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Desdemona in "Othello"
Summary: Is Desdemona in William Shakespeare's play "Othello" an innocent victim in a male-dominated world, or is she at least partly responsible for what happens to her? While there are effective arguments on both sides, the more convincing argument is that Desdemona is an innocent victim and therefore not at all responsible for Othello's murderous actions.
How do you interpret the role and dramatic significance of Desdemona in the tragic unfolding of the play? Is she the victim in a male dominated world or at least partly responsible for what happens to her?
There have been many interpretations of `Othello', more particularly, with changing social and moral norms, a variation on the portrayal of the role of women. Many versions present Desdemona, and women as a whole, in polar views, as either a co-conspirator in her own demise, or, as the nineteenth century critic Hazlitt suggested, "An innocent victim of a foul conspiracy." These two views are evenly balanced, each with their merits, but equally with their flaws. In this essay I intend to look at both arguments and draw a conclusion as to Desdemona's role in the tragedy of the play.
The traditional interpretation of the play shows Desdemona as a character who...
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This section contains 2,130 words (approx. 8 pages at 300 words per page) |
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