Desdemona’s Downfall in Othello The Christian Bible tells us that “pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall” (Prov. 16:18 KJV). For Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s Othello, this is certainly true. Although Desdemona is innocent of the sins of which she is accused, she still bears responsibility for her own downfall. If not for Desdemona’s pride, she could have lived a long and happy life with Othello. From a psychological standpoint, Desdemona is ultimately responsible for her own demise because of her prideful nature. Although Desdemona is a prideful woman, Othello falls in love with her and loves her jealously. Desdemona, daughter of a Venetian senator, lives in her father’s household. Her father, Brabantio, …show more content…
(IV.ii.162-63)
Desdemona insists she cannot say the word, as though she is physically incapable of doing so. Her pride is so wounded by the use of the word that she refuses to use it in even the most clinical of manners, preventing her from conveying the oddly erratic nature of her husband’s behavior towards her. Although she ultimately says the word, Desdemona protests more the use of the word which is an affront to her vanity and pride, than she questions the claims made by her husband. Unfortunately, Desdemona is a prideful woman, and that pride leads to her destruction.
In fact, Desdemona holds herself in such high regard that she almost seems incapable of believing that anyone else may not. Luckily for her, Othello similarly holds her in high regard, at least until Iago begins to manipulate him. Even before Othello, Desdemona’s own father, Brabantio, thought highly of her. When she elopes with Othello, he never believes that she ran away from home willingly. He believes that Othello had enchanted her until she herself says otherwise. Upon this realization, Brabantio, warns Othello against Desdemona, telling him:
Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:
She has deceived her father, and may thee.
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These lines are the first hint given that Desdemona may not have always been completely captivated by her husband. These words, not denied by Othello, sit in contrast to his own. Upon hearing her words, Othello seems a changed man, depressed and submissive, his new attitude brought on by “Desdemona’s own honest account of her original feelings for Othello and the role Cassio played in Othello’s winning of her” (Macaulay 269). With just a little concern for Othello’s own pride, Desdemona have chosen to withhold some words or soften their blow. Instead, her own pride continues to lead her headlong onto a destructive
Desdemona is altogether more simply drawn, She embodies the principle of ‘good’ in the play. Act two gives the audience a more indepth understanding of Desdemona by her actions and responses and they way she is described by other characters. She is perceived as a Venetian woman, with its contemporary connotations of sexual lasciviousness, which Iago exploits, and as a whore. More positively, but equally stereotypically, she is perceived as 'divine' by Cassio. There is this ironic gap between how Desdemona speaks and behaves and how she is perceived.
Though her world was fall apart with Iago creating false images of an affair between her and Cassio to Othello, Desdemona strangely remains kind, innocent, and willing to grant grace. When Cassio approaches her for help, she quickly agrees to help her old friend. While she discusses relationships with Emilia, she rejects all thoughts of infidelity. She had every reason to fight Othello when Othello carries out her murder, yet she resist only a little, She responses, “The Lord have mercy on me…[and] mercy on you too” to Othello’s “Thou diest” (Othello 5.2.50; 71-74). When she is briefly revived and quested by Emilia as to who her murderer is, Desdemona only replies, “I myself” (Othello 5.2.152).
Throughout the play Othello is convinced by Iago that Desdemona has had an affair with Cassio, when really Iago is trying to bring as much misery into Othello’s life as he possibly can. At one point Othello, Desdemona, and a few others are talking with Desdemona’s cousin and everything that Desdemona says helps to convince Othello that she is in love with Cassio. Eventually Othello gets mad enough and slaps her in which she reacts in a much different manner than most women of that time period would have. “Othello: I am glad to see you mad. Desdemona: Why, sweet Othello - Othello:Devil! [Strikes her.] Desdemona: I have not deserved this (4,1,217-220).” This is not the only time we see Desdemona tell Othello that he is wrong in his actions. Later, in act four, he calls her a “whore” and accuses her of sleeping around and rather than taking the heat and dealing with the verbal abuse Desdemona speaks out. “Othello:...Impudent strumpet! Desdemona: By heaven, you do me wrong! (4,2,81-82).” Desdemona tries throughout the rest of the play to convince Othello that she is faithful to him and loves him, but as hard much as she tries Othello does not believes any of it and ends up killing her. Shakespeare has made this very vocal female character to show women that even if they were to speak their mind and try to defend themselves no man would ever believe
In Act 4, Scene 2, Desdemona proves herself as a lady in her discussion with the evil Iago, who, unbeknownst to her, is the cause of her chagrin. Although she bewails that Othello has called her a whore, she herself does not stoop to insults. Proudly, she declares, “Unkindness may do much” and, in a moment of disturbing foreshadowing, states “And his unkindness may defeat my life” (IV.ii. 164-65). Though virtuous to a fault, she remains dignified and affirms, “I cannot even say ‘whore.’ / It does abhor me now I speak the word; / To do the act that might the addition earn / Not the world’s mass of vanity could make me” (166-69).
