Women have always played central roles in literature as they impacted the development of the plot, motivated main characters, and affected their actions. However, because of the patriarchal system of values and the adherence to the stereotypic perspective on females’ duties and rights, their position in stories was mainly passive. The authors reflected the existing reality and created works that were understandable for the society of a particular epoch.
At the same time, there are some examples of stories that center around strong female characters whose decisions and actions were unusual and affected the lives of all other people mentioned in works. Shakespearian Desdemona can be considered one of such women as she plays a strong role in Othello by struggling for her right to select a husband and choose destiny. In this regard, her death at the end of the play can also be considered the result of her desire to be the owner of her life and act regardless of society’s expectations.
The power of Desdemona’s character can be seen by readers due to the plot of the play. Othello is known as a famous commander who won multiple battles and acquired a certain social status. Being a Moor, the representative of the vulnerable social class in Europe of that period of time, he can still enjoy a beneficial position in the society because of his military successes. His fame and act of heroism attract Desdemona, a young daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian senator and a wealthy man who has marriage plans regarding his child. However, Desdemona resists her family and decides to marry Othello regardless of all existing stereotypes and her father’s will. It becomes the turning point in the lives of all characters as being betrayed by Iago, the main character’s ensign, Othello kills Desdemona because of fictional adultery.
The importance of Desdemona for the whole play cannot be overestimated. The tragic element of the work is disclosed mainly due to the growing opposition between the woman and her husband, who does not believe her and prefers to follow Iago’s advice. However, analyzing the play, readers can realize the fact that neither Othello or Iago is the main hero who preconditions the end of the story and make the greatest contribution to the development of the plot. On the contrary, their actions result from Desdemona’s rebellion against society and her decision to resist her father’s will and marry the famous moor. In such a way, the strength of her character is proven by the fact that she tailors the whole story on herself, and she also predetermines the tragedy that will end with Desdemona’s death.
The play offers many other proofs of the main female character’s power and her ability to live her own life. Shakespeare describes Desdemona as a strong woman who can resist oppression and protect her values and ideas. She outlines her decision to marry Othello by saying: “So much I challenge, that I may profess, Due to the Moor my lord” (Shakespeare 1.3). She also addresses her father: “I am hitherto your daughter; but here’s my husband” (Shakespeare 1.3).
These lines reveal the traditions of that period and underline Desdemona’s power. Daughters have to be obedient and follow their father’s plans regarding their future. As a wealthy and influential man, Brabantio wants her daughter to marry another person as it will help to improve the state of the family and guarantee a comfortable life to Desdemona. However, being an obedient daughter at the beginning of the tragedy, she starts to create her own space resisting the will of her father protecting her own desires. It is a challenge to the whole society that considers women subordinate and inferior to men; however, Desdemona is strong enough to ignore this biased attitude and live her own life.
The choice made by the heroine shows that Desdemona is one of the characters who are strong enough to speak for herself and struggle with the oppression of patriarchy. The boundaries set by the society of that era and traditions influenced the life of any woman. In fact, they were treated as a sort of commodity belonging to fathers and husbands after marriage (Bovey). Their lives were predetermined from their childhood, as the role of a mother and wife was the only available for females (Bovey).
However, Desdemona’s strength is evidenced by the fact that she is not ready to follow this pattern and challenges the accepted tradition. Outlining her attitude to marriage and choice of a partner, she says to her father and senators: “let me go with him,” meaning Othello (Shakespeare 1.3). She does not ask for permission or wants men to be lenient for her desire; on the contrary, she is sure that it is her inborn right to select a partner and build her destiny.
Another vital factor demonstrating Desdemona’s strength and her readiness to oppose society to protect her own values is Othello’s origin. He is the Moor or the representative of a group that was different from other inhabitants of Western Europe of that period of time (Bovey). They were Muslims and had cultural peculiarities that were not common for the rest of the people. For the conservative and discriminative people of that era, these factors served as a significant reason for a specific and biased attitude (Bovey). Speaking about Othello, he enjoys a beneficial position only due to his military successes and the fame of an outstanding commander.
However, he remains a black-skinned foreigner in Venice, the country that is inhabited by white people who have racist moods and attitudes. One of the factors proving the suspicious and negative attitude to this population group is Brabantio’s belief that only some sort of magic or trickery helps Othello to attract Desdemona (Shakespeare 1.3). Society is prejudiced and manifests racism.
Nevertheless, Desdemona ignores this fact, and she is free of stereotypes. She does not notice the color of skin or some other features that make the moors inferior in the eyes of people living in Venice. This factor proves the strength of her character and her powerful position in the play. She is inspired by stories of his military successes, fame, and his nature, and these features affect her decision to resist society and all manifestations of racism peculiar to that period (Shakespeare 1.1). She is not afraid to challenge not only the patriarchal system of value but also the idea of the white race’s superiority. Desdemona wings the fight for her own freedom and creates her own life free of the influence of other people.
Nevertheless, all Desdemona’s actions and decisions do not help her to become less vulnerable in the world dominated by males. She is a strong and active character as she impacts the whole plot and preconditions the actions and desires of other heroes of the tragedy. At the same time, she lives in a society that adheres to stereotypic ideas and biased attitudes toward women. The majority of male characters in the tragedy are sure that all women are promiscuous and are not worth trusting (Shakespeare 3.1).
Due to this belief, Othello is easily convinced by Iago that Desdemona cheats and has a lover. He does not want to ask her directly and trust her as it is not peculiar to his mentality. Instead, he prefers to discuss some family issues with other men and act violently. From this perspective, the death of Desdemona and her passivity towards Othello’s abuse can be taken as a result of her inability to accept the values of discriminative society. Correctly realizing the fact that a woman cannot persuade her husband that she is fair, devoted, and trustworthy, she prefers to die, being not able to live in the world that depresses females in multiple ways.
Altogether, the tragedy Othello by Shakespeare centers around a strong woman who is not afraid to resist society and protect her rights. Her role in the play cannot be overestimated as only her decisions precondition the appearance of the tragic element and build the plot. Desdemona destroys the stereotypical frames and selects a husband resting on her feelings and desires. She is free of biased or racial values and wants to marry Othello. Unfortunately, the attitude to women peculiar to that era and her decisions make her vulnerable and precondition her death.
Works Cited
Bovey, Alixe. “Women in Medieval Society.” British Library, 2015. Web.
Shakespeare, William. “Othello, the Moor of Venice.” Shakespeare. Web.