Sofia Kourous Dr. Stella English 2 (B) 01/04/14 “If Wives Do Fall” Shakespeare’s Othello: society & the tragic role of Emilia The women in Othello are few. A grand total of three have lines, and only two are truly important characters. The females in the play, in accordance to Shakespeare’s time period’s own Elizabethan English ideologies and the gender norms of the society in which the play takes place, are put firmly ‘in their place’. They are meek, soft spoken, and submissive, treated like possessions by the dominating men and almost completely disregarded as individuals with their own thoughts and emotions. Bawdy jokes and cracks at women’s sexuality are rampant, and husbands get away with frequent misogynistic rants at their wives’ expense. The female character who plays the most dynamic role in Othello is Emilia. In the duration of the play, we observe her evolution from a simple handmaiden, to a loyal wife enduring her husband’s maltreat, to a complex woman of conflicted feelings and fluctuating emotions. In this way, Emilia disproves the total weakness of women in Othello, and rises as her own sort of minor tragic hero, a preliminary feminist champion. In order to analyse Shakespeare’s women, one must be aware of the female situation in both the playwright's own time period, and in the period in which his play was written. The ladies in Othello suggest that they have “internalised society's’ expectations of them, and apart from in moment of private conversation, behave as men expect, believing this to be ‘natural’” (. Emilia’s (and Desdemona’s) behaviour towards men for the most part of the play is an example of this behavior considered normal at the time. This conformity to social norms can be perceived as weaknes... ... middle of paper ... ...woman, and her views far ahead of her time. She delivers a realistic woman, one that is her own person, and who does not define herself in terms of the men in her life. “[Her] feminist perspective allows Desdemona’s character to be aware of the Madonna-whore dichotomy that she has firmly rooted herself within.” (Guffey 2005). Professor Guffey of Purdue University states that Emilia’s wisdom, experience, and years contrasts Desdemona’s young and naïve, black and white views of the world, specifically of gender dynamics. It is clear that Emilia knows her duties as a wife and what is expected of her, but she also recognizes the many male/female contradictions and double standards present in their society and is less than pleased with them. The extremity of Emilia’s feminist ideologies is debatable, though her position as a sceptic in the play is well-established.
...on of these personas. Shakespeare's juxtaposition of Desdemona and Emilia within the marital context provides social commentary of their duties as married women, but also mocks the doctrines that confines them to these positions.
During the Elizabethan era women had a status of subordination towards men. They had a role to marry and oblige to their husband’s wishes. Shakespearean literature, especially illustrates how a woman is psychologically and physically lesser to their male counterpart. The play, Othello, uses that aspect in many different ways. From a Feminist lens others are able to vividly examine how women were subjected to blatant inferiority. Being displayed as tools for men to abuse, women were characterized as possessions and submissive; only during the last portion of the play did the power of women take heed.
The patriarchal Venetian society presented in William Shakespeare's play Othello, expressed deeply on the idealistic values of the Elizabethan England standards of how a woman should be represented in society, seemingly to put women in their place by the men that surrounded them catering to their every want and need without any say in the regards of the situation. Throughout this time men considered women to be possessions, in which they were to remain submissive and obedient to their every command. Also, it is suggested that the only power that women do seem to gain control over men is being viewed as a temptress based solely on their sexual power and how it is considered to be evil which must be resisted by the men in this Elizabethan society.
Neely, Carol. "Women and Men in Othello" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 68-90)
Women play an important role in Othello. The chastity of a woman is valued, and Desdemona's perceived adultery leads to the deaths of many characters. Iago’s hatred of women is shown throughout the play and could be part of his motivation to create Othello’s jealousy. Desdemona and Emilia provide the conflict for feminist and gender sexism. Desdemona and Emilia are portrayed to have feminist and anti-feminist ideals respectively.
Othello serves as an example to demonstrate the expectations of an Elizabethan society, the practice of privileges in patriarchal marriages and the suppression and restriction of femininity. According to Elizabethan beliefs, women were vassals for both marriage and breeding, seen as passive subordinates in comparison to the patriarchy of male domination. Patriarchal rule justified women’s subordination as the natural order, because women were thought to be psychologically and physiologically inferior to men In terms of Othello, representations of women clearly conform to the expectations of an Elizabethan society. For instance there are three female characters in Othello: Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca, with each of these characters behaving and conducting themselves in ways that are linked to the ideological expectations of men. This is demonstrated through the character of Desdemona who as Othello’s wife is the embodiment of passitivity and vulnerability. This is illustrated through her submissive nature, which represents her as passive throughout, regardless of whether she has done wrong or not. For example her use of language defines her passive nature, where she states ‘ I am obedient’, reflecting her subservience to masculine rule ( act 3 scene 3 p.g. 89). Alternatively it could be argued that the use of the pronoun ‘I’ is authorative suggesting that the sentence has a double meaning ; she is obedient yet an individual in her own right. It infers that although she does fit the stereotypical convention of a passive female, she will also stand up for herself when it matters. However a critique of this viewpoint is that throughout she continues to conform to masculine rule and is faithful, even when she is being victimized...
