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. In Act I Scene 1 Brabantio disapproves of Desdemona … In light of the above statement, Othello, is most certainly one of Shakespeare’s more famous tragedies. 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! It took Iago to plant the seeds of doubt in the Moor's head and then slowly cultivate the lie with shreds of "proof". Othello and Desdemona’s Relationship Othello and Desdemona's relationship was doomed from the start. This leaves his mind susceptible to the tragic poisoning by the scheming Iago, even though Desdemona has done nothing wrong. 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’s label of Desdemona prevents him from considering her a person. Reference this. Obviously, there is an age difference. 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 suggests that, as long as men view women as being promiscuous and disloyal, the institution of marriage is doomed. No plagiarism, guaranteed! Othello and Desdemona's relationship is doomed from the beginning of the play due to many reasons. Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. You can view samples of our professional work here. 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. 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. (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. 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 Desdemona is one of the characters in Shakespeare’s Othello. Updated March 29, 2020 At the heart of Shakespeare's "Othello" is the doomed romance between Othello and Desdemona. When Othello doubts Desdemona’s fidelity, he compares her reputation to the colour of his skin as ‘begrimed and black…as mine own face.’. 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. From the very outset one is immediately made aware of Shakespeare’s intent for this play. 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. If you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help! This is largely due to the nature of the character of the main protagonist, Othello. Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was kind of doomed from the start. To us this may not seem unnatural, but at the time, this was very uncommon. what are the flaws in their relationship?, was their marriage build on a solid foundation Details . what are the flaws in their relationship?, was their marriage build on a solid foundation. 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]. Company Registration No: 4964706. 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. The first piece of evidence being that Desdemona was easily swooned by Othello’s stories. This might spark outrage in some, while it might definitely present a more favourable attitude and feeling in others. dr.two. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. Was Othello's marriage to desdemona doomed from the start? Othello, who for all intents and purposes, is essentially a brave and valiant soldier, who can be seen as predominantly good. 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, 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. 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: By marrying Othello, Desdemona was showing that she was strong enough and educated enough to break the societal confines of passivity for women. 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. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Sadly, unbeknown to Desdemona, the husband whom she has put so much faith into will savagely and violently turn against her. Including ‘race’ as one of the elements of judgement is genius, as this definitely goes against the conventions of the time. 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. Attitudes towards Othello and Desdemona’s marriage at the start of the play. 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. This might be interpreted in the fact that Othello was more necessary and important to Venice than Brabantio. Women were perceived as possessions of their fathers who then became possessions of their husbands. They are in love, but Othello can't get past his self-doubt as to why such a lovely woman would love him. She should obey her father but she defied him. 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. 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. 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. Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a university student. A focused essay question and a copy of the extract are also … 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. Question. Copyright © 2003 - 2020 - UKEssays is a trading name of All Answers Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Attitudes towards Othello and Desdemona’s marriage at the start of the play; Published: 10/07/2019 KS5 | Plays 3 pages. Not affiliated with Harvard College. 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 is why why some critics have observed that Othello and Desdemona's marriage is doomed to failing from the start. Looking for a flexible role? His sense of reason was absolutely removed when he had to consider the allegations made against his wife. 179–180]) and her terse fury after Othello strikes her (“I have not deserved this” [IV.i. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? English Literature Find out more. Desdemona had never even considered this possibility within any marriage. 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. Jealousy was powerful enough to break apart a strong marriage, like Desdemona and Othello’s. Free resources to assist you with your university studies! Emilia trusted Iago because she loved him so much even though he was using her and lying to her. 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. Shakespeare took the idea for Othello from a tale of doomed mixed-race marriage in Cinthio’s De Gli Hecatommithi, 1565. 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). In Othello, marriage is tantamount to death. The audience will see Desdemona, till the end, as a loyal wife, who maintains her allegiance and love to Othello through thick and thin. Due to her naivety in this belief, this unfortunately seals her death warrant. 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. 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. Othello: Questions. Othello, a man of African descent, married Desdemona, a white Venetian woman, in a time period that is very strongly manipulated by racism. This is the reason why some critics have seen that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is doomed to failure from the start. Our academic experts are ready and waiting to assist with any writing project you may have. 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 simple essay plans, through to full dissertations, you can guarantee we have a service perfectly matched to your needs. 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. 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. Get Help With Your Essay . 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. Othello and Desdemona's relationship was unstable to begin with, but "doomed" is probably stretching it. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is doomed from the very beginning because of the setting of Venice. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello and Desdemona’s marriage was doomed from the start. In the end Othello and Desdemona’s love was doomed from the start. 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. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. 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. Advantages And Disadvantages Of Early Marriage Essay. 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. Othello, on the other hand, moves from a strong, brave and loving soldier and husband to weak, deceitful and hated character. 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. 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]. Unlike her husband, Brabantio`s daughter has a very calm temper. 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. Iago and Emilia’s marriage consists of Emilia being blinded by her love, ultimately leading to her murder. 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. Try on an opinion or two, start a debate, or play the devil’s advocate. 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 … Topics: Othello, Marriage, Love Pages: 5 (1877 words) Published: March 20, 2013. Othello’s label of Desdemona prevents him from considering her a person. 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. In a way, Brabantio has given Othello ammunition to ‘kill’ his daughter. He sees her as a wanton whore who deserves the harshest of punishments, which is death. Sure Othello would have had his moments of jealousy and anger but it would have been short lived. 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. VAT Registration No: 842417633. 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. 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 first step to this doomed relationship was Brabantio; Desdemona's father. This sadly, is what led to his tragic demise. Activities focused on Act 1 Scene 1 when Roderigo and Iago wake up Brabantio with news of Desdemona's union with Othello. 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. Answered by Aslan 7 years ago 4/13/2013 4:07 AM I wouldn't say it was doomed from the start. Their relationship is unstable from the start. 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. 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. Turn against her to consider the allegations made against his wife Desdemona you have about our services believe wife. I would n't say it was doomed from the start this ” [ IV.i, 2013 's romantic is... 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