Juliet and Desdemona as victims or heroines William Shakespeare’s female characters were created as submissive, weak woman who are victimised by the people around them, especially the men. Desdemona was smothered to death with a pillow by her own husband, Othello, because he thought she was cheating on him. Juliet was seen as weak because she killed herself in order to be with Romeo. Ann-Marie MacDonald plays on this and turns the characters around by making them strong feminist women with feelings but with faults as well. She recreated Desdemona to be a strong woman who would stand up for her self. As for Juliet, she was recreated as a woman who loved her sexuality and womanhood.
During William Shakespeare’s time women were
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She married Othello moved to an army base with him because he said so and lovingly tended to his needs. When it got into his mind that she was having an affair he needed her to die and she willingly complied. “Nobody, I myself, farewell: commend me to my kind lord, O, farewell!” (Shakespeare, Act V, Scene II, …show more content…
She does have a weakness and that weakness is that she likes to see people getting killed. MacDonald had recreated Desdemona with such a blood thirst that it makes the reader to want to make her go see a shrink. Even Constance remarks on this. “Desdemona, I thought you were different; I thought you were my friend, I worshiped you. But you’re just like Othello- gullible and violent”.
Juliet unlike Desdemona is remade to be able to embrace her sexuality. It is all that Juliet can think about, killing herself for love. This thirst for suicide was so strong the Constance could not help but notice.
She starts out as I have mentioned as a shy, meek thing of a woman. She starts to show a bit of nerve when she shows Othello, Iago’s plot and in the process changes Shakespeare’s play.
“‘No!’ [Both Othello and Iago turn and stare at her, amazed] ‘Um… you’re about to make a terrible mistake… m’ Lord.’ [Shocked, and at a loss for words to explain her statement, Constance gathers her courage and timidly approaches Iago] ‘Excuse me please.’ [She plucks the handkerchief from Iago’s hose and gives it to