Othello - Female Stereotypes Essay - 1108 Words

Tuesday, March 6th, 2012 Othello Essay In â€Å"Othello,† William Shakespeare extensively explores female stereotypes that occur during the playwright’s time. Throughout the Shakespearian era, women were seen as the inferior sex, over whom men had complete control and thus forcing women to act submissively and obediently in front of their husbands. Men believed that women were objects who just cooked meals, cleaned the house, and bore children while society just accepted these degrading roles. William Shakespeare extensively reinforces female stereotypes by presenting the deaths of Emilia and Desdemona to be rightly deserved for defying their female gender roles throughout the play. Emilia and Desdemona are polar opposite characters who†¦show more content†¦Say that they slack their duties [...] Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us, [...] Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace, Yet have we some revenge,† (4.3.81-88). This was also scandalous and unimaginable for any woman to suggest cheating on her husband and trying to justify it. Thirdly, Emilias one dishonest act towards Desdemona, stealing her handkerchief, turns out to have devastating consequences. â€Å"I found by fortune and did give my husband. [†¦] He begged of me to steal it,† (5.2.240-243). The loss of the handkerchief is what convinces Othello that Desdemona is guilty of infidelity, and Emilias little theft ends up indirectly causing her friends death. Lastly, she swears at Othello multiple times. Though it seems valid to insult his lack of intelligence at the end of the play, it is unseemly for any woman during that time to insult anyone, especially a man superior to her. She screams at Othello, â€Å"Fie upon thee!† (5.1.127) then again she insults his irrationality, â€Å"O gull! O dolt! As ignorant as dirt!† (5.2.176-177). Although, Emilia may seem like an innocent woman who just wants to please her hus band, there are many more moments in the play when she resists the female convention instead of fitting into it. Her behavior is highly inappropriate for a woman in the Shakespearean timeShow MoreRelatedIn many of his plays, Shakespeare demonstrates ideas of gender and racial stereotypes. Othello, a1100 Words   |  5 Pagesracial stereotypes. Othello, a play in which characters are judged based on sex and appearance, is an example of these stereotypes. Othello’s non-white ethnic background provides a platform for racial conflict. The characters of Desdemona and Emilia allow for sexism and gender conflict. These themes of Othello are closely related because of the similar prejudice and stereotypes. The sexism and racism in Othello allow for racist tones and ethnic conflicts. Women play an important role in Othello. TheRead MoreShakespeare Gender Stereotypes1049 Words   |  5 PagesImpact of Gender Stereotypes to Shakespeare’s Plays Imagine living in Shakespeare’s time, when expectations were held at a higher standard for both men and women. A time when what gender you were dictated what you could and could not do. Male supremacy ruled the world, and therefore women were subjected, â€Å"‘To suckle fools and chronicle small beer.’† (Othello 2.1.132) This means that the woman’s only responsibilities in life was to nurse her children and take care of her home. These kinds of genderRead MorePower, Race and Women in Othello by Shakespear and Sax1443 Words   |  6 Pagesstereotypical view of Othello, as a â€Å"Barbary horse,† depicting him as an animalistic outsider. Through the image of conflict in black and white, Iago emphasises on the racial demarcation between Othello and Desdemona, that â€Å"an old black ram is tupping your white ewe,† associating Othello with uncontrolled animalistic sexuality. 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Moreover, women are portrayed in Othello in ways that confirm, but also contradict their treatment in Shakespeare’s time. Both female action and language represent these ideas such as expectations for a wife and expectations for how a woman is to act. That said, there are many other lines spoken by these characters that defy the expectations placed on women at time. OverallRead MoreOthello - A Play That Transcends Time Essay941 Words   |  4 Pagesworld of Shakespeare’s Othello. It is through my exploration of these perspectives and their relationship with changing morals and values that has enriched my understanding of the play. One such reading of the play challenges the marginalisation and objectification of woman in a patriarchal Venetian society, while taking into account the changing role of women in modern society. 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Othello is presented as a story devised by Desdemona inRead MoreEssay about The Impact of Gender on Shakespeares Othello 1376 Words   |  6 PagesShakespeare’s Othello In the book â€Å"Gender Trouble† (1990), feminist theorist Judith Butler explains â€Å"gender is not only a social construct, but also a kind of performance such as a show we put on, a costume or disguise we wear† (Butler). In other words, gender is a performance, an act, and costumes, not the main aspect of essential identity. By understanding this theory of gender as an act, performance, we can see how gender has greatly impacted the outcome of the play in William Shakespeare’s Othello. FromRead MoreGender Stereotypes in Othello Essay2033 Words   |  9 PagesStereotypes are commonly held generalized beliefs that most or all individuals sharing a given trait also should or do share other attributes assumed to be associated with aspects such as race, religion, and physical attribute. While stereotypes can erroneously shape people’s views of others, they can also influence the stereotyped individuals’ behavior as people often attempt to conform t o these flawed images, especially in regards to gender stereotypes. Shakespeare’s great play Othello uses itsRead MoreThe Movie Othello By William Shakespeare Essay1493 Words   |  6 Pagessociety’s typical stereotype of young black men. The movie showcases the modern adaptation of Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† and includes how teen violence and racism can relate to each other and can lead to a tragedy. His own hatred of his race affects his personality and changed his way of acting. Within any movie that has an African American character, it is very hard to avoid the typical stereotypes. Within the movie â€Å"O†, it seems like the producer tried to avoid the stereotypes, but some were still