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Othello- relationship between Othello and Desdemona
Othello is a tragedy that was written by William Shakespeare in 1603. It is largely based on Othello, a “Moorish captain” who influences most of the activities in this play. It is through him that the themes of love, racism, revenge, repentance, betrayal and jealousy have been constructed. It was written at a time when marriage between people of different races and color was not allowed. Othello however goes to an extent of marrying Desdemona who was not of her race. This piece of writing seeks to critically analyze the relationship built in between Othello and Desdemona (daughter to Brabantio).
According to Potter (15), the meeting of two parties which were looking for Othello brings into prominence the relationship between Desdemona and Othello. Each of these two parties was seeking Othello for a reason different from the other. The party led by Cassio together with senate hasty summon to him (Othello), plays a very significant role in giving an importance to the great ability possessed by Othello as a commander thus emphasizing the value of Othello’s military. Brabantio together with his troop play significant roles in bringing out Othello’s private side in terms of his character. After the meeting of these two parties, Brabantio is shown being in a mood of quarreling. In order to prevent such an incident, Othello uses cool words thus calming down these groups. These words were “keep your bright swords in order to prevent thus getting rust from dew” (Shakespeare 75). The sudden danger emanating from the Turks has made the great dispatch become a necessity, and Othello has been ordered by Duke (Potter 18). The appeal of Brabantio to the senate takes place at the same time where Othello approaches the magnificoes since he is trusted by many being a commander to the army. The moor at last comes to realize that Signior Brabantio, his old and close friend has turned to become the person accusing him before the senate. From the reaction portrayed in this context, the moor did not expect such kind of a reaction. Formerly given honors as a good friend and also a soldier who is great in the army who is gladly welcomed in the house of Brabantio, Othello comes to realization that things have changed and he is currently taken as an enemy. He is execrated as the man married to the daughter of Brabantio. Possibly, for the first time, Othello establishes a fact that people do not accept him on terms of exact and full equity with the venetians in all particulars (Shakespeare 108). Most likely, Othello had a fear in this issue. This is the reason as to why he decided to marry Desdemona without getting permission from her father simply because Brabantio would not give him his consent.
This issue is then presented to the senate. The points raised by Brabantio in objection to Othello are all related to the differences Othello has in term s of color and race. Brabantio thinks that it is not a natural thing for Desdemona to accept Othello knowingly and willingly. He cannot be convinced on the way his daughter could make up her mind to get married to a man having the color and nationality of Othello unless in the case where the girl is not in her senses. He ends up concluding that Othello must have influenced the decisions made by Desdemona by charming her using magic and drugs. As a result of desperation, Brabantio cries out claiming that: “she is corrupted and stolen from me; by spells, using medicine which had been bought of mountebanks” (Shakespeare I. iii. 75-9). Brabantio reiterates the belief he had in that this occurrence is not as per the rules laid down by nature and talks about the magic supposed by Othello using the terms “practices of cunning hell”. At least, Brabantio thinks that the Venetian and Moor marriage, of white and black, to be utterly unnatural and preposterous. With no doubts, the other senators are convinced by Brabantio and end up supporting this idea. This as well appears as if it was the opinion supported by the dramatist, due to the fact that there is a lot of evidence claiming that this was the line of thinking during Elizabeth era. Only the drama’s development shows the extent to which this thinking goes. In this play, Shakespeare is seen sympathizing with this opinion which has been held by many at that time (Potter 21).
