Desdemona is the only daughter of the Venetian senator Brabanzio, who secretly marries Othello and leaves her home heading to Cyprus, together with Othello and his army.

Desdemona is a very complicated and rather difficult to describe character. As she only appears after we hear all the other characters talk about her, we seem to have a little prejudice about. The fact that she secretly marries Othello, because she adores the stories of his voyages, might let her look naïve and foolish. The fact that not one of the characters talks of her as being a person with a strong character increases this narrow idea of childlike Desdemona.

However, soon after the first appearance of Desdemona everything seems to change. As her father asks her, if she obeys Othello or him, she gives a rather keen answer, .".. You are the...