[1], In the nineteenth century, behind-the-scenes events in the lives of the play's performers garnered for Othello a shocking and sensational reputation. Desdemona in Othello In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the wife of the protagonist is Desdemona. Do we as an audience focus on him? While no English translation of Cinthio was available in print during Shakespeare's lifetime, it is possible that Shakespeare knew both the Italian original, Gabriel Chappuy's 1584 French translation, and an English translation in manuscript. Desdemona is concerned over the loss of the handkerchief but maintains that its loss will not cause Othello to grow angry. Most characters in the novel meet an undeserved fate. In this play, Othello is the tragic hero who leads himself and many others to their deaths. Desdemona viewed as a goddess by Cassio and Emilia because of her kind spirit and determination, which stems from her marriage to Othello and Iago tragically, uses Desdemona’s good nature to perceive her as a whore. He is not at all pleased by Desdemona's union, and warns Othello that as Desdemona betrayed her father, she may betray her husband too. [2], The other characters are identified only as the Moor, the ensign, the ensign's wife, and the squadron leader. Othello is an eloquent and physically powerful figure, respected by most of those around him. The poetic image of Desdemona is the eternal ideal of beauty and perfection, a symbol of loyalty and infinity of true love, courage and strength of the female spirit, and of illusions and hopes that never come true. The character of Desdemona in Othello seems at first glance, nearly perfect. The article “a feminist critique of the character Desdemona” offers an analysis of the character of Desdemona from the theoretical framework of feminism. The Female Protagonist The female protagonist in the tragic play “ Othello ”, Desdemona is truly one rare character who astonishes the readers as much with her outer beauty as with her inner grace. Too often played as a weak character, Desdemona is strong and bold, especially when it comes to Othello. Peachy pink buds open to beautiful, white, chalice-shaped blooms, with a pinkish hue. Her development is quite plausible in some respects; however, at different times in the play, these changes may be overly dramatic. Eventually, Othello learns of Desdemona's faithfulness after Emilia exposes Iago's true nature before being stabbed to death by Iago, and out of complete remorse, Othello commits suicide, but only after angrily stabbing Iago (though not fatally) as retribution for his lies against Desdemona. Emilia is more cynical, especially after Othello violently asks to see it. Photo by Carol Pratt. Othello. Farewell. Othello is a brave and competent soldier of advanced years and Moorish background in the service of the Venetian Republic. No, alas, I found it, / And I did give’t my husband.’ Iago: 'Filth, thou liest!' While Shakespeare closely followed Cinthio's tale in composing Othello, he departed from it in some details, particularly in the tale's depiction of Desdemona's death. jesting with Iago in Act II, scene i, is either an interpolation However, if Desdemona is a strong female character who becomes weaker, whose voice becomes repressed, Emilia starts as a wife who is oppressed but becomes stronger and whose voice carries the drama at its end. Desdemona also uses deception throughout the play. As much as Desdemona is a tragic victim, she has the attributes of a tragic heroine, dying for the love of a man. in her willingness to take credit for her own murder. She has eloped with Othello, going against social norms and her father's wishes. This is a Level 5 example essay for A Level Edexcel … Desdemona is a 'heavenly force' Innocent victim of Othello's misdirected passion In a cruel, selfish, destructive world, she represents selfless love. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Categories: Othello William Shakespeare Biography. In the play, one can … Othello--Protagonist and Antagonist Othello is the protagonist of this play, or the hero. Cassio. Desdemona’s husband. Sure. Flowering: Repeat Flowering. Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish man several years her senior. The play, He invented Desdemona's father, Brabantio, and her dissolute Venetian admirer, Roderigo. as stereotypically weak and submissive ignore the conviction and authority She is a lovely, intelligent, wholesome and pious person. Desdemona as a victim in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare William Shakespeare is widely known for his famous plays, sonnets, and other works including the tragedy. Personally, I think this portrayal doesn’t do her justice. Stories can have more than one protagonist. Cassio is a character to be loved in the fashion of Desdemona. This sheltering gave her an innate passion for all the things that she was denied. She later displays That song tonight / Will not go from my mind” (IV.iii.27–30). Othello is one of the most important plays in English Literature. O, farewell” (V.ii. Feminism is a movement that challenges the patriarchy and stereotype attached to women gender. This contradiction Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than On the other hand, Desdemona is