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Women in English literature
Women in English literature
Portrayal of women in literature
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Innocent To The Truth
There is nothing more grieving than the death of an innocent person who did not deserve their death. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, Othello, two main characters fall in love and get married; Othello and Desdemona. Due to the jealousy of Iago over Othello, the lives of many innocent characters come in between. In Shakespeare’s tragic play, the evil schemes and cruel lies told by Iago, lead characters to die, unaware of the truth of what is going on around them. Thus, in the tragic play of Othello by William Shakespeare, the characters called Desdemona, Roderigo and Emilia die innocently due to their blindness towards the truth. To begin with, Desdemona is a tragic victim who is unaware of the horrific accusations
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Later on, these accusations affect her, causing her to suffer and pay for the acts she had never committed. Despite her father not approving the Moor, Desdemona takes the right step and admits her love for Othello, but goes against her father’s will. She confesses to her father, “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.” (1.3. 215-218). By telling her father this, Desdemona proves she is still a good loyal wife, if not an ideal daughter. She is well aware and obedient of her duties as expected from an ideal wife back in the Elizabethan era. Iago grips Othello in his schemes of making Desdemona seem deceitful and unloyal. Othello is seen telling Emilia, Iago’s wife, that, “I saw it in his hand. It was a handkerchief, an antique token/ My father gave my mother.” (5.2. 255-257). At this point, Iago has convinced Othello that Desdemona had been unfaithful to him with Cassio. In Iago’s schemes, the handkerchief is is the “proof” of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness which he uses to strongly convince Othello with. Othello starts to believe this second-hand lie and and is furious with jealousy, without …show more content…
Although she fights to bring out the truth in the end of the play, her actions end in unfortunate results leading to her death. Emilia innocently steals Desdemona’s handkerchief, remembering that Iago had always asked for it. “I am glad I have found this napkin/ this was her first remembrance from the Moor/ My wayward husband hath a hundred times/ wooed me to steal it” (3.3. 334-337). Emilia had also fallen for Iago’s lies and schemes, unaware of the truth and the consequences for it. The handkerchief is seen as a powerful symbol, which represents betrayal and plays the role of “proof”. Iago uses this symbol to convince Othello of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. Innocent Emilia did not the reason behind Iago’s desire for the handkerchief. This becomes Iago’s final step to his evil scheme, as Othello vows to kill Desdemona and Cassio with the contribution of Iago. After Desdemona’s heart-breaking murder, Emilia builds up the courage in herself to pour out all her feeling and emotions, pointing at Iago and Othello for their villainy, while defending the innocent Desdemona. She cries to Iago, “You told a lie, an odious, damned lie! / Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie!” (5,2, 216-217). Emilia exposes Iago’s venomous plot against Desdemona, as she is the only person to know the truth behind the handkerchief. Due to this, Emilia’s
At the beginning of the action, the two ladies relationship furthers the plot by creating a circumstance in which Desdemona’s handkerchief goes missing. Desdemona’s most valued token of Othello’s love is a supposedly magic handkerchief that belonged to his mother and Desdemona keeps it with her at all times. When she drops it Emilia swipes it to try to please her husband, Iago. By stealing the handkerchief Emilia unwittingly sets in motion Iago’s scheme that will eventually lead to the death of herself, Othello, and her beloved Desdemona. Without this handkerchief Iago’s scheme would never work because it is the only piece of substantial proof of Desdemona's infidelity can use to convince Othello. Therefore, without Desdemona and Emilia's close friendship there would be no plot. Toward the end of the play, Emilia and Desdemona’s relationship becomes crucial to the plot again. After Othello kills Desdemona Emilia is the one who puts together the facts and unearths Iago’s scheme, risking her own life to do so. After witnessing Desdemona’s death Emilia says, “O thou dull Moor, that handkerchief thou speak’st of I found by fortune, and did give my husband- for often, with a solemn earnestness he begged of me to steal ‘t”(5.2.267-272). At the threat of her own death she revealed Iago’s treachery and concluded the plot by explaining how Iago’s scheming led to the death of four different people. Without Emilia’s proximity to Desdemona she would never have been able to take the handkerchief and her knowledge of Iago and Desdemona’s natures made her the only character able to uncover Iago’s scheme. Certainly, Desdemona’s close relationship and differing characters were essential to the plot of the
Through his suggestion to Cassio, Iago can now be certain that Cassio will entreat Desdemona to petition for him with Othello. Cassio does implore Desdemona and she responds, “Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do all my abilities in thy behalf” (Act III Scene III). Iago manages to obtain the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona that had strawberry patterns on it form Bianca. He then tells Othello to ask for the handkerchief and if she doesn’t produce it, than she must be cheating on him. Iago also manipulates the undeserving devotion of Emilia. We learn at the end of the play that Iago “begg’d of me to steal it” of Emilia. Like Desdemona’s good nature, Iago exploits his own wife for his malicious revenge. The handkerchief was the final straw for
Emilia is not just in the play to be a simply friend. She is there to tell everyone the horrible acts that have happened. Once, Emilia realizes her mistress has died she starts asking questions which helps her put two and two together. Emilia finds out that Othello thinks Desdemona cheated on her something that Desdemona would never do. Emilia then asks Othello, why? The main reason is the handkerchief. Othello gave Desdemona handkerchief that represents their love and its precious. Because Othello finds out Cassio had it he thinks an affair was going on. Then is when, Emilia reveals that she gave the handkerchief to Iago because she found it. Quickly after that it’s revealed that Iago (her husband) is doing evil acts. Emilia “...That handkerchief thou speak’st of I found by fortune and did give my husband. For often, with a solemn earnestness—More than indeed belonged to such a trifle—He begged of me to steal it.” With that said, Emilia was much more than a
Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona.
