Othellos Men And Women Essay, Research Paper

Othello is a unique tragedy in that it focuses on the destruction of love through sexual

jealousy. Jealousy is not inherited in a person, but developed from the fatal factors of their

character. Othello is plagued with his ego and pride which contributes to his demise. Othello is,

however, a truly romantic character because he is very passionate and full of deep feelings. It keeps

a person wondering what could have possibly brought the sweet Desdemona to be his wife. Was it

because he has lived a life of adventure and war and he is somewhat exotic due to his origins and

dark complexion? On the other hand, is it because she fell head over heels in love with him because

he represented all that was noble and strong. She tells her father, Brabantio, that she fell in love

with his character and the wonderful stories that he has told her about his life. Whatever the case

may be, Desdemona represents the innocence, truth and goodness of the play. She truly represents

the goodness and light associated with “true love.” Her father troubled by her love for Othello

insists that she abandon her love for the Moor and obey his wishes. She tells Brabantio how she

loves him according to her bond. “My father I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound

for the 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

showed To you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess Due to

the Moor my lord!” This young beautiful and bold women asks the Duke if she can go with Othello

to Cyprus so that we will not just be a “moth of peace” while her noble husband is fighting for their

country. The Duke, like all of the characters in the play, respects Desdemona and her wishes and

allows her to leave with Othello.

Desdemona is given a handkerchief with strawberries on it on her wedding day from

Othello. This wedding gift ultimately destroys her. It is wrapped up in Moorish mysticism and

deep meaning for her husband. She adores it and keeps it with her at all times. The issue of the

handkerchief and its ownership easily becomes one of the most crucial plot points of the play.

Although the actual occurrences are only mentioned in the play, an Egyptian first gave the

handkerchief to Othello’s mother, and she then gave it to her son upon her deathbed to give to his

future wife. “She told her, while she kept it would make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely

to her love, but if she lost it Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathed, and his

spirits should hunt After new fancies”. Little does Desdemona realize the true meaning of the

handkerchief. As long as his mother had the handkerchief, his father would remain happy. The

parallel to her life becomes self-evident unfortunately for her too little too late. When the

handkerchief disappears so does Othello’s trust in her. When Othello and Desdemona marry, he

gives it to her. In this instance, the handkerchief symbolizes the love a wife holds for her husband

and how to lose it or give it away would symbolize to him loss of love it somehow is transformed

into the marital bond. Here we can seriously characterize Desdemona as the tragic character. How

could her husband be so simple minded as to put so much faith in a piece of cloth? How could he

distrust her so easily and trust Iago so completely. Sure camaraderie between fellow soldiers is to

be expected, but over your mate?

Othello makes a crucial mistake. When Desdemona loses the handkerchief Emilia finds it

and steals it away. The implication is that the doomed Desdemona has also lost her husband’s love.

Emilia then gives the handkerchief to her husband Iago, who has expressed a great interest in the

unusual item. To Iago, the handkerchief is the realization of all his furtive plotting–the final piece

of “evidence” needed to convince Othello of Desdemona’s infidelity and Cassio’s disloyalty.

Desdemona feeds the fire of his jealousy unknowingly. By trying to mend things between Cassio

and her husband she dumps kerosene on his burning mistrust of her. She had no idea that he was

prying her about the whereabouts of the handkerchief in an attempt to be proven wrong in his

suspicions of an affair between his wife and Cassio only to find her defending him again. “Why, so

I can, sir, but I will not now. This is a trick to put me from my suit. Pray you, let Cassio be

received again.” She is adding nails to her coffin in an attempt to be a good wife and mend the

problems between her beloved husband and his friend. Iago continues to pray on her kindness and

innocence. She is so blind to her fate that it is difficult to advance anything but pleasant feelings

for her character. She is respected and loved by all of the characters in the play. Iago even

admires her and defends her to her husband although spitefully. Emilia continues throughout the

play to tell Othello that she is true to him and would never stray as Othello becomes increasingly

bitter in his dealings with her and she seems to love him more and more despite his shortcomings.

