othello sexism essay

William Shakespeare

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Two contrasting images of womanhood dominate Othello : the virtuous and loyal woman, or Madonna, embodied by Desdemona ; and the whore, embodied, to a certain extent by Bianca . Yet over the course of the play, it becomes clear that these two different ways of describing women don't actually apply to real women. Instead, they are male fantasies imposed on women—ideals that men want woman to fulfill, and roles that women therefore purposefully play for men. For instance, Desdemona often describes her devotion to Othello in front of other people, underscoring that, even though she does love him very deeply, she is to a certain extent playing the role of the virtuous wife. Iago then stokes Othello's jealousy in part by forcing Othello to realize that there is no way for a man to tell the difference between a truly virtuous wife and one who is just playing the role of virtuous wife while actually acting as a whore and being unfaithful.

Meanwhile, Iago 's wife, Emilia , complicates the simple contract between the Madonna and the whore. Initially, she wants to please her husband—and does so by stealing Desdemona's handkerchief, knowing that he has long hankered after it. Yet she is not wholly loyal, and even tells Desdemona in 4.3 that she believes many women, including she herself, would cheat on their husbands under certain circumstances. And, finally, she proves her own, independent virtue by defending Desdemona's virtue and revealing her husband's crimes in the process. So while womanhood in Othello is, therefore, often defined by men in terms of pure virtue or voracious and deceptive sexuality, the play ultimately shows that real women are far more complex.

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Misogyny and Sexism in Shakespeare’s Othello

• Misogyny and Sexism in Shakespeare’s…

Throughout Shakespeare’s didactic play “The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice”, the playwright utilizes the antagonist, Iago as a mouthpiece of misogyny and as the central character of the degradation of the women in the play. Iago presents the women in the play as having an appetite for a myriad of things, such as men, sex, and pleasure, with the sole intention to degrade women and to affect other characters’ perceptions of the natures and actions of the female constructs. This essay will serve to highlight key moments in the play where Iago has altered different characters’ opinions towards females.

In the given extract from Act 2 Scene 3, Iago performs a soliloquy revealing his schemes to sabotage Desdemona’s virtue and turn it against her. Iago adopts a highly misogynist and patriarchal attitude in his speech, which simultaneously depicts not only his dislike towards women but also the attitudes held by society regarding women in the Jacobean era. For centuries, women have always been regarded as lower than men, both physically and mentally, causing a huge difference between the treatment of men and the treatment of women.

With this, came the superiority and dominance of men, forcing women to take on maternal roles. Whilst men were fighting in wars for their country, women were not given the choice to do so, and were instead supposed to remain at home and care for their children. With this idea women having to take on maternal roles, along with religious ideals, came the idea that women should not have sex for pleasure, and should seek sex without the sole intention to bear a child. Sex was never supposed to be a pleasurable thing, it was simply to create life, and when a woman finds this process pleasurable, she is shunned and degraded for doing so.

This is precisely what Iago intends to do with Desdemona. The antagonist states: “For ‘tis most easy th’inclining Desdemona to subdue” suggesting that she finds it “easy” to “subdue” under the power of man. This accusation that is made by Iago, depicts that he believes Desdemona has a habit of giving into men, which indicates that she may have an appetite for such activities. To be able to keep with the Iambic Pentameter that Shakespeare uses throughout his works, the playwright combines “the” and “inclining” to create “th’inclining”.

This adds emphasis on the word, suggesting Iago’s strong belief that Desdemona is favorably disposed towards giving in to her lustful side and submitting to other men. Shakespeare here manipulates the language used by Iago to try and convince the audience of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness, and later, Othello. To end the soliloquy before Roderigo enters, Iago concludes “So I will turn her virtue into pitch, and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all.” Here, one can see Iago’s intentions to maneuver Desdemona’s “virtue” against her, and the people around her.

The “pitch” that is mentioned by Iago refers to a sticky, black substance. The color symbolism here reflects how Desdemona’s virtue will be turned black due to Iago’s evil manipulating and plotting and the influence that he later has on the other characters’ depictions of women in the play, especially Desdemona.

Throughout the entirety of the play, one can witness the derogatory attitude which Iago employs towards the characters in the play, affecting those who surround him; however, it does seem that he targets the women in the play. It must be questioned why he has this hatred for not only women but also Othello. One does know that Iago believes that his wife, Emilia, and Othello had an affair outside of the timescale of the play: “I hate the Moor and it is thought abroad, that twix my sheets he had done my office.” Iago’s deep-seated misogyny and hatred towards Othello may have arisen from this allegation and the supposed affair could have made a lasting imprint on Iago that women crave sex and pleasure.

This may also give a reason for why Iago uses very explicit imagery when speaking of Desdemona and Othello in Act 1 Scene 1: “The old black ram is tupping your white ewe.” The highly pornographic imagery here symbolizes that Iago does not believe that Desdemona and Othello have sex for traditional reasons (to have a baby), but instead, they do it for pleasure, thus painting Desdemona as having a lustful appetite to the Jacobean audience. In the 17 th century, which this play was first performed, England was still very much religious, and so they held very traditional beliefs at the center of society. It was believed that sex should be done within marriage and only to produce children and not for pleasure, thus to a Jacobean audience, the allegation that Desdemona was having sex for pleasure would have been highly criticized.

This is an example of how Iago contorts not only the other character’s views of women but also the audience’s views of women. A prime example that Iago successfully distorts the views of the characters towards women is in Act 5 Scene 2. Just as Othello is about to kill his wife, he regards her as a “strumpet” twice. The repetition of the derogatory term meaning whore, indicates Iago’s success at changing Othello’s view of his wife. It also starkly juxtaposes to his attitude towards her in Act 1 Scene 3 when he says, “How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love, and she in mine”.

The move from one extreme attitude to another, the first being utter admiration for Desdemona and the latter being distinct hate for her, serves to highlight how Iago’s persistent badgering that Othello should “look to [his] wife; observe her well with Cassio” as he says in Act 3 Scene 3 has had a detrimental effect on him, which eventually leads to the murder of Desdemona.

In conclusion, one can see how the comments that Shakespeare’s antagonist makes towards women, especially Desdemona, throughout the entirety of the play, inevitably affect the character’s opinions on females, more specifically, Othello’s view of his wife. The persistence of the comments made it near impossible for Othello to ignore, thus he acted upon the suspicions that Iago introduced, causing the early and unnecessary demise of Desdemona.

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Gender Conflict in Othello by Jackie Chirco

Gender conflict in othello.

The female characters in Shakespeare’s “Othello” are unknowingly thrown into the center of Iago’s villainous plot and used as pawns. How do they combat their circumstances and find power? 

How Women Find Power in a Misogynist Society

At the heart of several of Shakespeare’s plays are conflicts circulating around gender, where certain misogynist tropes are displayed. Oftentimes, women are used by the villain to hurt the protagonist, manipulated and used as bait. In Shakespeare’s Othello , the female characters are unknowingly thrown into the center of Iago’s villainous plot and used as pawns to take down Othello. Iago’s treatment of women speaks to the gender conflict scattered throughout the play and shows how even though the main goal is to hurt the man, Othello, it’s achieved at the women’s expense. Seen as nothing more than tools to carry out the evil scheme, the women are painted as deceivers and face false accusations, which ends up costing them their lives. Although the women are naive about Iago’s plan, they are aware of the gender dynamics within society, and they exhibit a certain amount of power both in their awareness, as well as in their discussions about how the men in their lives treat and perceive them. While they are victims, the women defy many norms and expectations, and hold considerable power, even in their deaths. Looking at how misogyny and masculinity function in the play, one can track how the women thus combat it and find power, despite it all. 

Misogyny is riddled throughout Othello , and the attitudes that men have towards women, both in the play and in society, are what Iago uses to manipulate Othello. Since Ancient Greece men carried out a belief that a “woman is just a cheat” and that women are “more malicious” and more “inclined to suspicion and plotting.” 1 While Iago’s main objective is to hurt Othello, his whole scheme relies on the lie that Desdemona is having an affair. The fact that Iago chooses this lie as the focal point is directly rooted in misogyny. The idea that a woman could be having an affair is not hard for the men to believe, considering all the centuries old rhetoric that paints women as malicious cheaters who are plotting against their husbands. Moreover, in act 2, Desdemona and Emilia directly face these misogynist ideas during playful banter with Iago, as he tells them: 

You are pictures out of door, Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your huswifery, and huswives in your beds. 2

Iago perpetuates the belief that women are liars and deceivers who make noise and disturb others. They live under a guise of innocence, while in actuality, they are harmful to everyone around them. Women are pretenders. They pretend to be housewives, acting like they are working in their homes, which they are not, while actually asserting control over their husbands in bed. They present themselves as “saints,” but are truly “devils.” In the eyes of Iago, women are masters of deception. This characterization of women as pretenders and deceivers with an ulterior motive, is prevalent throughout the play, and is arguably the main reason why Othello is so convinced Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. In act 1, Brabantio even warns Othello, telling him to “look to [Desdemona],” for if she has “deceived her father,” she may also deceive him. 3 Desdemona’s own father upholds this belief that she is capable of deception and contributes to this characterization of women that is so central to the play. 

On top of the belief that women are deceivers is the idea that women are property. Seen as objects that exist to serve men, they are at the men’s disposal and are additionally given the responsibility to uphold the honor and reputation of the men around them. The play opens with these ideas, as Iago and Roderigo disrupt Brabantio in the middle of the night to tell him that Othello has married Desdemona. Iago shouts “thieves, thieves,” and directs him to “look to [his] daughter” and his “bags.” 4 He continues to tell Brabantio that he’s been “robbed,” as if Desdemona is a possession with no agency or thinking skills. Brabantio continues to diminish his own daughter’s ability to make decisions, saying how she must have been “corrupted by spells” and witchcraft. 5 While these accusations against Othello are racially motivated, they also support the idea that women are objects without any control over their decisions and can be “stolen” from the men who possess them. 6 Not to mention, women are expected to be virtuous and honorable, for if they don’t appear as such, it ruins the reputation of the men around them. Male characters who feel like their reputation is threatened, due to the actions of the women around them, appear in various plays by Shakespeare. Many of his male characters conclude that the only way to assure their reputation stays intact, is to assert control over the women, and treating them like objects and subordinates. When Desdemona elopes, without her father’s consent, that may affect Brabantio’s reputation. Considering the interracial aspect of their marriage, the fact that she also marries a Moor, may doubly impact Brabantio’s reputation. Although the marriage affects Desdemona foremost, it seems as if the men are more worried about themselves. They believe that if a woman has ruined her reputation, she’s better off dead than alive, for existing as a “ruined woman” can further tarnish the image and status of those around her. Othello presents a duality of misogynist views toward women. While on one hand they are deceptive and are out to trick and hurt men, they are also objects and possessions who are expected to be subdued and virtuous. However, these two sides of women work hand in hand, for it’s the fear of the deception that makes men assert control and keep them as objects. 

Understanding the misogyny embedded in Elizabethan society, as well as upheld by the characters of Othello, is important in understanding how Iago uses women as pawns in his scheme, and how Othello reacts to the accusations he believes are true. Because women are seen as objects and possessions, it’s not surprising that Iago uses them as tools in his plot to hurt Othello. They are weaponized when put into the center of Iago’s plot, and instead of being seen as people who will suffer from the accusations he sets forth, they are simply seen as pawns to get back at Othello. Iago’s motivations are never completely clear, but he has heard rumors that Othello has been “’twixt [his] sheets” and has “done [his] office,” meaning that he suspects that his wife, Emilia, and Othello have had an affair. 7 If this is one of the motivations behind Iago’s actions, it not only explains Iago’s misogynistic attitudes, but also shows how he’s not only trying to punish Othello for his actions, but also punish women in general for being deceitful. By framing Desdemona, Iago makes her bait, as he knows that Othello’s emphasis on honesty and his insecurities in an already questioned marriage, will push him to take that bait. 

