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Women's Role In Othello

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The play written by William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, is way ahead of its time because of the feminist ideals that are in the play. Shakespeare portrays women as strong individuals and throughout his play, he is trying to say that women are not property. The play was written sometime in 1603 when it was the Elizabethan Era. According to historian Prasad Mahabal in “The Life and Roles of Elizabethan Era Women,” he mentions how women in that era “had little or no control at all over their destinies. Normally, it was a male who made decisions for the Elizabethan era women, without as much as a consultation with or affirmation from the women involved.” Women couldn’t make their own decisions; their decisions …show more content…
Desdemona confronts her father about her marriage with Othello by saying:
“my noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty. To you I am bound for life and education. My life and education both do learn me how to respect you. You are the lord of duty. I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband. And so much duty as my mother showed you, preferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord.” (Shakespeare 1.3.182-192) This demonstrates how women needed to obey men whether it was their father or husband. Since Desdemona is no longer under her father’s control, she has to obey the man she married. Even at her last breath, Desdemona remains true to her husband. She says, “commend me to my kind lord.” (5.2.137) Desdemona was strong enough to stay loyal to her husband and not snitch on …show more content…
It says, “women were expected to be silent, chaste, and obedient to their husbands, fathers, brothers, and all men in general.” It also mentions how men “consider women to be possessions, who ought to remain submissive and meek at all times.” Men only saw females as objects and they didn’t care what they had to say or how they felt; they were selfish. Women couldn’t show emotions because that would make them seem weak and the father or husband would punishment them for it. They had to act as if they were robots; doing everything the men told them to do and keep

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