Based on the situations that the three female characters of William Shakespeare’s Othello endure, it is clear that Shakespearean society viewed women as lesser beings. Women existed only to serve the men in their lives, and were supposed to be subservient, submissive, pure and above all else obedient. They were to be obedient to their husbands, fathers, brothers and all men. Patriarchal rule justified women 's subordination as the natural order because women were thought to be physiologically and psychologically inferior to men. Although the women in Othello are measured against these ideals and in this society, Shakespeare is not inviting the audience to accept these standards, but rather to assess them with a critical eye. This is shown
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This is communicated through the fact that none of the women in Othello when they speak up are believed. The words of men are always believed over the words of a woman. In Othello the women are always telling the truth. The first example of this is when Othello believes Iago when he says that his wife Desdemona may be having an affair with Cassio his lieutenant. Even though Iago never gives any concrete evidence Othello believes him. On the other hand, when Othello asks Emilia if she believes that Desdemona is having an affair, she gives a resolute “no”. Emilia reassures Othello that she has seen Cassio and Desdemona together, but that she “saw no harm, and then [she] heard/Each syllable that breath made up between them.”(Shakespeare 4.2.4-5) While Othello lets Iago words eat away at him, despite Iago’s lack of proof, he immediately dismisses Emilia 's words because “she 's a simple bawd/That cannot say as much.” (4.2.20-21) Othello dismisses Emilia simply because she is a woman and her word means nothing next to the words of a man. If Othello had not dismissed what Emilia had to say and had actually listened to her he would have been saved a lot of trouble, because Emilia was telling the truth and Iago lying. This isn’t the only time Othello believes the words of a male over the words of a female. Throughout the play, Othello is told that Desdemona is or may be unfaithful to him. First Barbantio, …show more content…
As previously mentioned Bianca is considered a slut or whore. While Cassio, who himself is portrayed as a bit of a ladies’ man suffers no dire consequences. This is shown when Iago states that Cassio is “young and handsome, and he’s got all the qualities that naïve and silly girls go for. He’s a bad boy,”.Alternatively Bianca is described as a “housewife that by selling her desires Buys herself bread and clothes”. It’s not just Bianca who is having sex with Cassio before marriage, Cassio is also having sex with Bianca before marriage. Yet Bianca bears the sole judgement for the relationship. Secondly Emilia is killed because Iago sees it a fit punishment because she does not support his dishonesty. Iago in trying to get Emilia to be quiet calls her a “villainous whore” and tells her to “be wise and get you home” when she does not listen he stabs her. Emilia who up until this point in the play was a loyal and obedient wife to Iago. Finally Desdemona is killed by Othello because he suspects that she may have been unfaithful to him. With this suffering of females at the hands of males Shakespeare is showcasing the oppression that males had over their females. Shakespeare is also suggesting that all women, despite how perfect or how imperfect they may seem, will have their fate unjustly determined by a
This is communicated through the fact that none of the women in Othello when they speak up are believed. The words of men are always believed over the words of a woman. In Othello the women are always telling the truth. The first example of this is when Othello believes Iago when he says that his wife Desdemona may be having an affair with Cassio his lieutenant. Even though Iago never gives any concrete evidence Othello believes him. On the other hand, when Othello asks Emilia if she believes that Desdemona is having an affair, she gives a resolute “no”. Emilia reassures Othello that she has seen Cassio and Desdemona together, but that she “saw no harm, and then [she] heard/Each syllable that breath made up between them.”(Shakespeare 4.2.4-5) While Othello lets Iago words eat away at him, despite Iago’s lack of proof, he immediately dismisses Emilia 's words because “she 's a simple bawd/That cannot say as much.” (4.2.20-21) Othello dismisses Emilia simply because she is a woman and her word means nothing next to the words of a man. If Othello had not dismissed what Emilia had to say and had actually listened to her he would have been saved a lot of trouble, because Emilia was telling the truth and Iago lying. This isn’t the only time Othello believes the words of a male over the words of a female. Throughout the play, Othello is told that Desdemona is or may be unfaithful to him. First Barbantio, …show more content…
As previously mentioned Bianca is considered a slut or whore. While Cassio, who himself is portrayed as a bit of a ladies’ man suffers no dire consequences. This is shown when Iago states that Cassio is “young and handsome, and he’s got all the qualities that naïve and silly girls go for. He’s a bad boy,”.Alternatively Bianca is described as a “housewife that by selling her desires Buys herself bread and clothes”. It’s not just Bianca who is having sex with Cassio before marriage, Cassio is also having sex with Bianca before marriage. Yet Bianca bears the sole judgement for the relationship. Secondly Emilia is killed because Iago sees it a fit punishment because she does not support his dishonesty. Iago in trying to get Emilia to be quiet calls her a “villainous whore” and tells her to “be wise and get you home” when she does not listen he stabs her. Emilia who up until this point in the play was a loyal and obedient wife to Iago. Finally Desdemona is killed by Othello because he suspects that she may have been unfaithful to him. With this suffering of females at the hands of males Shakespeare is showcasing the oppression that males had over their females. Shakespeare is also suggesting that all women, despite how perfect or how imperfect they may seem, will have their fate unjustly determined by a