In a way, Iago’s control over this narrative is an extension of men’s need for control over women. Control and dominance are common attributes of toxic masculinity, and his need for control, manipulative tendencies, and continuous mistreatment towards women aligns with these ideas of toxic masculinity. Iago shapes Desdemona’s false story and plants the seeds of doubt towards her in Othello’s mind. Additionally, Iago is using Emilia to get the handkerchief to show ocular proof of the affair. Emilia reveals that Iago has “bid” her “so often” to steal the handkerchief, but because Desdemona has dropped it, Emilia has taken it for her husband, now able to both please Iago and meet his requests, while not feeling guilty about stealing from her friend. 8 Emilia naively walks into this trap and helps Iago carry out his plot, because she wants to be an obedient wife who serves her husband. But Iago doesn’t see Desdemona or Emilia as people worthy of respect; he uses them as objects, especially exploiting Emilia’s trust in him, to his benefit. Furthermore, Othello’s traits of profound jealousy and anger prove toxic, as he spirals out of control and convinces himself the affair is truly real. He becomes so consumed with jealousy, insecurity, and the fear of becoming a cuckold, that he neglects to even give Desdemona a chance to defend herself. The possibility of becoming a cuckold threatens Othello’s masculinity, for it shows a certain weakness and lack of control over one’s wife. As previously mentioned, masculinity is associated with power and control, and at this time, having a subdued and virtuous wife was expected. This threat to his masculinity, power, position in the partnership, and reputation contributes to Othello’s response. He’s determined to “tear [Desdemona] to pieces” and is filled with “black vengeance” and “tyrannous hate.” 9 Resulting to violence as a solution is also a trait of toxic masculinity, and Othello sets out to kill Desdemona, reasoning that “she must die” or else “she’ll betray more men.” 10 Just as Iago is essentially punishing all women for their deceit, possibly because of his suspicions that Emilia was having an affair, Othello is set on killing Desdemona as a way to prevent more men from having their masculinity threatened. 

While many may read the play as characterizing the women as weak, it can be argued that the women are actually strong and powerful, despite being victims of the misogyny of their culture. Both Desdemona and Emilia are aware of how men treat women, and openly discuss the gender dynamics of the society they belong in. With this awareness comes power, for they’re not blind to the inequality and speak up against it when necessary. From the beginning of the play, Desdemona is characterized as a loyal, generous woman, who both stands up for her husband and actively works to help her friends. When Brabantio suggests she was coerced into the marriage with Othello, Desdemona tells him to his face that Othello is her husband and that she has a duty to him. With “so much duty [her] mother showed” Brabantio, “preferring [him] before her father,” Desdemona has the same duty to Othello. 11 In the context of this scene, it takes a powerful woman to speak up against her father in front of a room of men. She’s not weak nor demure, and is instead respectful, well-spoken, and loyal to her husband. Desdemona is also generous, and serves as an advocate for her friends, ensuring Cassio that she will do “all [her] abilities in [his] behalf” to help him get his position back, and vows to be his friend. 12 In this instance, she helps Iago’s plan move forward, but it still shows how she’s willing to defend and persistently help those in need. 

Both Emilia and Desdemona have various discussions about gender, which display their awareness about how men treat women in society. Emilia states that men are all “but stomachs, and [women] but food.” Men use women and “eat [them] hungrily,” but “when they are full,” they “belch [them]” up. 13 Emilia is not only describing how Iago is treating them, but also realizing that women are nothing but objects to men. Moreover, she’s explaining how men use women for their benefit, but when they are done, they dispose of them. Desdemona additionally mentions how “men’s natures wrangle” with “inferior things” and that we should not think that men are gods, or perfect people. 14 The women see the men for who they truly are, while the men view women in a fictitious light. Desdemona says this in defense of Othello, explaining how he’s only human and has flaws. At the same time, the women are both aware of how men use them, and how men see themselves as superior beings, and with this statement she’s taking men off their self-placed pedestal. However, being that this is a tragedy, we know that death must be the end result. If death is necessary, then, are Desdemona and Emilia’s deaths inevitable? If we view their characters as powerful, is it even possible for powerful women to find a happy ending in a misogynist society?

Desdemona and Emilia combat the misogyny they face by finding camaraderie and remaining loyal to each other. Emilia, in particular, presents various strong opinions about men and ruthlessly defends Desdemona’s honesty, speaking up against Othello’s accusations. Emilia “wager[s]” that Desdemona is “honest, chaste” and “true,” willing to “lay down [her] soul at the stake” on her friend’s innocence. 15 She is furious with the accusations set forth against her friend, stating how she is sure that an “eternal villain” has “devised this slander,” and declares that hell should “gnaw his bones,” for he has no right to “call [Desdemona] a whore.” 16 In addition, Emilia later states that she thinks it’s a “husband’s fault if wives do fall,” for they “slack their duties” and “breakout in peevish jealousies.” She continues and discusses how men “throw restraint” upon women, proclaiming that women “have galls” and that husbands should know that “their wives have sense like them.” 17 This is arguably one of the most combative and self-aware speeches against the misogyny demonstrated throughout the play. Emilia is aware that men view women as powerless, and she negates that false sentiment; women are just like men and have similar desires, urges, and capabilities. Moreover, if a woman does have an affair, Emilia blames it on the husband, for their need for complete control and dominance over their wives is too restraining. Before Emilia’s and Desdemona’s deaths, they do speak out on the injustices they faced. Desdemona states that she “never did offend” Othello nor loved Cassio, and Emilia speaks up against Iago’s trickery and exposing his “wicked lies” and villainy, declaring that she will not obey Iago any longer. 18 As a result of trying to expose his lies, she is murdered. Desdemona and Emilia are certainly powerful women, but are also victims of a misogynistic society, and victims of Iago’s scheme. 

Toxic masculinity and misogyny work hand in hand throughout Othello, and it’s evident that the views of women as deceptive and as objects in need of control contribute to the trajectory of the play. Analyzing how misogyny and masculinity function in the play is essential in understanding how the women exist within it. Although faced with direct misogyny, as well as being used as pawns in Iago’s scheme, the women prove to be powerful characters. Defying the expectations that women should only be silent, subdued, and obey their husbands, Emilia and Desdemona, at many times, speak out in their male-dominated atmosphere and have points where they resist these traits. Furthermore, they show a level of self-awareness through their conversations, and have a deep understanding about how misogyny is at play. While Iago’s scheme is largely responsible for their deaths, they both find power in speech, in conversation with each other, and die defending the truth. 

• Hesiod, Work and Days , Translated by Dorothea Wender, Penguin Random House (1976) ; Aristotle, The History of Animals : Complete Works of Aristotle, Volume 1: The Revised Oxford Translation, Translated by Jonathan Barnes, Bollingen Series, Princeton University.
• William Shakespeare, Othello , act 2, scene 1, 109-112.
• Shakespeare, Othello ,1.3.292-3.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 1.1.78-80.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 1.3.61-3.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 1.360.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 2.1.379-80.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 3.3.309.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 3.3. 431, 447-9.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 5.2.6.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 1.3.185-9.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 3.3.2.
• Shakespeare, Othello ,3.4.102-105.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 3.4.142-3, 147.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 4.2.12-19.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 4.2.130-3, 136-7.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 4.3.85-104.
• Shakespeare, Othello , 5.2.58-9, 182.

Jackie Chirco (BA ’22) originally wrote “ Gender Conflict in Othello : How Women Find Power in a Misogynist Society” in Bella Mirabella ‘s Spring 2021 Interdisciplinary Seminar “ Shakespeare and the London Theatre .”

Thumbnail image: “ Othello , Act 3 Scene 4: Othello and Desdemona ” (1845), Kenny Meadows, Drawing and Prints, The British Museum ( CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 ).

Othello Themes: Racism, Jealousy, & More

Looking for Othello themes? In this article, you’ll find all the necessary information! The key themes in Othello are: jealousy, racism, sexism, appearance vs. reality, & prejudice.

Othello is the most famous literary work that focuses on the theme of jealousy. It runs through an entire text and affects almost all of characters. One might even say that jealousy is the main theme of Othello. However, the exploration of racism, sexism, and deception also is essential to the play.

In this article, our writers elaborate on all the key themes of Othello and explain why Shakespeare included them. Every theme is illustrated by the quotes from the play.

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🏴 othello themes: racism.

The fact that Shakespeare made Othello black is a crucial thematic element of the play. Many critics argue that Othello’s race does not matter. Nevertheless, it cannot be true. Our relationship with racism is very different from the time Othello was written. Racism in the 16th century was a widespread phenomenon.

Unlike the rest of Europe, Venice was a very cosmopolitan city, a hub in which Europeans, Africans, Asians all lived together in relative peace. However, it does not mean it was a tolerant and inclusive place, and there is a lot of textual evidence of that in Othello .

Othello starts not with Othello himself but with Iago talking negatively about Othello. Only in the second scene, the audience sees Othello and hears the main character speaking for himself. Before that, the audience depends on the descriptions that are coming from Iago, Roderigo, and Barbantio.

The three characters express race prejudice towards Othello and offer a sneak peek of how race relations in Elizabethan England looked like. In these first lines, which produce an immense effect on the audience, Othello is being called “the Moor,” “the thick lips,” “a lascivious Moor,” and “an old black ram.” Iago tells Barbantio:

“an old black ram is tupping your white ewe.”

The Elizabethan audience was not prepared even to imagine an interracial couple, but because Iago is such a malicious character, the audience is on Othello’s side.

This scene, at the very beginning of the play, is penetrated with racial commentaries. Barbantio, Desdemona’s father, is Othello’s long-term friend, but he strongly opposes this marriage. He invites Othello to his house, he respects him as a soldier, but Barbantio can’t imagine Othello as his son-in-law.

He even thinks that Othello used some witchcraft to attract Desdemona because, otherwise, it would be impossible or unnatural for a fine white lady to fall in love with “the Moor.”

Desdemona loves Othello, but she makes some racially insensitive comments as well. She says, “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind.” Here she accepts that her love for him is alienated from his appearance. She has to justify to the audience why and how she was able to overcome Othello’s blackness. She states that she is “color-blind,” which is, in fact, a subtle form of racism.

“Blackness”/ “Whiteness” Opposition

There are other characters that, without an intention to offend, express hidden racism not towards Othello per se but towards black people in general. For instance, the Duke says that Othello is “far more fair than black,” implying that being “fair” is more desirable than being black and that an educated black man loses his blackness and transcends the race.

Throughout the play, Iago purposefully places “blackness” in opposition with “whiteness.” He even influences other characters to approach this matter in a similar manner, including Othello himself.

It is interesting that Iago never questions Othello’s ability as a leader or a soldier. He always targets Othello’s skin color and Othello’s cultural identity. Iago does not mention Othello’s name and calls him “the Moor” to reduce Othello to his skin color. He is the voice of racism in Othello.

When Othello goes to the Senate to defend himself and his marriage in front of the Duke, it is not his love that helps him save the situation but Othello’s important and influential status in Venice.

Othello that the audience sees on the stage for the first time is not the same Othello that kills Desdemona. At the beginning of the play, Othello is confident, and he knows he deserves Desdemona. His reply to Iago is calm and noble:

“Let him do his spite. My services, which I have done the signiory, Shall out-tongue his complaints; ’tis yet to know – I fetch my life and being From men of royal siege, and my demerits May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune As this that I have reach’d; for know, Iago, But that I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition Put into circumscription and confine For the sea’s worth.”

