Desdemona had never even considered this possibility within any marriage. Even considering the racial nature of the marriage, his lack of a constant home, and the improper method of his courting, there is another reason why their marriage would never have worked. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! *You can also browse our support articles here >. She elopes with Othello, a ‘Moor’ who her father despises and states that Desdemona ran from, ‘her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou, to fear, not to delight.’ The fact that Desdemona has defied her father has enraged him; therefore it seems that he would have to warn Othello that she might deceive him, which again, serves to provide a recipe for disaster in the form of the tragedy to come. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Othello is a general in the army and a 'Moor'.He begins the play as a respected figure in Venice, but as the play goes on Iago makes him believe Desdemona is in love with someone else and he becomes more and more unpredictable. This shows Emilia’s love and loyalty towards Iago even though handkerchief was very important to Desdemona it was Othello’s first gift to her she stole it anyways betraying Desdemona this will end up to be a giant mistake in the end. They did not start well; their marriage was controversial because of their race and Othello’s failure to follow proper etiquette while he was courting her. Venice was traditionally a patriarchal society clearly dominated by men and therefore saw Desdemona’s decision to marry a black man as an act of rebellion, not only against her father but the norms of society. Updated March 29, 2020 At the heart of Shakespeare's "Othello" is the doomed romance between Othello and Desdemona. Othello Questions and Answers The Question and Answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. Desdemona’s relative youth plays into Iago’s plans, as he tells Roderigo that Desdemona “must change for youth” (I.iii.348-9), ultimate casting Othello aside for someone who has more “sympathy in years…which the Moor is defective in” (II.i.227-8, 229). All work is written to order. His sense of reason was absolutely removed when he had to consider the allegations made against his wife. The beginning of the play also sees Othello’s immense love for his wife Desdemona. Othello, a man of African descent, married Desdemona, a white Venetian woman, in a time period that is very strongly manipulated by racism. He breaks away from the normal structure of the tragedy by including melodramatic elements which serves as catalysts to cause the controversy to the central morals of the play. Unlike her husband, Brabantio`s daughter has a very calm temper. At the beginning of the play, one is introduced to the proud and gallant Othello, being a soldier whom the Venetian Officials require in the war. Othello: Questions. There were several reasons to why this relationship between a Venetian Woman and a Black Man wouldn't work and the audience could see this from the beginning. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! One of the most outstanding Shakespeare’s quotations runs as follows: Love is a familiar. This again reinforces the male dominating hierarchy over the inferiority of women and clearly shows that wives are indeed possessions of their husbands. Intriguingly, the deliberate words of Brabantio ‘Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: she has deceived her father, and may thee’ re-enforces the prelude to the tragedy. Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. Othello suggests that, as long as men view women as being promiscuous and disloyal, the institution of marriage is doomed. The theme of illusion and reality is quite obvious in Othello. Othello and Desdemona's relationship was unstable to begin with, but "doomed" is probably stretching it. One such favourable backing is found in the Duke of Venice, who ‘snubbed’ Brabantio, in favour of Othello taking his wife Desdemona with him to Cyprus. From the beginning, Othello and Desdemona’s love is doomed due to the strong influence of external factors. 179–180]) and her terse fury after Othello strikes her (“I have not deserved this” [IV.i. He has a role of massive importance, in the army, being a General, however, he is clearly masked by some major flaws, evident in the jealousy, distrust and insecurity that he feels towards his wife, Desdemona. This is uncharacteristic and would be seriously frowned upon by the Venetian Society. His all encompassing jealousy and resentment against his love for his wife turns him into an envious man, full of hate and this takes possession of his soul and motivates his actions into being one of the most villainous characters in Shakespeare’s literary history. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Had evil Iago not been out for Othello, I think Othello and Desdemona might have been okay. Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. Othello did, after all, love his Desdemona. Due to her naivety in this belief, this unfortunately seals her death warrant. When poor unsuspecting Desdemona finds out that Othello is upset over her ‘alleged’ affair with Cassio, the naïve and trusting Desdemona naturally believes that Cassio will clear her name and all will be forgiven. Desdemona and Othello’s marriage is contentious; it is through Othello’s hamartia of idealised love for Desdemona and his credulity that leads to his downfall. Othello believed the ‘man’, Iago, who fed him with lies and false proof above his wife, Desdemona, who had given up almost everything to be with him. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was kind of doomed from the start. By marrying Othello, Desdemona was showing that she was strong enough and educated enough to break the societal confines of passivity for women. It took Iago to plant the seeds of doubt in the Moor's head and then slowly cultivate the lie with shreds of "proof". Through analysing this play, one can come to understand the dangers of racial injustice in relationships, especially in the relationship of Othello and Desdemona and the setting of the play, thus the conventions of the time. dr.two. Attitudes towards Othello and Desdemona’s marriage at the start of the play. He sees her as a wanton whore who deserves the harshest of punishments, which is death. Had Othello been more accepting of Desdemona’s love and loyalty to him and had he not been too influenced by the falseness and malice of Iago, then he might have retained his position of eminence and salvaged everything. This might be more acceptable in a 21st century audience, in comparison to a 16th century audience, who will, most certainly, frown upon such a display of affection between a white aristocratic female and a black male, who is only the General in the Army. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. In the end Othello and Desdemona’s love was doomed from the start. Othello and Desdemona's relationship is doomed from the beginning of the play due to many reasons. However these issues could have been overcome with time. She should obey her father but she defied him. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Desdemona’s love and commitment is evident in her declaration, ‘my hearts subdued even to the very quality of my lord’, made in front of the Senate, proudly defying people by expressing her feelings for Othello, regardless of his race and background. From the very outset one is immediately made aware of Shakespeare’s intent for this play. Similarly, her naivety is seen when she speaks to Emilia and Emilia convinces her that there are indeed women who are deceitful to their husbands. 1st Jan 1970 This shows that Desdemona does not feel any remorse or concern knowing that she probably will be frowned upon and degraded by the Venetian society due to her relationship with Othello. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is doomed from the very beginning because of the setting of Venice. Get Help With Your Essay . English Literature In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. They are in love, but Othello can't get past his self-doubt as to why such a lovely woman would love him. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. She was too oblivious to see the reality that her husband was the one sabotaging Othello. Iago, a good friend of Othello, plants a seed of suspicion in Othello making him believe his wife is committing adultery. Reference this. Her father tells us that she is his 'jewel' (I.3.196), 'a maiden never bold, / of spirit' (I.3.95–6), modest and opposed to marriage, afraid to look on Othello. Emilia trusted Iago because she loved him so much even though he was using her and lying to her. This might spark outrage in some, while it might definitely present a more favourable attitude and feeling in others. They did not start well; their marriage was controversial because of their race and Othello’s failure to follow proper etiquette while he was courting her Desdemona is one of the characters in Shakespeare’s Othello. Iago and Emilia’s marriage consists of Emilia being blinded by her love, ultimately leading to her murder. He is pulled in two directions and he thinks his wife is honest but fears she is not and therefore he wants to ‘chop her into messes!’ This helps with Shakespeare’s inclusion of domestic violence in the play, by allowing Othello to slap Desdemona in the presence of Lodovico. A further clarification that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship were doomed to fail is in the fact that Othello states, ‘she loved me for the dangers I had passed…’ Clearly this shows that their love was not built on deep knowledge of each other but rather from fatal attractions, as Othello believes in this statement. Activities focused on Act 1 Scene 1 when Roderigo and Iago wake up Brabantio with news of Desdemona's union with Othello. The audience will see Desdemona, till the end, as a loyal wife, who maintains her allegiance and love to Othello through thick and thin. The marriage of Othello and Desdemona was a union of different races and colors that the sense of the world has never approved. Shakespeare took the idea for Othello from a tale of doomed mixed-race marriage in Cinthio’s De Gli Hecatommithi, 1565. In light of the above statement, Othello, is most certainly one of Shakespeare’s more famous tragedies. Once the marriage between Desdemona and Othello was complete, the man who was once respected by everyone faces racism from those whom he thought was close to him. Othello insists that Desdemona should not be left behind when he sails for Cyprus, and she agrees with him, revealing that they want to start their … The Duke also considered loyal Desdemona, who clearly displayed her unconditional love for Othello by asking whether she can accompany him to Cyprus. In Act I Scene 1 Brabantio disapproves of Desdemona … Arguments that see Desdemona as stereotypically weak and submissive ignore the conviction and authority of her first speech (“My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty” [I.iii. When Othello doubts Desdemona’s fidelity, he compares her reputation to the colour of his skin as ‘begrimed and black…as mine own face.’. Study for free with our range of university lectures! Othello, no doubt, is very important to Venice. what are the flaws in their relationship?, was their marriage build on a solid foundation. View images from this item (3) Usage terms Public Domain The tragic sequence of events is triggered by the elopement of Othello and Desdemona. Venice was traditionally a patriarchal society clearly dominated by men and therefore saw Desdemona’s decision to marry a black man as an act of rebellion, not only against her father but the norms of society. You can view samples of our professional work here. In addition, Desdemona’s vivacity and assertiveness are confirmed by her marriage to Othello and these, again, serve to be positive traits, which, unfortunately, become her grave liability. The first step to this doomed relationship was Brabantio; Desdemona's father. However these issues could have been overcome with time. This might be interpreted in the fact that Othello was more necessary and important to Venice than Brabantio. In a way, Brabantio has given Othello ammunition to ‘kill’ his daughter. VAT Registration No: 842417633. Jealousy was powerful enough to break apart a strong marriage, like Desdemona and Othello’s. This leaves his mind susceptible to the tragic poisoning by the scheming Iago, even though Desdemona has done nothing wrong. Attitudes towards Othello and Desdemona’s marriage at the start of the play; Published: 10/07/2019 KS5 | Plays 3 pages. The alternate view is also true in that the relationship has many merits, but unfortunately, far too many flaws and obstacles in the path of the relationship from flourishing and growing, rather it died a rather rotten and horrid death. Including ‘race’ as one of the elements of judgement is genius, as this definitely goes against the conventions of the time. 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