The Oppression Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

“Othello” begins in middle of an argument between Roderigo and Iago. Desdemona and Othello’s wedding is the main topic of their argument. Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who is treated as a possession of her father, Brabantio, but by marrying an outsider Othello, she goes against the tradition of venetian custom which she is expected to marry a rich man to maintain her family’s honour. Iago reports Brabantio that his daughter is being stolen by Othello. “Awake! What ho, Brabantio! Thieves, thieves!” (1.1. 76). This quote depicts how unmarried women were treated back in 16’s century. However, while everyone in the play thinks that Othello has stolen Desdemona to marry him, Desdemona speaks herself to prove that she truly loves Othello. “That I love the Moor to love with him” (1.3. 246). Also, she even asks for her permission to go to Cyprus with Othello because she can’t stand the thought of remaining at home, which doesn’t have any adventure. There is a comparison between her social class and her

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

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

In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama “Othello”, Shakespeare puts emphasis on the role of the female characters and their influence on the male protagonists. Othello’s love and jealousy regarding his wife made this play a tragedy. 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. They lived in a society in which a woman was either a whore, or a good, angelic

By tying Othello’s new evil nature with a woman, the play has again reinforces the stereotype that sinful women purposefully hurt men. This idea that women will cause men to become evil, forcing the reader into the belief that women should be stripped of sexual power, because they will use it to manipulate men. By classifying women in that way, the play supports the idea that women are manipulative beings that the viewer should hate.

.Within Shakespeare’s “Othello”, the many forms of betrayal cause for Shakespeare to illustrate the nature of man belittling woman. The effect that the betrayals have, is that they show the honesty of what women were treated like back in the day. Most of the men in the play lust after women and don’t picture them as equal to them.. They're seen as property to the men, to were even Othello sees women the same way as the antagonist Iago .The

Sexism in the Othello Othello is one of the William Shakespeare’s representative plays. As one of the greatest literature in the Renaissance, his progressive feminism thinking faultlessly permeate in this play. Distinct male characters in this play, have a hidden commonality which is all of them belittle women. Brabantio, the father of Desdemona, comes from the nobility, which makes him influenced by the ideology of upper class. Brabantio and Desdemona, they set up the household in a clear hierarchicalRenaissance patriarchal situation.

In Othello, it is the men that are in power and control of what happens in their society. The power they possess leads them to believe that women, who do not have the same power and control, are inferior to them. The men saw women as inanimate objects that belong to them. Othello says, “(For such proceeding I am charged withal) I won his daughter,” (Shakespeare, I, iii, //110-111). Othello tells the Duke and Brabantio he had won Desdemona, for he viewed her as a prize. Then, Brabantio says that Desdemona was, “abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted,” (Shakespeare, I, iii, /73). Brabantio also believed that Desdemona belonged to him. Objectification of women is problematic because it reduces them to nothing but things that are supposed to obey the men in their life, cook and take care of her kids. It silences women from expressing their opinions and point of view. Without the protest from women, it allows the prejudice and abuse they

In scene II while mentioning Othello’s marriage to Cassio, Iago describes the relationship “he to-night hath boarded a land crack/ If it prove lawful prize, he’s made for ever” (I.ii.50-51). Iago compares Desdemona to a land crack in order to portray Desdemona’s great wealth that she comes from. Marrying Desdemona means that Othello too will inherit a large amount of her money and he will live the rest of his life wealthy as Iago states. Shakespeare shows a significant effect that occurs to women like Desdemona when they become married.

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

“It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power” -David Brin. It is true that the power relationships portrayed in William Shakespeare’s play Othello provide the audience with an insight into key issues of the late sixteenth century that still exist in contemporary society. Othello deals with the concepts of manipulation, jealousy and the inequality of woman. These are reflected in the relationships between Iago and Othello, Othello and Desdemona and between all the plays men and woman.

Gender Issues in Othello Gender issues have impacted many aspects of life, one such aspect being literature. William Shakespeare and his literature were no exception to this as they were subjected and influenced by these gender issues. One of his more infamous works of literature that display these gender issues is the Shakespearean play Othello. Throughout the play, gender issues that occurred during the time of Shakespeare are portrayed, more notably how Shakespeare viewed women, how men viewed women, and how gender influenced the story and the choices that were available in for women during that time.

Out of the three critical perspective learned in class, the one that catches the reader the most in Williams Shakespeare’s play Othello is the feminist critical lenses because It shows that men have the authority in society, displays the gender roles women are expected to fulfill, and gives insight into stereotypes about women. Feminism is an organized effort to

In Shakespeare’s play Othello, the role women played in those times was clearly depicted by their actions. All throughout history, women around the world have struggled to attain the rights they have today. Women were always viewed as weaker than men, who thought of them as property. In reading Othello, it becomes clear that the women characters are expected to live up to the expectations that society sets upon them. In Othello, the role of women was clearly presented as being significantly weaker than men.

Many males think it was okay to mistreat their wives, sisters, daughters, and even mothers. And during the 16th century this was seen as a way of life, something normal and acceptable to do. Not many people at this time would stand up for the rights of female, as it was seen as rude and just not right to stand up for a woman's life. During this time, books and plays were a great source for us to understand the mindset of many people, and if they supported or pushed an equal society. When reading Othello, By William Shakespeare, In the play the reader can see that he was not a sexist: the main three females in the play were seen as important and contributed tremendously towards the plot of the play. The readers see Shakespeare pushing the ideology of men and women being equal with the slow occurrence of many plots towards the play, and how it all unravels itself. These were proven in the play by when; women's voices and opinions being suppressed, men being able to hold females as property, the double standard of males and females. With these three the reader is able to see shakespeare bringing to light many issues that females dealt in the 16th century. He tries to wake the people of the 16th century, with messages in his plays for people to learn and understand the other side of the story.