Barbantio’s racial prejudice does not allow him to understand the relationships between Desdemona and Othello, but Othello is not offended by that. It shows the immense self-confidence and self-worth that Othello has. He even says, “haply, for I am black.”

Iago speaks about Othello and Desdemona’s relationships as a form of violence. He also eroticizes Othello even before Othello sets foot on the stage. Othello explains the basis of their love by stating:

“She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d, And I lov’d her that she did pity them.”

It is contrasted to the eroticized explanation Iago gives about their marriage. Iago believes that their love is not more than “merely a lust of the blood, and a permission of the will.”

Othello’s Self-Identity

The theme of identity in Othello is present throughout the play. Iago influences Othello’s own perception of himself, which later results in Othello’s insecurity.

Even in the name of the play, Othello’s otherness is highlighted. The Moor of Venice embodies two opposing concepts – alienation and assimilation. Othello will always be an outsider for the Venetians. However, it also implies that Othello lost his “Africanness.”

Othello’s identity is not very clear. His cultural and geographical background is not mentioned in the play as if it is not essential. Othello is rootless and, in a way, it shows a lack of interest and a lack of information Elizabethans had about African nations.

Othello has been a soldier since he was a boy; it is a great part of him. However, when Othello arrives in Cyprus, he learns that the war with the Turks is over before it even started. Without these military achievements and battles, Othello feels insecure about himself and becomes an easy target for Iago.

Several attempts later, the audience realizes that Iago’s manipulations were successful because Othello starts doubting Desdemona’s sincerity and even her love for him.

Iago starts by attacking Othello’s cultural otherness. He reminds Othello that he does not know Venetian women because he is an outsider. Then, he goes on and attacks Othello’s blackness. He says:

“She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when she seem’d to shake and fear your looks, She lov’d them most.”

Here, Iago hints that Othello is inferior to white men.

From now on, the audience will see how Iago accomplishes the dismantling of Othello’s racial identity and forces Othello to see himself through Iago’s racist lens.

“The Noble Moor”

Several characters continuously positively refer to Othello. They call him “the noble Moor,” “brave Othello,” “noble Othello.” The audience itself is very sympathetic to Othello.

By doing that, Shakespeare tries to dismantle a stereotype that the audience has about black people. Othello is one of the noblest characters that Shakespeare ever created. The attitude that Iago, Roderigo, and Barbantio have towards Othello contrasts with the ones who love and respect Othello. The theme of race in Othello centers around this division.

“The Black Devil”

Othello’s last speech is very different from his first one in the Senate. The protagonist, who was once very proud of himself, is now humiliated. He even reduces the significance of his military achievements by saying, “he has done the state some service.”

In his last speech, Othello compares himself with “a circumcised dog,” reducing himself to the lowest of the lowest. It drastically contrasts with the way Othello describes Desdemona in this last speech. He says:

“a pearl away richer than all his tribe.”

Othello also compares himself with a savage who is not able to understand the value of the pearl. He calls himself “Indian” and “The Turk” in the last lines of the play. By doing that, Othello supported and reinforced racial prejudice against others.

💬 Racist Quotes in Othello

“Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. Arise, I say!” – Iago, Act 1 Scene 1

“Ay, there’s the point. As, to be bold with you, Not to affect many proposèd matches Of her own clime, complexion, and degree, Whereto we see in all things nature tends— Foh! One may smell in such a will most rank, Foul disproportion thoughts unnatural— But pardon me—I do not in position Distinctly speak of her, though I may fear Her will, recoiling to her better judgment, May fall to match you with her country forms And happily repent.” – Iago, Act 3 Scene 3

“Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate, Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak Of one that loved not wisely but too well; Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand, Like the base Judean, threw a pearl away Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes, Albeit unused to the melting mood, Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees Their medicinal gum.” – Othello, Act 5 Scene 2

🌱 Jealousy as a Theme in Othello

At the very beginning of the play, readers see two characters that are completely consumed by that feeling. Iago, the actuator of the plot, is jealous and hateful towards Othello because he did not get the position of Lieutenant. Iago cannot stand others being more successful than he is, and that is why he comes up with a plan of revenge. Besides the professional jealousy that Iago has towards Othello, he is also jealous of Cassio, the solder that was promoted ahead of Iago. He claims:

“I know my price. I am worth no worse a place.”

He feels that Othello was unjust for choosing Cassio to be a lieutenant.

The second character who is driven by jealousy is Roderigo. He is in love with Desdemona, and he is upset about her marriage to Othello. He is even ready to pay Iago to have a chance to be with Desdemona. Obviously enough, Roderigo is jealous of Othello as well.

The difference between Iago and Roderigo, which becomes apparent in these first scenes, is that Roderigo’s motifs are based on his love for Desdemona, while Iago’s motifs are coming from the place of hate. Besides, Iago enjoys triggering this emotion in others. His whole plan of revenge is based on the fact that Othello is naturally jealous, Roderigo is naturally foolish, Desdemona is very naive, and Bianca is very liberated.

Iago masterfully creates lies about Desdemona’s unfaithfulness till Othello is convinced that Desdemona has an affair with Cassio. Othello becomes downright furious and blinded by the destructive force of his own emotions. However, Iago is different. Despite having such strong hate, he is able to approach his plan with a cold heart. He is pragmatic, reserved, and able to control his emotions to a great degree.

Nevertheless, Iago and Emilia as well become the victims of Iago’s jealousy. Iago’s reasoning, just like Othello’s, is entirely overtaken by the desire for revenge. His whole life is paranoically centered around this scheme.

In the middle of the play, the audience learns that Iago also has several personal reasons for jealousy. Firstly, Iago suspects that Emilia, his wife, has had an affair with Othello. Secondly, Iago himself may be in love with Desdemona. There is no evidence or any material proof in the play that both of these reasons are true.

Desdemona dies because of Iago’s plan, and he does not tell the audience why he believes Emilia has had an affair. He says, “I hate the Moor,” and it is thought abroad that “twixt my sheets he’s done my office.” The last phrase means that Othello did something that only Iago is allowed to do. There is a great chance, Iago simply tries to manipulate the audience to get them on his side.

Bianca is another peculiar character that serves as an excellent example of the theme of jealousy in literature. She is a secondary character and can be viewed as a parallel to Roderigo. Both are desperately in love with people who do not love them back.

However, Bianca is a mere object in the eyes of men. Cassio does not love her and has no plans to marry her. In his conversation with Iago, he claims:

“Tis the strumpet’s plague To beguile many and be beguiled by one.”

She suspects that Cassio has an affair when she sees the handkerchief but still offers him supper and rushes to help him when he was stubbed. She truly loves him, and her jealousy does not search for revenge. Instead of planning how to hurt her lover in secret, she speaks to him and asks him directly.

“Jealousy Is a Green-Eyed Monster”

In the middle of the play, when the destructive force of jealousy starts to kick in, Iago tells Othello, “O beware, my Lord, of jealousy! It is a green-eyed monster!” This metaphor perfectly describes jealousy as a potent and destructive emotion.

Othello is a jealousy victim himself. At the beginning of the play, Othello is a strong and determined man who is sure that he deserves to be with Desdemona. However, in the second part of the play, Othello doubts himself and feels inferior to others. He says, “haply for I am black, and have not those soft parts of the conversation that chamberers have.” He feels so insecure. He convinces himself that Desdemona is unfaithful to him due to him being black and less eloquent than the Venetians. He does not have any solid proof that Desdemona has an affair with another man. Therefore, he invents it.

Another victim of the “green-eyed monster” is Desdemona. At the beginning of the play, Desdemona is a romantic character, but she becomes a tragic one because of the monstrous effect of jealousy. Some critics, such as Coleridge, argue that it was not Othello’s jealousy that killed Desdemona but Iago’s envy.

Iago keeps personifying jealousy throughout the play by saying that “jealousy is a green-eyed monster.” He also compares jealousy with a plague or a fatal disease. He says that he will put the Moor “into a jealousy so strong that judgment cannot cure.” Emilia, Iago’s wife, also calls jealousy a monster:

“But jealous souls will not be answer’d so; They are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster Begot upon itself, born on itself.”

Love and Jealousy

Love and jealousy are deeply intertwined in Shakespearean tragedies. However, more emotions are triggered by Iago’s plan. Envy, hate, passion, desire to restore one’s dignity, a desire for justice create a mix of feelings that turned the protagonist into a monster. Othello breaks when he sees Bianca with the handkerchief he gave to Desdemona as the first gift.

To conclude, Othello is a play that can be seen as a battle between love and jealousy. On the one hand, the audience sees Othello, who is losing his mind due to jealousy. On the other hand, Desdemona continues loving Othello despite everything he has done to her.

The audience sees how possessive and corruptive love could be as Othello’s murderous jealousy becomes stronger than any other emotion. Desdemona’s love is based on trust. It is forgiving; it is Christian-like. Desdemona’s ability to forgive Othello at the end of the play helps the audience forgive Othello.

💬 Jealousy Quotes in Othello

“Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee.” – Brabantio, Act 1 Scene 3

“I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets Has done my office. I know not if ‘t be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, Will do as if for surety.” – Iago, Act 1 Scene 3

“O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on;” – Iago, Act 3 Scene 3

“But jealous souls will not be answered so. They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they are jealous. It is a monster Begot upon itself, born on itself.” – Emilia, Act 3 Scene 4

🔮 Appearance vs. Reality in Othello

One of the most fundamental philosophical questions of western philosophy is the question of how things seem to be and the way they are. As one of the greatest thinkers of all time, Shakespeare was preoccupied with this question as well.

Appearance versus reality is a major theme in Othello, the Moor of Venice, because almost every character has two sides to their personality. Iago is the antagonist of the play. Shakespeare demonstrates the difference between certainty and illusion, shadow and substance, stability and fluidity through him. In a way, he is the “literary device” that exposes the contradiction between reality and how it appears.

At the beginning of the play, both the reading and the viewing audience sees some sort of stability. A perfect marriage, which is based upon true love, a noble hero, who is honest, brave, and virtuous. Othello is confident that Desdemona loves him for who he is; he is a military hero who everyone well respects.

This world of order and peace gets distorted by Iago, who does not believe in ideal love, friendship, loyalty, or absolute truth. He believes in the fluidity of all things, and he himself does not have a stable identity of his own.

In Act 1 scene 1, the audience witnesses a multitude of Iago’s personalities. He is a friend to Roderigo and a dark shadow telling Barbantio about Desdemona’s marriage. Yet, he is a loyal servant of Othello. In this scene, Iago presents factual truth to both Barbantio and Othello. However, each character receives a different version of the events. This first scene is an excellent example of the contrast between appearance and reality.

Iago easily adopts a new identity and abandons the old one. He tells Roderigo that he is:

“Trimmed in forms and visages of duty, Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves.”

Iago claims here that he is not the only one who mixes up reality with appearance. He is convinced that people do that to pursue their own agenda all the time. Till this point, the audience can still relate to Iago. He did not lose his humanity in their eyes yet.

He explains the reason why he does not like Othello. He promoted a man named Cassio in front of him. At the end of the same scene, the audience gets to hear two more reasons why Iago is so full of hatred towards Othello.

However, as he continues with his plot, the readers start seeing him for what he actually is:

“For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In compliment extern, ’tis not long after But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at. I am not what I am.”

Iago is not the only one who mixes appearance with reality. Desdemona is a good example of that.

She falls in love with Othello through the stories about his heroic past. In a way, she falls in love with the representation of Othello and not with Othello himself. She does not know him very well. Therefore she cannot immediately understand what causes this sudden change in Othello’s behavior.

Iago, on the contrary, knows Othello really well. He is also a great manipulator and psychologist. Like a good manipulator, Iago understands that he needs to remain patient. He tells Roderigo:

“How poor are they who have not patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees.”

