Essay On Women In Othello And Wilson's Fences

The basis of Shakespeare’s plays appears to focus mainly around the dominant male character and his conflicts, which tend to deal with a woman. There are only three women in the play Othello; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca. The way in which these women behave and present themselves strongly reflects the ideological expectations of women within Shakespeare’s imagined Venetian society as well as the Elizabethan society in which he lived. This patriarchal Venetian society presented in the play depicts women as possessions of men who should remain submissive and meek at all times. The women are expected to unselfishly and unreservedly devote their lives to serve their fathers until they are of age to do so, their husbands. All three women love

In the play ‘Othello’ written by William Shakespeare, we see not only the main male character leads. But we also see the female characters, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. These three women were portrayed in ways that showed them being inferior to the other male roles as well as society during the Elizabethan Era. But Shakespeare made each of these individual ladies characteristics quite unique to one another having the traits of a feminist. Even though in the play we read how the male characters did somewhat control them and made them look weak compared to them, there were moments where Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca stood up for themselves.

Feminist critical lens examines certain texts with a primary focus on both gender’s relationship with each other and how such relationships demonstrate effects towards beliefs, behaviors, and values. This critical lens also examines a patriarchal-centered society and how such society define and interact with women with an emphasis on stereotypes of both genders that are present and evident in the text being analyzed. William Shakespeare’s Othello can be scrutinized through the feminist critical lens. A deep analysis focused on feminism of the play Othello paves way for the judgement of different societal status of women in the period when the play took place, the Elizabethan society. Othello is a best fit that demonstrates how men were

Firstly, throughout ‘Othello’ Shakespeare presents men as the dominant characters of the play, whereas the women are portrayed as characters to always

In Shakespeare’s Othello, the role of women is greatly emphasized. The important characters of the play, Othello, Iago, and Cassio, each have a women that stands behind him. These women each have an obligation to remain loyal and respect their husband's wishes, especially Desdemona and Emilia.

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

Women in the sixteenth century were commonly dominated by a patriarchal society. Meaning their loyalty and respect lay amongst the men in their lives with little choice for opposition. In Othello by William Shakespeare, he portrays the role of women in a way typical to their representation in Elizabethan and Venetian society. While the women may be presented as mentally stronger than their male counterparts, the language given to these female characters suggest that they have internalized society 's expectation of them. Apart from moments of private conversation and Emilia 's reaction to Desdemona 's death, the women behave in a submission that is expected of them, believing it to be the natural way, as the men continue to downgrade and treat them as secondary citizens. Shakespeare represents this status of women through the traditional views of the male characters, moments of submission from the females, and how the women internalize this society.

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 of Shakespeare's Othello are used as plot devices and stereotypes, but also as symbols of Elizabethan society's treatment of women.

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.

The treatment of women in the early modern period is no secret, however the depth to which women were controlled and yet still abused is manifest in the many complex female characters of Othello. Desdemona defies the hierarchy of man through her actions of marrying in secret and disobeying her father, while still maintaining the cultural norm of obeying her husband. This revolt is subtle and overlooked, especially when the very man she ran away with begins to abuse

Othello, written and directed by William Shakespeare, can be viewed through a different perspective of women's roles to society and their exact representations that are developed by literature. Feminist criticism prioritises the unjustifiable treatment and portrayal of women through the social, patriarchal, economical, psychological and political oppression in which the literature reinforces. To what extent are gender roles molded by culture? Why are privileges granted and limitations placed on certain genders? What are the social values of men and women? What are the power relationships between men and women? These are common questions brought to light by feminist theorists to which they must be taken into consideration for the critical analysis

treating women in many plays is a controversial topic, because it is hard to portray them as equals to men. Which, sometimes comes across as the women are being treated badly. In Othello, this miscommunication is not present. This is because the treatment of women here is pretty neutral. According to a feminist reading of this play, “In the Elizabethian era . . .

In “The Story of an Hour” and Othello, women are a key part in the developing plot in both stories and the idea of authors from both respective stories portray women as dependent on men and creates a negative image for women but was never looked down upon in those times. In “The Story of an Hour”, Choppin focuses on the roles of women had to hold in marriages in the time period the story takes place and suggesting the feeling of feeling ‘free’ after the narrator’s husband is found dead. In the play Othello, Shakespeare drives the conflict of the play using all three women of the play, which creates the depiction of the women being deceitful, ‘whores’ and ‘streetwalkers’, and having one role in society without any opportunities to advance their roles. Both stories are insightful of the set expectations societies across the world still idiotically depict women of needing to fulfill, which creates a giant disadvantage compared to men in today’s generation.

Feminism is and has always been a prominent focus in society. Specifically during the Renaissance, when Shakespeare’s Othello was written, were women thought of as subordinate to men. Shakespeare portrays women as merely FOIL characters to their male counterparts throughout the play. They help shed light on the men’s dark sides as well as their true faults. Their roles include wives, prostitutes, and even messengers. The women in the play are disrespected and treated as lesser beings. Although there are imperative female characters in Shakespeare’s Othello, many of them are treated as tools or objects and are disrespected by the men, specifically Iago, Othello and Cassio.