Women1

Women in __Othello__ This image is an ancient Hellenistic Greek sculpture of the Gaul killing himself and his wife sculpted by Ludovisi. It is very relative to the act of Murder-Suicide that Othello committed towards Desdemona. The Gaul could be interpreted as a guilty man who's wrongful murder left him regretful and helpless.

Female Character Analysis

Desdemona: [|"Shakespeare's Desdemona"] Literary criticism on Desdemona in Othello

Emilia:

Bianca: [|Blog about Bianca]

A forum/blog of the role of women in the play: http://www.online-literature.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=24784

Role of Women in __Othello __ This [|essay]clearly explains the role of Desdemona as a woman in Othel lo. [|Article] discussing the role of Desdemona in Othello. [|The Prominent Role of Women in Shakespeare's Othello] [|The Role of Women in Othello: The Feminist Reading] rss url="feed://www.helium.com/knowledge/65170-shakespeares-portrayal-of-women.xml" link="true" number="10"

Role of Women in Time Period

The role of women during the 16th century was to be submissive to their husband. These women were very traditional and dependent on their significant other. [|Elizabethan Women] __ Video __

Trailer from 2001 film, O. Based off of Shakespeare's play, the trailer shows Desdemona and how the characters used love and deception to ruin her and Othello's relationship. media type="youtube" key="Dl6gw5nS29k" height="349" width="425"

media type="youtube" key="vzAYUS2QTlY" height="349" width="425" "Othello's Chokehold"

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__** DISCUSSION **__ **<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">God be with you. I have done. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Please it your grace, on to the state affairs. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">I had rather to adopt a child than get it. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Come hither, Moor. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">I here do give thee that with all my heart <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Which, but thou hast already, with all my heart <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">I would keep from thee. For your sake, jewel, <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">I am glad at soul I have no other child. <span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">For thy escape would teach me tyranny, **<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">**<span style="font-size: 9pt; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: 'Georgia','serif';"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To hang clogs on them.—I have done, my lord. Act I Scene III, line 195**

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">This quote clearly explains how Brabantio is utterly disgusted at the way Othello and Desdemona have handled their relationship. He clearly does not approve of this situation and does not mind saying how he feels. Brabantio speaks to his daughter in a crude and vulgar manner, basically stating that he is happy that he has no other children who are able to betray him in the way she just did. Even if he did have any other children, he would lock them away to assure that they would not make a similar mistake. Although he reluctantly accepts to the marriage, he is no way happy about the situation__.__ <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">

**<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">" <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Throughout the length of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello there is a steady undercurrent of sexism. It is originating from not one, but rather various male characters in the play, who manifest prejudicial, discriminatory attitudes toward women." ** __<span style="font-size: 120%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;"><span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Othello __ is the epitome of sexism. Every male character in the drama underestimates the intelligence of women in the play. Iago, Othello, Barbantio, and Cassio assume they can just manipulate their women and push them aside for when they want to spend time with the women. The most obvious example is Iago. He has a wife; He constantly denies her the attention she deserves and only uses her to his benefit in his sick game he is playing. Then take Cassio, our innocent male character we are supposed to sympathize for, who treats the Bianca with no respect. It is evident that Shakespeare is portraying the fact that sexism was prevalent in the Venetian times.

[|"A Feminist Perspective of Othello"]




 * Although Desdemona has the audacity to elope with a Moor and follow him to Cyprus, that she is "so good a wife" (V. ii.234) makes us lose faith in her daring.(12) She becomes "the perfect wife," who "remains perfectly submissive to the end" and whose "very self consists in not being a self, not being even a body, but a bodiless obedient silence."(13) 1**

This quote explains the let down that many of the readers got as they progressed in the play. Desdemona seemed rebellious and different when the play began but, as the play progressed, she became a timid, submissive house wife. Her overwhelming obedience to her husband would make many modern women's rights activists sick.

1 Emily C. Bartels, "Strategies of Submission: Desdemona, the Duchess, and the Assertion of Desire," Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900 36.2 (1996), Questia, 13 Nov. 2008 <http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5000404878>.

=<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;"> = = <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**"The effect of opening the play with Iago and Roderigo and their talk about money and marriage is, among other things, to define Desdemona as a prize to be contested for and won."**

The men in the play view women as possessions and, like the quote above explains, tend to underestimate the intelligence and importance of the women. Desdemona is pleasant to look at and from a rich family, therefore her worth is very high. Roderigo and Iago both feel as if Othello has won the contest. They wish to take away his victory and take him out of power. Because, with a beautiful woman from a rich family a man gains his power.

James L. Calderwood, The Properties of Othello (Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 1989) 21, Questia, 13 Nov. 2008 <http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=99311810>.


