Explore Shakespeare’s presentation of the character Desdemona in Othello

Introduction

• Shakespeare presents Desdemona as a paradoxical figure of both the passive and active agent, who is ultimately constrained by patriarchal structures

• Desdemona is used to critique the different Jacobean myths surrounding femininity that allegorically express her journey throughout the play

• Perhaps Shakespeare aims to emphasise vulnerability in an intolerant society where women simply cannot survive

A symbol of Idealised Virtue - passive state - described by others alone

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• ‘hail to thee, lady and the grace of heaven’

• ‘white ewe’

• “rose-lipped cherubin”

• “blessed condition” “divine” “virtuous” “chaste”

• “a maid so tender fair and happy”

• “the riches of the ship”

• “he hath achieved a maid that paragons description and wild fame, on that excels the quirks of blazoning pens”

• “most fresh and delicate creature”

• “the sweetest innocent that ever did lift up an eye”

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• religious imagery/allusion

• antithesis to Bianca

• metaphor

• objectification

• hyperbole

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• the four Jacobean archetypes of femininity (the maiden)

• stereotypical venetian woman

• madonna-whore complex

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• ‘Desdemona is often seen as a victim of the male gaze in Othello, objectified by the male characters who project their fears and desires onto her’ - Sarah Brown

“the sweetest innocent that ever did lift up an eye”

• hyperbole

“a maid so tender fair and happy”

“most fresh and delicate creature”

• connotations of fresh = purity, cleanliness

• creature - adjective = not human, otherworldliness

‘hail to thee, lady and the grace of heaven’ ‘Divine’

• “grace of heaven” = gives her distinctive attributes associated with the virgin Mary

• Virgin Mary is looked to for intercessiin by Catholics - similar to Cassio asking her to speak to Othello

• “hail to thee” = echoes words designed to recekl the Rosary

‘the riches of the ship’

• metaphor = objectifies her

• also suggests that she is full of grace an splendor - something t be cherished and protected

• symbol of fortune

“white ewe”

metaphor = reduced to an object of purity, innocence and submissiveness

“rose-lipped cherubin”

showing she is an angelic beauty - Cherubin is a powerful angelic being in religious texts

“he hath achieved a maid that paragons description and wild fame, on that excels the quirks of blazoning pens”

• hyperbole = she is so beautiful and virtuous that she exceeds any description or reputation

• establishes an ideal, almost divine natural beauty and virtue

• “achieved” - verb = objectifies her - a rare commodity to be acquired

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• Archetypes of femininity = pushed into one of the four Jacobean archetypes of femininity- the maiden - by the men around her

• Renaissance = Desdemona fits the Renaissance ideal of feminine virtue

• Psychological perspective = Madonna-Whore Complex - a man’s inability to see women as whole individuals: either chaste or whore

• Stereotypical Venetian women = venice famous for sexual liberty which contributes to the stereotypes of the women - Desdemona might subvert that

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‘Desdemona is a victim of the make gaze- objected by the male characters who project their desires onto her’ - Brown

• displays how the male characters don’t see her as an autonomous person

• they see her as a blank canvas onto which they project their own ideals

• note that she is described by other characters while characters, such as Iago (“I am not what I am”) or Othello (“my parts my title my perfect soul”), describe themselves - shows lack of autonomy

Deviates from the stereotypical Submissive Woman

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• ‘Desdemona acknowledges her past loyalty to Brabantio but asserts her new ‘divided duty’ and allegiance to Othello

• ‘our generals wife is now the general’ ‘o my fair warrior ’ “our great captain’s captain”

• advocates on the behalf of Cassio = ‘If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it to the last article’

• ‘your daughter hath made a gross revolt” “maiden never bold”

• paragon of virtue = “a maid so tender, fair and happy” “delicate youth” “riches of the ship” (objectification)

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• In Jacobean society, women were expected to be silent, obedient, and chaste, confined to domestic spheres and subject to male authority.

• Desdemona’s assertiveness and moral clarity challenge these norms.

• archetypes of femininity

• role of women

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• AC Bradley “Desdemona is helplessly passive. She can do nothing whatsoever. She cannot retaliate even in speech”

• Bradley views Desdemona as entirely submissive, lacking agency or ability to defend herself - disagree

“divided duty”

• ‘Desdemona acknowledges her past loyalty to Brabantio but asserts her new ‘divided duty’ and allegiance to Othello

‘our generals wife is now the general’ ‘o my fair warrior ’ “our great captain’s captain”

• = bitter remark implies that Desdemona wields power over Othello, suggesting a role reversal

• wider metaphor

• connotations of general, warrior, captain

paragon of virtue = “a maid so tender, fair and happy” “delicate youth” “riches of the ship” (objectification)

• duality in her nature

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• In Jacobean society, women were expected to be silent, obedient, and chaste, confined to domestic spheres and subject to male authority.