Iago waits for an opportunity and only then acts.

Iago makes Desdemona appear untrustworthy while Iago seems righteous. It is crucial to note that almost every character in the play calls Iago honest. In total, the word “honest” is applied to Iago more than 50 times throughout the play. For instance, Othello says:

“This fellow’s of exceeding honesty And knows all qualities with a learned spirit Of human dealings.”

Othello has no reason to think Iago is not honest. Nevertheless, he trusts him but does not believe Desdemona.

Othello says about his wife:

“I do not think, but Desdemona is honest.”

He states that he does not believe Desdemona would have an affair. However, the synthetic structure here is fundamental. Othello uses double negation to say that Desdemona is honest, which means that he does not believe in it. Iago brings up another powerful argument by saying:

“She deceived her father by marrying you.”

By reminding Othello that Desdemona was not honest before, he makes him doubt her even more.

When Iago provides “an ocular proof” (the handkerchief), and Desdemona lies about it, Othello will believe anything Iago tells him. The level of trust Othello puts in “honest Iago” is also shown through the scene in which Iago suggests a script for Desdemona’s murder. Othello agrees with him.

Cassio and Roderigo

It is very peculiar to see how Iago manipulates Roderigo and Cassio. He also uses their weakest point.

Iago understands that for Cassio, his reputation plays an essential role and that Cassio truly loves and respects Othello. So he makes sure all of it is being used against Cassio.

With Roderigo, Iago uses a similar technique and exploits his love for Desdemona. He feeds Roderigo with ideas about Desdemona’s immorality to make sure Roderigo believes he has a chance.

Emilia is another character that has a double personality. On the one hand, she is very loyal to Desdemona. On the other hand, she played a crucial role in her husband’s scheme. It makes her the first one to realize that Iago is the one responsible.

Her husband exploited their marriage and her obedience to succeed with his plan. But Emilia eventually saw the whole picture and influenced the outcome, accusing Iago of his crimes and making the reality evident for the others. Furious, Iago stabs her, thus, commits his first murder in plain sight and shows his true self.

Othello’s Farewell Speech Analysis

One of the most important scenes that show appearance vs. reality is Othello’s farewell. In this speech, he asks the audience to see the events with a positive outlook. He tells them to see him not as a villain who just killed his innocent wife but as a husband who loved his wife too much.

There is a lot of contradictions in this speech. For instance, he states that he is “not easily jealous,” and in the following sentence, he adds, “wrought/ perplexed in the extreme.” It shows that Othello actually cannot accept reality. He tells the audience “to speak of me as I am.”

He shows very little emotion about Desdemona’s murder and is very focused on restoring his reputation in the audience’s eyes. One of the ways in which he tries to do it is by speaking beautifully.

Othello uses a lot of metaphors to mask what has happened. He says:

“Indian, a pearl away Richer than all his tribe.”

This metaphor shows that Othello did not understand what a horrible thing he committed. He speaks so poetically and beautifully about killing an innocent person. The audience sees that this speech is an inaccurate narration of the play’s events, and it emphasizes this great disparity between appearance and reality.

💬 Quotes about Appearance vs. Reality

“For, sir, It is as sure as you are Roderigo, Were I the Moor I would not be Iago. In following him, I follow but myself. Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, But seeming so for my particular end. For when my outward action doth demonstrate The native act and figure of my heart In complement extern, ’tis not long after But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at. I am not what I am.” – Iago, Act 1 Scene 1

“O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood! Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters’ minds By what you see them act. (1.1.)” – Brabantio, Act 1 Scene 1

“So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true. So speaking as I think, alas, I die.” – Emilia, Act 5 Scene 2

♀️ Sexism as a Theme of Othello

In Shakespeare’s time, women did not possess the same type of freedom modern women have. Elizabethan society was extremely patriarchal, meaning that men were considered superior to women in all regards: intellectually, physically, emotionally. Women were born to be objectified by men, serve them, and be treated as their subordinates or, even worse, their possessions. The Bible supported this point of view, and disobedience was seen as a crime against God.

This belief was deeply ingrained into the fabric of Elizabethan society. Not surprisingly, Shakespeare’s plays reflect this belief as well. The question of the gender roles in Othello becomes one of the most important in the entire play.

There are only three female characters in Othello —Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. All of them are maltreated by their partners. These three females have different socioeconomic statuses, and it dictates the way male characters approach them and the level of freedom and respect they get.

In the play, men respect the boundaries of married women as they belong to their husbands. However, Iago believes all women are “whores,” and there is no difference between a housewife and a street lady. He claims:

“Come on, come on, you are pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and housewives in … Your beds!”

An analysis of the three women in Othello will allow readers to see that even though all three women in Othello have strong personalities, they have been oppressed by culture and male dominance. This systemic oppression made women content with their secondary status in society and their families. The way Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca are portrayed in Othello could not be more contrasting. This contrast between them forms the core of the female theme in Othello .

Desdemona is the first female character readers encounter in the play. From the first pages, readers see that she has very little control over her destiny. She tries to resist her father’s authority, but not because she wants to regain her freedom or find her voice. She fights it because she is in love. She wants to marry Othello and live an adventurous life with him.

Desdemona’s first words in the play show the deep respect for her father and his dominant position in her life:

“My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you, I am bound for life and education. My life and education both do teach me how to respect you. You are the lord of my duty, I am hitherto your daughter. 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.”

This speech shows Desdemona’s intelligence, her emotionality, her eloquence. In fact, she sounds more eloquent than her father or Othello himself. It is also peculiar that the issue of “duty” remains unchallenged by Desdemona. She sees herself as a possession that should be transferred from one man to another. Desdemona cannot imagine herself being alienated from men completely. She thinks that she only exists in relation to them.

After she is approved to get married, she is treated as a possession by her husband, Othello. She has to ask for permission to go to Cyprus with him, but Othello views her as a commodity that needs transportation and protection. A little bit later in the play, the Duke tells Othello to “use her well.” It can be interpreted in two ways: the first one is to take care of Desdemona. Well, the second one is to take advantage of her, to use her literally.

In Elizabethan times, marriages, especially in higher society, were strictly pre-arranged. Desdemona breaks all the societal norms when she chooses her husband. Iago tells her father, “hath made a gross revolt, tying her beauty, wit, and fortunes in an extravagant and wheeling stranger.” As a result of her actions, Barbantio disowns her.

Later in the play, Desdemona realizes her entrapped position, but it is already too late. She suffers abuse in Othello’s hands, and he verbally abuses her by calling her “whore.” She has no place to go back as her father does not want to see her again.

Desdemona realizes it, saying, “this is my wretched fortune.” She accepts her destiny, even if it is to die.

Emilia, another woman in the play, is Desdemona’s only faithful supporter. She explicitly questions the world’s injustice, “Hath she forsook . . . / Her father, and her country, all her friends, / To be called a whore?”

Emilia does realize that the position women have in society is unjust. In their private conversation, she tells Desdemona that all the problems are coming from men. She is the voice of feminism in Othello. However, Emilia speaks her mind only in front of Desdemona. When it comes to speaking for herself or defending herself, she is not able to do that.

Emilia is Iago’s wife. She obeys him and unknowingly helps him in his scheme. However, Iago does not show any love or respect for her. He is jealous and upset with her as he thinks that Emilia and Othello had an affair. Iago claims that Othello:

“Twixt my sheets He’s done my office.”

Iago objectifies his wife and deprives her of humanity by calling her “seat,” “sheets,” or “office.”

The audience does not feel that Iago has any feelings for Emilia. She is merely a possession for him. He kills her without hesitation because she reveals his evil plan and decides to stay loyal to Desdemona. In a way, in this last scene, she behaved unfaithfully to her husband, and therefore she deserves to be killed.

Her death is very spontaneous and symbolic at the same time. Once Emilia finds her voice and speaks up, Iago uses violence to make sure she keeps silent. Most of the women are silenced in Othello.

Men, who are witnessing the argument between Emilia and Iago, are all armed. It would be reasonable to take a stand and defend an unarmed woman. However, no one intervenes, and she has no means to defend herself.

At the beginning of the play, Iago tells the audience that Bianca is a whore. However, there is no evidence in the text that supports this claim. After all, Iago is not the most reliable source of information in the play.

Bianca is a crucial character because she creates a parallel with Othello, a parallel with Desdemona, and a parallel with Emilia. She is not involved in scheming, Iago is not trying to use her in his plot, and she has the authority of her own.

Besides Othello, Bianca is the only other character in the play who gets jealous. How she reacts proves that Othello’s actions could be prevented. Her love for Cassio does not change after she suspects him of having an affair with another woman. She does not want revenge. She just wants to know the truth.

The way Cassio and Bianca communicate does not look like they are in a prostitute and client relationship. Cassio calls her “my most fair Bianca,” “my love.” They address one another so sweetly that it sounds like two people that are in an equal power partnership.

Bianca is judged and accused by other characters for having an intimate relationship outside of marriage. However, Cassio does not get the same type of judgment for having premarital sex. It proves that there are double standards in Othello’s presentation of women.

For many years, critics and the audience were unfair to Bianca as well. However, she is simply a financially and sexually independent woman. Her life belongs to her and not to her husband or her father. She is aware of her sexuality and challenges the norms.

There are a lot of sexist remarks in Othello that penetrate the text. Iago is a misogynist, and throughout the whole play, he keeps calling Bianca names. He calls her – “strumpet,” “trash,” “creature,” and etc. All of this harassment happens behind her back, so she cannot defend her dignity. Only when Emilia calls her “strumpet” in her face, Bianca responds:

“I am no strumpet but of life as honest as you, that thus abuse me.”

Unlike Desdemona and Emilia, she can speak for herself.

Female Sexuality

Alongside the female oppression in Othello and continuous female abuse in Othello , Desdemona has power over her husband due to her sexuality. Desdemona is not afraid to use her sexuality to persuade Othello. For instance, when she decides to talk about Cassio’s case, Desdemona knows how strong her influence on Othello is. Otherwise, she would not agree to talk to Othello about that. She is beautiful, she is young, and Othello desires her.

The sex theme and sexual remarks are present throughout the play. Mainly, Iago is the one who brings these conversations up. However, even Othello himself talks about sex on multiple occasions.

At the beginning of the play, Othello tells Desdemona, “Come, my dear love,/The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue.” This comment shows that Othello views marriage as a “purchase” and “the fruits” as sex. A woman is expected to fulfill the sexual desires of her husband. However, a woman who shows her sexuality is immediately labeled as a “whore.”

Throughout the play, the word “whore” has been used more than ten times and towards all three female characters. However, most of the time, it is being used in regards to Bianca, the third heroine.All women in Othello are innocent and, nevertheless, suffer verbal and physical abuse. The audience sees these women through the prism of masculinity and male judgment, but it is evident that these women have stories of their own. They have minds of their own, feelings of their own, and voices of their own. Those women are not weak or passive, as many critics believe. They are simply oppressed.

💬 Othello Quotes about Women

“Come on, come on. You are pictures out of door, Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and hussies in your beds.” – Iago, Act 2 Scene 1

“O curse of marriage, That we can call these delicate creatures ours And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad And live upon the vapor of a dungeon Than keep a corner in the thing I love For others’ uses.” – Othello, Act 3 Scene 3

“But I do think it is their husbands’ faults If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties, And pour our treasures into foreign laps; Or else break out in peevish jealousies, Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us, Or scant our former having in despite, Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace, Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them. They see and smell, And have their palates both for sweet and sour, As husbands have. What is it that they do When they change us for others? Is it sport? I think it is. And doth affection breed it? I think it doth. Is ‘t frailty that thus errs? It is so too. And have not we affections, Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have? Then let them use us well. Else let them know, The ills we do, their ills instruct us so.” – Emilia, Act 4 Scene 3

Thank you for reading till the end! Check other articles that explore Othello’s characters and meaning.

