he puts his wife on death row based on the suspicion Iago planted.
Iago's Use Of Deception In Othello
735 Words | 3 PagesAt this point in the play Iago had told Othello just enough to make him start to doubt his relationship with Desdemona. Iago realized that the small details would begin to drive Othello mad and he would believe anything, even if it was not real evidence of a relationship between Desdemona and Cassio. Othello will eventually let the Jealously take over and kill his wife over the lies told by
Consequences In The Great Gatsby
1771 Words | 8 PagesOthello, one of the main characters in the play is a very trusting person causing him to be easily manipulated by others. Iago, a flag bearer and a friend to Othello uses his trustworthy persona against him to get revenge on him for not giving him the job as lieutenant. One of his manipulation tactics is to tell Othello that his wife is having an affair with a man named Cassio. In the play, Iago begins to talk to Othello about his proof that his wife is actually cheating on him by telling him, that Desdemona gave a handkerchief to Cassio, in which Othello gave to her that was passed on by his parents. Othello was not happy about that which ultimately lead Othello to be disrespectful towards Desdemona by hitting her, constantly calling her a whore and later killing her for thinking that she was cheating on him with Cassio (Shakespeare 1603).
Gender Roles In Shakespeare's Othello
961 Words | 4 PagesThe presence of gender roles in Othello are critical for its plot development and they contribute to its sense of reality. To start, females during the Elizabethan era possessed little to none social power compared to men. Male dominancy was present throughout European society and women were not considered to be equal to men. In fact, women were considered to be property of men whether they be wives or daughters. This is shown when Desdemona verbally stated to her father her roles as a female and defended her actions that he disapproved of.
Comparing Two Characters In William Shakespeare's Othello
259 Words | 2 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s Othello, two characters, Othello the valiant black-male and the innocent Cassio, interact with a deceitful figure who leads them to their downfall . These two men share some personality traits – including their gullibility and impulsivity, but each is also quite unique. For example, Othello is valiant, confident and strong-willed, which is why he is given the general position. These traits can best be seen throughout the play when Othello leads the battle against the Turkish fleets without backing down. After, returning from his venture, Othello is faced with the concern that his wife Desdemona was cheating on him, as told by Iago.
Relationship Between Othello And Desdemona
120 Words | 1 Pages"I am not merry; but I do beguile The thing I am, by seeming otherwise" (Desdemona - Act II, Scene I). This quote was said by Desdemona when she was talking to Iago. She said that even though she pretends to be happy and active, she is still very worried about husband, Othello’s safety. Desdemona falls madly in love with Othello after he wooed her with his adventure stories.
Feminist Point Of View In Shakespeare's Othello
1031 Words | 5 PagesThe way these women act and conduct themselves is unquestionably related to the ideological expectations of Elizabethan and patriarchal society. Desdemona, Othello 's wife and Brabantio 's daughter, is represented as the ideal woman. So she would never be disloyal to her husband. On many occasions, Desdemona obeys her husband firmly and calls herself obedient even after Othello hits her. She was loving and loyal to Othello and wishes a long marriage of prosperity and commitment that would lead to her ultimate happiness.
Desdemona Is To Blame In William Shakespeare's 'Othello'
944 Words | 4 PagesMy second reason is that Desdemona gave othello advice before killing her,she told othello to go ask cassio where he got the handkerchief and how did he get it. But othello was so manipulated that he did not believe Desdemona one bit. He just kept on saying that she was lying and that she is a whore. If othello was listening to desdemona,Iago would have got punished and nobody would have died. Desdemona also is loyal because when she died and came back for a little she said that she had done this to herself.
Assess The Role Of Desdemona In Othello
177 Words | 1 PagesShe was Desdemona's maid, a woman of practical intelligence and emotional resilience that played a great role and character. She follows Iago in wifely duty throughout, but during the play develops a strong loyalty to Desdemona and, at the end, denounces Iago's lies to defend Desdemona's reputation very well. She speaks disparagingly of men, but, until the last scene, she supports her husband when needed. When finally she sees the truth, Emilia abandons all loyalty to Iago and verbally attacks him for the villain he is. In response, he silences her by killing her.
New Historicism In Othello
1636 Words | 7 PagesIn Othello, Othello and Desdemona are both characters that are struggling with their identities. In the beginning of the play we find Othello as a respectful man that is successful, but then we get Iago that manipulates him to make him seem as the bad guy. We also find Desdemona that turns against her father and the Elizabethan society to marry Othello, but we also find that she is respectful and obedient to Othello.
Obedience And Loyalty In Shakespeare's Othello
1106 Words | 5 PagesShakespeare displays a world of obedience and loyalty through the women in his play, Othello. Shakespeare strongly expresses Desdemona and Emilia’s characters as women in the Elizabethan era throughout the play, as they both have entirely different views on marriage. Shakespeare also characterizes both females with contradicting personalities. Desdemona and Emilia are disguised as vulnerable against their husbands and therefore concludes that women fail to please. Shakespeare establishes Desdemona and Emilia to have complications in their relationship because of their contrasting views on marriage.
Effects Of Jealousy In Othello
621 Words | 3 PagesAlso, each relationship in Othello provokes jealousy in one partner. In a typical Venetian society, a woman was considered to be a man’s property, so if a woman was disobedient, it negatively impacted the man, while also questioning his masculinity. The hyperbolic soliloquy as Othello expressed he would “rather be a toad” than “keep a corner of the thing I love” is Othello’s justification of killing his wife, as her untrustworthiness challenged his masculinity and reputation. Referring to Desdemona as a “thing” emphasises the idea of women being property. Iago’s jealousy of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship is emphasised through the degrading comment of Othello, “an old black ram” “tupping” Brabantio’s “white ewe”.
Othello And Desdemona's Relationship
731 Words | 3 PagesIn life, the small and simple object is sometimes the most important aspect. As of the play Othello, The handkerchief is a small item, but yet still relevant. Although The handkerchief is a plot device, there is sufficient evidence that indicates that the handkerchief has important value as a gift, Othello’s origin, and Desbondona’s love. The handkerchief is used as a gift that represents Desdemona’s trust.
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