Introduction
Shakespeare is one of the most well-known and prolific European authors in history. With a backlog of poems and plays, he gained a reputation as a renowned and highly regarded figure worldwide. His position as a storyteller and innovator of the theatre play genre has given him immense power to address contemporary issues and universal topics.
One of the most significant defining features of Shakespearean writing is a wide assortment of characters, each of which can be fueled by a complex mix of motivations, desires, and needs. This work will attempt a closer look at Shakespeare’s Othello. It is a tense and emotional tragedy of jealousy and mistrust. What is especially interesting in Othello is its portrayal of women. Principally, the character of Desdemona is worth further examination.
Throughout the entire piece, Desdemona’s role is defined by the men who surround her. She is the daughter of a Duke, Othello’s wife, and Cassio’s suspected lover. Despite her personal assertions and convictions, the woman is used by the people around her, doubted, abused, and even killed at the end of the play.
Desdemona cannot play an active role in the narrative or defend herself meaningfully. Her actions are primarily reactive, and she is unable to protect herself from the men around her. In this way, Shakespeare’s tragedy reinforces the passive role of women in society. While it can be seen as a critique of patriarchy in portraying the story as a tragedy, the repeated mistreatment of Desdemona and her attendant, Emilia, displays an inability to challenge existing gender boundaries meaningfully.
Desdemona’s Character Interpretation
As mentioned, most information the audience learns about Desdemona relates to the men in her life. Desdemona is a Venetian woman, renowned for her beauty, and the daughter of the Duke. She has suitors but is uninterested in them.
During the earlier part of the play, Desdemona is a target of Roderigo’s affections. After going against her father’s wishes, she is regarded as Othello’s wife first and foremost. When suspected of being an adulterer, she is likewise seen as Cassio’s lover. These descriptions demonstrate how the narrative ties Desdemona to other characters, as if she could not exist otherwise.
The position of Desdemona in the narrative makes it difficult to separate her from other characters or consider her personal qualities beyond their relation to the men around her. The only character who is considerably close to Desdemona is Emilia, her servant. The two are allowed to develop a confidant-like relationship, which feels less restrictive than the others of Desdemona’s relationships.
Desdemona cannot be seen as her own person, often being discussed instead of being spoken to. A potential counterargument can be made by considering her outspoken love for Othello and her explicit going against her father’s choices in marrying him. However, this quality is overshadowed by the expectation of humility and obedience that can be felt toward Desdemona.
Like many characters adhering to the traditional social perception of women, Desdemona’s only concern is her affection for Othello (“Passing on Being Passive”). Love is the defining quality of this character and the core quality that is supposed to set her apart from others. Other personal traits she exhibits, such as devotion, purity, and obedience, are also facets of her love; they shape and define her position near Othello.
Narrative-Building and Agency
When discussing Desdemona in Othello, considerable attention must be given to the question of agency. As a term, it refers to the capacity of an individual to make choices for themselves and resolve their potential (“Take Control of Your Life: The Concept of Agency and Its Four Helpers”). Narrative works more broadly refer to the ability of an individual character to drive the story forward, also known as “agency in fiction” (“Agency in Fiction”). This can be achieved through intentionally causing certain events or influencing other actions. Desdemona, then, fails to exercise both types of agency. She is shown as a passive person and a passive character.
Neither quality is entirely her fault; instead, it is a result of what the characters around her want and the overarching narrative of Othello. From a narrative standpoint, Desdemona is written to be an innocent heroine whose life is snuffed out by misunderstandings and deception (Chen). Furthermore, she is also a representation of a “good wife” in the fiction of the piece. She possesses commendable devotion and kindness while also being desired by the men around her. She is diligent, truthful, forgiving, and beautiful, making her the play’s representation of an ideal woman.
