Women8

 ==   == =WOMEN IN OTHELLO = **By: Solana, Marisa, Christine, and Caitie =)**



  Do women allow themselves to be defined by men? Here's proof of the world's opinion (in definition form) of what a women should be. Will the female characters of Othello follow these definitions too, or are they different?**
 * [|Woman] : according to these dictionary entries, women are basically referred to as men's mistresses.

Have you ever thought about the difference between your gender and your sex? Don't worry, I hadn't either until I came across [|new ideas] that changed my way of thinking about the difference between being a female and a woman. These two words have different meanings that explain a lot about the words that we use.

The Secret Lives Of Women: rss url="feed://rss.tvguide.com/tvshows/secret-lives-women/198756" link="true" number="3" date="true"

 

IN GENERAL



 * Fun Fact!** Did you know: when Shakespeare's plays were first made into productions women could not be actors so all of the female characters were played by men!

Links: 1. [|Women in Othello] this link is an essay written about the role of the women in Othello. It is a very precise and concise essay that does a great job of describing the women in Othello and their relationships with the men in their lives. 2. [|This website] looks at the various opinions that male characters in Othello have toward Desdemona. Othello idealize her, while Iago looks at her as a conquest. The website also discusses the way Shakespeare portrays men and women. 3. Women in Shakespeare cannot define themselves unless they are with a man, a man brings out the true women, at least according to [|this website]. This website says that women are material as well as sexual possessions. 4. Some of Shakespeare's plays portray [|women as being weak] ; will the female characters in Othello be the same way, or will they be independent of the men in the play? 5. SPOILER ALERT! Here is a breakdown of the only female character we are introduced to in Act One: [|Desdemona]. She may seem like a stereotypical, slightly rebellious daughter, but this analysis looks father into her true character. Desdemona is anything but stereotypical; this strong woman is the source of conflict in this tragedy. 6. All of Shakespeare's plays have crucial roles for women; how is he portraying females though? In Macbeth, Lady Macbeth is conniving, evil, and deceiving. Do all of Shakespeare's women have the same disposition; are they all [|unruly females]? 7. Desdemona's relationship with Othello was a secret; now that it has been discovered, Iago and Rodriego plan to destroy it. This [|analysis] of Desdemona shows her character's relationships, along with many quotes. 8. When Brabantio learns that his daughter has secretly married Othello, he acts as if Othello has stolen Desdemona from him. Women, in that time period, seem to be considered "[|property] ;" they belong to their fathers or husbands. 9. Desdemona is not like most women of her time; she thinks for herself. All women during that time obey there fathers before they have a husband. Desdemona doesn't even tell her father she is marrying Othello. [|This website] discusses how Desdemona's character stands out from most women during that time. 10. After talking with Iago, Othello now perceives his wife as unfaithful: a whore. There is no affair, but Bianca is actually Cassio's prostitute so she can attain necessities. This article discusses the women in Othello; they all are associated with [|sexuality] and honesty, but sometimes not positively. 11. The women hold the power in this play, but how have [|women held power] throughout time? 12. Does Desdemona show signs of cheating? You can [|compare] her actions here. 13. Today women are supposed to be treated as equals with men, but are they? [|This website] says there have been definite changes in the roles of women since Elizabethan England, they are still not treated as equals today.

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<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 196);">**ACT I**
<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 196);">Quotes:

1. Brabantio: "Fathers, from hence trust not your daughter's minds..." (page 7) Brabantio, feeling scorned by Desdemona, thinks that he has mistrusted his daughter. Though she has been a loving daughter, she left him for Othello, a man of a different race. This shows that women were considered "property," and Brabantio feels he has lost Desdemona to Othello.

2. Desdemona: "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 my duty, I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before your father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord." (I.iii.179–188)

3. Brabrantio about Desdemona: "She is abused, sto'ln from me, and corrupted by spells and medicines." I.iii.68

4. Iago: "She must change for youth. when she is sated with his body, she will find the error of her choice. 1.iii.372

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<span style="color: rgb(97, 24, 180);">**ACT II**
<span style="color: rgb(97, 24, 180);"> Quotes: 1. "...For tis most easy Th'inclining Desdemona to subdue in an honest suit. She's framed as friutful as the free elements; and then for her to win the Moor, were't to renoune his baptism... His soul is so enfetter'd to her love, that she may make, unmake, do what shelist, even as her appetite shall play the God with his week function." II.iii.306-315

2. Cassio about Desdemona: "Most fortunately. He hath achieved a maid That paragons description and wild fame, One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens, And in th' essential vesture of creation Does tire the ingener." II.i.64-68

3. Cassio: "Good ancient, you are welcome.—Welcome, mistress. (kisses EMILIA) Let it not gall your patience, good Iago,That I extend my manners. 'Tis my breeding That gives me this bold show of courtesy." II.i.105-108 Iago: "Sir, would she give you so much of her lips As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, You'll have enough." II.i.109-111 This quote shows how men from different upbringings show courtesy to women. Cassio, always a gentleman, kisses Iago's wife on the cheek because that is what is taught where he is brought up. Iago, a decieving liar, responds to Cassio courteous greeting to his wife, by saying that she talks to much and is quite annoying. For more information about courtesy towards women in the Shakespearian Era, refer to the criticism section!

