Gender in Othello - 716 Words

Of all the characters in Shakespeare’s works, none fall harder or faster than that of Othello, The Moor of Venice. Easily swayed and wrought by jealousy, Othello’s downfall is brought on by the fact that he doesn’t believe in himself. This uncertainty is the basis upon which unfolds one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies. Through the in depth analysis of both Othello and Iago, I will serve to prove that Shakespeare was illustrating the fact that disaster is the only outcome of men lead by wild emotion and pride. As the play starts, Iago assures Roderigo that he detests Othello, and he states that the only true motivation for this hatred is because he was passed up for promotion, and that Cassio has become Othello’s lieutenant. Sound as his military judgement was, he clearly could not foresee the impeding wrath of his flag bearer. This rejection pushes Iago into seeing that Othello get his due punishment for passing up on him. The fact that Iago was not chosen brings about a sense of emptiness. This is the man that he would gladly die for on the battlefield. Othello was everything to Iago; now that he is passed over, Iago is nothing. The death of this belief leads Iago to plan out his revenge for the Moor. The reader gets to witness the development of Iago first hand, from that of a miscreant waking Brabantio and starting up street brawls, to his ability to masterfully spin the web which all of the characters get ensnared in. Ken Jacobsen breaks down the character on aShow MoreRelatedGender and Race I Othello2283 Words   |  10 PagesGender and Race in Othello |    In many of his works, William Shakespeare explores ideas of gender differences and racial tensions. Othello, a play whose characters are judged again and again based on appearances and outward characteristics, is one such work. The protagonists different ethnic background provides a platform for probing ideas of racial conflict. Similarly, the presence of well-developed yet opposing female characters adds a dimension of gender conflict and feminist views. These seeminglyRead MoreGender Stereotypes in Othello Essay2033 Words   |  9 Pagesregards to gender stereotypes. Shakespeare’s great play Othello uses its main characters to embody the characteristics of the stereotypical females and males according to society’s liking. The stereotypical woman is loyal and faithful to her husband, while the male stereotype possesses strength, control, and dominance. This use of stereotypes enables many misperceptions to develop and build until ultimately everyone experiences downfa ll and destruction. Shakespeare includes the effects of gender rolesRead MoreGender and Race I Othello2289 Words   |  10 PagesGender and Race in Othello |    In many of his works, William Shakespeare explores ideas of gender differences and racial tensions. Othello, a play whose characters are judged again and again based on appearances and outward characteristics, is one such work. The protagonists different ethnic background provides a platform for probing ideas of racial conflict. Similarly, the presence of well-developed yet opposing female characters adds a dimension of gender conflict and feminist views. TheseRead MoreGender Inequality In Othello And Shelleys Frankenstein1294 Words   |  6 PagesGender inequality will always affect the portrayal of women in society, the weaker, unnecessary, and other sex. It is not just a subject of the past, and still holds a name in society. However in the olden eras, the way women were treated and looked at was in a much harsher condition. In Shakespeare’s Othello and Shelley’s Frankenstein, women’s roles in the books are solely based on the way they are treated in their ti me period. The portrayal of women in these books demonstrate that they can neverRead More Gender Bias in Othello Essay examples1880 Words   |  8 PagesGender Bias in Othello  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello is an unfortunate example of gender bias, of sexism which takes advantage of women. The three women characters in the drama are all, in their own ways, victims of men’s skewed attitudes regarding women. Let us delve into this topic in this essay.    Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine comment in the Introduction to Shakespeare: Othello that sexism is a big factor   in the play:    At this point in our civilizationRead MoreEssay about The Impact of Gender on Shakespeares Othello 1376 Words   |  6 PagesThe Impact of Gender on Shakespeare’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 inRead More Gender Roles in Shakespeares Othello Essay example2081 Words   |  9 PagesGender Roles in Shakespeares Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚   Othello represents a prime example of Shakespeares ability to develop relationships between the sexes so as to demonstrate those relationships weaknesses. In Othello, the sexes are divided by misconceptions and ego- centric views of the opposite gender. The men of the play, in particular Othello, maintain a patriarchal, chivalric notion of the sexes, while the women of the play yearn for more involvement in their husbands affairs. So it is thatRead More The Manipulation of Gender Roles in Shakespeare’s Othello Essay4756 Words   |  20 PagesThe Manipulation of Gender Roles in Shakespeare’s Othello Of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, the story of the rise and fall of the Moor of Venice arguably elicits the most intensely personal and emotional responses from its English-speaking audiences over the centuries. Treating the subject of personal human relationships, the tragedy which should have been a love story speaks to both reading and viewing audiences by exploring the archetypal dramatic values of love and betrayal. The final sourceRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - Role Of Women And Gender Representation1312 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Othello The role of women and gender representation in Othello challenged the male dominated society in that time period. Women in Shakespeare’s time were seen as being loyal and submissive to their husbands and not going against their husband’s judgment. Shakespeare developed complex and varied female characters in his plays, especially the women portrayed in Othello. In the play, Shakespeare introduces three female characters: Desdemona, Othello s wife, Emilia, Iago’s wife and mistressRead MoreEssay on Analyses of Race and Gender Issues in Shakespeares Othello3144 Words   |  13 PagesAnalyses of Race and Gender Issues in Othello      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The discussion of race in Shakespeares Othello has received a great deal of critical attention. Virginia Mason Vaughn, in her book Othello: A Contextual History, surveys this critical history, beginning with Marvin Rosenbergs 1961 book The Masks of Othello (a book documenting the nineteenth-century tendency toward representing Othello as light-skinned), and continuing through to Jack DAmicos 1991 book The Moor in English Renaissance