• Othello by William Shakespeare: Entire Play — The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Created by Jeremy Hylton
• Racism, Misogyny and ‘Motiveless Malignity’ in Othello — Kiernan Ryan, The British Library
• Othello’s Black Skin — Jeffrey R. Wilson, Harvard College Writing Program
• Desdemona and Emilia: Female Friendship in Shakespeare’s Othello — Elise Walter, Folger Shakespeare Library
• Active Agents or Passive Instruments? Female Characters in William Shakespeare’s “Othello” — Wiebke Pietzonka, GRIN
• Shakespeare’s Othello: Othello’s Jealousy — A. C. Bradley, from Shakespearean Tragedy , Shakespeare Online.com
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IvyPanda. (2023, August 14). Othello Themes: Racism, Jealousy, & More. https://ivypanda.com/lit/othello-study-guide/themes/

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Bibliography

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The Vassar College English Department Student Journal of Critical Essays

“I am bound to speak”: The Speeches and Silences of Women in Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello opens with Desdemona and Othello publicly defending their marriage and declaring their love for one another in front of an audience of senators. In their early scenes, the two illustrate a model of marriage based on love and women’s consent that was still developing during Shakespeare’s time. However, this model soon fails. Incompatible with the patriarchal social order dependent upon women’s chastity, the romantic foundation of their marriage soon folds under men’s misogynistic anxieties surrounding cuckoldry. The men of Othello possess the authority to choose when to listen to and believe women, and when to silence them; thus, a woman speaking against her husband (or at all, really) gets read as improper and incriminating as a sign of her wild, uncontrollable nature. Of Emilia, Iago remarks to Othello that “Her honor is an essence that’s not seen” (4.1.16) — and an “honorable” woman shouldn’t be heard, either. But while men silence women in fear of being made a cuckold, the women of Othello fear physical violence at the hands of their husbands. Although Shakespeare configures a parallel storyline of marital abuse for Desdemona and Emilia that culminates with their shared deaths, their voices unite and become a source of lasting resistance to the authorial violence of masculinist discourse.

From the play’s start, Desdemona reveals an awareness of her ability to speak and be heard by her husband, but because she transgresses her “proper” place in the domestic sphere, her speech becomes manipulated into supposed evidence of her impropriety. Shakespeare introduces Desdemona by having her boldly defend herself and her marriage in front of the senate, but it is the men who stage this scene: they invite her into this public space and call upon her to speak. Their need for her testimony is an exception, for they trust her voice as a white woman more than that of Othello, a Black man. When testifying before Brabantio that “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” (1.3.186-9), Desdemona connects herself to other women before her who have shared in the experience of transferring “loyalty” from father to husband; she asserts that she merely fulfilled what is expected of women upon marriage. In distinguishing herself from her mother, who “showed” her propriety, Desdemona herself must “profess,” and thus she links her demonstration of duty to her ability to speak. Later, after Cassio expresses his fear over losing his friendship with Othello, Desdemona reveals her faith in Othello as a listener as she tells Cassio:

Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it To the last article. My lord shall never rest; I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience; His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift; I’ll intermingle everything he does With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio, For thy solicitor shall rather die Than give thy cause away. (3.3.19-28)

By appointing herself as Cassio’s “solicitor” (3.3.27), Desdemona illustrates the trust she places in the authority of her speech, and consequently in her ability to persuade Othello and “talk him out” (3.3.23) of his disagreement. As both Cassio’s advocate and Othello’s wife, Desdemona promises she will “intermingle everything [Othello] does / With Cassio’s suit” (3.3.25-6), thus she asserts her ability to bring this public issue into the private, domestic spaces she shares with Othello. Later, after witnessing Desdemona publicly bring Cassio’s case before Othello, Iago claims authorship over Desdemona’s speech to distort her words into proof of her infidelity. On the grounds that Desdemona’s public speech is improper in itself, Iago uses her speech acts as incriminating evidence to manipulate Othello’s masculine anxiety of being made a cuckold by an uncontrollable wife.

Before his manipulation of Desdemona, Iago illustrates the violent potential of men’s fear of cuckoldry through his abuse of his wife, Emilia. Plotting against Othello, Iago tells Roderigo that “it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets / H’as done my office” (1.3.379-80), revealing Iago’s conviction that Emilia has cuckolded him. Though he has no evidence to prove that his suspicions are “true” (1.3.380), Iago names this anxiety to rationalize the violence he plans; he expects Roderigo to empathize with his reaction to Emilia and Othello’s supposed affair. When the audience first sees Emilia, Iago criticizes her to Cassio, saying that “would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, / You would have enough” (2.1.100-3), publicly silencing her and mocking her voice before she says her first line. When Desdemona jokes with Iago that Emilia “has no speech” (2.1.100), Iago’s response that “I find it still when I have leave to sleep. / Marry, before your ladyship, I grant, / She puts her tongue a little in her heart / And chides with thinking” (2.1.104-7) works not only to stifle Emilia’s speech in this public space, but to criticize her for speaking and ‘chiding’ him in their shared private space. While Emilia’s response to this criticism, that Iago “[has] little cause to say so” (2.1.108) is short and terse, it reveals her recognition of and resistance to Iago’s verbal abuse. Later asserting that Iago “will not write [her] praise” (2.1.116), Emilia rejects his claim to authorship over her body and her speech. As she picks up Desdemona’s handkerchief that Iago has “a hundred times / Woo’d [her] to steal” (3.3.292-3) Emilia delivers a brief soliloquy in which she justifies her action. While her conclusion, “I nothing but to please his fantasy (3.3.299) can read as ‘I do nothing,’ perhaps it can also read as ‘I am nothing’ — with this, she acknowledges her husband’s claim to read and interpret her actions however suits his “fantasy.” After her soliloquy, in the play’s only moment where Iago and Emilia speak together without witnesses, he questions her “How now? What do you here alone?” (3.3.300); he thus immediately reads Emilia’s temporary elusion of his watch (and therefore, his control) as suspicious. Though Emilia does present the handkerchief to Iago, he “snatches” it from her grasp; on one level, Emilia’s awareness of the violent potential of her husband should probably cause her to suspect the malice in his motives, but this awareness can help explain why she feels compelled to ‘obey’ him.

Once Othello begins to “write” Desdemona as a whore, he silences her ability to publicly speak and be heard. But despite his accusations and his refusal to listen to Desdemona, she maintains faith in her voice and ability to reason with him. After Othello berates her in front of Emilia, Desdemona rationalizes his behavior, telling Emilia that

Men’s natures wrangle with inferior things, Though great ones are their object. ‘Tis even so; For let our finger ache, and it endues Our other, healthful members even to that sense Of pain. Nay, we must think men are not gods, Nor of them look for such observancy As fits the bridal. Beshrew me much, Emilia, I was, unhandsome warrior as I am, Arraigning his unkindness with my soul; But now I find I had suborn’d the witness, And he’s indicted falsely. (3.4.143-53)

Though she begins by speaking specifically of her husband, “state” (3.4.140) matters (which are men’s domain), and “Men’s natures” (3.4.143), she shifts into using first-person plural pronouns as she metaphorizes physical “pain”; in doing so, Desdemona includes herself (and perhaps, Emilia) in feeling an acute ache she perceives will spiral into something larger. In her acknowledgment that women cannot demand attentiveness from their husbands beyond their wedding day, Desdemona illustrates the incompatibility between the courtly love exemplified by the wedding ceremony, and the misogynistic fears of cuckoldry that invade once married. She concludes her speech by echoing her earlier “solicitor” metaphor in which she asserted her ability to persuade her husband — but she here inverts the metaphor to advocate against herself and her momentary ‘indictment’ of Othello. Her speech also demonstrates her need to justify to Emilia (a woman to whom marital abuse is unfortunately familiar) her continued devotion to Othello. But Emilia’s doubts and violent expectations of Othello frame the scene: she questions Desdemona “Is [Othello] not jealous?” (3.4.25) after witnessing his frantic interrogation over the handkerchief, and she undermines Desdemona’s speech by telling her “Pray heaven it be state matters, as you think, / And no conception nor no jealous toy / Concerning you” (3.4.154-6). At the start of the fourth act, Othello publicly strikes Desdemona in front of Emilia: in this moment, his abuse, now turned physical, cements the failure of Desdemona’s speech. After this moment, Desdemona recognizes that her speech can incriminate her in her husband’s eyes: she “cannot say ‘whore’” (4.2.161) in front of Iago and Emilia, knowing that saying so has the power to make her “that name” (4.2.118). As she pleads with Iago to talk to Othello, saying that she can “trespass ‘gainst [Othello’s] love” in both “discourse of thought” and “actual deed” (4.2.152-3), she paints not only her words and her actions as potentially incriminating, but also her private, unspoken thoughts.

Desdemona and Emilia share the stage alone, unobserved, just once before their deaths; though they share a similar experience of marital abuse, their private conversation illustrates that while Desdemona blames wives (and thus, herself) for the violent manifestations of men’s fear of cuckoldry, Emilia instead directs anger at husbands. Having been publicly “commanded” by Othello “to go to bed” (4.3.13), Desdemona asks Emilia to place her wedding night sheets upon her bed and requests that “If I do die before thee prithee, shroud me / In one of those same sheets” (4.3.24-5); though she maintains her commitment to loving Othello as she did on their wedding night, Desdemona senses that she will soon die. But rather than supposing that Othello will kill her, she seems to believe that her own heartache will cause her death. Speaking of her mother’s maid, Barbary, Desdemona connects her pain to that of other women before her; she tells Emilia that Barbary

…was in love; and he she loved proved mad And did forsake her. She had a song of “Willow”; An old thing ’twas; but it express’d her fortune, And she died singing it. That song tonight Will not go from my mind; I have much to do But to go hang my head all at one side And sing it like poor Barbary. (4.3.27-33)

Perhaps believing that Othello has “proved mad” (4.3.27) like Barbary’s lover, Desdemona aligns herself with Barbary, sensing that she will share in her “fortune” (4.3.29). The Willow song, as “an old thing” (4.3.29), holds the cultural space of a folk song, and therefore it speaks to a common ‘fate’ amongst women. Though Desdemona resists “sing[ing] it like poor Barbary” (4.3.33), the Willow song provides Desdemona with a new mode of expression. Through song, she can join (and possibly strengthen) her voice by connecting it with that of other women. In response to Desdemona’s song, Emilia, adopting Desdemona’s role as “solicitor,” presents an argument that places the blame of infidelity on husbands; unlike Desdemona, Emilia pays explicit attention to men’s often violent and abusive behavior. After Desdemona questions her if “there be women [that] do abuse their husbands / In such gross kind?” (4.3.61-2) Emilia tells her:

Yes, a dozen; and as many to the vantage as would store the world they played for. But I do think it is their husbands’ faults If wives do fall: say that they slack their duties, And pour our treasures into foreign laps, Or else break out in peevish jealousies, Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us, Or scant our former having in despite; Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace, Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them: they see and smell And have their palates both for sweet and sour, As husbands have. (4.3.84-96)

As she’s often silenced by Iago throughout the play, Emilia’s passionate, heightened verse in defense of wives (and their sexual desires) is incredibly striking. Emilia’s opening understatement that only “a dozen” (4.3.84) women would cuckold their husbands to gain “all the world” (4.3.63) inverts Desdemona’s Willow song; rather than speaking for women who share in heartache, Emilia claims a commonality between women who, in her view, rightfully cheat on ‘faulty’ husbands. Speaking of ways in which husbands “slack their duties” (4.3.87), Emilia directly references Othello and Iago’s behavior throughout the play: they have broken “out in peevish jealousies” (4.3.89), Othello has “struck” Desdemona, and both have publicly “throw[n] restraint upon” (4.3.90) their wives. By tying her generalized claims closely to their personal experiences, Emilia thus argues that she and Desdemona possess the ability to have “some revenge” (4.3.93). In her attempt to establish the humanity of women, Emilia uses the language of physical “sense” (4.3.94) to assert that women are real, feeling beings who exist beyond men’s misogynistic fantasies. Using first-person plural pronouns to claim kinship between herself and Desdemona (and all wives in general), Emilia lends her voice to Desdemona in a gesture of comfort and defense. But this bond shared between Desdemona and Emilia fails to include the only other woman in the play: Bianca. After Emilia calls Bianca a “strumpet” (5.1.122) in front of Iago, Bianca connects herself to Emilia in response by claiming they share honesty: “I am no strumpet, but of life as honest / As you that thus abuse me” (5.2.123-4). Though Emilia establishes a sisterhood with Desdemona by criticizing the anxieties that men often use to justify violence against their wives, her empathy doesn’t extend to Bianca, perhaps because she views her as a ‘literal’ whore.