4. After insulting his wife, Iago goes on to say, "Come on, come on. You are pictures out of door, bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds." II.i.117-120

5. IAGO: I am about it, but indeed my invention Comes from my pate as birdlime does from frieze, It plucks out brains and all. But my Muse labors And thus she is delivered If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit, The one's for use, the other useth it. DESDEMONA: Well praised! How if she be black and witty? IAGO: If she be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit. DESDEMONA: Worse and worse! EMILIA: How if fair and foolish? IAGO: She never yet was foolish that was fair, for even her folly helped her to an heir. DESDEMONA: These are old fond paradoxes to make fools laugh i' th' alehouse. What miserable praise hast thou for her That's foul and foolish? IAGO: There's none so foul and foolish thereunto, But does foul pranks which fair and wise ones do. II.i.131-146 Iago is telling these two women that women who are pretty can not be stupid because stupidity only makes them more attractive and will also be able to find a man to sleep with her. A women who is pretty and smart she will use this to get what she wants. All women use these same tricks to get what they want.

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<span style="color: rgb(32, 57, 213);">ACT III
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Quotes: 1. Othello truly loves Desdemona and has not yet allowed Iago's influence to come over him: a. OTHELLO: "Prithee, no more. Let him come when he will, I will deny thee nothing." III.i.75 b. OTHELLO: "Excellent Wretch! perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! and when I love thee not choas is come again." III.i.90-93

2. Iago: "...The cuckold lives in bliss who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger, but, oh, what a damned minutes tells her ov'r who dotes, yet doubts-suspects, yet soundly loves!" III.i.172-175 Iago says that a suspicious husband is very dangerous, since the husband has not yet confirmed what he believes to true, he is sick with jealousy. The husband needs to know the truth about his wife, his property, because not knowing will make him miserable.

3. Othello says when he blindly believes Iago's accusation of Desdemona's adultery, "She's gone, I am abused, and my relief Must be to loathe her. Oh, curse of marriage That we can call these delicate creatures ours And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad And live upon the vapor of a dungeon Than keep a corner in the thing I love For others' uses. Yet 'tis the plague to great ones, Prerogatived are they less than the base. 'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death. Even then this forkèd plague is fated to us When we do quicken. Look where she comes." III.i.273-282 Othello now believes Iago's accusations and believe that he never should have gotten married because we are destined to be hurt when we are born. He also claims that important men are cheated on more often than poor men, maybe because the people around them want to bring them down.

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<span style="color: rgb(27, 167, 17);">ACT VI
<span style="color: rgb(27, 167, 17);"> Quotes:

1. IAGO Good sir, be a man, Think every bearded fellow that's but yoked May draw with you. There's millions now alive That nightly lie in those unproper beds Which they dare swear peculiar. Your case is better. Oh, 'tis the spite of hell, the fiend's arch-mock, To lip a wanton in a secure couch, And to suppose her chaste. No, let me know, And knowing what I am, I know what she shall be. IV.i.63-70

2. OTHELLO Ay, let her rot and perish and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone. I strike it and it hurts my hand. Oh, the world hath not a sweeter creature, she might lie by an emperor's side and command him tasks. IV.i.172-176

3. OTHELLO I will chop her into messes! Cuckold me? IV.i.153

4. OTHELLO Ay, you did wish that I would make her turn. Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on, And turn again. And she can weep, sir, weep. And she's obedient, as you say, obedient, Very obedient.—Proceed you in your tears.— Concerning this, sir—Oh, well-painted passion!— I am commanded home.—Get you away, I'll send for you anon.—Sir, I obey the mandate And will return to Venice.—Hence, avaunt! IV.i.203-211

5. EMILIA I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Lay down my soul at stake. If you think other Remove your thought, it doth abuse your bosom. If any wretch have put this in your head Let heaven requite it with the serpent's curse For if she be not honest, chaste, and true There's no man happy. The purest of their wives Is foul as slander. IV.1.13-20