Two deeds on Othello’s part have resulted into bringing him to a collision with the other people. These two deeds are in one way or another related. As a result of Othello’s obligations to Cassio on the issue of making love with Desdemona (Brabantio’s daughter), he has ended up giving him a very important rank over Lago. In addition, he has taken Desdemone away from her family without Brabantio’s permission after which he marries her secretly. This is the key contributor towards making Othello a very big enemy of Brabantio (Pye 426). Initially, Brabantio was among the people who admired the duties played by Othello. In these two cases, there is very clear evidence on Othello’s dullness and callousness of mind. Othello up to this point was able to effectively and successfully carry out the role he had been assigned by the senate in his state of adoption. These two matters ends up breaking this trend of success and high degrees of responsibility in the role played. Even his superior in the military training was not having the capability of saving Othello. In his duties as a military commander, Othello was capable of performing as per the expectations. After this incident, people starting having a feeling in that he was not fitting in the more exacting and higher arts of peace, in this case love in a state that is civilized (Pye 428). When Othello leaves for the home and streets of a city that is refined, all the honor and respect he had been accorded initially goes into pieces. An unsuspected deficiency or weakness, in the character of Othello ends up being laid bare.
This deficiency presented in this play is as a result of the racial character of Othello which is in turn brought by the fact that Othello is a Moor. This half civilized man is ill adapted for living in the cultured and civilized Venice. Some of the critics however have been claiming that there is no part of the play bringing out the idea that he is a Moor. They claim that he is just a man, who is different from the rest through his black color. According to them, his color is completely portrayed in this play and hence it can be ignored in the course of giving an interpretation (Potter 22). After taking this assumption, the many instances in which color and race are brought out become very hard to explain. This view implies that the dramatist uses some of the words with no significance. It hence refuses the idea that there was something aimed at by the dramatist in his piece of work.
When taken to the senate following the case of abducting Desdemona, Othello in defense freely and frankly admits that he is with her. He however explains that he did not actually abduct her as they are suggesting but his marriage with Desdemona is based on the love Brabantio’s daughter had towards him. He then proceeds by apologizing for this incident. Othello makes it clear that it is through the battles he had gone through that contribute towards making Desdemona have love for him. In this context, Othello says that “she loves me as a result of the dangers I had gone through and I loved her too since she had pity towards me” (Shakespeare I.iii. 190-1). He then makes it clear that he is going to follow the decision made by Desdemona. Afterwards, Othello challenges the senate by telling them to call Desdemona so that she can speak for herself in front of everyone. He considers their marriage as something which should only concern him and Desdemona, thus implying that a lady has a right of choosing the marriage partner she wishes without taking instructions from her father.
In the play Othello, Shakespeare goes against the views of his other novels on the issue of a woman choosing a marriage partner. Some of his other works such as “Romeo and Juliet” are against the idea of a lady choosing a marriage partner. According to some of the critics, deciding to marry Othello is a kind of disrespect towards his father. According to the play however, marrying Othello shows the way Desdemona respect her own decisions and did not depend on decisions made by her father (Potter 27). It can be maintained that the union between Othello and Desdemona was spiritual due to the fact that many of elements that seemed not compatible proved effective by forming a relationship which could not be separated. The feeling of love helped in transforming Desdemona from being a blushing and meek maiden to a strong woman who could be depended on. Attempts to separate the two ended up failing.
When Desdemona is brought before the senate in order to speak from her own mind, she freely and lovingly declares she has already made up a decision of taking Othello as her husband. She in addition goes to an extent of accepting to take any consequences associated with such an action. She affirms her love towards Othello and the desire she had in living with him. She made a request of being allowed to accompany her husband to Cyprus. Desdemona says that her mind is sober and hence she fully understands what she is doing. She makes it clear that she is aware that Othello is a Moor and she is ready to accept and marry him the way he is (Shakespeare 282). Seeing her willingness and determination to abide by the decision she had made, Brabantio lets her unwillingly.
It is clear that Othello’s bravery against dangers is the main reason as to why Desdemona considered marrying him. She did not look at his moral or mental qualities. Her love according to the way it has been brought out in this play seemed like a kind of sensuous imagination or romantic fascination. Recent criticisms have been making attempts to glorify the beauty and purity in the love between Desdemona and Othello, thus trying to locate the place where it lies in most spiritual Shakespeare loves. Many of the writers today have been comparing the love between Desdemona and Othello with that of Romeo and Juliet. This love completely possesses their souls leaving no room for an external factor to intervene hence separating them. In the case of Romeo and Juliet no conflict occurred in between them (Shakespeare 108). In the case of Desdemona and Othello however, a distressing conflict occurred to an extent that it almost overshadowed the initial conflict. This at last ended up in the biggest catastrophe brought about by this drama.