...race, beauty and status put her on a pedestal like a goddess allowing him to idolize her and therefore never truly deserve her. Beneath his noble persona on display for all to see, the idealistic view of his wife, leads him to believe that she will never be able to fully reciprocate the love he has for her. Iago’s exploitative tactics used for revenge trigger Othello’s fatal insecurities to surface for the ultimately climactic ending in which he smothers Desdemona with a pillow before discovering “honest” Iago had been deceiving him, as well as the majority of the other characters, the entire time. Outraged, Othello attempts to stab Iago as revenge for being manipulated into killing his beloved wife, however when his hasty murder attempt fails, the heartbroken and worn-out man stabs himself next to the already dead Desdemona, whom he never believed he was worthy of.
Iago plants the handkerchief on Cassio. Convinced of Desdemona’s infidelity, Othello smothers his beloved wife in their marriage bed. Emilia then proves Iago’s guilt and Desdemona’s innocence to Othello. Othello stabs Iago, who is under arrest, but fails to kill him and commits suicide.
Her confession then confirms that Desdemona was faithful and did not deserve to die and as a result she shows one that love can be foolish and naïve. Her love and loyalty to Iago causes her to deceive her friend and this ends with both women being killed because the love they possessed for too foolish men. Othello is responsible for murdering Desdemona; Iago is
Continuing Act three, Scene three, Othello feels the beginning of a headache. Desdemona offers Othello a handkerchief to ease the pain upon Othello’s forehead. The handkerchief is a gift from Othello to Desdemona as a symbol of the love shared by Othello and Desdemona. In Othello’s pain the handkerchief falls from Othello’s hand and Emilia steals the handkerchief. Iago uses the characters of the play as pawns, including wife Emilia. Jealousy is the fuel and the handkerchief is the spark. With the handkerchief in Iago’s possession, Iago can continue to spin the web of lies and deceit. Iago plans to leave the handkerchief in Cassio’s lodgings to further support the suspicion of Desdemona’s infidelity.
...ng Desdemona has been unfaithful, ‘Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ’. However, his manipulation can also be seen with Emilia, in particular her finding of the handkerchief, ‘my wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo’d me to steal it’. The fact that Emilia gives Iago the handkerchief, despite her initial intention which is to have it copied and to return the original to Desdemona and despite his crude and derogatory remark, ‘it is a common thing’, reveals her desperation to please Iago and to satisfy his need for instant gratification. This contrasts with her outspoken, headstrong nature when Iago is not present and shows that women of this time period were dominated by men in all ways, including the suppression of their natural personalities.
Iago controls Emilia and treats her as less when she does not act as a submissive wife. Therefore, Emilia follows to keep Iago satisfy. Further, Iago tells Emilia to steal the handkerchief; which she follows without knowing his intentions, to then be insulted by Iago calling her a “foolish wife” (3.3.313), and demanding her, “Go, leave me” (3.3.330). Apparently, Iago makes Emilia lesser, and she accepts her role as a submissive wife. Moreover, although Othello proclaims loving Desdemona, he perceives her as inferior as a result of jealousy. As in Act 5, Scene 2 where Othello says to Desdemona, “Down, strumpet!” (89), suggesting that he puts her in an inferior position to kill her reflecting his true perception of Desdemona. And likewise Emilia, Desdemona accepts the role of an obedient wife by using her last breath to take the fault off Othello
In Greek, Desdemona means ‘the unfortunate’, perhaps reflecting an ideology that she is not meant to be liked, merely pitied for her misfortune as a tragic victim (commonly defined as someone who dies due to the faults of others). Throughout Othello, Desdemona is presented as pure and innocent – in regards to this, Auden’s comment is unusual as Desdemona is seldom criticised; indeed many critics are complementary, giving her titles such as ‘gentle Desdemona’.
However, as the plot thickens, he is driven to corruption on the basis of the misplaced handkerchief that Desdemona possessed. The handkerchief itself plays the most significant symbol because it causes a massive turning point in the plot. Othello gave the handkerchief to Desdemona as a gift. It serves as a “token of his love, which Desdemona cherishes” (3.3.1). As a result, Iago, the deceiver, convinces his wife, Emilia, to steal it from Desdemona.
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.
The society in which they live gave Othello permission to kill Desdemona without her even really knowing why.
Othello gives this to his wife Desdemona. This symbolizes their relationship. When Othello is unwell Desdemona goes to wipe his face and Othello lets it drop to the floor. He then states, “your napkin is to little”(III.iii.289). When they leave Emilia enters and picks up the handkerchief to keep. She continues to state how her husband has been trying to get ahold of this item. When Emilia retrieves it to him, Iago immediately starts to come up with a plan to ruin Othello’s marriage. Iago is so manipulative the he makes Othello believe that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio without any actual proof. Iago willingly destroys the relationship between Othello and Desdemona without feeling any guilt. He goes to Cassio and gives him the item as evidence to break up Othello and Desdemona. To Othello the handkerchief was valuable because it was the first gift he gave Desdemona. When Iago spreads the word out about her cheating, Othello demands for the handkerchief back. She does not have the item and attempts to change the subject. Othello demands “Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives”, (III.iv.84) then she states “Come, come: you’ll never meet a more sufficient man” (III.iv.86). Othello is overwhelmed and walks