6. OTHELLO Had it pleased heaven To try me with affliction, had they rained All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head, Steeped me in poverty to the very lips, Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes, I should have found in some place of my soul A drop of patience. But, alas, to make me The fixèd figure for the time of scorn To point his slow and moving finger at! Yet could I bear that too, well, very well. But there where I have garnered up my heart, Where either I must live or bear no life, The fountain from the which my current runs Or else dries up—to be discarded thence! Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads To knot and gender in! Turn thy complexion there, Patience, thou young and rose-lipped cherubin,— Ay, there, look grim as hell! IV.ii.48-66

7. EMILIA Yes, a dozen, and as many to th' vantage as would store the world they played for. But I do think it is their husbands' faults If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties And pour our treasures into foreign laps, Or else break out in peevish jealousies, Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us, Or scant our former having in despite. Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace, Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them. They see and smell And have their palates both for sweet and sour, As husbands have. What is it that they do When they change us for others? Is it sport? I think it is. And doth affection breed it? I think it doth. Is 't frailty that thus errs? It is so too. And have not we affections, Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have? Then let them use us well, else let them know, The ills we do, their ills instruct us so. IV.ii.61-79

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<span style="color: rgb(220, 84, 9);">**ACT V**
<span style="color: rgb(220, 84, 9);"> Quotes:

Criticism
1. " I would suggest that he made the bravest warrior onstage a woman (Desdemona)... because none of the acknowledged literary sources for Othello describe the heroine as a warrior, despite the popularity of the Ovidian trope of love as war, Shakespeare catches us off guard when Desdemona is identified as a warrior twice in the play, once by Othello who greets her on the seemingly peaceful battlefront of Cyprus as his "fair warrior" (2.1.180) and once by herself when she calls herself in the subsequent act an "unhandsome warrior" (3.4.152) for uncharitably arraigning Othello.^ The Duke initially judged her husband "far more fair than black" (1.3.291), but by the end of the play Desdemona proves herself the play's "fair" warrior in both senses of outer beauty and inner virtue." Usually, we wouldn't think of Desdemona as the bravest character in the play. This criticism points out that not only is Desdemona actually called a warrior in the novel, but she is more than just a man's property. Without Desdemona, there would be no play; she contributes to the plot, and she puts up with a lot of false accusations. This criticism uses a new perspective to change how we view Desdemona. Holmer, Joan Ozark. "Desdemona, Woman Warrior: 'O, these men, these men!' ." __Medieval & Renaissance Drama in England__ 1 June 2005: 132-164. __Literary Reference Center__. EBSCO. Pascack Hills HS Lib., Montvale NJ. 12 Nov. 2008 <http://web.ebscohost.com/lrc/ detail?vid=3&hid=109&sid=1703 accc-d720-4250-8905-a3876d290bd9%40sessionmgr108&bda ta=JnNpdGU9bHJjLWxpdmU%3d>.

2. "Othello's exaggerated descriptions of Desdemona's fairness, beauty, and goodness, using imagery of jewels, roses, and "alabaster" skin, echo the courtly tradition. Similarly, his misguided sense that love might be perfected in death recalls courtly idealism, not only in the murder scene, but earlier, in the reunion at Cyprus when he says to Desdemona, "If it were now to die, / 'Twere now to be most happy" (2.1. 187 - 188 ). Cassio's polite courtesy towards Desdemona mirrors gentlemanly courtly behavior, whereas Roderigo's pursuit of her and his declared intention of drowning himself for love is a parody or mockery of the courtly convention because it appears so foolish and self-centered beside the passionate, mutual love of Othello and Desdemona." This piece of criticism delves into men's courting of women in Shakepeare's time. One main idea is that for love to be truly perfect there must be death ( the Othello quote) which seems unrealistic in today's society. Cassio treats every women with respect (even Bianca who is a whore). This is very much unlike Iago, who has no respect for anyone but himself. Cassio's gentlemanly demeanor allows him to respected but he is also easily conned because he believes the best in people. Iago is only respected because he is a deceiver and everyone believe him, although everything he says is a lie. Desdemona and Othello have equal respect and love for each other, which makes Roderigo, who tries so hard to win Desdemona, look like an idiot. Roderigo is also conned by Iago into doing things he would never do unless given the incentive.

3. "In Othello, some of the views articulated by Iago and Emilia reflect the opposing attitudes about men and women that were presented in the attacks and defenses of literary debates. Within the play, however, the two characters do not necessarily argue simply for argument's sake. When Desdemona and Iago engage in a witty exchange about the praise of women while waiting for news of Othello's arrival in Cyprus in 2.1, their word game appears to follow a conventional debating style. And yet many of Iago's remarks about women and his schemes against them throughout the play seem genuinely hateful and destructive, while Emilia's comments and questions about men's motives, their jealousy, and their abuse of women challenge the audience to see Othello's male and female characters in a thoroughly unconventional and deeply personal light. Shakespeare appeared willing and able to draw on the literary traditions of formal debate, as well as romantic poetry, in order to explore the complexity of love by including hostile and ideal positions while raising questions about both." This piece of criticism deals directly with the scene when Iago, Desdemona, and Emilia were waiting to hear from Othello. What ensued was a debate of sorts about women and how they are viewed by men (some of this quote this can be seen in the quote section of our site). Desdemona and Emilia humored Iago's destructive comments against woman by asking him further questions about what type of women had what effect on men. Their is a clear contrast of hostility and humility in between the characters which Shakespeare balances perfectly. This forces the readers to choose what each women character is represented by and see them in this light. Criticisms 2 and 3 are both from: Faith Nostbakken, Understanding Othello A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000) iii, Questia, 12 Nov. 2008 <http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24386433>.

