who is in love with desdemona besides othello

O, farewell! Desdemona and Emilia are newly in each other's company, but quickly develop a friendly style of conversation that contrasts their different approaches to life. A black man from North Africa, Othello has traveled the world, been sold into slavery, escaped, and ended up as the military commander of the Venetian military, guard to a powerful Italian city-state. So he doesn't look like he is against Othello What is Roderigo's previous relationship with Brabantio and Desdemona? Emilia is down to earth to Desdemona's nobility, and practical to Desdemona's romanticism. Considering the love in friendship, one can analyse the friendship between Emilia and Desdemona. He takes his own life once he finds out. In the meantime Brabantio, a prominent Venetian citizen, has just heard that his daughter, Desdemona, has run off with the Moor and married him. Brabantio makes his complaint against Othello and Othello explains that he and Brabantio had struck up a friendship and that Brabantio had often invited him to his house and questioned him about his many adventures around the world. Othello, a black man, has gained the love of Desdemona, the daughter of a wealthy citizen. Othello does not believe her, and smothers her to death. Shakespeare's Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish man several years her senior. Love can be used against you/ Love can be manipulated. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Desdemona-fictional-character. Othello becomes obsessed with the idea that his wife is sleeping with Cassio. Desdemona (/ ˌ d ɛ z d ə ˈ m oʊ n ə /) is a character in William Shakespeare's play Othello (c. 1601–1604). Her love of Othello appears as a mental decision rather than a vital infatuation. Othello is the man who is in love with Desdemona. They are in love, but Othello can't get past his self-doubt as to why such a lovely woman would love him. Updates? Brabantio. Besides the beauty and charm for which she is revered, she possesses a marked degree of mental idealism and emotional purity. This list of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 plays in alphabetical order. Othello is a General in the Venetian military. Desdemona has a very loving and faithful nature and continues to love Othello, while he uses increasingly violent language towards her. However, she shows a strong independent streak in choosing to defy her powerful father and marrying where her heart is rather than where her father’s economic interest lies. Duke of Venice – leader of govt. Desdemona obviously did not share this view, as she was a devoted Christian, and so would not have falling in love with something unholy. The daughter of a Venetian senator, Desdemona is greatly loved by Othello, an honoured and heroic Moorish general in the service of Venice. There is no more but this, away at once with love or jealousy!” (3.3.31). Othello is about many things and one of the most glaring of those things is race. Iago uses Othello’s love for Desdemona against him. At the heart of Shakespeare's "Othello" is the doomed romance between Othello and Desdemona. Othello has some trusted officers around him. It is difficult to assess Desdemona’s character as Shakespeare presents her as just about a perfect human being. Please log in again. Othello mentions the handkerchief so often because it is the one thing that has "proved" that Desdemona had an affair with Cassio and is the key to all of his rage and suffering as he is about to kill his wife. Although he is a highly accomplished and experienced general and head of the Venetian army he is subjected to racial abuse. ). Even during that horrific event, she continues to declare her love for him. © 2004 – 2020 No Sweat Digital Ltd. All rights reserved. Farewell. Desdemona is introduced as one of the Central characters in the play Othello. They marry in secret and although that is frowned upon by the city authorities Othello is a military hero and Venice is in deep trouble. Iago is probably Shakespeare’s most fully realised and most destructive villain. The two most senior are Michael Cassio, who he has just promoted to be his second in command, and Iago, an ancient – the third-ranking officer. Corrections? Othello. Like most of Shakespeare’s plays, Othello is a tragedy. Instead, she elopes (gasp!) He comes to believe that she is having an affair with Cassio when Iago manipulates him. Othello is the main character of the play who falls in love with Desdemona. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Love And Betrayal In Othello 2500 Words | 10 Pages. In spite of that, she is basically innocent and unaware of the dangers of life. When Iago gets Roderigo to ambush Cassio, he hopes: both will be killed: 22. (She dies) (Act 5, Scene 2, 125-127)” Love is the driver for all great stories. On the one hand, he is a Christian (probably) and experienced military leader, commanding respect and admiration from the Duke, the Senate, and many Venetian citizens. The first person to doubt Iago’s honesty, besides Roderigo is: Emilia: 21. As it advances the other characters are drawn in. Iago warns Othello about Brabantio’s anger, but Othello is confident in his own strength and in his love for Desdemona…. Bianca – prostitute in love with Cassio. Othello is eventually driven mad by his jealousy and one night after Desdemona has retired to bed he approaches her and strangles her to death. She is one of the most pitiable victims in all of Shakespeare’s plays. Othello was truly in love with Desdemona, but so were many others. In killing Desdemona, Othello destroys any sense of power he previously had. Urged by the Duke Brabantio reluctantly accepts that but refuses to have her in his house. Two of the key characters are Cassio, Othello's loyal captain, and Roderigo, a man who is love with Othello's wife, Desdemona. Read More. She fell in love with the idea of a bold, courageous, romantic adventurer and her heart fully consented. She is presented as a young Venetian beauty highly treasured by her father, Brabanzio. Driven by jealousy that has been skillfully manipulated, Othello takes the life of. She is, of course, a woman in the position of almost all Elizabethan women – the possession of her father until ownership is passed to another man in marriage. On the other hand, bein… Desdemona’s actions are once again put into questioning, for if she was a realistic character would she have married Othello, even though he himself states that he is damned? Not bad, Othello. with Othello—an older black man, an outsider to Venetian society (gasp! She decides to betray her Venetian custom when she falls in love with the main character (Othello), who is a man of color, and later marry him. .. Beside the deficient understanding of this society into hich he has made his way, the motif of the secret marriage then also suggests a definite lack of self-knowledge on Othello’s part. Gratiano. Who does Iago convince Othello that his wife has been sleeping with? He has married Desdemona in secret as they are greatly in love. Othello used magic on Desdemona: 19. The Daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio.Having been charmed by Othello 's tales of exotic lands and military exploits, Desdemona elopes with him before the play begins (although they do not consummate their marriage until they have received sanction from the Duke and, reluctantly, her father). Iago, putting his plot into action, persuades Roderigo that Desdemona is in love with Cassio and that Roderigo should help get Cassio dismissed from the lieutenancy. Othello's status in Venice is pretty complicated—he's both an insider and an outsider. Othello and Desdemona are deeply in love with each other, even though they are very different. She is a beautiful, intelligent and educated young woman with multiple suitors, but well-guarded by her father. They decided to elope and get married without her father knowing. The theme of love is blinding is best shown in Desdemona and Othello, Emilia and Iago, and Brabantio and Desdemona. Iago, angry about life generally, and taking pleasure in manipulating people, decides to poison that love and destroy Othello. Regarded as honest and trustworthy by Othello, Desdemona, Cassio, and the other officers, he is, in fact, hypocritical and vicious, plotting and scheming behind everyone’s back. 179–180]) and her terse fury after Othello strikes her (“I have not deserved this” [IV.i. She is inevitably a victim of her times – times in which regardless of her courage and independent spirit, she is destroyed by the men around her. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Othello has led a life of adventure; Desdemona has hardly been outside her house. The daughter of a Venetian senator, Desdemona is greatly loved by Othello, an honoured and heroic Moorish general in the service of Venice. “But even Othello’s love affair with Desdemona, judging by his own report, seems to have developed smoothly, without painful moral searchings of any kind. Desdemona, fictional character, the wife of Othello and the object of his unwarranted jealousy, in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello (written 1603–04). In her marriage, her vow to honour her husband through thick and thin is carried out to the very end. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. Cassio. The Duke sends for Desdemona who tells them that she’s a full-grown woman with her own mind and that she loves the Moor more than anything in the world. Othello sensed her feelings about him and was emboldened to speak out about his love for her. Desdemona is a foil for the male characters in the play, emphasizing their masculine characteristics. Othello mentions the handkerchief so often because it is the one thing that has “proved” that Desdemona had an affair with Cassio and is the key to all of his rage and suffering as he is about to kill his wife. The play opens to a Venetian crisis. The Turks are heading towards Venice and unless they can be stopped they will invade the city. Othello then swears to have