Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. Even so, she cares a great deal for those under her command, often to the ire of her second-in-command, Dr. Carrington. As we know, several characters (like Brabantio and Iago) claim that black men like Othello contaminate white women they have sexual contact with. The audience can see through her lack of suspicion towards Iago that she is a nai? Explore an analysis of Desdemona’s character and learn about the significance of her role in the story. She says in act four scene two that she understands the “fury” in Othello’s words “but not the words. Desdemona does defend herself and tries to justify her actions, but the audience is given the insight that she acted on impulse, and perhaps she did not think her actions through thoroughly resulting in her rejection. A strong person would not rest so much on one aspect of their life and using it almost wholly to construct/complete who they are. One cannot find any proof of Emilia cheating, In both Shakespeare’s play Othello and Wilson’s Fences women can be seen as victims to men but have their strong moments, however men’s identities are sometimes dependent of their women. Good is all that she knows. Desdemona is one of the central characters in this play and many situations portray her as a strong female character; showing herself as being independent by standing up to the men, obedient to her husband Othello and as well as loyal throughout the whole play. To her are given the words of truth and it … Shakespeare has deliberately made Desdemona say these good things about Cassio so that it can be seen she is playing into Iago’s hands, and making Othello insecure at the same time. When Iago wants to set up the appearance of inappropriate behavior between Cassio and Desdemona, he decides that “my wife must move for Cassio to her mistress” (2.3.) Desdemona Quotes. act a certain way and most of all be obedient to the men closest to them. You are the lord of duty. She calls him “lieutenant” when she knows he isn’t. When Othello abuses her, she blames herself, never, was undeniable. He tells her “to leave me but a little to myself. 236]). “He” is Cassio, and through this question, Othello can see she is eager to invite him for dinner to settle the dispute, which makes him more suspicious. Her tendency to repel reflects her independent nature, and there are two approaches that justify why she may repel. Shakespeare puts the characters in this play and relationships under microscope to portray their bad sides. ” and once having heard her explanation; he disowns her for having no obedience for her father within one speech, which justifies the Marxist perspective. Feminism tends to highlight the oppression of women and their position in a male dominant society. Another weakness which can come to view is Desdemona’s tendency to poke her nose into Othello’s public life, which is unnatural for a woman to do in the Elizabethan era. Shakespeare has portrayed Desdemona to have both weaknesses and strengths that make her personality appear normal. Arguments that see Desdemona as stereotypically weak and submissive ignore the conviction and authority of her first speech (“My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty” [I.iii. Brabantio seems sure that this is the daughter he knows so well and he ” Shakespeare compares Desdemona to a jewel because jewels are considered precious, and precious is what Desdemona was to Brabantio, so to reject her is a harsh move. To you I am bound for life and education. This is an example of a weakness; she does not think her action through.Another weakness Desdemona faces is the mistreatment of men. She is young, tender of age, never bold and extremely shy. This repulsion is repeated in act three scene three when she disagrees over Cassio’s dismissal as lieutenant, and insists on doing what she wants by nagging Othello to reinstate Cassio who “languishes” in Othello’s “displeasure. ” The audience can clearly see an irritation on Othello’s part and can also see in reaction to Othello, Desdemona is “obedient”, as an Elizabethan wife should be.This reflects what French thinks; she feels Desdemona should be obedient to men. Desdemona is a character in Shakespeare’s Othello. While Desdemona would not cheat, even if the prize were the world itself, Emilia claims that she would. Feminist critic French does not accept Desdemona’s behaviour, as French believes Desdemona should accept cultural dictum and be obedient to men. He has an intense need for control, which seems to be a symptom of his self-doubt--a self-doubt which concerns whether he really "belongs" with Desdemona, and really "belongs" in her world, due to the fact that he is a "Moor" and she is white. Another aspect, which makes Desdemona, appears, as a strong character is her ability to not be a traditional Elizabethan wife. The eponymous character, Othello, is a Moor. The fact that it appears Desdemona is trying to break free from the patriarchal society could be a reflection of Shakespeare’s renaissance thinking. Desdemona is the current leader of the mysterious and secretive organization known as the Railroad. As we know that it is a domestic tragedy. Through Iago we learn about his plans to use Desdemona so that his plot to seek revenge against Othello comes in tact. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy, The input space is limited by 250 symbols. "You must agree to out terms of services and privacy policy", Don't use plagiarized sources. believes, throughout their life are regarded as respectful. She, Othello insults and strikes Desdemona in public and Desdemona being horrified by these actions says that “I have not deserved this” (4.1.241). To her are given the words of truth and it … Her speeches are not as lengthy as those of the men, but with Desdemona, every word counts. By marrying Othello, Desdemona was showing that she was strong enough and educated enough to break the societal confines of passivity for women. Shakespeare has deliberately used this comment to reflect Iago’s capability, so it can be said that Desdemona is too weak to sub-consciously resist against Iago’s power. He is adored by Desdemona who must be aware of his goodness. Desdemona Character Timeline in Othello. Othello calls him not Cassio but by his Christian name which shows how truly fond of him he truly is. "an innocent and gullible character . Desdemona’s rebellion is a strength in herself however from an outsider’s view, it is not socially acceptable for a woman of her status in Elizabethan society to go against her father or her husband, she would have to accept their decision because patriotism is the status quo in Elizabethan society. Character Analysis of Desdemona in Othello. I would like to start by thanking Desdemona’s family who have travelled from Venice to be here today, and to all her loyal friends here in Cyprus for your unwavering support during this difficult time. She tries to comfort him, but accidentally drops the special handkerchief that Othello gave her. However, if Desdemona is a strong female character who becomes weaker, whose voice becomes repressed, Emilia starts as a wife who is oppressed but becomes stronger