The first piece of evidence being that Desdemona was easily swooned by Othello’s stories. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. Copyright © 2003 - 2020 - UKEssays is a trading name of All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Iago, who is perceived as ‘honest’ is not, while Othello, who ‘thinks men honest that but seem to be so’ sees the pure Desdemona as a slut who is not worthy to live. (b) Another aspect for the marriage to be considered unnatural is the fact that Othello is so much older than Desdemona, and of a different race. Home Othello Q & A Emilia trusted Iago because she loved him so much even though he was using her and lying to her. In addition, Desdemona’s vivacity and assertiveness are confirmed by her marriage to Othello and these, again, serve to be positive traits, which, unfortunately, become her grave liability. Othello and Desdemona's romantic relationship is doomed from the beginning because of the environment of Venice. The biggest problem is Othello’s attitude to Desdemona. Topics: Othello, Marriage, Love Pages: 5 (1877 words) Published: March 20, 2013. Othello, who for all intents and purposes, is essentially a brave and valiant soldier, who can be seen as predominantly good. All work is written to order. This might be interpreted in the fact that Othello was more necessary and important to Venice than Brabantio. He eventually becomes so convinced by Iago's lies that he kills his wife.. Facts we learn about Othello at the start of the play: The marriage of black and white seems always to have been repulsive to an Elizabethan, and dramatists before Shakespeare had always presumed that to be the case. From the beginning, Othello and Desdemona’s love is doomed due to the strong influence of external factors. Was Othello's marriage to desdemona doomed from the start? Her father tells us that she is his 'jewel' (I.3.196), 'a maiden never bold, / of spirit' (I.3.95–6), modest and opposed to marriage, afraid to look on Othello. Othello and Desdemona's relationship is doomed from the beginning of the play due to many reasons. Study for free with our range of university lectures! She elopes with Othello, a ‘Moor’ who her father despises and states that Desdemona ran from, ‘her guardage to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou, to fear, not to delight.’ The fact that Desdemona has defied her father has enraged him; therefore it seems that he would have to warn Othello that she might deceive him, which again, serves to provide a recipe for disaster in the form of the tragedy to come. This might be more acceptable in a 21st century audience, in comparison to a 16th century audience, who will, most certainly, frown upon such a display of affection between a white aristocratic female and a black male, who is only the General in the Army. Attitudes towards Othello and Desdemona’s marriage at the start of the play. Similarly, her naivety is seen when she speaks to Emilia and Emilia convinces her that there are indeed women who are deceitful to their husbands. Additionally, Iago describes Desdemona as “so young” (III.iii.209). Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was kind of doomed from the start. In Act 1, scene 3, Desdemona states, ‘I do perceive here a divided duty,’ showing us that she is bound to her father because of the fact that he has educated her and cared for her, but now she is bound to her husband because she has married him and is now answerable to him only. It became possible because she betrays her father. View images from this item (3) Usage terms Public Domain The tragic sequence of events is triggered by the elopement of Othello and Desdemona. They did not start well; their marriage was controversial because of their race and Othello’s failure to follow proper etiquette while he was courting her. This is uncharacteristic and would be seriously frowned upon by the Venetian Society. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. Desdemona’s relative youth plays into Iago’s plans, as he tells Roderigo that Desdemona “must change for youth” (I.iii.348-9), ultimate casting Othello aside for someone who has more “sympathy in years…which the Moor is defective in” (II.i.227-8, 229). If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Venice was traditionally a patriarchal society clearly dominated by men and therefore saw Desdemona’s decision to marry a black man as an act of rebellion, not only against her father but the norms of society. Shakespeare discloses Desdemona’s elopement as a possible sight of how naïve and irrationally she thinks, due to her youth, [similar to another one of Shakespeare’s characters, young Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet]. Like Othello, Desdemona contradicts early descriptions of her character when she first appears in the play. This is not an example of the work produced by our Essay Writing Service. Othello fails to see the Desdemona, who is independent in her conduct and affairs and only sees her husband for his ‘mind’ and his achievements rather than look elsewhere for wealth and status. VAT Registration No: 842417633. This sadly, is what led to his tragic demise. Shakespeare took the idea for Othello from a tale of doomed mixed-race marriage in Cinthio’s De Gli Hecatommithi, 1565. His sense of reason was absolutely removed when