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The Objectification Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

1168 Words5 Pages

Inês Caetano Silva
Cristina Lupoi
English 11 U
27 April 2023
How Othello Embodies Gender Discrimination The manner in which society perceives women generates a never ending trend of women being perceived as weaker and less than men, which in turn, traps them into a cycle of oppression. From before the Roman Empire to modern civilizations, women have been exposed to unsafe environments where education, respect and human decency are limited, disregarded and rights are restricted. In addition, some of the world’s most recognizable authors incorporate sexism into their works, proving that not even literature is an exception from gender bias. An example of this is Shakespeare’s Othello, a play written in the early 1600’s when gender inequality …show more content…

To begin, the objectification of women can be seen through the language used throughout the play. There are three major female characters in Othello, they are; Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca. All three women are subjected to gender inequality a handful of times throughout the play, by their male friends, husbands, and even fathers. They sometimes do this discreetly, adding rude comments about women into their speeches, or being verbally abusive, right to their faces, no matter who is around, completely disregarding how their words may impact the women. This can be seen when Iago states; “...You are pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlours, wildcats in your kitchen, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds.” (Shakespeare 2.1.109-112). In this quote, Iago expresses that women are deceitful, because they pretend to be righteous, while actually being anything but behind closed doors. He perceives women as people who will use their beauty for their own personal gain. Iago proposes that women are untrustworthy and sexually deviant. Additionally, Iago’s perception and way of talking about women rubs off on Othello, who goes on to refer to his

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