Shakespeare displays a world of obedience and loyalty through the women in his play, Othello. Shakespeare strongly expresses Desdemona and Emilia’s characters as women in the Elizabethan era throughout the play, as they both have entirely different views on marriage. Shakespeare also characterizes both females with contradicting personalities.Desdemona and Emilia are disguised as vulnerable against their husbands and therefore concludes that women fail to please.
The definition of Renaissance women is fundamentally important in William Shakespeare's play Othello. One of the major causes of Othello's tragedy is his belief that Desdemona is not chaste. According to the men of the Renaissance, chastity, silence, and obedience are three attributes that define Renaissance women. Although Othello takes place during the Renaissance, the women in the play, Bianca, Desdemona and Emilia, defy traditional norms by lacking at least one of the major attributes defining women; Bianca's lack of chastity is clearly displayed when she unlawfully sleeps with Cassio; Desdemona's lack of silence is clearly displayed when she constantly urges Othello to give Cassio's position back. However, in the last two acts, Emilia displays the strongest challenge to the definition of Renaissance women as silent, chaste, and obedient, mainly to defend Desdemona.
‘Othello’ highlights the gender roles that were placed on men and women during Shakespeare’s time. Symbolising Desdemona as an obedient wife to Othello, Shakespeare illustrates the lack of freedom women have, oppressed by the culture that is practiced that restricts women, making them feel remorseful for defending themselves from dominant male figures. The dishonour Desdemona perceives from Othello’s misdirected rage, evokes her feeling not worthy of the role as his wife. As outspoken women were looked down upon during the Elizabethan era, Desdemona felt that she would further anger Othello if she were to be disrespectful. Desdemona represents the vulnerability women felt when standing for their rights in the late 1600’s, being overpowered by the community’s destructive attitudes and behaviours against them.
Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. In the Elizabethan era, women were viewed as inferiors and faced sexist problems. Women were only seen as property for men to dominate and critique. William Shakespeare presents an overview of women’s social conditions in the play, “Othello.” The tragedy explores issues for women in society such as confidential marriages, adultery, and the social status of the women. The two main lady characters Desdemona and Emilia undergo predicaments that justify sexism in Othello. Desdemona is subservient and Emilia is ambivalent of the story. Desdemona is the devoted wife of Othello, despite the fact that he is of another descent which is frowned upon during
During the Shakespearean time women were treated as inferiors. The three women in Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca encountered many degrading and unfortunate situations. They were to be obedient. The women had to comply with the commands, orders, and the instructions of the men. Women were made to believe that they had no rights. The men would publicly humiliate the three women. It was difficult for the women to stand up for themselves due to that time in society. In Shakespeare’s play Othello, he portrayed the three women to be viewed as obedient, loyal, and submissive to their husbands.
Shakespeare’s “Othello” demonstrates how women have lived in a male dominant society during the Elizabethan society which gives men special privileges. “Othello” serves as an example to show the experience of women who lived during the Elizabethan society, where they had to face a tough time being discriminated. Women according to Shakespeare’s society were meant to be the submissive sex. Additionally, women were deprived from their basic right of expressing their opinion; they are there just to serve men and obey orders silently for their husbands’ pleasure, otherwise death will be their fate. The role and representation of women in “Othello” illustrates the traditional Elizabethan women and how they faced the male dominated society.
The play Othello is presented as a male-dominated society where women are only recognized as property; objects to own and to bear children. Women in the Elizabethan society and in Shakespeare society were not seen as equal to men and were expected to be loyal to their husbands, be respectful, and to not go against their husbands judgements or actions. Shakespeare presents Desdemona, Emilia , and Bianca as women in the Elizabethan time where they were judged based on their class, mortality, and intelligence. Shakespeare makes his female characters act the way they would be expected to act in an Elizabethan society. The role of these women in Othello is crucial because they show how women were treated and how unhealthy their relationships between men really were in both Elizabethan and Shakespeare's society.
The women of Othello show occasional glimmers of grit. These glimmers are few and far between, however, as Desdemona and Emilia are largely passive and subject to the whims of the male characters. Indeed, as Desdemona becomes more passive, Emilia becomes more assertive, almost as if the play cannot accommodate more than one rounded female character at a time.
Role of Women in Othello Throughout history the role of women has been heavily debated. Women have had to struggle for the rights they have today,even if some of us may still question if women really do have the same rights as a man. Whether it was getting the right to vote or even being able to join the work force, women have earned their place in society today. There are many avenues that you could take to see and understand the role of women throughout history.