English 101

PROMPT for Research paper:–

“Desdemona’s characteristics /role changes from,when she is with Othello, and when she is not with him,making her merely a passive victim of Othello’s TRAGIC FLAW.”

Your response is, “Do you agree or disagree with the prompt.” Take your stand on ONE aspect if you agree or disagree? Write a clear thesis, stating your 3 reasons, to support your stand, with explanation, and examples from the play. Also support your reasons and examples with 2 Quotes per reason, from your sources / research , to prove your stand.

Further Instructions:

M.L.A style minimum 1000 words, with a clear thesis and 3 supporting reasons, 5 paragraphs,

With 3 credible sources, (from e- books on, “Shakespearean tragedy”), Works Cited, 2 quotes in each Body Paragraph.

Some of the e-books for literary criticism on Othello, are available from Delta college Library’s GoElectronics database: Othello(Shakespeare,William)AND Criticism Mostly articles. Don’t forget to write the name of the source,the author’s name / page number and date you got the quotes on . Plagiarism is a crime! Please reach out if you are unsure or need help with how to quote sources accurately.

The specific e-books are:- ( These are reliable sources)

1. The Politics of Paul Robeson’s Othello

2. Shakespeare’s Tragedies:Violation and Identity

3.Shakespearean Tragedy by A.C Bradley.(from the Project Gutenberg)

ANSWER

Desdemona’s Role/Character

Introduction

Desdemona and Othello is a key reading by Shakespeare that continues to gain attention globally. Their story and unfortunate ending educate the audience about relationships and associated risks and threats affecting establishing quality and lasting unions. Desdemona’s characteristics remain constant when she is with Othello and when not around him. She possesses distinct personal characteristics that build a consistent character all along. She is independent, committed, innocent, and devoted to everything that she does. These qualities have helped her to create a respected name in the film. The negative encounters and situations that she finds herself into align with her affiliations with Othello and not due to her fluctuating characteristics. Desdemona maintains her key behavioral elements due to her independence, commitment, devotion, and innocence when around Othello and away from him with the outcomes she experiences emerging from his tragic flaws.

Desdemona as an Independent Woman

Desdemona is an independent woman who makes her own decisions. Her actions and behavior are driven by an inner desire to achieve the milestones and goals set forth. She believes in understanding that she considers essential, and Othello does not play any vital role in changing her traits. For example, she goes against the traditional Venetian customs and decides to marry an outsider. She was expected to marry one of the rich Venetian men, but she settles for Othello, an outsider. He does not play any role in making her change mind. Desdemona believes in independence and portrays readiness to make decisions that she feels are beneficial for her. She tells his father that “But here is my husband and I will profess due to the Moor my lord” to show her readiness in being a loyal wife (Act 1, Scene 3). She believes that women should be loyal to their husbands. The problems that she encounters later result from Othello’s flaws but not due to direct control from him or other people around her. Other parties play a vital role in altering their relationship. However, Othello is to blame and not Desdemona since he is compelled to believe that his wife and an extramarital affair.  For example, lago is keen to ruin their relationship, where he tells Othello that his wife was cheating on him. Othello needs Iago to teach him the ways of the word and the “truth” about his marriage (Leggatt 123). He is misled into developing a negative perception, while Desdemona always believes in herself. She portrays an independent character that is not based on her interaction with Othello. Also, Desdemona maintains her behavior despite being faced with a tempting situation.

Desdemona’s High Commitment

Desdemona is a committed woman who does not fall prey to her husband’s behavior to act according to his expectations. Despite finding herself in wanting situations, she does not change her actions and behavior. She remains committed to fulfilling her desirable inner feelings. For example, her husband’s insecurity does not alter her behavior. Othello goes to the extent of calling her a whole to highlight his dissatisfaction with her behavior. This emerges from the lies developed by lago that Desdemona is cheating on Othello. Even with the insults, she is loyal to her husband. She resolves to love him as the time irrespective of the misunderstandings between the two. She receives mistreatments but does not provide similar treatment to Othello. She says, “My lobe doth so approve him, that even his stubbornness, his checks, and frowns” (Act Four, Scene Three). Desdemona is resolute amidst adversity and is committed to her husband. This reveals that her committed trait does not change even with the inappropriate treatment she receives from her husband.

Unlike Othello, who lacks emotional control, Desdemona’s commitment enables her to manage her feelings and emotions. Iago refers to Othello as a “Barbary horse,” where this makes him develop an attacked black ego (Swindall 15). He decides to direct his wrath to his wife, who is accused of having an extra affair. Desdemona is better positioned to handle uncertainty where this helps her to develop suitable moves. For example, after Othello shames her by calling her a whole, she controls her emotions. She does not allow her emotional feelings to determine her actions. When Othello takes adverse steps against her, she does not fight back because this would indicate external influence from her husband. She maintains her sanity in situations that would otherwise attract the bitter part of her. Overall, her commitment to emotional control evidenced a character keen to maintain her status irrespective of the prevailing situations. Othello does not change her role or characteristics whatsoever. She treats everyone in the same way. Thus, her core characteristics are consistent in all situations. She is an innocent and completely devoted person.

Desdemona’s Innocence and Devotion

Desdemona’s innocence and devotion are evidenced in her interactions and associations with everyone. These elements help her to maintain her behavior when interacting with her husband and other community members. Thus, her actions are not dependent on who she is interacting with at the community level. Her crime is to become a victim of Othello’s flaw that significantly affects her life at large. Othello converts human nature into chaos (Bradley 178). He acts in a way that counters the expected human approach. However, Desdemona’s behavior remains consistent due to her devotion and innocence. For example, she dies due to the inability to prove her innocence to her husband. Everyone around her adores her. Othello loves her irrespective of their ending. Also, her father and those she comes across with often admire her for her innocence and devotion. It is important to note that Desdemona applies rationality and tenacity in all her conversations. For example, after realizing that Othello was on the path of doing the wrong thing, she does not shy away from informing him of the sensible and right thing. Also, she calmly asks Cassio how he obtained her handkerchief instead of attacking him verbally or physically. Her statement, “I never did offend you in my life, never loved Cassio,” indicates her innocence and devotion amidst harsh situations that would have possibly exposed her to an unsuitable action (Act Five, Scene Two). However, her behavior remains the same irrespective of the person she interacts with.

Conclusion

Desdemona maintains her characteristics when around and away from Othello. Her interactions when associating with her husband and other people remain unchanged due to her independence, commitment, devotion, and innocence. These elements help her to cultivate a quality personality. Across the various situations and circumstances that she finds herself in, she does not alter her behavior and actions to obtain a particular set of outcomes. She adheres to personal traits that she defines her when engaging with her in the social setting.

Works Cited

Bradley, Andrew Cecil. Shakespearean Tragedy: Lectures on Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, Macbeth [by] AC Bradley. 2d Ed. Macmillan, 1905.

Leggatt, Alexander. Shakespeare’s tragedies: violation and identity. Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Swindall, Lindsey R. The Politics of Paul Robeson’s Othello. Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2010.