shown to be a weak female, as she is full of doubts and fears, as she does not stand up to Othello when it really matters. There, her husband is manipulated by his ensign Iago into believing she is an adulteress, and, in the last act, she is murdered by her estranged spouse. Essay, Pages 3 (716 words) Views. … Of all the deaths that happen in Othello, Desdemona’s is the most tragic and undeserved. Yet the passion of her love both arouses and unnerves her husband too, adding to the seeds of fear and suspicion. You could decide to look at Desdemona’s situation from a Structuralist perspective.Society is following patriarchal norms and values, however Desdemona could be seen as a renaissance character, thus it is society, which conforms her to resists against the Elizabethan society by speaking her mind and becoming an independent wife. Desdemona is first in this situation because of her friendship with Cassio, and talking to Iago as a friend is another cause of her downfall, thus making her a tragic victim. chloeosae. This essay will analyze her. In Act 1 Scene1, Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. . and she asks Emilia to bury her in these sheets should she die first. Writers may trick readers by presenting a false protagonist … Othello becomes enraged and smothers Desdemona, ignoring her pleas for mercy. Othello is not just a victim of the tragedy he is also, in part, the antagonist. Desdemona is at times a submissive character, most notably 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). Bell's acting version, for example, omitted several moments including Desdemona's conversation with Emilia before her death—a death which is accomplished in Bells' version by stabbing rather than strangulation. Desdemona is deeply upset by her husband's attacks but continues to assert her love. When her maid Emilia rushes into the room, Desdemona rises weakly to defend Othello, then dies. Desdemona is young, sexual, and recently married. Character Analysis of Desdemona. (5:2) Iago - Othello. In a 1995 film version, Irène Jacob played the character opposite Laurence Fishburne. For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play. – Iago, Act I; Sc. Similarly, critics who argue that Desdemona’s slightly bizarre bawdy Most often, the protagonist (tragic hero) is a member of high society who is faced with an oppositional force, be it internal or external. A tragic past haunts her present, forcing her to face the decisions she’s made. The basis of feminism both in literature and society, is that the western world is particularly patriarchal that is created by men, ruled by men, viewed through the eyes of men and judged by men. First line: My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: Read full Desdemona Monologue; 2. Desdemona is the daughter of Brabantio, a man of some reputation in Venice. 11 December 2020. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Sparknotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Protagonist, Round character. When Emilia's husband Iago sees Desdemona's handkerchief, he steals it and forbids Emilia to disclose its whereabouts to Desdemona. so powerful. The two murderers then place her lifeless body upon her bed, smash her skull, and cause the cracked ceiling of the room to collapse upon her, giving the impression that the lady's skull was smashed by falling rafters.[1]. Character: DESDEMONA. In the play's first act, Desdemona has eloped with Othello, a Moor in the service of the Venetian Republic. Share this. ... are an integral part to most William Shakespeare plays and one of the most important soliloquies was that of the tragic protagonist in the play, Othello. Desdemona's father, a senator and renowned citizen of Venice. She played Desdemona in the performance of Othello seen by Samuel Pepys on 6 February 1669. Character Analysis of Desdemona in Othello. Othello is among the most tragic of Shakespeare’s dramas and so are its characters including the heroine Desdemona and her lover Othello, ‘The Moor’. describes how Othello sees his murder of Desdemona as a sacrifice, “he is to save Desdemona from herself” T S Eliot: calls Othello’s final speech a “terrible exposure of human weakness” Wilson Knight “Othello is dominated by its protagonist” William Empson O, farewell” (V.ii.133–134). then, depicts Desdemona contradictorily as a self-effacing, faithful The reliance of the handkerchief is inappropriate in that the play could have dramatically changed very … Antagonists often serve as foil characters to protagonists. If Othello were a normal person, he would see that there is no way Desdemona would get bored of him so fast and cheat after leaving her entire world for him. In a 1951 film version, Suzanne Cloutier played Desdemona opposite Orson Welles. The production was a great artistic and financial success. Desdemona; Emilia; Michael Cassio; Roderigo; Brabantio; Bianca; Duke, Senators; Lodovico; Montano; Gratiano In this play, we explore her growing into an adult woman. The protagonist is the leading character in the play, and also one whose fate is the main subject of the play. In The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of … He is respected by lots of people, including the Duke (I.ii), and he has Desdemona. Desdemona is portrayed as a spirited and independent woman, marriage to a solder made her change herself. Emilia: ‘She did give it Cassio? Iago suggests to Cassio that he importune Desdemona to intercede for him, which she does. Cinthio also drew a moral (which he placed in the mouth of the lady) that European women are unwise to marry the temperamental males of other nations.