How Does Shakespeare Present Women in Othello

Celeste

Written Task 2 – Critical Essay Outline: Prescribed Prescribed Question: How and why is a social group represented in a particular way?  Title of the Text for analysis: analysis: Othello by Shakespeare Shakespeare  The part of the course to which the task task refers to: Part Part : !iterature !iterature " Texts Texts and Contexts #y critical response will: •

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$xa%ine how wo%en are portrayed in Othello with the help of &uotes fro% the play' $xa%ine how %en treated wo%en as ob(ects rather than as indi)iduals' $xplain how wo%en were dee%ed as *whores+ e)en when they were %arried'

Celeste

Throughout Othello, the attitude towards wo%en in the $li-abethan era is also portrayed' .o%en were seen as nothing %ore than ob(ects or pri-ed possessions which belonged to %en' The $li-abethan society was patriarchal as the %en do%inated e)ery aspect of it' .o%en were considered the weaker sex and always needed protection which was the (ob of husbands' .o%en were considered inferior to %en and therefore they were expected to be silent, chaste, and obedient to their husbands, fathers, brothers, and all %en in general' / few exa%ples fro% the text include: 0ago wakes up 1rabantio by yelling 23ounds, sir, you+re robb+d4 for sha%e, put on your gown4 5our heart is burst, you ha)e lost half your soul6' These lines indicate that 7esda%ona was his property and Othello 8the thief9 has robbed hi% and he should go and hunt for the thief and punish hi% for stealing' /lso when 0ago tells Cassio that 2tonight he heath boarded a land carrack 0f it pro)e a lawful pri-e6 he is referring to Othello as a pirate and 7esda%ona as a treasure 8land carrack9 which Othello has found and therefore belongs to hi%' 0n /ct  Scene  the Senator wishes Othello well by hoping that he will 2use 7esda%ona well6' The connotation of the word 2use6 is 2look after6 but it

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also portrays the $li-abethan attitude towards wo%en as they are expected to bow to the will of their husbands who can utili-e the% in any way they want' .e also see that 0ago wants re)enge on Othello because he belie)es the ru%ors that Othello has slept with his wife $%ilia' 0ago does not e)en know if the ru%ors are true but he still wants re)enge as Othello has used a possession which belongs to hi% 82The lusty #oor;hath leaped into %y seat69' 0n these few lines 0ago has insulted and ob(ecti Scene  0ago hopes to be 2e)ened with hi%, wife for wife6 which suggests that he should sleep with 7esda%ona so that he and Othello will be e&ual' The feelings of 7esda%ona and $%ilia are not taken in consideration at all in his re)enge plot' He belie)es that wo%en are ob(ects that are %eant to be used to further %en+s desires'  Throughout the play we see wo%en are portrayed as sub%issi)e towards their husbands with

7esda%ona being the pri%e exa%ple of that' 0n

/ct  Scene  she states that she was *bound+ to her father as her ga)e her life and education and therefore she had to obey hi% but now that she is *bound+ to Othello she has to obey and respect hi%' 0n /ct  Scene  we see that when Othello hits her she tells hi% 20 ha)e not deser)ed this6' This indicates that 7esda%ona thinks that wo%en should be hit only if they deser)e it' /lthough $%ilia is portrayed in as a stronger character' 0n /ct  Scene  $%ilia says that 2@Tis not a year or two shows us a %an' They are all but sto%achs, and we all but food' To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us'6 $%ilia thinks that %en are brutish and )ulgar and cannot control their desires' She uses a %etaphor to indicate that the role of wo%en is to satisfy the ne)erAending hunger of %en' #en use wo%en and then belch the% out' These lines also state that $%ilia is %ore aware of the truth of wo%en+s role in society than 7esda%ona but there is nothing she can do about it' 0n Othello, the word *whore+ is often used when describing all three wo%en' .e are introduced to the prostitute 1ianca in /ct  Scene  which is %uch later in the play' 1ianca is a prostitute who is in lo)e with Cassio but he treats her like garbage' 1ianca genuinely belie)es that Cassio lo)es her but in /ct  Scene  we see that he does not and describes her as a *%onkey+ and a *fool+ for thinking that he would %arry her' !ater on when she enters the roo% he calls her a *
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refers to her as a 2stru%pet6' Othello calls 7esda%ona a whore %ultiple ti%es in /ct  Scene , a 2cunning whore6 and a 2subtle whore6 in /ct  Scene >' $%ilia is also referred to as a 2)illainous whore6 by her husband in /ct B after she re)eals his )illainous plans' /ll three of the wo%en in Othello ha)e been described as 2whores6 e)en when there is no proof of their in Scene  0ago gi)es a big speech on his thoughts about wo%en where he insults $%ilia in front of 7esda%ona and Cassio' He thinks that all wo%en beha)e in the sa%e way' They look beautiful when they are out in public but are noisy like bells when they are at ho%e' They act like wild cats when they are in their kitchens and sound like saints when they are co%plaining about so%ething but act like de)ils when so%eone oends the%' They don+t take their (obs as housewi)es seriously and they are 2housewi)es in your bed6' /ll wo%en according to 0ago use their looks to get what they want' $)en the ugly and stupid wo%en use the sa%e dirty tricks as the pretty and s%art ones' $)en if there is a truly good wo%an who ne)er spoke her %ind, who o)erlooked it when people hurt her and who would refrain fro% Dirting with other %en should be raising children'  These few lines spoken by 0ago accurately su% up $li-abethan )iews on wo%en in society' The only power which wo%en ha)e is the sexual power which should be resisted by %en' #en are able to call wo%en 2whores6 and get away with it as it dee%ed natural in society'