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Othello 's Othello By William Shakespeare

Decent Essays

Desdemona’s Passivity
[In the Shakespeare’s play “Othello”] Desdemona is a passive character in the Shakespeare play “Othello”. We can identify this as a fault in Desdemona, in various acts and scenes throughout the play. A critic had stated that “Desdemona is passive, acted upon rather than acting.” This is a valid statement which is noticeable in Desdemona’s character. When Desdemona argues Cassio’s position that Othello stripped from him. We see from this that she could have acted upon the situation rather than a mere plead with her husband Othello. As well as the handkerchief Othello gave to her when asked by Othello what happened to it, she passively told him “I have it not about me.” (3,4,55). As well as when Othello is about to kill Desdemona. She remains passive even as she is being murdered by her own husband. Desdemona lies in her bed and allows Othello to unjustly smother her to death. Cassio was made second in command by Othello the leading general in the armies of Venice. However after Cassio is found to be guilty in a drunken fight by Othello, Othello then stripes Cassio of his lieutenant position of the armies of Venice. Desdimona tells Cassio “Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.” (3,3,1) Here Desdimona is referring to Cassio’s position Othello had stripped him of. Desdemona is letting Cassio know that she will speak to Othello on his behalf, continuing on that she will make it right between

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