Othello: Gender Roles

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Recommended: Essays on portrayals of women in media

Adolfo Armijo
Ms. Bruski
ELA 12, P. 5
4/5/2018

Gender Roles Gender roles are potentially life threatening because they reflect what humanity has in store for the future. Stereotypes of all genders have significance because they are expectations of how they are expected to act: men are dominant, strong, brave, and women are soft, kind, caring, and more. In William Shakespeare’s Othello, strict ideas about gender roles are mentioned throughout the entire play. However, throughout the centuries, these about women have not changed and have not gained as much freedom as they wish/deserve to have. For example, Brabantio, wants to control his daughter with what she does and get rid of Othello because of his race. Additionally, Othello mistreats …show more content…

Men still want their daughter’s control of who they wish to get married with. In Othello, Brabantio addresses Roderigo that he would rather have him marry his daughter than Othello, “Oh, I wish you had had her!... Do you know where we may capture her and the Moor?” (1.1. 175-177). Brabantio addressed to Roderigo that he would prefer him as his daughter's husband rather than the “moor” Othello. Women all over the world still face the stereotypes that were first introduced in past times, “As we investigate the female life-cycle in early modern Europe, it may appear in first glance that little had changed since ancient times and that, in fact, little has changed since ”(Weisner). The way that women have lived their life since ancient times and today demonstrate that not much has changed in order to benefit the life that women are suppose to have. Even in modern times, women are still judged because of their state of being since stereotypes have managed to make a big controversy in society against …show more content…

Gender expectations and power have been very limited and considered to only be attached to their husband. In Othello, Iago describes women as housewives and meant to have sex and give them pleasure, “You can put on a big show about your abilities as housewives, and you’re housewives in your bed”(2.1.113). This puts women less valuable which really is significant because they have little to no expectations, but pleasure. women are being seen only for sexual intentions, “We have become increasingly aware of sexual inequalities in economic, social, and political institutions” (Lamphere, Bamberger). Woman have been treated equally in all aspects of life just because men think that they are dominant. Gender roles are a huge impact in this case because men always want to have control over women and give them orders despite who and what situation either the couple or relatives they

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