Othello: The Father/Daughter Conflict Brabantio, father of Desdemona in William Shakespeare's "Othello," is not happy that his daughter is marrying the title character. This father/daughter conflict impacts the work significantly by foreshadowing the climax, giving antagonist Iago material for his evil plot. Brabantio is a Venetian Senator with definite ideas on the subject of his daughter. He wants to choose a husband for her who he feels is of her caliber and who can provide her a good life, as well as raise the family's esteem in Venetian society. At that time, this was his right as Desdemona's father.
These behaviours allude towards tension due to their dissimilarity to the accustomed conduct of Othello and Desdemona. Desdemona’s growing fear of Othello is evident. in the precautions she takes to avoid his anger. Desdemona places the importance of Othello’s commands above her need to confide in Emilia.... ...
This line in Act I spoken by Othello, is an indication that he is a good person, although it may appear that he has stolen Desdemona away from her father. Othello says that although he has taken Desdemona as his wife without Brabantio’s consent, he is a good person for stating his reasons for his actions as well as standing his ground. After Othello’s marriage to Desdemona, the conflict starts when Iago insinuates that Desdemona may be having an affair with Cassio, Othello’s honorable lieutenant.... ... middle of paper ...
Even on her death bed, Desdemona’s character of an inanimate object belonging to Othello is carried on. It is lead on by Emilia’s question of “who hath done this deed” (5.2.137) referring to Desdemona’s death and her reply, “Nobody. I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. Oh, farewell!”(5.2.138-139), overall putting the responsibility of her death upon herself. Leaving the readers impression of Desdemona as one filled with sympathy and rage against her unwillingness to fight her independence as well as against the men of this time period for not realizing the importance of such a woman.
This passage is a soliloquy or speech from Othello to Desdemona’s father. He is telling how she has become his wife. Othello plea’s with Desdemona’s father for his blessing and to be a family. Othello states that her father has treated him well for many years and should honor his daughter for loving such a man. Othello and Desdemona is a love made in heaven. They are willing to fight alongside each other in battles and love one another in happy times.
Regardless of the status of women, Desdemona demonstrates independence and maturity. She makes her own decision to marry Othello without her father’s permission. When her father, Brabantio, discovers of the wedlock of her and Othello, she defends her decision by saying, “here’s my husband. And so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord” (I, 3, 213-218). Desdemona does not just succeed in defending her decision, but she exhibits her independence from her father and that he cannot restrict her from marrying Othello. In addition to her independence, her maturity is shown by the fact that she has no racial prejudice. This level of racial tolerance she displays differs from the insults to Othello from Iago and Rodrigo, as well as the subconscious bias of the rest of the characters. While explaining her love for Othello to her father, Desdemona explains that she “saw Othello’s visage in his mind” (I, 3, ...
In Act 1. Desdemona admits that she fell in love with Othello's eloquence and harrowing adventures; 'I saw Othello's visage in his mind'. This outlines his sense of nobility in language,which empahsis how much of an experienced warrior ans revered noble man he is. Moreover Desdemona reveals Othello's nobility of love, 'She loved me for the dangers I had passed/ I loved her that she did pity them'. She succeeds in unveiling a side in Othello's nature which show him as a loving, respectful husband. He is clearly trustful of Desdemona and is not by any means jealous of him, as he allows her to travel to Cyprus with Iago,' To his conveyance I assign my wife'.
As the details of her recent marriage to Othello unfold, Desdemona appears to be a woman driven by emotions. She marries a man because he has shared his stories of grand adventure. In order to do so, she elopes from her loving father’s house in the middle of the night. These seem like actions of emotion stemming from her love – or possibly infatuation – for Othello. Contradictory to this, when asked to speak about her willingness to enter the marriage, she responds with a very clear and sensible reason for staying with Othello:
This suggests to us that Desdemona is considering the idea. of marrying Othello. This thought is confirmed at the beginning of Act. one Scene Two, during a conversation between Othello and Iago, and Then further on in the scene when Iago informs Cassio that Othello ''hath boarded a land carack:'' We meet Othello on the night of their wedding, which they are spending in an inn called the Sagittary. On This same night, we learn that Othello and Desdemona's marriage is not.
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.
Additionally, as a daughter, Desedmona was required to ask permission to be married, and because she did not, she turned away from society’s expectations. However, by saying that she is now loyal to her husband more than to her father, Desdemona sticks with society’s expectations. But the shock of her marrying without permission was enough to anger and sadden Brabantio, the symbol for society at the beginning of the play. Once Iago has poisoned Othello’s mind with lies about an affair between Cassio and Desdemona, Othello becomes suspicious and distrusting of Desdemona. He is convinced that his wife is a whore, but never speaks to her about his suspicions.