“POLONIUS: […] (to OPHELIA) Read on this book That show of such an exercise may color Your loneliness.—We are oft to blame in this, 'Tis too much proved, that with devotion’s visage And pious action we do sugar o 'er The devil himself”( Act 3, Scene 1,44-52) (Shakespeare). Roderigo derides Othello too as ‘the thick-lips’ (1.1.66), while Brabantio, in his public confrontation with Othello, finds it inconceivable that his daughter should desire to ‘Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom / Of such a thing as thou’ (1.2.70–1) without being drugged or bewitched. In the play ' Othello ' by William Shakespeare, the author presents several issues that have social implications. He can do whatever he wants without questions being asked. Gender Inequality In Oedipus Rex. Even when the Moor orders her to go to bed, Desdemona does not express any defiance, instead simply obeying by stating, “I will, my lord” (4.3.9). From that quote she broke her streak of honesty because she couldn’t tell if John wanted her to tell the truth, so she lied to court about John not being a lecher. Othello is a manifestation of gender discrimination prevailing at that time. Iago, just like the other men in the society, holds the view that a daughter is a property of the father of the house. Daisy cheated on Tom to get revenge on him for him having an affair with Myrtle. After the Duke receives a command from the Pope that he must go to Rome, he leaves his illegitimate son Federico in charge of the dukedom. At this point, as Desdemona tries to defend her case, Othello does not acknowledge her side of the story. Impact of Defying the Gender Stereotype Good night.”(2,3,8-9) When Othello mentions profits, he's implying how he received a lot of “value” from his purchase. However, the way Othello says it makes an impression that he does not value Desdemona for her human worth. Line 4) irradiates this as well. The blood of those who killed because of hatred, were crying out for the folly to stop in order to live. Shakespeare depicts a story of a negatively stereotyped female gender in the Elizabethan society. When Lear decides how to divide his kingdom, he does so based on how much his daughters love him. No, I cannot, I cannot stop my mouth; It’s God’s work I do” (875). The Role Of Women and Gender Representation in Othello. This paper explores the gender issues in Shakespeare’s tragedy reflecting on the different roles the representatives of both genders played in the Venetian society. Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!' As part of his revenge plan, Iago decides that he should sleep with Othello’s wife Desdemona. Shakespeare’s portrayal of females in Othello is created according to the expectations and perceptions of those in the Elizabethan society in the 16th and 17th centuries. These and many other instances demonstrate the gender issues in the past, some of which exist to date rendering Shakespeare’s tragedy relevant. But in the light of 21st-century understandings of abuse, the play is recast as a textbook case of domestic terrorism. Through the Feminist readings, the audience/readers can be informed of the inequality between the sexes; oppressed women and dominant males; in the seventeenth century Venetian era. (Click the themes infographic to download.). If this continued it would 've ended badly for Hamlet because she was giving her loyalty to her father. Although there are women who face tragic fates in Shakespeare’s tragedies they are mainly dominated by men. Gravity. Most male characters in Othello assume that all Venetian women are inherently promiscuous, which explains why female sexuality is a huge threat to men in the play. Today, literature is one of the main factors that influence women 's image in society. In fact, it paints a picture of a gender so submissive that even when their male counterparts erred they were not expected to point it out or correct the injustice. This has been a consistent pattern, dating even before Othello’s setting.
In the play, gender can be looked at in two main ways:
Misogyny – All male characters exhibit varying degrees of hatred towards women. “I love you more than words can wield the matter, dearer than eyesight… no less than life… A love that makes breath poor and speech unable” (1.1.55-60). Both genders must face criticizing and slanderous remarks regarding themselves and their genders, but they react to them in different ways throughout the play. TragedyGhaddafi. Moreover, fate seemed to plot the end of the folly feud by letting Romeo fall in love with Juliet. For instance, after proposing to Desdemona and winning her love, Iago, working on behalf of Roderigo, tries to convince Brabantio not to allow his daughter, Desdemona to leave with Othello. Treating women as their possession is found in … A further instance demonstrating the power distance among genders is where Othello is addressing the senators concerning his campaign on Cyprus with his army due to a planned attack by the Turks. Gender Inequality In Othello And Shelley's Frankenstein 1294 Words6 Pages Gender inequality will always affect the portrayal of women in society, the weaker, unnecessary, and other sex. The Moor, following the societal expectations and conceptualization of the women as loose, is quick to affirm his suspicions. Alternatively, King Hamlet lover was Queen Gertrude who was cheating on him during their marriage. In fact, some scholars such as Smith have gone ahead to suggest that Othello’s sentiments insinuate that he was doing Desdemona a favor by marrying her (24). PLAY. It is clear that the men in Othello view themselves as a superior sex. Unlike their male counterparts, who are depicted as honorable persons, the females are shown as ‘easy’ and loose (Smith 20). Othello, embodying the whole male gender, regards the payment of dowry to be synonymous to buying any object. The use of “harassed and bedeviled” instantly casts his wife’s insistence as suspicious and malicious. Lord Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris, but Juliet doesn’t want to so she fakes her death. Theme of Gender Discrimination in Othello. They are perceived to be morally corrupt. The male population is quick to brand the women as whores yet they cannot even prove that females were engaged in sexual immorality (Bell 8; Sweetwater). Even though considerable progress has been made in the contemporary society towards achieving gender equality, the prevailing state is reminiscent of Shakespeare’s time. Romeo has to shelter from the Prince because he 's going to execute Romeo. Newmans undoubtedly subscribes to a feminist school of criticism, seeking to expose the nature of gender inequality and opposing the inherent male hegemony represented within the play. The use of “ harassed and bedeviled ” instantly casts his wife ’ s directives without question without. Were patriarchal a manifestation of gender struggles is the portrayal of all the women are victims because of folly. 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