Desdemona Is To Blame In Shakespeare's Othello

Identity is a part of everyone and it changes as they grow, but how it changes varies depending on aspects of the person’s life. In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, and Desdemona is an influential character who is married to Othello. Her identity changes as the play progresses, but the characteristics in her life change her identity. Desdemona has many factors influencing her identity, but three of them are family, gender and sexuality, and race and culture. Family includes her father’s treatment of her, and how he feels when Desdemona betrays him. Race and culture influence the way her community sees her relationship with Othello, and also how her community sees her. Finally, gender and sexuality forces her to take on gender roles in her relationship with Othello, in being the weaker sex, and also how people view her because she is a woman (they see her as property). Desdemona from Shakespeare’s play Othello, changes her identity through her family, gender and sexuality, and race and culture.

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

Shakespeare's “Othello” is a tragedy written about a black lieutenant and his terrific outcome. Being manipulated by the villain Iago, drives him to kill his own wife. Othello is responsible for Desdemona's death because he allowed Iago to manipulate him, he didn't trust Desdemona and strangled her while she slept.

In William Shakespeare's ‘Othello,’ Othello himself is seen as the obvious outsider because of his race. However, his own wife Desdemona can be reasoned to be just as much of an outcast, even though she’s described as the perfect woman. She affected the actions and feelings of other characters by being young, innocent and easily manipulated, and by being so visually striking.

Giacomo Casanova famously proclaimed that “marriage is the tomb of love,” a statement that rings true in Othello. However, Othello also proves that that marriage can be the tomb for a whole lot more than love. William Shakespeare’s play begins with the news of a secret elopement between Othello, a black man, and Desdemona, a white woman. Unfortunately, Desdemona and Othello’s blissful union is corrupted when Iago, Othello’s treacherous ensign, convinces Othello that Desdemona is an unfaithful wife. By the end of Act 5, Othello, who becomes increasingly vindictive as the play wears on, ends up murdering Desdemona and kills himself upon learning of her innocence. While Iago is largely responsible for Othello’s downfall, it is Othello’s own internalized

"You don't love someone because they're perfect, you love them in spite of the fact that they're not” (Picoult, 384). This quote is the definition of true love, something the two protagonists of this play sadly never had. The tragedy Othello is about a general of the Venetian army, and his beautiful wife Desdemona, whose lives are completely ruined by the deceitful, cunning, and cowardly Iago. One of Iago’s biggest accomplishments was breaking up Othello and Desdemona's relationship by getting it into Othello’s head that Desdemona was cheating on him. This really made the reader question Othello’s feelings towards Desdemona as for someone who claimed to have love Desdemona with a passion, Othello sure was quick to believe Iago’s lies and turn on Desdemona. Based on his actions towards Desdemona, Othello proved that he does not truly love Desdemona because he is insecure, lacks trust, and is a very jealous person.

Othello, not knowing that Cassio was in fact speaking with Desdemona in hopes of being reinstated as Lieutenant, mistakenly believes that the two are having an affair and that Desdemona has lost her chastity. Iago skillfully capitalizes on the situation by developing his attack further: "She did deceive her father, marrying you" (3.3.220). Othello begins to see Iago's reasoning: if she could deceive her father, she could just as easily deceive her new husband. Once Othello's bliss has been decimated, Iago concentrates on weakening Othello's perception of himself; Iago very carefully and very tactfully chooses words and metaphors that subconsciously pit Othello against the Venetians. Othello begins to perceive himself as an outsider in his own country, "a malignant and turbaned Turk" (5.2.365). A fruitful marriage with a Venetian woman becomes out of the question in Othello's mind. Iago's successful manipulation takes a self-confidant man and reduces him to one at ends with himself and with the woman he loved.

He gloats about the easy in which he can manipulate Roderigo (the fool) into giving him money. Directly after this, you hear of Iago’s feelings towards Othello (the Moor). You learn of Iago’s suspicion about his wife having an affair with Othello. This gains pity from the audience, because you feel that Iago is a man deeply distraught over the idea of his wife cheating on him. Iago then begins to contemplate how he would seek vengeance on Othello and gain his title. Iago plans to use Othello’s trust and opinion of him to his advantage. He speaks about how he will use Cassio as his pawn to lure Othello into believing his wife, Desdemona is being unloyal to him. Iago discloses that Othello’s character is naive and will be easy to manipulate. As his closing statement he states that, with a little help from the devil, his monstrous plan will be a success.

