Desdemona’s Undying Love
In relationships, there cannot be two headstrong characters; someone has to take the backseat every once in a while. Desdemona’s objective throughout this play was to be the strong woman that we know her as, but to preserve her unconditional love for Othello.
In the beginning of Othello, the reader sees that Desdemona is a character who is prepared to stand up for the things she believes in. Shakespeare writes,
“My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty.
To you I am bound for life and education.
My life and education both do learn me
How to respect you: you are the lord of duty;
I am hitherto your daughter. But 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.iii .181-189).”
Immediately the reader learns that she is not afraid to speak her mind to her powerful father, for the sake of her newfound love for Othello. This sets the tone for the strong connection that Desdemona has with her husband. Not only is she willing to ...
Shakespeare deliberately introduces Desdemona with a dramatic, bold scene to show the audience that this is a powerful character. He also very cleverly shows the audience how her character is destroyed by the lies and treacherous actions by Iago. By the end of the four acts, she is weak, feeble and very vulnerable. Most of all, she is confused. This is also a theme that runs throughout the play, with many characters, to intertwine and join many plots together.
She is madly on love with Othello and would do anything to please him. Overall our understanging of Desdemona is increased and we picture her in a different light from Act 1, where she was just a young innocent lady.
The center of the play is the relationship between Othello and his wife Desdemona. What is initially portrayed as a marriage of love and excitement, was ruined by the influence of Othello's Personality Disorder, which causes constant distrust and suspicion based on benign events (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5, 649). After a conversation with Iago on Desdemona's loyalty, Othello begins to have doubts about his marriage, thinking that Iago is also lying to him,
The character Desdemona in William Shakespeare’s play Othello holds on to her dignified behavior until the very end, when her life is taken by her jealous husband, is indicative not only of her chaste mind, but also of her virtuous fortitude. Women of that time were largely seen mostly one of two extremes – either virtuous or licentious. Desdemona’s strength as a virtuous woman are clearly illustrated in two pivotal scenes in Shakespeare’s play: in her poise when confronted with her husband’s collapse of his gentlemanly facade; and in the dignified way she faces her own demise head-on, feeble on affirmations, yet overflowing with grace.
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:
Desdemona is one of the protagonists of the play contributes to the play and also fleshes out certain aspects of characterisation mainly where Othello and Iago are concerned. Thus her relevance is highlighted consistently throughout Othello, since without her ppresence, Iago would not have succeeded in manipulating Othello, and Othello's drastic transformation would not have been made evident.
Othello is a man of romantic nature. He fell in love with the beautiful Desdemona. He was accused of stealing her away from her father. Othello was of a different race and did not fit in with her family. Othello makes a plea for Desdemona and tells his story which wooed her to begin with. Othello tells of the love that her father showed him since his boyish days. This was like a match made in heaven that overcame many obstacles which got in their way. Othello could not understand why he was good enough to work and fight alongside of her father, but was not good enough for his daughter.
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.... ...
In the first scene in which Shakespeare introduces the character of Desdemona, a tense, intimidating tone has already been set. The scene opens on Othello’s trial; a trial which readers know has the potential to decide the fate of the two lovers. The scene is also the first which is crucial to the achievement of Desdemona’s superobjective, because it represents the tough switch of allegiance from Desdemona’s father, to her husband, Othello. Because readers have not yet been introduced to Desdemona at the very start of the scene, they have no idea what to expect, yet her first long speech in front of the court immediately defines her personality:
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
The Role of Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello. In Othello’s society, only men make decisions. Thus, in Othello, the title character and other male characters drive the plot, leaving the women to deal with the consequences. Desdemona’s role in the play shows the way the male-dominated society treats women.
The main character, Othello, is a very interesting character. He is bold is every wear. He is an insecure person. His only experiences are the ones that he has had on the battlefield. He is a General who is a strong willed and is demanding, in his own way. He is socially inexperienced, and you can tell by the marriage that is apparent. The way that Othello treats Desdemona. You almost feel as if he has a kind of control over her. When Othello thought and suspected that Desdemona was having an affair, he confronts her. That is then followed by her death. [scene 5 act 2]Desdemona "O banish me, my lord, but kill me not!Othello: Down, strumpet! Desdemona: Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight. Othello: Nay if you strive- Desdemona: But half an hour! Desdemona: But while I say one prayer!- Othello then proceeds to strangle Desdemona. He was best described as " one that loved not wisely, but too well." It almost seemed as if he had so much love and trusted D...
her father had turned down many suitors because Desdemona had claimed.... ... middle of paper ... ...mind. " Looking at the relationship between Othello and Desdemona, one can see.
Desdemona explained to her father, in his frustration, that she had been enchanted by Othello's tales, and fell in love with him because of the valor he showed through them. She said, "my heart's subdu'd even to the very quality of my lord: I saw Othello's visage in his mind; and to his honors and his valiant parts did I my soul and fortunes consecrate." (Shakespeare Act 1 scene 2) She was constantly following him and doing as she was told. When she was asked a question, she answered immediately and honestly.
Due to the Moor my lord.” (1. 3. 208-218). With this being her most important speech within the entire play, Desdemona shows her powerful capacities as a woman. She is informing her father that she’s decided on remaining loyal to Othello as his wife and she’s unwilling to change her mind on that decision.