The kinship between Emilia and Desdemona carries into the play’s final scene as their voices — and their deaths — become bound together. As Othello enters the private space of their bedroom and begins to reveal his violent intentions to Desdemona, her speech fails her; she pleads with Othello, repeatedly calling for Cassio to testify on her behalf, echoing the senate scene in which her voice carried an authority to persuade men. But Othello’s violent, misogynistic reading of Desdemona as “whore” cannot be altered by her speech. Begging entry into the room in response to Desdemona’s cries, Emilia’s voice haunts the scene as Othello smothers Desdemona; as Emilia pleads to “speak a word” (5.2.91) with Othello, her speech mirrors Desdemona’s earlier cries. As Desdemona slowly dies, she maintains ‘propriety’ in the sense that she dies defending Othello; but in doing so, her final words to Emilia, that “Nobody — I myself” (5.2.125) has killed her, are a lie. Though Emilia could not physically save her, she takes up Desdemona’s voice and testifies on her behalf, perhaps because she herself can “speak” to spousal abuse, in hopes of achieving justice for Desdemona. She begs the men to “have leave to speak” (5.2.196) and acknowledges that though “‘Tis proper [she] obeys” (5.2.197) Iago, she is “bound to speak” (5.2.185) for Desdemona; though very aware of the potential violent consequences of her speech as she stands in a room with Desdemona’s body, Emilia reveals her commitment to getting “some revenge” (4.3.93) for Desdemona. As Emilia breaks her alignment with her husband, Iago attempts to silence Emilia several times throughout her testimony. After she exposes the truth of the handkerchief, he calls her a “villainous whore” (5.2.231), again revealing his misogynistic anxieties that equate “disobedience” with evidence of sexual promiscuity or cuckoldry. But when she continues to speak, Iago kills Emilia to definitively silence her; though she attempts to intervene on Desdemona’s behalf, Emilia dies in front of several men who fail to intervene and take action against Iago on her behalf. Like Desdemona, as Emilia slowly dies, she speaks her finals words to Desdemona, asking:

What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the swan. And die in music. [ Sings ] “Willow, willow, willow.” Moor, she was chaste. She loved thee, cruel Moor: So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true. So speaking as I think, alas, I die. (5.2.246-52)

Repeating Desdemona’s Willow song, Emilia unifies her voice not only with Desdemona’s, but with those of all the women who have sung “Willow” before her, and will sing it after her. Emilia dies asserting the truth of her speech in defense of Desdemona; her final line recognizes and discards the consequences of her impropriety in testifying against her husband, and asserts faith in her ability to author her and Desdemona’s legacies beyond their deaths. But though Desdemona and Emilia die at the hands of men’s misogynistic violence, perhaps their joined voices achieve a sort of justice: unlike Othello, the women die in truth, claiming the right to speak of themselves as they are.

Works Cited

• Shakespeare, William, and Russ McDonald. The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice . New York: Penguin Books, 2001. Print.

Copyright © Vassar Critical Journal

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Othello: a level york notes, william shakespeare, progress booster: emilia and sexual politics.

Emilia is a useful character to focus on if you are discussing the sexual politics of the play. It comes as no surprise that Emilia is cynical about men. Her own match has afforded her little pleasure. Shakespeare gives Emilia a distinctive and increasingly assertive female voice. She uses it to defend herself and her sex. She replies sharply when Iago derides women in Act II Scene 1: ‘You shall not write my praise’ (II.1.116). In Act III Scene 4 we see that Emilia is more realistic about male–female relationships than Desdemona. Discussing marriage she says, ‘’Tis not a year or two shows us a man./ They are all but stomachs, and we all but food’ (III.4.104–5). The audience will appreciate Emilia speaks from bitter experience. In the willow song scene, notice how Emilia insists that women have the same appetites as men and the same right to ‘revenge’ if they are badly treated (IV.3.92).

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Misogyny in Othello by William Shakespeare

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A+ Student Essay

Discuss the role that race plays in Shakespeare’s portrayal of Othello. How do the other characters react to Othello’s skin color or to the fact that he is a Moor? How does Othello see himself?

Othello incurs resentment for many reasons. He is from a land that Venetians consider exotic and mysterious, he has had unique adventures, and his military accomplishments far exceed those of the men around him. The most visible indicator of his outsider status is also the one that provokes the most poisonous responses: Othello is a Black man in white Venice. Whenever characters such as Iago feel jealousy, fear, or simple hatred toward Othello, they give vent to their feelings by using racist slurs. For much of the play, Othello resists, ignores, or seems indifferent to the racism that dogs him. But eventually he internalizes Iago’s and others’ idea that his Blackness makes him barbarous. This belief, as much as his conviction of Desdemona’s guilt, allows Othello to kill his wife. When he turns the race weapon against himself, he dooms both himself and Desdemona.

Among Iago’s many repulsive qualities, his eagerness to hurl racial epithets is perhaps the most shocking. In an attempt to enlist Brabanzio in his anti-Othello cause, Iago refers to the general as “the Moor,” “the devil,” and “a Barbary horse.” These terms reduce Othello to a crude stereotype, turning him into a villain and an animal. When Iago tells Brabanzio that “an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe,” he demeans a passionate and loving relationship between two intelligent adults by characterizing Othello as a mindless rutting animal who has soiled the pure Desdemona with his lust. Iago hopes to disgust Brabanzio with this animal imagery and with the contrast between Othello’s Blackness and Desdemona’s whiteness.

Like Iago, other Venetians resort to racial slurs to deal with their own feelings of inferiority or powerlessness. Roderigo, on the defensive and trying to present himself and Iago as a unified front, casually refers to Othello as “the thick-lips.” This epithet is both an attempt to undermine Othello’s military achievements with a cheap stereotype as well as a way to pit Roderigo and Iago’s physical similarity against Othello’s unfamiliar appearance. Brabanzio, outraged at his daughter’s elopement, expresses disbelief that Desdemona could shun the curly-haired young men of Venice in favor of Othello’s “sooty bosom.” Brabanzio channels his own insecurity about his daughter’s loyalty to him by expressing sneering disgust about Othello’s race, implying that Othello’s Blackness is a dirty coating that threatens to soil Desdemona’s purity.

While Othello is barraged by racism, he manages to resist its pull for some time. But in Act IV, he crumbles. Othello discusses his race throughout the play—usually in response to something a white Venetian says—but here he makes his first negative reference to it, suggesting that perhaps his Blackness is to blame for his lack of conversational ability. It is a quiet moment, but a hugely significant one. It marks a turning point: Othello has fallen victim to the same racist logic (or illogic) that rules the thinking of people such as Iago and Roderigo. Like those men, Othello wants to place the blame for his feelings of inferiority somewhere and winds up laying that blame not where it belongs (in this case, at Iago’s feet), but on his own skin. The floodgates have opened, and now Othello is in danger of believing all of Iago’s racist nonsense. In the next lines, Othello compares himself to a toad living in a dungeon, as if he has begun to suspect that his Blackness makes him a loathsome animal, somehow less than human.

Only when Othello buys into the absurd idea that his race inherently makes him dangerous does he begin to creep toward the possibility of doing violence to his wife. When he sees himself through society’s eyes, as a barbaric interloper, Othello begins to despise himself, and it is that self-hatred that allows him to kill what he loves most.

Read more about the weaponization of race in Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give .

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Sexism in Shakespeare’s Play Othello

How it works

“In the book, Othello written by Shakespeare, there is a main theme of sexism present throughout the book, Although the book was written in the 1600s, and there have been great decreases in sexism around the world, many of these ideas and scenarios are still present to this day.

Sexism is defined as prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. Sexism has been present for centuries, in many different forms, such as wage gaps, gender roles/expectations, and equal rights.

Sexism today has many similarities to sexism present in the 1600’s, as well as many differences, such as sexism towards males. This type of sexism however, is more relevant in today’s societies rather than in the 1600s. Sexism is present almost everywhere in our world and is a very important topic to be knowledgeable about.

In the last 50 years, the wage gap between men and women has decreased dramatically. Although the gap remains, it has changed, according to Mark J. Brandt in Sexism and Gender Inequality Across 57 societies, “women earning 33 cents less than males in 1980, to 11 cents less in 2018.” This shows how gender inequality is still present today. This also supports the idea that although gender inequality is improving, it is still very present today. Many people wonder why this is still an issue if we see decreases in gender inequality in the past half-century. A study done by Pew Research Center shows that the “changes we made between men and women are starting to stabilize.” Meaning the changes for gender equality are occurring less. This may very well alter people’s opinions and lead them to think that sexism is no longer an ongoing issue in our society today, due to the awareness that has been brought to the subject. Although this is not the case, sexism is still a great problem all around the world, even after all the great decreases in sexism that we have made.

Sexism is often linked to occupational and educational segregation. Though another type of sexism that is not very talked about but still very common are the gender expectations and roles of both males and females. An example of these expectations is that women should generally be nurturing, sensitive, and work around the house while caring for the children while males are expected to be strong, masculine, and be providers for the family. Though according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “about 38% of wives earned more than their husbands in 2015.” This gender expectation switch is very undesirable by many families and people. Although this fact shows how we are making progress in decreasing these expectations. It also shows that the other 62% of women are not making as much money as their husbands. This supports the idea that women are not equal to men quite yet. There is progress, but no full equality in our society today yet. In Gender Role and Delinquency, written by Neal Shover, Stephen Norland, Jennifer James and William E. Thornton, they study the role of gender expectations and the role they play in children’s lives. In this study they found that “masculine role expectations proved to be less powerful as a predictor of juveniles’ opportunity and social controls than did traditional feminine role expectations.” This shows how the expectations placed on females versus males were greater. Girls’ expectations of their gender had more impact on the opportunities they were given, and social aspects of their lives. For centuries, gender expectations have been placed upon people, which has led to great discrimination.

Gender inequality has also been present in our government for a very long time. Women gained the right to vote in August, 1920. This was 50 years after men of color were granted the right to vote. Since 1920, there have been multiple attempts to develop greater roles for women in government. Some which have succeeded, and some which have failed. Women are still fighting for their rights and are standing up against gender inequality and discrimination today. According to Kaur Sukhpal in Women’s Rights, “There is still no society in which women enjoy full equality with men. They often face discrimination, even in countries which grant legal equality to both sexes, women are often economically disadvantaged and suffer discrimination.” Sukhpal clearly describes how women are faced with discrimination even after granted equal rights as men. This makes the issue of sexism great, because even if legal action is made, it still does not promise equality to all genders. According to Suzanne LaFont, in Gender Inequality Women In Politics, “Lithuanian men should be proud of their women getting involved in any social, economic, and political activity, and they should support their efforts to contribute to society rather than crush their struggle with irony, skepticism and empty words” In this part of the world, women are often discriminated. So this quote shows how, although there is work to be done, progress is being made. This is the case in many countries and gives hope for the future.