The marriage of Desdemona and Othello involved people of different colors and races. At this time, such an incident was yet to be approved in the world. Shakespeare in the play “Othello” shares a view that was against the normality as at this time. As brought out in the play, it is Desdemona who fell in love with Othello first following the way he had emerged successful during the times of battles. Through the relationship between these two, it is made clear that women have their own rights and hence the capability of making decision without having to follow what their parents say. Desdemona makes it clearly that she was aware of Othello’s different race and color (Pye 427). These differences however did not prevent her from going for the man she loved.
Works cited
Potter, Lois. “Othello. Shakespeare in performance.” Manchester: Manchester UP (2002).
Pye, Christopher. “” To throw out our eyes for brave Othello”: Shakespeare and Aesthetic Ideology.” Shakespeare Quarterly 60.4 (2009): 425-447.
Shakespeare, William. “Othello, the Moor of Venice. Ed. Michael Neill.” New York: Oxford University Press 1 (2006): 107-08.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Julie Hankey. Cambridge University Press, 2005
.
Surname
1
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Othello
–
relationship between Othello and Desdemona
Othello is a tragedy that was written by William Shakespeare in 1603. It is largely based
on Othello
, a “Moorish captain” who influences most of the activities in this play.
It is through
him that the
themes
of love, racism, revenge,
repentance
, betrayal and jealousy have been
constructed.
It was written at a time when marriage between people of different races and color
was not allowed. Othello however goes to an extent of ma
rrying Desdemona who was not of her
race.
This piece of writing seeks to critically analyze the relationship built in between Othello
and Desdemona (daughter to Brabantio).
According to
Potter
(15), t
he meeting of two parties which were looking for Othello
brings into prominence the relationship between Desdemona and Othello.
Each of these two
parties
was
seeking Othello for a reason different from the other.
The party led by Cassio
together with senat
e hasty summon to him (Othello), plays a very significant role in giving an
importance to the great ability possessed by Othello as a commander thus emphasizing the value
of Othello’s military.
Brabantio together with his troop play significant roles in br
inging out
Othello’s private side in terms of his character.
After the me
eting of these two parties, Brab
antio
is shown being in a mood of quarreling.
In order to prevent such an incident, Othello uses cool
words thus calming down these groups. These words
were “
keep you
r bright swords in order to
/docProps/thumbnail.emf
Surname 1
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Othello- relationship between Othello and Desdemona
Othello is a tragedy that was written by William Shakespeare in 1603. It is largely based
on Othello, a “Moorish captain” who influences most of the activities in this play. It is through
him that the themes of love, racism, revenge, repentance, betrayal and jealousy have been
constructed. It was written at a time when marriage between people of different races and color
was not allowed. Othello however goes to an extent of marrying Desdemona who was not of her
race. This piece of writing seeks to critically analyze the relationship built in between Othello
and Desdemona (daughter to Brabantio).
According to Potter (15), the meeting of two parties which were looking for Othello
brings into prominence the relationship between Desdemona and Othello. Each of these two
parties was seeking Othello for a reason different from the other. The party led by Cassio
together with senate hasty summon to him (Othello), plays a very significant role in giving an
importance to the great ability possessed by Othello as a commander thus emphasizing the value
of Othello’s military. Brabantio together with his troop play significant roles in bringing out
Othello’s private side in terms of his character. After the meeting of these two parties, Brabantio
is shown being in a mood of quarreling. In order to prevent such an incident, Othello uses cool
words thus calming down these groups. These words were “keep your bright swords in order to