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"Venetian women, in general, were understood to be deceptive. Husbands, on the other hand, were known for their jealousy, violence, and treachery. Both generalizations became accepted stereotypes which Iago articulates in Othello when he refers to Desdemona as a "super-subtle Venetian" and suspects practically every man and woman on stage of being unfaithful, adulterous, or promiscuous."**

Because of the zeitgeist for the play __Othello__, we now realize these accusations of the women being adulterous were more believable. Othello believed Iago's claims, though there was no proof or evidence to back them up. As I read the play, I thought that the characters would never fall for a plan with no hard proof. It is understandable now, since the women of Venice had a history of being "deceptive." As this quote shows us, Venetian women were known to cheat therefore providing more verification to the generalizations.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">Nostbakken, Faith. __Understanding Othello A Student Casebook to Issues, Sources, and Historical Documents__. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. __Questia__. 13 Nov. 2008 <http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=24386484>. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">_


 * "The advantages to the jealous man are several: the more trivial the occasion of his violence, the better, for the more fearful she becomes. And the more fearful she is, the less she can think for herself, the more he is the total focus of her being. The worse he behaves, and the more she declares her love for him, the more wonderful he considers himself."**

When reading this article, I immediately noticed numerous similarities between the jealousy of Othello and jealousy of the modern day man. Throughout the play, Desdemona continues to grow more fearful of Othello. She begins to think of only him and the ways to please him. In addition, the worse Othello acts - like in act IV when he hits her in front of Lodovico- she ultimately continues to declare her love for him. Othello does not recognize her undying love for him, and continues to remain jealous throughout the play. Psycologists have characterized this "syndrome" to the modern man as the "Othello-syndrome." For men who are so morbidly jealous of their wives and will do anything for them to get their attention. This is growing problem in the world as domestic violence continues to increase dramatically. || media type="youtube" key="zV6qUB08HvU" height="344" width="425" As opposed to taking a more rational route and committing an act of violence on Rachel, Ross chose to prove his love not only to Rachel, but to her other employees as well. Chandler and Joey play the same role as Iago, encouraging Ross to take more control over his relationship and girlfriend. However, their motives were not to destroy Ross. Instead, they wanted to help him secure his relationship. What are the effects of Ross's actions on Rachel versus Othello's actions on Desdemona? Are Ross's actions as unjustified as Othello's?
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">**Why Women Are Tortured by Jealous Men**-Magazine article by Theodore Dalrymple; New Statesman, Vol. 127, September 18, 1998
 * <span style="font-size: 160%; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">__ Women and Modern Day Othello Syndrome __ **

Has the Othello syndrome made it more acceptable for men or women to become enraged with jealousy? Has the Othello syndrome forced women to regress to their original role of caring for the husband? Are women more likely to stay loyal to their husbands now, or just become more sneaky with their affairs?

"Then she said that since she came back in April she had [slept with] this other man about ten times. I told her how can you talk about love and marriage and you been [sleeping with] this other man. I was really mad. I went to the kitchen and got the knife. I went back to our room and asked: Were you serious when you told me that? She said yes. We fought on the bed, I was stabbing her. Her grand-father came up and tried to take the knife out of my hand. I told him to go and call the cops for me. I don't know why I killed the woman, I loved her." http://www.enotalone.com/article/5587.html
 * A statement from a 31 year old man who had recently reunited with his 20 year old wife after a 6-month separation. He stabbed her to death.**

What are other modern day examples of domestic abuse formed from jealousy? Any examples in the media? OJ Simspon & Othello Syndrome "The //Los Angeles// narrative described a psychological illness named after Shakespeare's famous black protagonist who murders his white wife out of jealousy; it discussed alleged defense plans to use the illness as an insanity defense. Aside from assuming that Simpson was guilty, Schatzman argued, the narrative also invoked a damaging stereotype about black men: their sexual obsession with white womanhood (e.g., the Black “Other” project)." Hunt, Darnell M. __O.J. Simpson Facts and Fictions: News Rituals in the Construction of Reality__. Cambridge, England : Cambridge University Press, 1999. __Questia__. 29 Nov. 2008 http://www.questiaschool.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=108193465.
 * Simpson's lawyers argued that the Othello Syndrome slammed a stereotype against all black men.**

__**Treatments for Othello Syndrome**__

- Family therapy can be affective for managing psychotic symptoms - If symptoms progress immensely (great case of delusion, or if another psychosis develops such as: schizophrenia or bipolar disorder hospitalization or anti-psychotic medication may be necessary

What would you suggest to Othello in order to prevent him from abusing Desdemona, which ultimately leads to her death?

Why Women are Tortured by Jealous <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif;">By, Brittany, Jamie, Meredith, and Nicki!