In the book Othello, the recurring theme was sexism, although this book was written in the 1600s, sexism is still very much present to this day. In order to change things I believe that awareness should be further spread, to make sure that real change continues to occur. Since sexism is an overall issue all over the world, and it has been present for far too long.”

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Sexism In Othello

William Shakespeare's play Othello is a tragic story that delves into issues of power dynamics, sexism, racism, and classism. These themes are intertwined and impact the relationship between the titular character, Othello, and his wife, Desdemona. In this essay, we will explore how sexism, racism, and classism are present within the play and to what extent these power dynamics affect the relationship between Othello and Desdemona . Sexism is evident in the play from the outset, as it is a male-dominated society. Women are often portrayed as passive and subservient, with their primary role being that of a wife and mother. Desdemona is a prime example of this, as her main function in the play is to serve as Othello's wife. The other female characters, Emilia and Bianca, are also depicted as being subordinate to their male counterparts. For example, Emilia is Iago 's wife, and he treats her disrespectfully, as if she is inferior. …show more content…

The play is set in a time when black people were not well-regarded in society, and this is reflected in the way the characters treat Othello. He is subjected to racist taunts and derogatory comments, even from those who are supposed to be his friends. For example, when Othello is accused of using magic to woo Desdemona, Brabantio accuses him of using "spells and medicines bought of mountebanks" (Act I, Scene 3). This statement shows that Brabantio believes that Othello is not capable of winning Desdemona's love through his own merits and that he must have used some underhanded

Essay Comparing The Taming Of The Shrew And Othello

In Shakespeare’s two plays, Othello and The Taming of the Shrew patterns of domination and submission are explored in relation to the shared issue of gender and power contained in each play. In Shakespeare’s time, women were expected to carry themselves a certain way to maintain the honor of their families. Shakespeare writes Othello and The Taming of the Shrew in the Elizabethan era which readers can see by the way the male figures in the plays see their women as property than human beings. By writing from the Elizabethan point-of-view, it effects the way each play is perceived as behavior previously seen as acceptable may now be viewed as unacceptable from a feminist perspective. For example, in The Taming of the Shrew, Petruchio dehumanizes Katharina’s character which results in Katharina’s submission to her husband, Petruchio.

Essay On Women In Othello And A Streetcar Named Desire

Although being written centuries apart, the limited expectations of women presented in ‘Othello’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ differ little from each other. The female characters are confined by society’s expectations of male dominance, female purity and virginity, and the many passive roles of women. Despite the differing legalities surrounding the position of women between the centuries in which the plays were written, both plays explore the impact of how societal conventions confine women and the ways they must comply to be safe in a patriarchal society. The behaviours and treatments of Desdemona, Blanche and Stella illustrate the attitudes enforced on and the behaviours of women throughout both periods in time and it is these attitudes and behaviours that impact the plays to the greatest extent. When characters in either plays defy their norms, or demonstrate a lack of compliance they induce negative consequences, such as the murder of Desdemona and the institutionalisation of Blanche.

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white have created conflict between the members of the play. Since the 16th century dictates that black people, or Moors, are inferior to white people, Othello is stuck in the darkness as an outsider; thus suggesting that interlopers are alone, not part of a community. Within these contrasting worlds, outsiders, like Othello, try to integrate into society, but can’t. For instance, this ingrained mindset portraying the inferiority of black people is further shown when Othello exclaims, “Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black / As mine own face.”

Desdemona's Role In The Crucible

The Ladies Found Within The Text And The Roles They Play Throughout this year we have read some of the best literature in all of America and have been introduced to some of the most iconic characters. I would like to focus on the women featured within these novels. In Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, we are introduced to Desdemona who is a victim of murder and false accusations.

Feminist Criticism In Othello

A Modern View of Feminist Criticism William Shakespeare 's "Othello” can be analyzed from a feminist perspective. This criticism focuses on relationships between genders, like the patterns of thoughts, behavior, values, enfranchisement, and power in relations between and within sexes. A feminist examination of the play enables us to judge the distinctive social esteems and status of women and proposes that the male-female power connections that become an integral factor in scenes of Othello impact its comprehension. I believe that the critical lens that provides modern society with the most compelling view of literature is Feminist Criticism because it analyzes distrust and disloyalty among relationships, women being treated as possessions

Women Being Objectified In Shakespeare's Othello

In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, women are portrayed as either pure angelic beings and jewels, or as whores who are impure. They are objectified and shown as something to be used. The only women in this play are Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca compared to the main 6 male characters, not to mention the minor characters, who are also all male. Their depicted purpose is to belong to a man; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca’s lives revolve around being wives to Othello, Iago and Cassio. This fits into the idea of a perfect Elizabethan woman, who’s lives are subject to their husband’s rule across all aspects, to be disposed of as men wish.

Feminist Point Of View In Shakespeare's Othello

The 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.

The Role Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

While Desdemona is a remarkably strong character, Emilia also displays independence unmatched by any other female in Othello, and there are multiple details of Shakespeare and his time that may have prompted such a portrayal. In Elizabethan England, many women worked behind the scenes of productions, like Shakespeare’s, as uncredited authors and editors (Crowley). Due to their anonymity, nobody can be sure that women were involved in Shakespeare’s plays nor Othello in particular, but there is a genuine possibility that female writers did have leverage. This may have had to do with how Emilia was portrayed as resilient from the time of Desdemona’s death all the way until her own, standing up for herself regardless of the ridicule it caused her (Iyasere). In fact, it even killed her in the end.

Iago's Perception Of Women In Othello

In Shakespeare’s play Othello, the male characters perceive woman as property of their own who have to be submissive and they treat them as adulterous. The male characters in Othello perceive women characters as promiscuous and adulterous. Iago being the character who strongly shows his perception that woman are promiscuous by concluding that his wife has deceive him with Othello and Cassio. Moreover, Iago creates and immoral image of Desdemona persuading Othello of this lie, ultimately, Othello convinces himself that Desdemona is a promiscuous.

Female Sexuality In Othello

Shakespeare's Othello is set during the Renaissance period and therefore the roles of the women in Othello are supposedly bounded by the period when women are considered to be of low intellect. In Othello, most male characters assume that women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why all three women characters in the play are accused of sexual infidelity. Yet Shakespeare develops the women to speak the most sense throughout the play and able to trust other characters in the play. To the men in Othello, female sexuality is a threatening force more than it is an attractive one.

Masculinity In Othello

Throughout the play we observe Emilia’s character change, and how she suffered the consequence of challenging the system. Shakespeare’s Othello, utilises a range of dramatic techniques to showcase how women where portrayed during early modern England, as tools, chaste and naive. The antagonist, Iago takes this to advantage to manipulate his wife to unintentionally take a part in the moral dissembling of Othello. The idea where women were being victimised is presented when Iago utilises his power and authority to

Oppression Of Women In Othello Essay

In Shakespeare’s Othello and in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles women play an important role in the development of the plot. Shakespeare and Glaspell develop these women differently to enhance their message. In Othello, Emilia, Desdemona, and Bianca are all treated very poorly by their male counterparts.

Sympathy For Women In Shakespeare's Othello

In his play “Othello,” Shakespeare is very compassionate towards the women of his era. He treats Desdemona with special sympathy. She is the victim of two crossed male aspirations — the devilry of villain Iago and the jealousy of her husband. The main cause of Desdemona’s tragedy is the total absence of women’s personal liberty. The lack of self-development without restrictions of society and family constricts the mind.

Othello Gender Analysis

Each of the women in Othello represent the different tiers of the social structure at that time. Desdemona represents the upper class because her father is a senator and very wealthy. She was automatically born into the lavish lifestyle. She wears the finest clothes and eats the finest food. She has a handmaiden that helps her get dressed and follows her everywhere.

Summary Of Gender Roles In Othello

 Othello 's actions are restricted when in the presence of his wife, Desdemona and her friend Emilia. Desdemona 's character is

More about Sexism In Othello

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Sexism In Othello Essay

When virtue is looked up in the dictionary, the two definitions that are produced describe, one, a morally good or redeeming quality of a person and, two, the chastity of a woman. Why is it that not only this word, but prevalent cultures as well, directly connect a young woman’s virginity to her morality? The importance of celibacy, especially the celibacy of women, has long been argued, making a detrimental impact on the perspectives of societal norms. Several aspects of it are extensively chronicled in literature. In the theatrical work Othello, this sexism is unveiled in the lives of spouses Desdemona and Othello as he becomes obsessed with assuming she has been unfaithful. Othello’s reason he loved her in the first place proves to be her aura of chastity, instead of her more important and appraisable traits. Through the ceasing of Othello’s respect for Desdemona, the emphasis on a handkerchief that symbolizes her, as well as excerpts from an essay written by Professor Syed Anwarul Huq called “Desdemona’s Handkerchief: It’s Symbolic Significance”, the issue in this perspective becomes thoroughly evident. In the play Othello, the author Shakespeare vividly presents the notion that a woman ’s merit is determined by her chastity, which embodies the sexist societal expectation that causes men and women of all ages to dismiss other attributes that indicate morality in favor of chastity. …show more content…

The subsequent downfall directly connects to an overall societal issue concerning women because Othello’s respect and love for Desdemona relies on his perspective of her purity. When this image of purity dwindles, he dismisses all of her redeeming qualities and evolves into an abusive and hateful version of himself. In the play, as Othello is continually accusing Desdemona, he dehumanizes and insults her. He tells

William Shakespeare 's Othello, And Taming Of The Shrew

In the Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, Desdemona proves herself to be a well-spoken, intelligent and loyal woman. In the introduction, Desdemona proves much wit with her choice of words and explanations of her love for “the Moore.” In Act 1 Scene 3 lines 187-88 Desdemona makes her case in favor of her loyal marriage to Othello; “So much I challenge that I may profess/ Due to the Moor my lord,” (1.3.187-88). Women of this era were typically given away by their fathers, but it is seen in Othello that Desdemona created her own path and marries the Moor against her father’s wishes. In fact, Brabanzio states that Othello is a “foul thief” who has “enchanted her [Desdemona],” (1.1.63-4). This beginning deception leads to the demise of Desdemona by the end of the play. She proves to be loyal to Othello allowing his destructive path and personality shape her fate into what now

The Character Desdemona and the Role of Women Depicted in Shakespeare's Othello

The 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 trials just to satisfy her love. Shakespeare brings the thought of Desdemona into the play by Barbantio, her father, “It is too true an evil. Gone she is.\...Oh, she deceives me\ Past thought! …” (1.1.163)(1.1.168-169), whom has just found she has taken off with Othello and firstly suspects they have been hitched. Shakespeare gives reader the

Human Condition In Shakespeare's Othello

The relationship between Desdemona and Othello in the play ‘Othello’ is used to express and observe the way that humans are selfish by nature. Although both Desdemona and Othello do sincerely love each other, both of them find great personal gain in their marriage, which clearly contributes to their feelings for one another. Othello, who is a black leader in an overwhelmingly white, Christian society, has come from a troubled and difficult background, being “sold to slavery” and working in the military all his life. In finding a good Christian wife in Desdemona, he finds someone to always support him in hard times, as evidenced in his summary of their romance, “she loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them”. This quote suggests that their love is more self-serving than he lets on; Desdemona loves Othello for the adventures he has been on and the stories he tells, and Othello loves Desdemona because she listens and devotes herself to what he has to say. When Desdemona gets a chance to explain their relationship herself, she is particularly proud of the fact that she “did love the Moor to live with him; my downright violence and storms of fortunes may trumpet to the world”. We note that she mentions her ‘violence’, the way she deliberately disobeyed her father and fled his company to secretly marry a man who is not one of her father’s approved suitors. This furthers the idea that Desdemona seems to be in love with Othello because of the adventures he has been on, and the excitement and liberty of her being with such a man; she is seeking her own freedom in a misogynistic society by defying her father to marry Othello. Their relationship is

Gender Stereotypes in Othello Essay

• 4 Works Cited

Shakespeare mocks society’s extreme measures by suggesting death as the sole option for Othello when he fails to understand that Desdemona may not fit female stereotypes. Without the ability to label her, Othello fails to “assert Desdemona’s chastity and corruptibility simultaneously” and “murders Desdemona to redeem her from degradation” (Neely). The characters, like many people, struggle to alter views that have been so firmly pressed into their minds. In this way, Shakespeare negatively comments on humans’ inabilities to see beyond what society tells them and to comprehend truths unique to a specific person rather than his gender roles. Shakespeare uses the characters Desdemona and Othello to display how people become accustomed to the gender identities that society defines for them. Therefore, both characters, as depicted by their deaths, fail to understand each other personally as individuals instead of as the stereotypical man or woman that is being presented.