he had to consider the allegations made against his wife. The Duke also considered loyal Desdemona, who clearly displayed her unconditional love for Othello by asking whether she can accompany him to Cyprus. At the beginning of the play, one is introduced to the proud and gallant Othello, being a soldier whom the Venetian Officials require in the war. Shakespeare discloses Desdemona's elopement just as one perception of how naЇve and irrationally she feels, credited to her junior, [similar to another one of Shakespeare's personas, young Juliet, in Romeo and Juliet]. Due to her naivety in this belief, this unfortunately seals her death warrant. Such can be seen in the play when Roderigo and Iago are planning to go to Barabantio and telling him that Desdemona has run away with Othello. Othello suggests that, as long as men view women as being promiscuous and disloyal, the institution of marriage is doomed. Othello is therefore the victim of the pervasive social stereotypes which definitely and certainly lead to his downfall and fall from grace. Othello’s label of Desdemona prevents him from considering her a person. Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. Attitudes towards Othello and Desdemona’s marriage at the start of the play; Published: 10/07/2019 KS5 | Plays 3 pages. This again reinforces the male dominating hierarchy over the inferiority of women and clearly shows that wives are indeed possessions of their husbands. Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. They did not start well; their marriage was controversial because of their race and Othello’s failure to follow proper etiquette while he was courting her Desdemona is one of the characters in Shakespeare’s Othello. This shows Emilia’s love and loyalty towards Iago even though handkerchief was very important to Desdemona it was Othello’s first gift to her she stole it anyways betraying Desdemona this will end up to be a giant mistake in the end. Had Othello been more accepting of Desdemona’s love and loyalty to him and had he not been too influenced by the falseness and malice of Iago, then he might have retained his position of eminence and salvaged everything. One such favourable backing is found in the Duke of Venice, who ‘snubbed’ Brabantio, in favour of Othello taking his wife Desdemona with him to Cyprus. Othello and Desdemona’s Relationship Othello and Desdemona's relationship was doomed from the start. Desdemona’s love and commitment is evident in her declaration, ‘my hearts subdued even to the very quality of my lord’, made in front of the Senate, proudly defying people by expressing her feelings for Othello, regardless of his race and background. This leaves his mind susceptible to the tragic poisoning by the scheming Iago, even though Desdemona has done nothing wrong. This can also be seen as one of the elements that prepare us for the tragedy to come. They are in love, but Othello can't get past his self-doubt as to why such a lovely woman would love him. A focused essay question and a copy of the extract are also … Othello, the Moor of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is a tragic play that tells of the doomed end result of the relationship of the titular character, Othello, with Desdemona, his wife. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is doomed from the very beginning because of the setting of Venice. She should obey her father but she defied him. When poor unsuspecting Desdemona finds out that Othello is upset over her ‘alleged’ affair with Cassio, the naïve and trusting Desdemona naturally believes that Cassio will clear her name and all will be forgiven. One of the most outstanding Shakespeare’s quotations runs as follows: Love is a familiar. This might spark outrage in some, while it might definitely present a more favourable attitude and feeling in others. We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Their relationship is unstable from the start. By marrying Othello, Desdemona was showing that she was strong enough and educated enough to break the societal confines of passivity for women. They did not start well; their marriage was controversial because of their race and Othello’s failure to follow proper etiquette while he was courting her. In a way, Brabantio has given Othello ammunition to ‘kill’ his daughter. Othello is a general in the army and a 'Moor'.He begins the play as a respected figure in Venice, but as the play goes on Iago makes him believe Desdemona is in love with someone else and he becomes more and more unpredictable. 236]). His all encompassing jealousy and resentment against his love for his wife turns him into an envious man, full of hate and this takes possession of his soul and motivates his actions into being one of the most villainous characters in Shakespeare’s literary history. Even considering the racial nature of the marriage, his lack of a constant home, and the improper method of his courting, there is another reason why their marriage would never have worked. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! No plagiarism, guaranteed! In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is doomed from the very beginning because of the setting of Venice. Looking for a flexible role? Othello, no doubt, is very important to Venice. The first step to this doomed relationship was Brabantio; Desdemona's father. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. *You can also browse our support articles here >. Othello and Desdemona's relationship was unstable to begin with, but "doomed" is probably stretching it. It took Iago to plant the seeds of doubt in the Moor's head and then slowly cultivate the lie with shreds of "proof". Once the marriage between Desdemona and Othello was complete, the man who was once respected by everyone faces racism from those whom he thought was close to him. There were several reasons to why this relationship between a Venetian Woman and a Black Man wouldn't work and the audience could see this from the beginning. When Iago confirms, ‘for I do know the state …cannot with safety cast him; for his embarked with such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,’ the audience immediately connects with Othello on a military level. Get Help With Your Essay . In the end Othello and Desdemona’s love was doomed from the start. Had evil Iago not been out for Othello, I think Othello and Desdemona might have been okay. Women were perceived as possessions of their fathers who then became possessions of their husbands. 179–180]) and her terse fury after Othello strikes her (“I have not deserved this” [IV.i. However these issues could have been overcome with time. To us this may not seem unnatural, but at the time, this was very uncommon. This is largely due to the nature of the character of the main protagonist, Othello. Othello, on the other hand, moves from a strong, brave and loving soldier and husband to weak, deceitful and hated character. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. Othello’s label of Desdemona prevents him from considering her a person. Desdemona had never even considered this possibility within any marriage. However these issues could have been overcome with time. dr.two. Othello did, after all, love his Desdemona. Not affiliated with Harvard College. Othello, a man of African descent, married Desdemona, a white Venetian woman, in a time period that is very strongly manipulated by racism. Marital Destruction Out of Dysfunctional Marriage and Othello’s Characters . When Othello doubts Desdemona’s fidelity, he compares her reputation to the colour of his skin as ‘begrimed and black…as mine own face.’. Including ‘race’ as one of the elements of judgement is genius, as this definitely goes against the conventions of the time. Venice was traditionally a patriarchal society clearly dominated by men and therefore saw Desdemona’s decision to marry a black man as an act of rebellion, not only against her father but the norms of society. In light of the above statement, Othello, is most certainly one of Shakespeare’s more famous tragedies. And that very same act of betrayal, made in the name of love, later feeds Othello`s fears and the conceived doubts in his mind about the purity of Desdemona. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? It took Iago to plant the seeds of doubt in the Moor's head and then slowly cultivate the lie with shreds of "proof". Even considering the racial nature of the marriage, his lack of a constant home, and the improper method of his courting, there is another reason why their marriage would never have worked. Purchase An Answer Below flash243. You can view samples of our professional work here. Some of which being, racism in 18th century Venice, Brabantio's attitude, and the vengeance and deceit of Iago, all these themes that Shakespeare has used leads up to a tragic ending to the play. A further clarification that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship were doomed to fail is in the fact that Othello states, ‘she loved me for the dangers I had passed…’ Clearly this shows that their love was not built on deep knowledge of each other but rather from fatal attractions, as Othello believes in this statement. He breaks away from the normal structure of the tragedy by including melodramatic elements which serves as catalysts to cause the controversy to the central morals of the play. This is the reason why some critics have seen that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is doomed to failure from the start. Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. This shows that Desdemona does not feel any remorse or concern knowing that she probably will be frowned upon and degraded by the Venetian society due to her relationship with Othello. what are the flaws in their relationship?, was their marriage build on a solid foundation. Copyright © 1999 - 2020 GradeSaver LLC. Having the opposites of appearance versus reality in a play is important, as it helps to show the character of Othello for what he is. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. This is why why some critics have observed that Othello and Desdemona's marriage is doomed to failing from the start. Sadly, unbeknown to Desdemona, the husband whom she has put so much faith into will savagely and violently turn against her. Answered by Aslan 7 years ago 4/13/2013 4:07 AM I wouldn't say it was doomed from the start. Jealousy was powerful enough to break apart a strong marriage, like Desdemona and Othello’s. The theme of illusion and reality is quite obvious in Othello. what are the flaws in their relationship?, was their marriage build on a solid foundation Details . From simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. To export a reference to this article please select a referencing stye below: If you are the original writer of this essay and no longer wish to have your work published on UKEssays.com then please: Our academic writing and marking services can help you! Instead of listening to his stories and getting caught up in them she should have taken the time to get to know him before marrying him out of wedlock. The beginning of the play also sees Othello’s immense love for his wife Desdemona. Reference this. Arguments that see Desdemona as stereotypically weak and submissive ignore the conviction and authority of her first speech (“My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty” [I.iii. Desdemona and Othello’s marriage is contentious; it is through Othello’s hamartia of idealised love for Desdemona and his credulity that leads to his downfall. Iago and Emilia’s marriage consists of Emilia being blinded by her love, ultimately leading to her murder. Desdemona and Othello’s relationship doomed from the start because of Iago’s explicitly stereotypical view of the General Othello, depicting him … Othello insists that Desdemona should not be left behind when he sails for Cyprus, and she agrees with him, revealing that they want to start their … He is pulled in two directions and he thinks his wife is honest but fears she is not and therefore he wants to ‘chop her into messes!’ This helps with Shakespeare’s inclusion of domestic violence in the play, by allowing Othello to slap Desdemona in the presence of Lodovico. Updated March 29, 2020 At the heart of Shakespeare's "Othello" is the doomed romance between Othello and Desdemona. Othello: Questions. The lack of positive growth within Othello and Desdemona throughout the play ultimately represents the tragedy, common to the controversial nature of Shakespeare’s writing. Intriguingly, the deliberate words of Brabantio ‘Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: she has deceived her father, and may thee’ re-enforces the prelude to the tragedy. Unlike her husband, Brabantio`s daughter has a very calm temper. The audience will see Desdemona, till the end, as a loyal wife, who maintains her allegiance and love to Othello through thick and thin. Othello believed the ‘man’, Iago, who fed him with lies and false proof above his wife, Desdemona, who had given up almost everything to be with him. She was too oblivious to see the reality that her husband was the one sabotaging Othello. Find out more. In Act I Scene 1 Brabantio disapproves of Desdemona … Othello Questions and Answers The Question and Answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. 1st Jan 1970 He has a role of massive importance, in the army, being a General, however, he is clearly masked by some major flaws, evident in the jealousy, distrust and insecurity that he feels towards his wife, Desdemona. He sees her as a wanton whore who deserves the harshest of punishments, which is death. Obviously, there is an age difference. Othello and A Discourse of Marriage and Wiving In Othello, Shakespeare adheres to some of but ignores some of the rules set from A Discourse of Marriage and Wiving, while he creates conflicts in Othello’s marriage to Desdemona. Had evil Iago not been out for Othello, I think Othello and Desdemona might have been okay. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Early Marriage Essay. Question. Sure Othello would have had his moments of jealousy and anger but it would have been short lived. Iago, a good friend of Othello, plants a seed of suspicion in Othello making him believe his wife is committing adultery. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! Company Registration No: 4964706. The alternate view is also true in that the relationship has many merits, but unfortunately, far too many flaws and obstacles in the path of the relationship from flourishing and growing, rather it died a rather rotten and horrid death. The fact that many saw the relationship of Othello and Desdemona containing the elements of tragedy is very true within the context of the Venetian [setting] and Elizabethan [audience] societies, as outlined above. From the very outset one is immediately made aware of Shakespeare’s intent for this play. English Literature In Othello, marriage is tantamount to death. The marriage of Othello and Desdemona was a union of different races and colors that the sense of the world has never approved. Even those in the play, who are not racist, would find it more natural for Desdemona to be attracted to a younger, white man, similar to herself. Activities focused on Act 1 Scene 1 when Roderigo and Iago wake up Brabantio with news of Desdemona's union with Othello. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. I wouldn't say it was doomed from the start. Desdemona, being initially a faithful and loyal daughter, which is expected from a woman of the 16th century, has to present an image of being meek and docile. Through analysing this play, one can come to understand the dangers of racial injustice in relationships, especially in the relationship of Othello and Desdemona and the setting of the play, thus the conventions of the time. S intent for this play way, Brabantio ` s daughter has a calm. 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