How Does Shakespeare Present Desdemona's Relationship

    When William Shakespeare wrote Othello, he wrote a play about a Venetian general who is known as the Moor, and the tragic conflicts between his wife Desdemona, his ensign Iago, and his lieutenant Michael Cassio.  However, a lot of what is written in Othello has more meaning than what it just says. In the play, Emilia (Iago’s wife) defends women cheating on their husbands for the greater good (their husband’s power), but Emilia actually seems to imply that she herself has done so. Furthermore, Iago believes that Emilia has been with other men, and his speech to her can imply something very deep. When analyzing the speech between Emilia and Iago, Shakespeare

Othello, written by William Shakespeare, is a tragedy centered around its many distinct characters. Women in the 17th century time period of Othello devote themselves to men in their life, as this was the way of life for generations before them. Emilia and Desdemona are the principal female characters in the story who are married to Iago and Othello, the antagonist and protagonist of the story. Though these two women have extremely different experiences and power, they are both blindly loyal. Emilia’s and Desdemona’s obedience has a central role in the story and leads to their inevitable deaths.

Is Othello responsible for Desdemona’s death? Or is it Iago who planned to get revenge against the Moor? There are many people in the play who are responsible for Desdemona’s death. However, one of the individuals in the play unwittingly helps contribute to her death by being naive. Emilia who is Desdemona’s loyal friend fails to convince Othello that Desdemona is faithful. She is unwittingly responsible for her friend’s death because, she never mentions the handkerchief until Desdemona has been killed. Although, Iago is the master mind behind Desdemona’s death and Othello is the person who murdered her if then, it were not for Emilia who initiates Iago’s plans Desdemona would still be alive. Emilia is unwittingly responsible for

Desdemona thinks of the meaning of adultery. She would not do such a wrong "for the whole world." Shakespeare contrasts Desdemona's high standards with those of the practical and down-to-earth Emilia: "Why, the wrong is but a wrong i' the world; and having the world for your labor, 'tis a wrong in your own world and you might quickly make it right." When Desdemona sings the "willow" song, Emilia she does her best to comfort and console her. She also protests against the "double" sexual standard of men. Women also have "affections, / Desires for sport, and frailty." If men do wrong, then it is their fault that women also do wrong.

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

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.

"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.

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.

Desdemona’s entrance in the beginning of the story shows herself as a strong willed and outspoken women. According to Lewis “Desdemona display some traces of a more Cleopatra-like self-assertion. In her choosing of Othello as her husband, she exercises her own desire, subverting the female role of passivity within the patriarch, and marries him without parent consent” (L.Lewis). Lewis has a good point here which I agree with as Desdemona decides to stand up for herself by choosing Othello as her husband. She defends her marriage and is not afraid to assert in her beliefs. She is surrounded by powerful men where she is not ashamed to stand up for herself and her decisions. Desdemona shows this when she speaks to her father in Act 1, Scene 3:

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

to be weak and naïve in the eyes of her father. We can tell this from

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.

At this point the dramatic action has culminated into the final tragedy, Othello is at his most vulnerable and Iago’s machievellian manipulations combined with Othello’s insecurity about his identity and patriarchal notions have collided into catastrophic action. Desdemona is dead. Even after the cataclysmic tragedy has occurred, there is still a disobedience of the patriarchal authority that has transformed Desdemona into a lifeless victim. Emilia stands up for Desdemona who can no longer do it herself, she courageously defies the orders of the males who are commanding her to leave and go up to bed. Emilia refuses to obey them and is not frightened even when the men begin to draw their swords, she stands her ground and dauntlessly states: “I will not.” Even though it was moderately due to Emilia’s actions that these events unfolded, she manages to redeem herself by exposing Iago for the malicious deeds he committed but dies herself, a proud woman defying the patriarchal restrictions of her society. During this scene, the “Willow Song” returns strengthening the concept of women, regardless of status being able to share the same

The tragic play Othello by William Shakespeare, discusses the relationship between Othello and Desdemona that begins as loving, but abruptly alters to a hateful relationship due to a lack of truth. Dishonesty and misunderstandings between Desdemona and Othello drive the collapse of their marriage as well as Iago’s deceitful words which force Othello to discredit Desdemona’s love. William Shakespeare portrays the fall of the relationship of Desdemona and Othello due to his ability of believing false delusions he hears about his wife and the reason for this is from his distrust for women, his jealousy and the fact that he truly lacks confidence in himself, leads him to doubt the love Desdemona has for him.

    The good character of Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello meets a wretched end because of the sinister treachery of an ancient. In this essay let us analyze the beautiful character of Desdemona.