4. "It is in Act 3, scene 4 that Desdemona's spirited determination to help Cassio takes a disastrous turn. Naively, she assumes that Othello's demand for the missing handkerchief (repeated three times) is a "trick" to distract her from her mission; consequently, she tries to face him down by reiterating Cassio's good qualities ("You'll never meet a more sufficient man" [92]). On one level, this is a tactless and insensitive move, but it also shows Desedmona's inexperience: she simply cannot grasp what is immediately obvious to Emilia -- that "this man" is "jealous" (99). Although Desdemona quickly learns to make allowances for Othello's harshness, rationalizing that he is preoccupied with state affairs and that "we must think men are not gods" (148), she remains convinced that he is "made of no such baseness /As jealous creatures are" (27-28). This naivete need not be interpreted as a perverse need to "remain oblivious" 30 to the change in Othello's feelings for her. As Madeleine Doran comments, Desdemona's "very tactlessness is the best guarantee of her innocence." 31 Her innocent harping on what most inflames Othello's suspicions is evident again in Act 4, scene 1, when Desdemona tells Lodovico (within Othello's hearing) how her "love" for Cassio." This piece of criticism dissects Desdemona's nativity in the play. While most critics and readers would say that Desdemona holds much of the power in the play, this piece puts her down. She is in no position of power, in fact, she is in the lowest state of power there is- ignorance. Emilia holds the power here; she is the knowledgeable one. Desdemona is portrayed here as a puppet idiot, while Emilia is informed and alert. Desdemona's nativity will get her into trouble, but hopefully the smart Emilia can help her out before then. Joan Lord Hall, Othello A Guide to the Play (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999) 70, Questia, 13 Nov. 2008 <http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=15311193>.

5. "The peculiar painfulness of Othello that many commentators have felt, springs from its dramatization of the ordinary, the normal, and its revelation of that normality as innately brutal and horrifying. Most Indian women students perceive Othello's behavior as "typical," that is, as normal, husbandly, manly behavior. This concurs with Othello's own insight when he describes murderous jealousy as innate in the husband-wife relationship which posits the wife as the exclusive possession of the husband and is thus at odds with the human condition wherein one can never know another person's inmost thoughts and desires: "O curse of marriage! / That we can call these delicate creatures ours / And not their appetites!" (III.iii.265-67).(3)" Ruth Vanita, ""Proper" Men and "Fallen" Women: The Unprotectedness of Wives in 'Othello.'," Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 34.2 (1994), Questia, 13 Nov. 2008 <http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000273343>. In today's society women are supposed to be strong independent people. Women as a whole have overcome so many obstacles in the past centuries. In Elizabethan England women were merely property. Othello's behavior is not considered typical in America today, but sadly the way things were back then are still occurring in other countries like India. In Othello, Desdemona is trapped in a situation which she cannot escape. She has husband that wants to harm her, and back then there was no where to turn for women in these situations. Desdemona has angered her father - the only other source that could take care of her. There were not many options for women back then besides being cared for by a father or being supported by a husband. The entire article discuses various ideas about men and women relationships in marriage, mans crazy jealousy issues with their wives, as well as the roles of the characters in the play.

<span style="color: rgb(168, 0, 255);">Questions:
Answers: Desdemona, Bianca, or Emilia

1. What woman had the most power?

2. What woman has the least power?

3. Who is the easiest to deceive?

4. Which woman is the smartest?

5. Which woman is the most stereotypical?

6. Who is the most evil woman in the play?

7. Out of Emilia and Desdemona, who is more likely to cheat on their husbands?

8. Which woman is most defined by her man?

9. Which woman's personality is the most believable for the time period?

Answers: Yes or No

1. Could Desdemona have stood up to the male leads in the play?

2. Do any of the women think for themselves?

Video

FAME's interpretation of Othello

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Gallery of Pictures: Desdemona's Death Song by Dante Gabriel Rosseti Desdemona and Othello is Venica by Théodore Chassériau Desdemona in Bed Asleep by Josiah Boydell Theater Actresses from Othello -- great facial expressions!!