and whose voice carries the drama at its end. Desdemona’s love for Othello results her repelling against her father’s wishes in act one which reflects great courage and strength for an Elizabethan daughter. How Was This Question Answered by 18th Century Thinkers? Iago plants ideas into Othello’s mind, however it is Desdemona’s innocence which feeds the seeds that leads to the growth of Othello’s suspicion and jealousy.The first matter she speaks about to Othello is “lieutenant, Cassio,” whom she promised as a kind gesture to try and persuade Othello to reinstate him. Desdemona amongst all the treachery and sinister undertones of Iago’s character is personified as a loyal, honest and faithful character in contrast. Manipulation is a major flaw within Desdemona, and it is this flaw that has played into the trouble that has been stirred by Iago. She describes her commitment to him: https://www.britannica.com/.../Desdemona-fictional-character It is her simple mindedness and inability to think critically which leads her to trouble no matter what her train of thought is, whether it is innocent and helpful as in Othello , or brash and violent like in Goodnight Desdemona . Since the beginning of the play Desdemona is portrayed to be strong and independent. When her husband is deployed to Cyprus in the service of the Republic of Venice, Desdemona accompanies him. Her innocence can also be seen as she is a victim of her hubristic nature (this is her hamartia) due to her trying to act out of a male dominated society. To you I am bound for life and education. Focusing around the main women in these two plays you can see the strong similarities in the societal perspective on women. Iago warns Othello about Brabantio’s anger, but Othello is confident in his own strength and in his love for Desdemona…. You are the lord of duty. Is Desdemona a figure of weakness or strength?. A woman was Thus, the character of Desdemona as a truly strong willed and resolute woman, must still take a back seat, which may come across as passive to an unmindful audience. The character of Desdemona is true and modest. There is truth in what Jardine says, men in a patriarchal society are powerful and can break women, which justifies why Desdemona should not have mixed Othello’s public life and private together. As the leader of the Railroad, Dez is in charge of day-to-day op… The culture in which individuals live in can affect the communication between people. Throughout the play, Desdemona is a very compliant and submissive wife to Othello. were second class citizens with little rights. Character Analysis Emilia She follows Iago in wifely duty, but during the play develops a strong loyalty to Desdemona and, at the end, denounces Iago's lies to defend Desdemona's reputation. 3.4 Othello demands to see the handkerchief. As Desdemona does not follow the hidden requirements of an Elizabethan wife, it can be said she is trying to escape from the patriarchal society. Desdemona is not a very complex character, even though she is the cause of most of the complexities of both plays. Desdemona also shows weakness in allowing men to mistreat her; in the beginning of Othello, her father disowns her, Iago uses Desdemona for his own revenge throughout the whole play, and then Othello who ignores and silences her for innocently protesting to reinstate Cassio. ” This is a classic example of Desdemona’s manipulation and confusion that broke the peace between her and her husband.Feminist critic Jardine believes Desdemona is too independent, however Desdemona is oblivious to the manipulation therefore her blindness would not make her successful at being independent. Desdemona (/ ˌ d ɛ z d ə ˈ m oʊ n ə /) is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello (c. 1601–1604). For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play. Desdemona’s marital bliss is slipping rapidly, and her blind nature is letting it happen. reason she married Othello is because ‘she feared to look on’ him. What Is the Enlightenment? Othello is about many … As such, she is part of the upper class of Venetian society. Othello is about many things and one of the most glaring of those things is race. Desdemona does seem to be an all rounded person however it is her weaknesses, which brings about her downfall. Unlike other women in Othello, Desdemona proves to be very strong and relentless in her beliefs and love. Woman is not allowed to raise her v… Desdemona is a strong character, and at the beginning of the play, she proves herself to be Othello’s equal. She describes her commitment to him: "But 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." Desdemona from Othello 1373 Words | 6 Pages. (2017, Oct 30). Desdemona is virtuous and should not have met the tragic end she did . Feminists argue that women are denied rights of freedom, equality, and decision making. character. Once he was proven wrong, he rejected his “jewel. Desdemona is the daughter of Brabantio, a man of some reputation in Venice. This so-called “violation” of the “patriarchal familial and social structure” (Orlin 175) does not make her a bad or weak character, though – on the contrary, it characterizes Desdemona as a strong and brave woman who is not afraid of countering Venice’s patriarchal hierarchy (cf. Other characters—notably her father—may be horrified that she could give herself to this alien creature, but his appearance is of little importance to her, compared to the essence of what he is. If it's true that Othello believes he's polluted Desdemona and turned her into a filthy "whore," then it would mean that Othello has internalized the racism that he encounters in the play. Show More. You could decide to look at Desdemona’s situation from a Structuralist perspective.Society is following patriarchal norms and values, however Desdemona could be seen as a renaissance character, thus it is society, which conforms her to resists against the Elizabethan society by speaking her mind and becoming an independent wife. Those that understatement Desdemona’s character miss out on the vast … She speaks disparagingly of men, but, until the last scene, she supports her husband when needed. Desdemona does show courage to repel against her father when he objects to her love for Othello, and there is a repetition of this repelling against Othello later in the play. Emilia urges Desdemona to confront Othello, and when she learns of Iago’s treachery, she reveals him, even though it costs her her life (Character). Henceforth he disrespects Desdemona as she married against her father’s wish. The duke and the senators discuss the movements of the Turkish fleet and conclude that its target is, indeed, Cyprus…. Essay, Ask Writer For This is one aspect of her which has been repeated throughout the play, and which could to an extent mirror the insufficiency of her intelligence. In this play, Desdemona is an example of perfect womanhood. Looking at Desdemona’s situation from a Marxist perspective, it could be radically said she is being oppressed by her father, considering Marxists believe the family serves as an institution to oppress and undermine women. Desdemona Tragic Victim. 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