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Othello's Roles Of Women During The Elizabethan Era

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In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, there are only three female characters. Desdemona is the main female character who is married to the protagonist, Othello. The second woman is Emilia, who is married to Iago and is close friends with Desdemona. The third woman in the play is a courtesan named Bianca who has feelings towards Cassio. The roles these women play give the reader insight of how women were portrayed and treated unfairly in society during the Elizabethan era. The first woman that is introduced is Desdemona, who is a beautiful, young, white, Venetian woman. She elopes with Othello, who is an older black general in the Venetian army. This was a very brave move on her part, considering that she went against her father’s …show more content…

Desdemona's submissive nature is shown very often through her own lines in the play Othello, for example, “I am obedient” (III.3.89) and also in her statement in act 4 when Othello tells her to go to bed she replies with, “I will, my lord” (IV.3.9). Throughout the entire play, Desdemona remains obedient towards her husband. Even when she is killed by Othello, Desdemona says that she took her own life, in order to protect …show more content…

She is a Venetian courtesan, or prostitute that is in love with Cassio. Because she is a prostitute, she is very different from the pure Desdemona. Cassio is somewhat affectionate towards Bianca, but would never marry her. Bianca loves Cassio, but he doesn’t feel the same. Although Bianca is a minor character in the play, she has a lot of importance. In Act 4 Scene 1, Iago and Cassio are seen laughing (about Bianca) by Othello. Othello believed that they were talking about Desdemona, when they were actually making fun of Bianca. Later in the scene, Bianca appears and is spotted by Othello, throwing Desdemona’s handkerchief at Cassio. This is the scene where Othello begins to believe that his wife is being unfaithful with Cassio. In Act 5 Scene 1, Bianca appears and is once again, ridiculed for being a prostitute. Emilia even says, “Oh, fie upon thee, strumpet!” (V.1.125). In all of the scenes Bianca is in, she is always belittled and made fun of for being a

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The strongest friendship is between Desdemona, the princess and wife of Othello and, Emilia, Desdemona 's attendant as well as Iago 's wife. Together throughout this tragedy, these friends battle the men in their lives. However, the way these go about it are completely different. There are two types of women, the ones who allow to be eaten, and the ones who don 't. Because of Emilia 's personality, she does not allow herself to be eaten, unlike Desdemona. Emilia is the practical and confident woman of her time.

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The women in Othello and Chaucer's Wife of Bath differ, but in the end both want their husbands to love them. In Othello there are only three women displayed in the story, but the statements that were said about these three women were the belief that all women in that society were all the same- evil, whores who were temptress to the men. The three women; Desdemona, the wife of Othello, Emilia, the wife of Iago, and Bianca, perceived as a prostitute who is a “customer” (l. 138. 4.1) of Cassio. Iago is one of the main characters who degrades and slanders all women including his wife Emilia.

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In Shakespeare’s ‘Othello’, women are portrayed as either pure angelic beings and jewels, or as whores who are impure. They are objectified and shown as something to be used. The only women in this play are Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca compared to the main 6 male characters, not to mention the minor characters, who are also all male. Their depicted purpose is to belong to a man; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca’s lives revolve around being wives to Othello, Iago and Cassio. This fits into the idea of a perfect Elizabethan woman, who’s lives are subject to their husband’s rule across all aspects, to be disposed of as men wish.

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In William Shakespeare’s Othello, the subject of gender roles is predominant throughout. The constant pressure of the patriarchy makes it impossible for women to possess any control over their lives or of the decisions they may make. This is reflected through abuse, adultery, and objectification as seen in the Shakespearean era. Domestic violence and abuse is prevalent throughout Othello. Men seemed to be more aggressive, controlling, and entitled to do whatever they please.

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The way these women act and conduct themselves is unquestionably related to the ideological expectations of Elizabethan and patriarchal society. Desdemona, Othello 's wife and Brabantio 's daughter, is represented as the ideal woman. So she would never be disloyal to her husband. On many occasions, Desdemona obeys her husband firmly and calls herself obedient even after Othello hits her. She was loving and loyal to Othello and wishes a long marriage of prosperity and commitment that would lead to her ultimate happiness.

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Othello’s point of view on courtship and seduction is arguably more valuable than both Brabantio’s and the Duke’s due to the fact he is the one in the relationship to Desdemona. Othello presents a point of view of courtship and seduction hitherto unheard of by any other character in the play thus far: that Desdemona was active and instrumental in their courting. As women were commonly seen as mindless, and wholly reliant on men to do things for them, the idea that Desdemona was actually courting him provides a contrast the common presentation of women at this time. Whilst a modern audience would not be shocked by the idea of a women actively seducing a man, for an audience in the 17th century, this would have a been shocking and unusual notion. Othello talks of Desdemona’s ‘greedy ear’ and describes her as ‘devouring’ his discourse, phrases that not only connote to eagerness, but also to lustfulness.

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Throughout the play we observe Emilia’s character change, and how she suffered the consequence of challenging the system. Shakespeare’s Othello, utilises a range of dramatic techniques to showcase how women where portrayed during early modern England, as tools, chaste and naive. The antagonist, Iago takes this to advantage to manipulate his wife to unintentionally take a part in the moral dissembling of Othello. The idea where women were being victimised is presented when Iago utilises his power and authority to

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With regard to the play's plot, Bianca functions to call Cassio's credibility into question. Though Cassio is relatively respectful to Bianca, he doesn't take her seriously. Cassio laughs about how much the woman loves him, how desperate she is, and how easily beguiled she has been by his false intentions of marriage. Iago has also referred to her as a prostitute, "A house wife that by selling her desires, Buys herself bread and clothes"(IV.i.97). Shakespeare further elaborates their dismissive speech over Bianca to arouse Othello’s suspicion into conviction that Desdemona is having a love affair.

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In Othello, Othello and Desdemona are both characters that are struggling with their identities. In the beginning of the play we find Othello as a respectful man that is successful, but then we get Iago that manipulates him to make him seem as the bad guy. We also find Desdemona that turns against her father and the Elizabethan society to marry Othello, but we also find that she is respectful and obedient to Othello.

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While Desdemona is a remarkably strong character, Emilia also displays independence unmatched by any other female in Othello, and there are multiple details of Shakespeare and his time that may have prompted such a portrayal. In Elizabethan England, many women worked behind the scenes of productions, like Shakespeare’s, as uncredited authors and editors (Crowley). Due to their anonymity, nobody can be sure that women were involved in Shakespeare’s plays nor Othello in particular, but there is a genuine possibility that female writers did have leverage. This may have had to do with how Emilia was portrayed as resilient from the time of Desdemona’s death all the way until her own, standing up for herself regardless of the ridicule it caused her (Iyasere). In fact, it even killed her in the end.

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