Essay on Role of Women in Othello - 1742 Words

Role of Women in Othello In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the wife of the protagonist, Desdemona, is the main female character. Secondly, there is the ancient’s wife, Emilia, who is morally ambivalent. Thirdly, there is the girlfriend of Michael Cassio, Bianca, who makes her appearance later in the drama. This essay will analyze the roles of these three women. At the outset of the play Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken the senator with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. This is the initial reference to the role of women in the play – the†¦show more content†¦Once that Brabantio has located Othello, the father presses charges publicly in order to have Desdemona returned: To prison, till fit time Of law and course of direct session Call thee to answer. (1.2) The proceedings which take place before the Duke of Venice cause the young wife to assume a heretofore-unheard-of role for herself – that of barrister. She is compelled by the situation to stand before the senators and duke, members of the City Council of Venice, and present her side of the story in a convincing manner. As a lawyer she does remarkably well. Brabantio’s rage, among other reasons, necessitate that Desdemona live with Iago and Emilia during the Moor’s campaign in Cyprus against the Turks. While awaiting the arrival of Othello’s ship at the seaport of Cyprus, Desdemona shows herself an intelligent, educated debater. She grows tired of Iago’s derogatory comments directed at his wife, and she quite matter-of-factly states her mind: â€Å"O, fie upon thee, slanderer!† She continues to critique the ancient’s answers to her questions: â€Å"These are old fond paradoxes to make fools laugh i the alehouse† and â€Å"O heavy ignorance! thou praisest the worst best.† She is not fearful or reticent in the least. Once that her husband has safely arrived on the island and disembarked, she greets him publicly as if she were herself a diplomat, and later responds before the crowd to his lovingShow MoreRelatedThe Role of Women in Othello777 Words   |  3 Pagescircle but it is ordinarily believed that women are the weaker species. Women in this play conduct themselves in such a way that they allow men to dominate them. Back in the days women were taken as property. They were distrusted and mistreated. Men held more power than women. The disparity in the number of characters expresses the preferred gender in the play; there are more men than women. This bigotry is very much accentuated in the whole play. Women are spoken vicious of and often treated asRead MoreThe Role of Women in Othello645 Words   |  3 Pages There are only three female characters in William Shakespeares play Othello, Desdemona, Othello’s wife, Emilia, Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s lady-in-waiting, and Bianca, a courtesan. When first introduced to this limited number of representatives of the female gender, it is quickly assumed that they will not be very present or have an important role in story. In addition, the male characters of the play see women as submissive and promiscuous possessions that should be controlled by either theirRead MoreRoles Of Women In Othello1112 Words   |  5 PagesIn William Shakespeare’s tragic drama â€Å"Othello†, Shakespeare puts emphasis on the role of the female characters and their influence on the male protagonists. Othello’s love and jealousy regarding his wife made this play a tragedy. There are only three women in the play Othello; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca. The way in which these women behave and present themselves strongly reflects the i deological expectations of women within Shakespeare’s imagined Venetian society as well as the Elizabethan societyRead MoreEssay On The Role Of Women In Othello1919 Words   |  8 Pages In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, Shakespeare puts emphasis on the role of the female characters and their influence on the male protagonists. Othello’s love and jealousy regarding his wife made this play a tragedy. There are only three women in the play Othello; Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. The way in which these women behave and present themselves strongly reflects the ideological expectations of women within Shakespeare’s imagined Venetian society as well as the Elizabethan societyRead More Role of Women in Shakespeare’s Othello Essay1036 Words   |  5 PagesRole of Women in Shakespeare’s Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello, the role of women is greatly emphasized. The important characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Cassio, each have a women that stands behind him. These women each have an obligation to remain loyal and respect their husbands wishes, especially Desdemona and Emilia. We see Desdemona as a young beautiful white female, madly in love with a powerful black man. She is strong inside but doesnt tend to show that side of her asRead More The Role Of Women in Shakespeares Othello Essay1469 Words   |  6 Pages The Role Of Women in Othellonbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; nbsp; In Shakespeares Othello, as in most writings of his time, women are viewed as trophies or objects to capture the attention of men. I do not doubt that these men do love their wives, but the love, respect and admiration for their women is much different that of our time. It seems modern women are much more capable of having what could be known as an equal opportunity marriage. In the days of sacred virginityRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - Women s Roles2050 Words   |  9 PagesWomen in Othello In Shakespeare’s Othello women are depicted as possessions, ’whores’, and generally just submissive beings with only a few situational exceptions. They are simply sexual objects in the view of the men that dominate this play, but at times they break free of that label and show that women can be much more than that. In today’s society women are praised, they have value, and are worth much more than how they are depicted by Shakespeare. Each of the three women in the play haveRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - Role Of Women And Gender Representation1312 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Othello The role of women and gender representation in Othello challenged the male dominated society in that time period. Women in Shakespeare’s time were seen as being loyal and submissive to their husbands and not going against their husband’s judgment. Shakespeare developed complex and varied female characters in his plays, especially the women portrayed in Othello. In the play, Shakespeare introduces three female characters: Desdemona, Othello s wife, Emilia, Iago’s wife and mistressRead MoreWomen ´s Role in Othello by William Shakespeare717 Words   |  3 PagesFrailty, thy Name is Woman Women stereotypically are portrayed as a weak gender. Often women are given the roles in which they must rely on the protection and permission of men to go about both action and idea. When conflict occurs between any male characters, the female character can be torn and forced to make a decision in which no matter the decision, she will be put in a bad view. When the demand for a woman to have allegiance to a man’s will and subsequently given no opinion or independentRead MoreThe Character Desdemona and the Role of Women Depicted in Shakespeares Othello822 Words   |  4 PagesThe society in which Othello takes place is a patriarchal one, where men had complete control over women. They were seen as possessions rather than being just as equally human and capable of duties performed by men. All women of the Elizabethan were to obey all men, fathers, brothers, husbands, etc. Which leads me to the most reliable and trustworthy character of Desdemona, whom goes through many trial s just to satisfy her love. Shakespeare brings the thought of Desdemona into the play by Barbantio