As a character, she is especially passive as well. However, the audience sees that this position is not entirely hers. In affirming her love and choosing to be with Othello against her father’s wishes, Desdemona shines through as a capable and determined individual, one who can go against the expectations of others to ensure her own happiness. In this action, Desdemona’s potential for becoming an active agent of her fate can be seen. In the same instant, however, it is snuffed out. Upon becoming Othello’s wife, she assumes a more passive role, where her love for the man becomes a central part of her existence.
She accepts her husband’s actions, constantly reacting to events instead of initiating them. Throughout the play, the audience sees Iago stringing along a narrative that paints her as unfaithful to her husband. Despite repeated accusations, Desdemona remains steadfast, never actively working to clear her reputation or get to the source of the rumors. In the events that ultimately led to her death, Desdemona remains an accidental participant, one falsely framed as an adulterer through no acts of her own. Even in death, she remains passive, accepting her fate and trying to protect Othello from responsibility.
This behavior is partly what others expect from her, which is considered a standard of acceptable behavior for women. Married Desdemona should be accepting and capable of going with the flow and acting as her husband wants her to. The lack of agency is synonymous with performing her spousal duties; it prevents her from significantly affecting the narrative or working to change her ultimate fate.
The ability to shape the narrative and perceptions of others is essential in Othello. As discussed by some scholars, Iago remains one of the most powerful characters in the story solely because of his cunning nature and ability to manipulate how others see the world (Shakespeare). His continued insistence on Desdemona’s unfaithfulness is what leads Othello to be violent toward her, and ultimately to kill her at the end of the play. However, it is essential to know that not solely Iago’s scheming becomes instrumental in writing Desdemona’s fate. The qualities of the ensign allow him to have more agency than others, influencing the path the characters around him choose.
The inability to influence others in a meaningful manner is what sets Desdemona apart from other characters. This is especially interesting to consider regarding her father’s words, Brabantio. Upon accepting his daughter’s decision to marry Othello, he warns the other man that she will betray him – “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She hath deceived her father and may thee” (Shakespeare 1.3).
This act first affects Othello’s mindset and makes him more susceptible to Iago’s lies. The reason why Desdemona’s father is steadfast in believing that his daughter will disobey Othello is simple – she has disobeyed him, her previous patriarchal figure. In this vein, the narrative actively punishes the ability of Desdemona to exercise agency, becoming the cause of her eventual death. The expectation of Desdemona to be obedient creates a contradictory vision of the woman. Othello wants her to be with him, but the act of being with him is a sign of her disobedience.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the character of Desdemona is considerably complex to examine. While her motivations are straightforward and her motives are pure, the role the narrative presents her in unfortunately leads to her demise. She represents an ideal woman – loving, caring, obedient, and kind (Pietzonka). She remains faithful to her husband, defending him even when he strangles her to death.
Desdemona’s almost inhuman devotion is seen as both her virtue and vice. Othello cannot retain his faith in her following the accusations of both Iago and her father. The determination with which Desdemona asserts her love becomes the fatal instrument to be wielded against her.
The narrative punishes the woman for fighting for what is essential to her, attempting to attain love, and standing her ground. At the same time, it deprives Desdemona of agency by fitting her tightly within the constraints of her male-surrounded life. She is a daughter, a wife, a target of affection, a whore – but never a person. Desdemona’s position in the narrative displays the issues that come with objectifying women and enforcing strict social roles on their behavior. Shakespeare’s work, while a tragedy, suffers from the same pitfalls as many classical works depicting women.
Works Cited
“Agency in Fiction.” Patricia Wrede. Web.
“Passing on Being Passive.” Denison University. Web.
“Take Control of Your Life: The Concept of Agency and Its Four Helpers.” Pattison Professional Counseling and Mediation Center. 2021. Web.
Chen, Tommy. “The Role and Status of Women is Explored in Shakespeare’s Othello.” Medium. 2021. Web.
Pietzonka, W. “Active agents or passive instruments? Female characters in William Shakespeare’s “Othello”.” GRIN – Buy academic papers and publish yours for free, 2011. Web.
Shakespeare, W. Othello. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.