Femininity In Shakespeare's Othello

In play Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is one of William Shakespeare’s most dominant and frightening female characters, known for her ambitious nature. As Macbeth’s wife, her role is significant in his rise and fall from royalty. During Shakespearean times, women were regarded as weak insignificant beings that were there to give birth and look beautiful. They were not thought to be as intelligent or equal to men. Though in Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is the highest influence in Macbeth’s life. Her role was so large; in fact, that she uses her position to gain power, stay strong enough to support her unstable Lord, and fails miserably while their

In the play ‘Othello’ written by William Shakespeare, we see not only the main male character leads. But we also see the female characters, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. These three women were portrayed in ways that showed them being inferior to the other male roles as well as society during the Elizabethan Era. But Shakespeare made each of these individual ladies characteristics quite unique to one another having the traits of a feminist. Even though in the play we read how the male characters did somewhat control them and made them look weak compared to them, there were moments where Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca stood up for themselves.

According to the general hierarchy when Shakespeare wrote his play, men were deemed to be more able than women. Instead in Othello, Shakespeare emphasizes the strength of Desdemona despite the stereotypical views about women. Desdemona is portrayed to be more able than the women and as able as the men in the Venetian society. Unlike other women in Othello, Desdemona proves to be very strong and relentless in her beliefs and love.

Lady Macbeth is aware of the fact that she is mentally stronger and has more of a desire to gain power than Macbeth. At one point, she wished that she was a man so that she could do it herself.

Desdemona is considered a sincere, kind, -and above all-, an honest wife and woman in general. She is like a model of the perfect woman of that time. We can find proof in her honesty when she and Emilia are talking about infidelity, and Desdemona's words are "Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong

Desdemona is portrayed as a very inquisitive women, whom loves to explore the things and people outside of her class. She fell in love with Othello because of her curious nature and being attracted to his acts of bravado. Her intentions are sincere; however her curiosity in this act is seen as folly. She asks her cousin Lodovico about his arrival and informs him of Cassio’s dismissal. This angers Othello as she is praising another man, taking a persona of being proactive about him. For Othello this concludes that she is disobedient and has dishonored him - to put her in place, he resorts to violence:

     Lady Macbeth progresses throughout the play from a seemingly savage and heartless creature to a very delicate and fragile woman. In the beginning of the play, she is very ambitious and hungry for power. She pushes Macbeth to kill Duncan in order to fulfill the witches’ prophecy. In Act I, Scene 6, she asks the gods to make her emotionally strong like a man in order to help her husband go through with the murder plot. She says, “Come, you spirits That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full Of direst cruelty!” Also, she does everything in her power to convince Macbeth that he would be wrong not to kill Duncan. In Act I,

She begins the play as a independent and thoughtful person, but she must struggle against all odds to make Othello believe that she is not too independent. Desdemona is a symbol of innocence and helplessness. However in the beginning of the play, she seems to be mature and quite insightful of events around her. Iago often tells Othello that she is unfaithful. It seems that she refuses to accept what Iago is doing. She has a tendency to be sympathetic towards other people's situations, like Cassio. This also further inspired Othello's jealousy when Iago pointed out that Cassio and Desdemona were speaking in private. She often pays attention to other people’s thoughts, yet remains distrustful if they differ from her own. She has a loyalty to her husband in all aspects of life,

Lady Macbeth manipulates her husband into doing all that she wants to do, that she cannot do herself. When Lady Macbeth consults with Macbeth the witches prophecies she insinuates and awakens an evil ambitious side in him. This is very strange to see as in the beginning of the play (Act 1) Macbeth is the complete opposite. Lady Macbeth does this in such a devious way that she questions her husband 's masculinity. For instance; "What beasts wasn 't then,/ that made you break this enterprise to me?/ When you durst do it,/ then you were a man,/ And to be more than what you were,/ you would be so much more the man." (1.7.53-58). This strikes Macbeth as the unthinkable because as a woman in the Elizabethan Times (1603) Lady

She kept on and wanted nothing but to be proven innocent by him. Desdemona loves her husband too much to let him suddenly call her such words without an explanation. She worries about his safety and wellbeing. But she does all in her power to see that he tell her what is wrong. Sadly, her wish is granted only after Othello has murdered her.

However, in Othello, the character of Desdemona surpassed the norms of gender set for women of that time. There is no doubt to consider Desdemona is violating the social norms because she is willing to breach her social roles as a daughter and even as a wife at times. Through her “incorrect” gender performance, Shakespeare portrays Desdemona as a strong, independent woman who breaks away the gender barriers of patriarchal society. But at the end of the play, we know it is the consequence of her actions that have led her to death.

Although Shakespeare’s tragedies and history plays are typically male-centred we see in ¬-Othello how Desdemona ultimately de-centres the play by becoming a part of everyone’s life and taking the reader’s focus off her husband Othello, who is the main protagonist and known as the tragic hero of the play. However, Desdemona could also be seen as a tragic heroine in Othello, ultimately taking the spotlight off her husband. To be a tragic hero/heroine, a character has to be suffering worse than he/she deserves. The character could also be isolated from society, defeated at the end of the play, or sacrificed for a cause. Desdemona is a tragic heroine because her suffering is not comparative to her mistakes and she is defeated by forces that are out of her control. Desdemona unknowingly keeps herself in the spotlight by being portrayed to everybody as a kind, pure, loving character. She is possibly too kind, pure and loving as this is what leads to her downfall in the end of the play. Desdemona is involved in almost every main character’s life. She is Brabantio’s daughter, Othello’s wife, Roderigo and Cassio’s crush, Emilia’s friend/servant, and Iago’s means of gaining against Othello. Desdemona is the woman that many men love and

She portrays Desdemona as a more masculine character. She is hasty and violent, behaving like her husband did in the original play. However, just as her femininity was a weakness in Othello, this masculinity is also a weakness. She is still unable to think beyond the situation and it leads to problems, which can be compared to Othello and his hasty decision-making. She talks of how women must be able to defend themselves and think in a black and white manner, determining what is right and what is wrong.

The audience experiences Desdemona’s devotion to men from the very beginning; whether it be obeying her father or staying by Othello’s side, she remans loyal. Desdemona defends Othello as she conveys, “My noble father,/I do perceive here a divided duty:/ To you I am bound for life and education;/ My life and education both do learn me/ How to respect you; you are the lord of duty;/ I am hitherto your daughter: but here's my husband,/ And so much duty as my mother show'd/ To you, preferring you before her father,/ So much I challenge that I may profess/ Due to the Moor, my lord” (Shakespeare 1.3.180-189).

Desdemona’s assertive qualities set her apart from the other chaste, voiceless, shame-filled, and obedient women of her time. She defies stereotypes while somehow still fitting into them. Her blatantly wild sexual desire and cunning ability to corrupt others are certainly surprising traits but they allow for a progressive and provocative play filled with jealousy and emotion. Shakespeare offers commentary on the way women were viewed in his time period and stabilizes the hierarchy of patriarchal social order through his portrayal of the three main female characters in Othello, and their actions throughout the play. Upon examination of Othello, it is obvious that the three female characters, Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca, are presented according