Examples Of Sexism In Othello

A Guiltless Death They Die

Sexism is a disease in society. It seeps into every crack of humanity, soaking into literature. Women have had set expectations since the patriarchy put sexism into place. They have been abused, harassed, and their morals questioned. Of course, there are always guilty women, yet the innocent rarely go free because of them. How many rape cases have gone out the window because of the question of innocence? Again and again, the misogyny of men has caused the suffering of women. These ideals can be seen perpetrated in times such as the Elizabethan times, a time when literature was thriving. Although under the rule of a female leader, Elizabethan people continued to discriminate against women. One of the famous playwrights,

When a person is abused or manipulated, they will do anything to stay safe in the harmful environment they are in, or else they further their situation. Many women have died because of their honor and innocence. Honor is the real culprit of any crimes committed, or else the story of Othello would have no plot. Take, for example, Iago’s commentary on women. Iago objectifies and groups all women together, saying both good, bad, smart, and dumb women are all the same. Desdemona retorts with, “But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman indeed, one that in the authority of her merit did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself?” meaning to say that Iago has grouped wicked women with hardworking independent ones, as he does not value them as people nor their moral worth (Shakespeare 71). As Othello continues to delve deep into the rabbit hole of Iago’s lies, Othello confronts Desdemona, asking her to “Fetch me the handkerchief,” as his “mind misgives” (Shakespeare 159). Although she attempts to communicate that she does not have it, as she lost it, he refuses to believe her, mistrusting her. Despite her protests of innocence in their quarters, Othello is blinded by suspicion and smothers her, showing how the men in Othello continuously doubt the honor of the women. When found out by Emilia, she confronts Othello and tells him what happened, only to ultimately

Their fear of speaking up and standing out keeps them stuck in the cycle of their time. Emilia is a quiet and reserved character that does not speak up for herself. As the wife of the antagonist Iago, Emilia is constantly mistreated by her husband, who tells her, “You are pictures out of door, / You shall not write my praise./ bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens, / saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players/ in your huswifery, and huswives in your beds” (Shakespeare 67) Later on, she discovers her dead maiden Desdemona with the Othello, and as Iago enters to continue weaving a web of lies she confronts him, speaking out against him. However, he once again tries to silence her by saying, “What, are you mad? I charge you, get you home.” (Shakespeare). Iago treats Emilia with contempt, constantly belittling her and making it clear that her opinions and feelings are of no value to him. As a result, Emilia feels powerless against the abusive men in her life and is unable to speak up when she suspects Iago is up to no good. Again, she shows her perspective on this when she says, “’Tis not a year or two shows us a man. They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/They eat us hungerly, and when they are full/ They belch us” Proving her lost faith in men (Shakespeare 159). It's only after it is too late, and the tragedy has already unfolded, that Emilia finally finds the