She makes excuses for his poor temper. Desdemona is a loyal spouse admiring and faithful who

will do absolutely anything for her husband. Even when he is falsely accusing her of adultery and

sin, Desdemona defends Othello. She tells Emilia that “some unhatched practice in Cyprus” has

“puddled” his clear spirit. Desdemona does not blame him; she tries to understand what has upset

him. She is an unselfish and loving victim who defends her husband to the very end of her life. The

tragedy unfolds and her life is cut short. The end is upon her when Othello observes Cassio with

the handkerchief, and all of the suspicions of the noble Moor are confirmed. This is a major turning

point, the cursed handkerchief has little to do with love; he sees it as the tangible manifestation of

her tainted honor. No matter what anybody tells him Othello is threatened by her sexuality in such

a way that he refuses to believe anybody. It is as if the handkerchief awakens a fatal attraction. If

he cannot have her to himself then she must die. He also refuses to listen to reason. Iago just

continues to poison his mind and he readily accepts this. Desdemona serves the function of a

weapon for Iago. It is through Desdemona that Iago will get to the Moor and gain status for

himself. He begins building this status by tormenting Brabantio with the news of Desdemona’s

disappearance. He then continues by using her love for her husband against him. Her friendship

for Cassio as a primary dagger in her downfall. It is her sensitivity to her husband and his feeling

of loss over the problems between himself and Cassio that bring her to defend him. She ultimately

believes that by bringing them back together her husband will be more at peace. However, Iago is

sure to be the devil’s advocate if occasion shall arise. Desdemona just happens to be there to give

him the leverage he needs. She plays right into his hands by defending Cassio. Again she works as

a tool to Othello’s demise by losing the handkerchief. Emilia here also loads the gun of deception

by handing her mistress’s handkerchief to her husband. Desdemona is apparently unaware that she

is destroying her husband by being herself. Her actions coupled with Iago’s twisted desire for

power bring Othello to his knees. He adopts a feeling that he must save her from herself and

destroy her. By destroying her, he can restore her purity. However, even when Othello kills her in

a jealous rage, Desdemona does not want her husband to be responsible for her death. She claims

that “nobody, I myself” committed this tragic deed. Her character holds her purity and her love for

Othello until the very end of the play. Desdemona is the purity, the light and the truth throughout

the play. Her tragedy is completely unwarranted and completely brought about by the evil that lies

within the demon mind of Iago. Iago plays Desdemona ,our tragic character, lie an instrument of

destruction and it brings about her untimely demise and his as well. In the end we see that Othello

is redeemed through his love for her when he realizes his grave error and his belief in his wife is

restored.

Reputation plays a very important role. Iago uses his reputation as an honest man to

deceive Othello and other characters in the play. To Cassio reputation meant everything. Othello’s

reputation played an important role in the play. Iago’s reputation played a very key role in the play.

Everyone thought of Iago as an honest man. ” O, that’s an honest fellow ” , “You advise me well

… good night honest Iago “, “…that’s an honest fellow “, ” I know thou’rt full of love and

honesty .” Iago has everyone fooled into believing that he is a noble honest man. Without this

reputation of being honest he could never get Othello to believe that Desdemona was cheating on

him. Othello would have probably killed him if he didn’t have the reputation of being an honest

man. Iago knew that an important man like Othello couldn’t ignore the possibility that his wife was

cheating on him. Nobody suspects that Iago is a deceitful man and would plot and plan to destroy

Othello, Cassio and Desdemona in such a cunning way. Iago used his reputation, and the

insecurities of Othello being a Moor, to allow him to manipulate Othello. Othello had a reputation

of being a military man, and a courageous leader. “Valiant Othello, We must straight employ

you…” “Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.” Othello has been a soldier since he was

seven years of age, and has experience on the battle field. Othello was chosen when they went to

fight the Turkish fleet. Because of his reputation, it wasn’t hard for other people to accept the

relationship between him and Desdemona. As Iago started putting ideas in Othello’s head about

Cassio and Desdemona being together, another side of Othello’s personality started to surface.

Because Iago had the reputation of being an honest man, Othello couldn’t ignore his insinuations

about Desdemona. Othello wondered if Desdemona really loved him, or if she was just using him to

rebel against her father. With Iago constantly putting these ideas in his head, Othello was

convinced to kill his wife. Cassio was known to be a good soldier, and is proud of that reputation.

After Iago gets him drunk, and he gets in a fight, he ruins his reputation with Othello. Othello

demotes him because Othello will not tolerate that kind of behavior in his Lieutenant. Desdemona

pleads his case to Othello, because she knows him to be a good man. Iago uses the fact that

Desdemona is interceding on Cassio’s behalf, to further convince Othello that Desdemona is

cheating on him, with Cassio. He hopes this will remove Cassio and open up the way for him to

become Lieutenant.. Othello could always wonder if Desdemona really loved him, or if she was

just using him to rebel against her father. With Iago constantly putting these ideas in his head,

Othello was convinced to kill his wife. Often, reputations and a person’s true character are very

different. People rely on their previous experiences or knowledge of others to make judgments

about them. Iago used this to his advantage to manipulate everyone.

Bibliography

1. Funk and wagnalls new encyclopedia