• in Jacobean society women’s opinions didn’t matter and testimonies weren’t trusted

• Desdemona’s assertiveness and moral clarity challenge these norms. Her character echoes other early modern tragic heroines like Juliet and Cordelia who question or resist patriarchal control.

• archetypes of femininity = potential 5th category of the which - a women deemed too masculine

Victim of Male jealousy and manipulation

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• ‘look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio’

• ‘they eat us hungrily and when they are full, the belch us’

• ‘nobody. I myself. Farewell’ = in an act of tragic loyalty, Desdemona protects Othello - this ultimate submission and forgiveness reveal the destructive effects of male jealousy

• “look to her Moor, if thou hast eyes to see she has deceived her father and may thee”

• “whore of Venice” "perjured women” “strumpet” “the cunning whore of Venice” “devil” “subtle whore”

• “break our in peevish jealousies throwing restraint upon us”

• “his unkindness may defeat my life, but never taint my love”

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• archetypical femme fatale

• Psychological perspective = Madonna-Whore Complex - a man’s inability to see women as whole individuals: either chaste or whore

• archetypes of femininity

• cuckoldry

• stereotypical venetian woman

AO5

• ‘Desdemona is often seen as a victim of the male gaze in Othello, objectified by the male characters who project their fears and desires onto her’ - Sarah Brown

‘look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio’

= Iago’s manipulative prompting feeds Othello’s insecurities, positioning Desdemona as an object of suspicion

• suggestive language = creates a sense of doubt - manipulation tactic

“look to her Moor, if thou hast eyes to see she has deceived her father and may thee”

= foreshadowing?

• a warning?

‘they eat us hungrily and when they are full, the belch us’

• imagery of consumption = comments how men use and discard women - Desdemona’s tragedy illustrates this as Othello turns violently against her once his jealousy is stoked

• metaphor

• adverb “hungrily” and verb “belch” - crude language - suggest they all but food

‘nobody. I myself. Farewell’ “a guitless death I die”

• ‘nobody. I myself. Farewell’ = in an act of tragic loyalty, Desdemona protects Othello - this ultimate submission and forgiveness reveal the destructive effects of male jealousy

• parallels to Jesus in her divinity - “forgive for they know what they do”

• ultimate sacrificial lamb

• solidifies her as the symbol of perfect innocence

“whore of Venice” "perjured women” “strumpet” “the cunning whore of Venice” “devil” “subtle whore”

• semantic fielf + wider metaphor

• contrqasdt with her being an “angel”

“break our in peevish jealousies throwing restraint upon us”

peevish = childish

oxymoron = serious strong feeling contrasts the childishness

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• Psychological perspective = Madonna-Whore Complex - a man’s inability to see women as whole individuals: either chaste or whore

• archetypical femme fatale = a women who lures men villainy using her feminine wiles

• archetypes of femininity = additional archetype of the fallen women who has lost her innocence - masculinity drew from these categories

• cuckold = a man betrayed by his wife - women’s fidelity paramoun to hierarchy of society

• stereotypical venetian women

Model Paragraph

Shakespeare uses religious imagery to present the ‘blessed’ Desdemona as a symbol of idealised virtue. This use of religious imagery acknowledges Desdemona as the ‘grace of heaven’ which gives her distinctive attributes associated with the Virgin Mary, the mother of God. The Virgin Mary is also looked to for intercession by Catholics, which is similar to Cassio’s request for Desdemona to talk to Othello on is behalf. This characterisation places her on an ethereal level of purity and grace to emphasise her moral innocence and good-natured persona. The ‘hail to thee’ echoes words designed to recall the Rosary, suggesting that Desdemona’s ‘blessed condition’ is worthy of praise and exhalation. Desdemona is pushed into one of the four Jacobean archetypes of femininity - the maiden - by the men around her. Perhaps Shakespeare shows how the idolisation of women can be utilised by men to keep women within a domestic sphere. This is further evoked by Iago’s metaphor of a ‘white ewe’, which reduces he to an object of purity, innocence and submissiveness - fitting the Renaissance ideal of feminine virtue. Critics such as Brown have supported this by arguing that ‘Desdemona is a victim of the male gaze - objectified by the male characters who project their desires and fears onto her’. This displays how the male characters don’t see Desdemona as an autonomous person, but as a blank canvas onto which the projects their own ideals.