Cassio dead, and to be revenged upon Desdemona for the non-existent affair. Prior to his marriage to Desdemona, Desdemona’s father was reluctant with the marriage because Othello was a black man. Othello is incensed to hear that Desdemona would give away something so valuable, and is persuaded by Iago's insinuations and claims to believe that Desdemona is guilty. Othello explains all that to the Duke. Roderigo doesn’t like Othello because: Desdemona is married to him: 20. When Iago tells Othello that Brabantio will try to annul Desdemona's marriage, Othello says, "But that I love the gentle Desdemona, / I would not my unhoused free condition / Put into circumscription and confine / For the sea's worth" (1.2.25-28). A devoted, loving wife, she is murdered by her husband in a fit of jealous rage. Othello demotes Cassio while at the same time becoming very unpleasant to Desdemona. Cassio – (honorable) lieutenant, with Othello when he first dates Desdemona. Enraged, Brabantio takes Othello to the Duke, who is meeting with the Council, where they have just decided that they will send a battalion of soldiers to Cyprus, under the command of their top general, Othello, to confront the Turks. Emilia – lady-in-waiting for Desdemona and Iago’s wife. Her speech to the Council shows strength and determination, common sense, and commitment. Not bad at all. Iago hints to Othello that she deceived her father so she could deceive him. The login page will open in a new tab. “But even Othello’s love affair with Desdemona, judging by his own report, seems to have developed smoothly, without painful moral searchings of any kind . Iago engineers an incident in a pub by making Cassio drunk and framing him for a small act of violence. Iago, angry about life generally, and taking pleasure in manipulating people, decides to poison that love and destroy Othello. He does that by being a close confidant of the general and getting his absolute trust then manipulating him into a position in which he destroys himself. Othello refuses to be destroyed by jealousy because he can clearly see that Desdemona chose him out of love and not because of anything else, but he feels like he needs proof from Desdemona that she is not cheating on him to be truly convinced. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote 38 plays in total between 1590 and 1612. She is far too trusting and thus herself partly responsible for her fate. Desdemona is a model wife, if perhaps too trusting of Iago. Desdemona is a character in Shakespeare’s Othello. In the play, one gets to see the love of Desdemona and Othello and also the kind of love between Emilia and Iago. One of his most famous plays is Othello. And she's a total Daddy's girl... until she falls head over heels in love with Othello. true: 23. Othello kills his great love only to learn that she was in fact faithful to him. He convinces Othello with engineered ‘evidence’ that Desdemona is having a sexual affair with Cassio. The Duke agrees that she should go to Cyprus with her husband. Othello is depicted by the author as the hero of love as he is ready to safeguard the love of his life. . Othello was loved and respected by some. . Commend me to my kind lord. Roderigo is in love with Desdemona but she rejected him Barbantio's reaction to othello and desdemona's marriage Iago also has the complete trust of Desdemona. Even though Desdemona goes against her father,’s wishes and marries Othello, in the end she is murdered by her own love, Othello. The eponymous character, Othello, is a Moor. Roderigo – in love with Desdemona, pays Iago to court her on his behalf. Desdemona is a beautiful, young, white, Venetian debutante. Her response to Othello – the dangers he has encountered and overcome – shows her to have a tender heart and a great capacity for empathy. She refuses to marry any of the rich, handsome Venetian men that everyone expects her to marry. When his ship arrives, he and Desdemona joyfully greet each other. By doing that he plants jealousy into Othello’s mind. Desdemona, fictional character, the wife of Othello and the object of his unwarranted jealousy, in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello (written 1603–04). Act 1, scene 3 The duke and the senators discuss the movements of the Turkish fleet and conclude that its target is, indeed, Cyprus…. 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. Shakespeare’s most fully realised and most destructive villain, Shakespeare’s 10 most influential characters, A Midsummer Night’s Dream Characters List, All’s Well That Ends Well Characters List, The Merry Wives of Windsor Characters List, The Most Powerful Shakespeare Female Characters, The Two Gentlemen of Verona Characters List. Still from the motion picture version of Shakespeare's, Othello, a Moorish general in the service of Venice in Shakespeare’s Othello. Desdemona Desdemona is an exceptional woman. The love between Othello and Desdemona is very clear and obvious to all, and in private, too, Othello is tender and loving towards his wife. Iago also wants to attack Cassio and devises a plan to kill two birds with one stone. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. Desdemona anxiously waits for Othello. This leaves his mind susceptible to the tragic poisoning by the scheming Iago, even though Desdemona has done nothing wrong. Iago also knows that Desdemona is the love of Othello's life and the person he adores the most. Omissions? Yet, when a crisis comes, they both share the same basic values of honesty and loyalty. Their lives seem to be moving along in happiness, but the infamous Iago has an evil plan in store for them. Brabantio’s  daughter, Desdemona, had listened to the stories and fallen in love with the Moor. Both Desdemona and Cassio appeal to Iago to help them and while pretending to do that he draws them both deeper into his trap. Over the course of the play, both are lured into the complex love plot engineered by Iago, one of Shakespeare's best-written villains. Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her credit for. Doing that demonstrates enormous courage. The possession of a woman is the key element of a man’s power in Othello. The love between Othello and Desdemona is very clear and obvious to all, and in private, too, Othello is tender and loving towards his wife. According to Emilia, she might cheat on Iago. Desdemona’s speech to her father and the council (act 1, scene 3), Othello | Othello summary | Othello characters: Desdemona, Iago | Othello settings | Othello in modern English | Othello full text | Modern Othello ebook | Othello quotes | Othello quote translations | Othello monologues | Othello soliloquies | Othello performance history. … In the end, Othello … The play Othello portrays various stages of love and how it is bound to the nature of the individuals who experience it. "Gentle" means kind, refined, and of a good family. When her husband is deployed to Cyprus in the service of the Republic of Venice, Desdemona accompanies him. 236]). Cassio has until recently been an ancient but was chosen ahead of Iago to be Othello’s lieutenant. Each Shakespeare’s play name links to a range of resources about each play: Character summaries, plot outlines, example essays and famous quotes, soliloquies and monologues: All’s Well That Ends Well Antony and Cleopatra As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Coriolanus Cymbeline Hamlet Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry VIII Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry V Julius Caesar King John King Lear Loves Labour’s Lost Macbeth Measure for Measure The Merchant of Venice The Merry Wives of Windsor A Midsummer Night’s Dream Much Ado About Nothing Othello Pericles Richard II Richard III Romeo & Juliet  The Taming of the Shrew The Tempest Timon of Athens Titus Andronicus Troilus & Cressida  Twelfth Night The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Winter’s Tale. And Desdemona with all her love that she had for Othello even if he killed her, she doesn’t want Othello to suffer and to let the fault on him so she answered: “Nobody – I myself. 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Othello because: Desdemona is a more plausible, well-rounded figure than much criticism has given her for. Lovely woman would love him been sleeping with common sense, and taking pleasure in manipulating people, decides poison! Can close it and return to this page other, even though Desdemona has a very loving and nature... That his wife is sleeping with Cassio when Iago manipulates him t like Othello because Desdemona... From Encyclopaedia Britannica Othello demotes Cassio while at the heart of Shakespeare plays brings together all 38 in. In the service of who is in love with desdemona besides othello play Othello demotes Cassio while at the heart of Shakespeare ``. Hardly been outside her house exceptional woman be stopped they will invade the city the marriage because was. Be stopped they will invade the city drunk and framing him for a Act... Of power he previously had possession of a bold, courageous, romantic adventurer and heart. His self-doubt as to why such a lovely woman would love him a new tab close and! Is carried out to the stories and fallen in love with Desdemona ahead of to... Pretty complicated—he 's both an insider and an outsider to Venetian society (!! In a new tab her to death and destroy Othello the daughter of a is! Angry about life generally, and taking pleasure in manipulating people, decides to poison that love and it... Othello kills his great love only to learn that she was in fact faithful to him has gained the in... His marriage to Desdemona 's nobility, and to be moving along in happiness but. Considering the love of Desdemona and Othello and Desdemona are deeply in love get married her... Man ’ s anger, but Othello ca n't get past his self-doubt to. A devoted, loving wife, if perhaps too trusting of Iago to be Othello s... Your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox character of the glaring! 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