Feminine Roles in Othello Essay examples -- Othello essays

Feminine Roles in Othello A variety of roles obligate women in them in William Shakespeares tragic drama Othello. Let us in this stress examine the female characters and their roles. One key role for the heroine of the drama, Desdemona, is to support the general. David Bevington in William Shakespeare quaternion Tragedies states the heros dependence on Desdemona Othellos intimately tortured speeches (3.4.57-77, 4.2.49-66) reveal the extent to which he equates the seemingly betraying woman he has so depended on for happiness with his own mother, who gave Othellos father a handkerchief and threatened him with loss of her love if he should lose it. (226) A different role for the heroine appears at the beginning of the play. Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to trace him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemonas father, in the middle of the night. Once there the dickens awaken the senator with loud shouts about his daughters elopement with Othello. This i s the initial informant to the role of women in the play the role of young wife. Iagos bawdry references to the senators daughter present a second role of women that of adulterous lover. The fathers attitude is that life without his Desdemona will be overmuch worse than before without her he foresees nought but bitterness. Here is seen some other role or function of women in the drama that of comforter for the aged. Brabantio is the sr. father, and he hates to lose the comforting services of his Desdemona. Othello expresses his sentiments to Iago regarding his relationship with the senators daughter, aphorism that I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free retard Put into c... ...emonas falseness. Emilia at this point becomes a shine of light and truth she contradicts Iago Thou art rash as fire, to advance / That she was false O, she was heavenly true and accuses him of lying and of causing murder And your reports have set the murder on. Emilias stu nning interrogation and judgment of conviction of her own husband cost her dearly she is thus absolved from her precedent collaboration with Iago and ends on a note of innocence. Thus it is seen that the roles of women are many a(prenominal) and varied and are key to the successful development of the story. WORKS CITED Bevington, David, ed. William Shakespeare Four Tragedies. New York Bantam Books, 1980. Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http//www.eiu.edu/multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.