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu's Turkish Embassy Letters And Othello

Shakespeare’s Othello illustrates the tragic relationship of Desdemona, a tragedy brought on by her gender. Throughout the play, it is made clear that Desdemona’s own wants do not matter. As a woman, he opinion holds no weight. In this society, Desdemona is not more than a piece of property to be own by her father or her husband; males truly hold the power. Initially, the play begins as Desdemona’s father is alerted that she is not in her room. He is informed that she is away with her husband. Desdemona’s father, upon discovering she is truly absent, goes into a panic. He expressed his disappointment that his own daughter would betray him by getting married and leaving without his knowledge. Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, expresses his disdain in her choice of husband. He is

Othello Feminist Analysis

Othello, by William Shakespeare is well known for its richness in literary content and elements pertinent to societal ideas. Moreover, women are portrayed in Othello in ways that confirm, but also contradict their treatment in Shakespeare’s time. Both female action and language represent these ideas such as expectations for a wife and expectations for how a woman is to act. That said, there are many other lines spoken by these characters that defy the expectations placed on women at time. Overall, the feminist critical lens allows a reader to understand Othello and the manner in which it is slightly sexist and controversial. This lens allows the reader to observe both discrepancies of how women are treated, and common characteristics found

Feminism In Othello Essay

Emilia is often named “the feminist of Othello” by scholars and critics because of her, seemingly, fiery independence among a sea of submissive women ( “Act Four: The Feminist of Othello” 17). The characterization of a woman who speaks out for herself suggests that Shakespeare thought progressively; because during that time, the Elizabethan era, women were mere objects rather than human beings. The plot of Othello revolves around the misgivings of poor communication and lack of trust among the characters. Tragedy ensues, as it does in all of Shakespeare's works, but could the death have been prevented? Report after report applaud Shakespeare for developing a true feminist role model, however, sometimes a character who has attitude gets

Sexism in Othello Essay

   Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello features sexism as regular fare – initially from Brabantio and Iago, and finally from Othello. Let us in this essay explore the occurrences and severity of sexism in the drama.

Discuss how age, social position and race impact the relationship between Othello and Desdemona

Desdemona was the daughter of a senator, a well regarded, upper class man. Othello was a General in the Venetian Military, and while that was a highly classed job, it was considered below Desdemona’s class. In the late sixteenth century, the man was generally from a higher class then the woman, hence why Desdemona and Othello’s relationship was objected to. Social position was an influence in Othello’s belief of Desdemona’s betrayal, as he thought that he wasn’t good enough for her.

Essay about The Impact of Gender on Shakespeare's Othello

However, in Othello, the character of Desdemona surpassed the norms of gender set for women of that time. There is no doubt to consider Desdemona is violating the social norms because she is willing to breach her social roles as a daughter and even as a wife at times. Through her “incorrect” gender performance, Shakespeare portrays Desdemona as a strong, independent woman who breaks away the gender barriers of patriarchal society. But at the end of the play, we know it is the consequence of her actions that have led her to death.

Essay about A Feminist Analysis of Othello

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In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello there are numerous instances of obvious sexism aimed at the three women in the drama -- Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca – and aimed at womankind generally. Let us delve into this subject in this paper.

The Women in Othello Essay

The women in Othello are synonymous with Venetian societal standards. Only three women are characters in Othello: Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca but the roles these women play give the reader an idea of how women were portrayed, not only in Shakespeare's Othello but in society in general.

Sexist Behavior In Shakespeare's Othello

In the opening scene of the play, sexist behavior is presented, when Brabantio hears about the relationship between the Moor and his daughter, Desdemona. In this scene, Brabantio accuses Othello of being a “foul thief” who has “robb'd” him of his daughter; “She is stol’n from me” (Shakespeare, 65). When Desdemona confesses her love for Othello, Brabantio disowns her for marrying a man that he does not approve. Also, Desdemona is loyal to Othello, although Othello physically and verbally abuses Desdemona by slapping her and calling her a whore in public. This shows that women were expected to be silent and be obedient to all the men in their lives. In the opening scene of the play, sexist behavior is presented, when Brabantio hears about the

Misogyny In Othello

Desdemona frequently exhibits her own free will and independence. She holds power over his husband Othello and tries to use it to pardon Cassio

Feminist Criticism In Shakespeare's Othello

He searches for answers, clues, or anything else to prove her unfaithfulness. Feminist criticism focuses on the behaviors and power shown between male and female. Othello represents this because he changes the way he acts around Desdemona once he has heard of her wrongdoing. He is harsh, he doesn’t look at her, and he barely gives her conversation. In this day in age any man or boy would have acted this way because they are rarely the ones to get cheated on. The relationship between him and Desdemona changed his entire character of a man who trusted his wife with everything to a man who know doubted everything he knew about

Related Topics

Sexism In Othello

Show More "Othello" is the best representation of the great tragedies of William Shakespeare; the Moor of Venice, a military with strong character. Shakespeare enhance the barbarity of the Moor, but from my point of view, Othello has essentially been nothing more than a simple soldier, naive, basic, black mindset. On the other hand, William Shakespeare also presented us the beautiful young wife of Othello , Desdemona, and her conflict with her father Brabantio, because of Othello 's race. Desdemona defends her love, which has been the subject of scorn because of Othello 's skin color: "He is in part the victim of racism, though he nobly refuses to deny his own culpability" (Bevington). According to Bevington, Othelo is a "tragic hero" victim of the racism of the society of that time. He also points Desdemona as a victim of the sexism: "she is the victim of sexism, lapsing sadly into the stereotypical role of passive...Venetian world expects of women" (Bevington). Brabantio, her father described her as a shy maiden, quiet, easily embarrassed, with reputable education. Brabantio believes that Desdemona was duped by Othello, alluding Othello 's dark skin color relation with witchcraft. But in fact, she is really in love, because of the stories, travel and adventures that Othello told her. The story …show more content… Although she professed loyalty to her husband, Othello physically and verbally abused her, slapping her and calling her whore in public. At the end of the play, Desdemona is so depressed when Othello confronted her, that she completely passive, and with hers last breath, blamed herself of the physical and emotional abuse caused by Othello. This then becomes a frightening reminder that Desdemona is the real victim in this

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• 5 Works Cited

“The meaning of Othello’s murdering Desdemona depends on their marriage and their marriage’s meaning is invested in Othello’s blackness” (Little 306). The racism drove him crazy and Iago didn’t make it better. When Iago tells Othello that Desdemona was cheating on him, he thought that his blackness and Moorish characteristics changed her and made her do it because Iago and other characters like Brabantio said it would. When Othello killed Desdemona, his literal blackness became metaphorical (Little 322).…

Social Issues In Othello, By William Shakespeare

When Othello is introduced in the play, Iago informs him that Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, has found out about their marriage and is speaking ill of him. Instead of becoming angry, Othello shows his lack of concern by saying, “Let [Brabantio] do his spite” (Othello 1.2.18). By playing upon Othello and Desdemona’s differences in race and social standings, Iago makes Othello believe that his wife is sleeping with Cassio. Iago knows Desdemona has control over Othello’s heart and social standings, and an affair would cause him to lose his position and respect in society. The audience pities Othello as his mind deteriorates, but this turns to anger when he vows to kill Desdemona; hits her; and calls her a “devil” (Othello 4.1.171-232).…

The Characteristics Of Machiavelli And William Shakespeare's 'Othello'

Machiavelli’s Prince seeks to recruit and educate a ruler in the art of ruling. His ideal rulers are founders, men who created a fatherland and were not afraid to sacrifice lives and their self-interests for the common good. Machiavelli stresses that a ruler needs to appear virtuous while using vices when necessary to achieve positive results. Machiavelli teaches the ruler to divide his self. “It is essential, therefore, for a Prince […] to have learned how to be other than good, and to use or not use his goodness as necessity requires” (Machiavelli, 40).…

Identity In Othello

Throughout his whole life, Othello has had to deal with racism and stereotyping to the point where he has internalized the negative perceptions of his blackness. Karen Newman, an English professor at Brown University, describes how Iago’s deception of Othello was was rooted in Othello’s own prejudices against his racial identity (133). Iago put words to Othello’s deepest insecurities about his interracial marriage, including the belief that the“fair” Desdemona would prefer a white man, and Othello is convinced that “Haply for I am black/ And have not those soft parts of conversation/ That chamberers have.../ I am abused, and my relief/ Must be to loathe her” (Shakespeare 3.3.260-265). Othello’s projected facade of “honorary white”, as University of Pennsylvania professor Ania Loomba labeled him, is starting to disintegrate; he starts to believe that he possesses the unrefined black stereotype instead.…

Comparing Desdemona And Cordelia In Shakespeare's Othello

Shakespeare is known for his plethora of ingenious plays, however some of his best characters are the women in his plays. They are not carbon copies of each other and they have their own faults and virtues. The women in his plays can be either very typical women of the time or like Desdemona and Cordelia, be very forward-thinking women. Critics cannot look at these two characters and not have something to say about how these women act or how they do not act. These two are some of this author’s most favorite women in all of Shakespeare’s plays.…

Comparing Desdemona And Emilia In Shakespeare's Othello

In Othello, Shakespeare introduces two female characters, Desdemona and Emilia to the audience. First, Desdemona is an inspiring character for women. Second, Emilia is most practical example of how women act. Lastly, Desdemona and Emilia are similar to each other. Desdemona is a good example of an inspiring character, while Emilia is a good example of a practical character in many ways.…

The Theme Of Racism In Shakespeare's Othello

Iago looks at Othello as a lesser human being due to his different racial background which is evident when Iago wakens Brabantio with the news of his daughter’s recent elopement with the Moor. Iago tries to turn Brabantio against Othello saying “Even now, now, very now, and old black ram is tupping your white ewe” (1.3.90-91). Iago uses animal imagery and compares Othello to an old black ram which introduces racial association of black versus white. Iago discriminates Othello as a human being and compares him to an aggressive animal, leading Brabantio to become more enraged and think that Desdemona is under certain witchcraft for falling in love with a black man.…

True Love Defeated In Othello By William Shakespeare

True Love Defeated Othello, by William Shakespeare, illustrates Othello and Desdemona’s love and the tragedy behind it. They oppose to the will of Desdemona’s father and get married. However, Iago’s tricks leads Othello to murder Desdemona. Shakespeare points out that although Othello and Desdemona belong to different social classes, have different backgrounds and races, they still hold true love between each other. Othello and Desdemona, with different racial backgrounds, live in a time that racism occurs commonly in the grand Venice.…

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