Strength of a Woman
“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within” (Maya Angelou). This powerful quote proves true in William Shakespeare’s Othello. Othello is a play set in Venice, at a time where gender is dictated by society through expectations of their perceived roles. The play revolves around Othello, a noble African moor and his attempt at love with the pure, virtuous Venetian lady Desdemona. This marriage, however, is condemned to disastrous ends and violent deaths. As a powerful and highly-respected general, Othello unintentionally initiates his ensign – Iago’s – jealousy and hatred. Iago plots throughout the course of the play to bring about the downfall of the characters. Othello’s mental state weakens as Iago poisons him …show more content…
This sense of will has been instilled in the audience since the beginning. This is first shown in Desdemona – her strength of character is evident in her calm opposition to Brabantio. She firmly and courageously takes a step against the prejudices of society. With her forceful speech, she is able show her maturity, power, and decisiveness. As the plot progresses, Desdemona gains even more power and starts to go against Othello for what she believes in. When Cassio is demoted from lieutenant, Iago convinces Cassio to ally with Desdemona to seek Othello’s forgiveness. Iago then uses Desdemona’s kind and fair personality to her harm, using her to plant seeds of doubt in Othello. Out of love and kindness, Desdemona willingly agrees to help Cassio, reassuring him that “[Othello] shall never rest. / I’ll watch him tame” (3.3.22). As the quote indicates, Desdemona will repeatedly speak of him to Othello until their relationship is fixed. She also declares that "[she would] rather die / Than give [his] cause away" (3.3.27-28). In fact, Desdemona was not only trying to help Cassio, but also Othello, since she knows Cassio is a trustworthy and true friend of Othello. However, her strong advocacy for fairness, combined with Iago’s horrible implications, causes Othello to think that she is having an affair with Cassio. In the end, because of Othello’s jealousy, the pure and kind Desdemona is lead to her own death. Additionally, Emilia is shown to be a strong and outspoken women. Throughout the play, she makes feminist opinions about the unfair male and female relationships as well as gender roles. Emilia is not as fortunate as Desdemona, as she is married to the evil villain Iago. Iago obviously does not treat her well, which explains her cynical view on men. “'Tis not a year of two shows us a man / They are all but stomach, and we all
“Nothing can dim the light which shines from within” (Maya Angelou). This powerful quote proves true in William Shakespeare’s Othello. Othello is a play set in Venice, at a time where gender is dictated by society through expectations of their perceived roles. The play revolves around Othello, a noble African moor and his attempt at love with the pure, virtuous Venetian lady Desdemona. This marriage, however, is condemned to disastrous ends and violent deaths. As a powerful and highly-respected general, Othello unintentionally initiates his ensign – Iago’s – jealousy and hatred. Iago plots throughout the course of the play to bring about the downfall of the characters. Othello’s mental state weakens as Iago poisons him …show more content…
This sense of will has been instilled in the audience since the beginning. This is first shown in Desdemona – her strength of character is evident in her calm opposition to Brabantio. She firmly and courageously takes a step against the prejudices of society. With her forceful speech, she is able show her maturity, power, and decisiveness. As the plot progresses, Desdemona gains even more power and starts to go against Othello for what she believes in. When Cassio is demoted from lieutenant, Iago convinces Cassio to ally with Desdemona to seek Othello’s forgiveness. Iago then uses Desdemona’s kind and fair personality to her harm, using her to plant seeds of doubt in Othello. Out of love and kindness, Desdemona willingly agrees to help Cassio, reassuring him that “[Othello] shall never rest. / I’ll watch him tame” (3.3.22). As the quote indicates, Desdemona will repeatedly speak of him to Othello until their relationship is fixed. She also declares that "[she would] rather die / Than give [his] cause away" (3.3.27-28). In fact, Desdemona was not only trying to help Cassio, but also Othello, since she knows Cassio is a trustworthy and true friend of Othello. However, her strong advocacy for fairness, combined with Iago’s horrible implications, causes Othello to think that she is having an affair with Cassio. In the end, because of Othello’s jealousy, the pure and kind Desdemona is lead to her own death. Additionally, Emilia is shown to be a strong and outspoken women. Throughout the play, she makes feminist opinions about the unfair male and female relationships as well as gender roles. Emilia is not as fortunate as Desdemona, as she is married to the evil villain Iago. Iago obviously does not treat her well, which explains her cynical view on men. “'Tis not a year of two shows us a man / They are all but stomach, and we all