Above all, Iago even tricks his wife, Emilia into stealing Desdemona’s handkerchief, all so that he can frame it on Cassio’s bed giving Othello visual evidence that his wife is cheating on him. Iago tells Othello: “I know not that, but such a handkerchief / I am sure it was your wife’s—did I today / See Cassio wipe his beard with” (III.iii.447-448). In essence, Iago has finally pushed Othello over the edge and triggered him into a jealous rage that no one can hold back. In short, Iago successfully manipulates Cassio’s trusting nature by giving him bad advice under the disguise of friendship and consequently, releasing the wrath of a vengeful

In Shakespeare’s play “Othello” the main characters Othello and Desdemona suffer a tragic fate due to their actions and unforeseen circumstances. A majority of Desdemona’s suffering is down to Iago’s manipulation. However, it could also be argued that Iago is not completely to blame for the misfortune of Desdemona. We as the readers can see evidence of this at certain points in the play where Iago has planted the seeds of despair and Desdemona and Othello have fallen for his plans. In this essay, I will look at key moments in the play where Desdemona is presented as a tragic victim by the writer and justify why she is a tragic victim using quotes from the play.

Othello, was always a strong and knowledgeable man, keyword was; but through manipulation, and jealousy he lost himself. Othello was a general in the Venetian military, who was highly esteemed by members of politics, despite this esteem, he was still seen as an outsider because of the colour of his skin. Iago was Othello’s trusted friend but had a sinister plan, Iago hated Othello because he was overlooked for a promotion, in the military, by Othello’s hand. Therefore, Iago decided that he was going to manipulate Othello into thinking that his wife was cheating on him, in the hopes that it would drive him insane, and make Othello do something he would regret. We find out very early in the play that Iago hates Othello, and is fake towards him when alone.

At the beginning of the play Othello is the war hero who is accused of brainwashing Desdemona, Othello's wife. His friend Iago, the antagonist, doesn't just want to harm him, he wants to completely destroy him. Iago uses Cassio's, The person Othello gave a promotions to instead of Iago,to drive the moor to kill himself and Desdemona. Iago’s character is sneaky and vile he only thinks about himself and what he wants to accomplish. His wife Emilia, Desdemona's lady-in-waiting, is dragged into his evil hoax by making her steal Desdemona’s handkerchief that Othello has given her.

With the plan fully set Othello goes to her wife and tells her to go to bed. Othello knows it’s not going to be easy to kill the women who he thought he loved, but he knows he has to do it. Even though Desdemona is being strangled and slowly being killed she still shows her faithfulness and touches Othello’s face will she dies. With Othello successfully killing Desdemona, Iago fails to kill Cassio but does end up killing

Othello was a play that took place in the street of venice. Othello is married to Desdemona. Roderigo has been paying Iago to help him get with Desdemona. But Roderigo realized that Desdemona is married to Othello. Iago dislikes Othello because he recently moved Iago to be the lieutenant of Desdemona. Iago arranges a secret plan against Othello and sends Roderigo to tell Senator Brabantio that Othello has persuaded Brabantio’s daughter Desdemona to have sexual interactions with him. After proving to the Senate that he has won Desdemona’s love fair and square, Othello is sent to Cyprus for a military order, there is a new bride in town. Iago hides a handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona on Cassio, the man who received the promotion Iago wanted, and proves to Othello that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. Iago has proven to Roderigo to make a move on Cassio’s life, and when it only injures him, frames the courtesan Bianca and in silence murders Roderigo. Mad with bitterness, Othello chokes Desdemona. Iago’s wife Emilia stumbles upon the murder and exposes Iago’s plans, for which Iago kills her and is arrested. Othello, realizing his grave error, kills himself. The character who represent grit and

"Othello is set in a world and focuses on the passions and personalities of its major figures." (Thomas). Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, Othello's wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio and advisor Iago. The play appeared in seven editors between 1622 and 1705. The themes of the story are racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Othello is a black soldier who is accused of stealing his wife Desdemona. Although Desdemona's father dislikes his daughter's choice, Desdemona loves Othello very much and the two are married. Othello’s right hand man is angered at the fact that Othello picked a man named Cassio to be more important than him and he also feels that he is messing with his wife. Iago plans to manipulate Othello but his plan eventually causes more hurt to most of the characters. Iago tries to use the meeting between Cassio and Desdemona as a way to make Othello believe she was cheating on him. Iago goes on with his manipulative plan by planting a handkerchief in Cassio's room, and goes and tell Othello about what he has seen Cassio do. Othello becomes jealous throughout the story and begins to believe that Cassio is talking to his wife. Iago persuades Othello to come up with a master plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. As Othello tries to kill Desdemona, Emilia, Iago's wife, comes in to tell Othello the truth about Iago. Unfortunately it is too late. Othello had already suffocated her. When Othello