Othello: A Shakespearian Approach to Feminism

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Desdemona further demonstrates how she is an outspoken role model and demolishes gender stereotypes as the play progresses. This is demonstrated when she vouches for herself in the house of senate. When the Duke states, “The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for Cyprus. Othello,…You must therefore be content to slubber the gloss of your new fortunes with this more stubborn and boist'rous expedition” (1.3.221-28), Desdemona responds coming before the senate saying,

“So that, dear lords, if I be left behind / A moth of peace and he go to the war, / The rites for which I love him are bereft me, / By his dear absence. Let me go with him” (1.3.255-59).

This is a ground-breaking statement by Desdemona. In the 1600s women were seen by many as only house wives, inadequate to do the jobs of men and too inept to speak for themselves. However, Desdemona shatters this stereotype. She takes to the podium and speaks with great confidence pleading her case to the most respected of society. Not only are Desdemona’s actions shocking, but also what she says. Desdemona pleads that she be allowed to accompany Othello because if left at home she would be a “moth of peace” or entirely useless. However, if she were to accompany him on this expedition she would be of use. In Shakespearian times, it was unheard of for women to accompany their significant other to war. This is due to constructs of Elizabethan society which believe that men are the governing force and women are lesser than them in all respects. Contrasting this, Desdemona speaks out saying she would be useless in the household while Othello is gone so she should be allowed to accompany him.

Finally, Desdemona reaches her climactic summit when she obliterates gender stereotypes and becomes the highest caliber female role model encountered thus far. Desdemona, Iago, and Emilia have just arrived in Cyprus, but Iago begins making abusive comments towards the pair. However, Desdemona being a strong female character stands up for herself and Emilia, engaging in a verbal altercation with Iago. In response to these crude remarks Desdemona says,

“Oh, heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst best. But / what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman / indeed, one that in the authority of her merit did justly put / on the vouch of very malice itself? ... Oh, most lame and impotent conclusion! Do not learn / of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband. How say you, / Cassio? Is he not a most profane and liberal counselor?” (2.1.143-46).

This quote demonstrates how Desdemona is outspoken and extremely strong by standing up to Iago and discrediting his crude remarks. In the 1600s women were seen by many as quiet and subservient to men. On the contrary, Desdemona does not let Iago’s comments remain intact. Instead she calls out Iago for his ignorance and the simplicity in his analysis of all women, saying, if Iago found a woman without flaws he would have no idea what to say to her. This demonstrates how Desdemona is an extremely intelligent role model as she understands the gender stereotypes that plague her society and calls out Iago for using them. In addition, Desdemona breaks down gender stereotypes because she speaks out confidently against Iago calling him ignorant. This shatters the idea that all women are quiet and subservient. Subsequently, it is without a doubt that Desdemona plays an essential role in the development of brilliant, outspoken female role models, the breaking down of patriarchal constructs and the demolishing of gender stereotypes in the early scenes of the play.

Without a doubt, Desdemona is one of the strongest and most outspoken characters in Othello. However, when researching female role models in Othello, Emilia cannot be neglected. In the early scenes of the play Emilia appears to be a stereotypical woman of the 1600s; subservient to her husband Iago, and acts as nothing more than a pawn in his scheme to destroy Othello. However, as the play progresses Emilia transforms into arguably the most outspoken and intelligent role model encountered in the play. To begin, Emilia becomes the first to realize that someone must be behind setting up Desdemona and the manipulation of Othello. She states,

“I will be hanged, if some eternal villain, / Some busy and insinuating rogue, / Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, / Have not devised this slander. I will be hanged else! … O heavens, that such companions thou’dst unfold, / And put in every honest hand a whip / To lash the rascals naked through the world / Even from the east to th' west!” (4.2.130-45).

This quote reveals how truly intelligent Emilia is. In Shakespearian England, women were seen as unintelligent. However, Emilia truly challenges this stereotype. Othello, a highly respected military man, is so overcome with jealousy that he cannot see through Iago’s lies, or understand that he is being set up. In contrast, Emilia has a level head. She sees the situation occurring from and unbiased point of view and understands that it is not plausible Othello began thinking Desdemona is cheating without a third-party interfering. In addition, Emilia says that they should hunt down whoever has done this, and whip them. This is extremely uncharacteristic of a stereotypical quiet Elizabethan woman. Emilia, instead, publicly demonstrates her views on the person who has orchestrated the manipulation, condemning them to death by hanging and to be whipped. Nicholas Potter remarks “This is a wonderfully tense moment: Emilia has summed up exactly what has happened and is choosing…the very language to irritate as well as alarm her husband, as it is the language of common contempt” (Potter 116). Thus Emilia is portrayed as brilliant, realizing something is amiss, and outspoken, denouncing whomever has set up Desdemona and Othello.

Emilia then demonstrates her great insight when speaking of cheating. Naively, Desdemona states that she believes no woman in the world would cheat on her husband. Emilia responds,

“But I do think it is their husbands' faults / If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties / And pour our treasures into foreign laps, / Or else break out in peevish jealousies, / Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us, / Or scant our former having in despite. / Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace” (4.3.81-88).

Emilia has just revealed to Desdemona that she believes when women cheat on men it is the latter’s fault. This is a shocking revelation because in the 1600s women were seen as less than men and existed simply to please them. In addition, many of societies problems were blamed on women without any merit. Contrasting this, Emilia says it is not a woman’s fault