[3]. Her speeches are not as lengthy as those of the men, but with Desdemona, every word counts. Desdemona is a strong character, and at the beginning of the play, she proves herself to … A foil, or foil character, is a character in a story who acts in a drastically different way than the main protagonist in order to show the strong differences between the characters. the antonym of Eudaimonia. demands. lines, Desdemona has seemed capable of meeting or even rising above those 1 Background 2 Interactions with the player character 2.1 Interactions overview 2.2 Other interactions 3 Inventory 4 Notes 5 Appearances 6 Behind the scenes 7 Bugs 8 Gallery 9 References Desdemona is the current leader of the mysterious and secretive organization known as the Railroad. The film won the grand prize Palme d'Or at the 1952 Cannes Film Festival. Introduction Silappathikaram(2,4-7) is a long epic story in which ‘Kannagi’ the protagonist represents the Tamil people of 2nd century. Desdemona; Character Othello; Desdemona Tragic Victim. The general of the armies of Venice. / Commend me to my kind Her father reluctantly accepts the union but warns Othello that she will someday deceive him. But the overall character of Desdemona is of high stature, it is her very innocence that makes her a victim of circumstance. singing it. Iago’s plans to bring down Othello involves making him so jealous of Desdemona“to abuse Othello’s ear/That he is too familiar with his wife”. The protagonist from Toni Morrison’s Beloved is Sethe, a former slave and grieving mother. English literature AS and A-Level character analysis for the character of Desdemona from Shakespeare's Othello. The play, Othello, has limited range of characters. The play, then, depicts Desdemona contradictorily as a self-effacing, faithful wife and as a bold, independent … [1], The only named character in Cinthio's story is "Disdemona". Location: Act 1, Scene 3. (Act One, Scene Three) This quote demonstrates Desdemona's strength and … Desdemona. Tragically, Desdemona is apparently aware of her imminent death. Farewell. In response to Emilia’s question, “O, who hath done this deed?” Desdemona’s final words are, “Nobody, I myself. [1] Unlike Shakespeare's Emilia, Cintho's ensign's wife lives to tell what she knows of Disdemona's death long after her husband and the Moor are dead. They eventually got married eight years later, in 2007. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community. Othello the protagonist of the play is the first and most important victim of the psychological manipulation by Iago, who slowly and carefully puts the infectious and poisonous doubt about Desdemona's moral character. In a 1966 British film version, Maggie Smith played the character opposite Laurence Olivier. The poet's gentle scene between Desdemona and Emilia while preparing for bed does not exist in Cinthio, and Cinthio's murder of Disdemona is accomplished when the Moor commissions his ensign to bludgeon Disdemona to death with a sand-filled stocking. In act 2, Othello's lieutenant, Cassio is disgraced in a brawl and falls from Othello's favor. She describes her commitment to him: "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." The character of Desdemona will be analysed from the perspective of feminism. / And she died “The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so, And will as tenderly be led by the nose. In Act 1, Othello believes Iago is honest and trustworthy. With any idea about Shakespeare’s plays, no matter how convoluted or over-reaching, it is probable that Shakespeare crafted the idea first. III. wife and as a bold, independent personality. Desdemona, also known as Dez, is the leader of the Railroad in the Commonwealth in 2287. One of these elements is the tragic hero, a protagonist who seems to be ill-fated, and destined for doom. Eventually, Othello sees Cassio with the handkerchief and accepts it as confirmation of Desdemona's infidelity. This essay will analyze her. Desdemona is the daughter of the senator and future wife of Othello. Desdemona in Othello In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the wife of the protagonist is Desdemona. The fact that he goes to a woman like Bianca without any thought about her reputation shows how clear and true he is regarding how he looks like to others. Othello is the tragic protagonist of the story. The antagonist is the main opponent. Othello. Furthermore, her dialogue is never insulting in the play, as she does not adopt Iago’s vocabulary like Othello does even when the latter is excessively abusive to her. Antagonists may also be forces, events, organizations, or creatures. However many critics argue that the first seed of doubt is not issued from Iago but by Desdemona's father: "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. in a bed covered in her wedding sheets—is symbolic: she is literally A soliloquy is […] Read more. Characterisation Desdemona.