A pure and good woman, a motherly advisor, and a prostitute. These are the words that define the three women in Othello by William Shakesphere. In a man’s eyes, those words define who these women are. Yet, these three women fight their stereotypical roles. The women in Othello did not share the same rights as women today. Women were viewed as property, they were nothing more than the wife of a man. Throughout Othello, we learn that these women are more than the words used to define them.
Desdemona, who is seen as pure and good, has quite the reputation to upkeep. Rather than being seen as her own person, she is seen as not only a wife but a daughter as well. Desedoma proves herself to be quite the independent woman. She chooses to marry Othello, an African-American army general rather than other rich, white men who are interested in her. Her choice infuriates the other men interested in Desdemona but she remains unphased. During times of witchcraft, racism, and stereotypical behavior, marrying Othello is a negative action, but he won her over with stories. According to Theatre Journal, “However, prior to the 1830s when Garrisonian abolitionists stirred Northern debate over interracial marriage and women's rights, interpretations of Desdemona emphasized her virtue, innocence, and simplicity rather than the race of her husband” (Khan, 1). Desedoma chose to focus on who she and Othello were. Morals were far more important than race to her. Desdoma’s morals did not change the matter at hand. She still chose to marry a man of color. Not only did Desedoma marry someone like Othello, but she also did so behind her father’s back without his blessing. Although, the issue was past a blessing. Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies states, “In its most commonly represented form, jealousy was the fear of cuckoldry, or losing exclusive possession of one’s wife to another man” (Olsson, 1). Desedoma’s father Branzino saw Desedoma as his own possession. By secretly marrying Desemdoma, Othello somewhat stole from her father. Yet, Desedoma did not care, for she loved Othello. Othello and Desedoma’s love story alone shows how independent she is. Their love story is interrupted when accusations of Desedoma’s unfaithfulness are brought to Othello’s attention. Though faithful, Desedoma fought till her last dying breath trying to convince Othello otherwise.
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Desedoma is not the only woman in Othello who proves herself to fight the stereotypical role of a wife. Emilia, a motherly advice, proves herself too. At first, Emillia respects and obeys her husband, as she is expected to. She plays as a pawn in his many games. After, she begins to reject the disrespect Iago presents to her. In Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature we learn how Iago views others. “For the most part, he views men as enemies who would like to cuckold him, and women as whores who are always cuckolding their husbands” (Splitter, 3). Iago expresses the lack of affection and respect he has for both men and women. Learning Iago’s thoughts help us develop an understanding of Emilia's views. Emilia begins to view men as users. They use women to their satisfaction then dismiss them when they feel like. Emilia blames men for women’s vulnerability and abuse. Despite the dangers, she scolds Othello after she realises that he has killed her. Emilia fights for equality in marriages. Rather than watching and listening, she acts and hears. She proves herself right when her husband too kills her by stabbing her with a sword. Though trying to become different, through expressing and voicing her opinions, it would seem that all her actions caught up to her in the end.
Unlike the other women in the play, Bianca is not married. Bianca is a courtesan. Courtesans were considered to be independent, they supported themselves financially and detached themselves from men. Yet, Biana was different, for she was in love with Cassio. By being a prostitute alone, Bianca showed she was not your stereotypical wife in Othello. Then again, she was not your stereotypical prostitute either. Bianca expresses her rage numerous times throughout the plot. She lets her jealousy get the best of her. She assumes the handkerchief she is asked to copy in one of another woman of Cassio, which infuriates her. Bianca presented a fear to men, for they knew they could not control her. Bianca was seen as a threat to several men because of her marital status. Per Critical Survey, “ But Bianca is less than other bystander or wayfarer, witness or stray, and whether or not she is a prostitute seems less important than the fact she is situated outside of the home and on the margins of the state” (Mazzola, 40). She does fit into the mold that society created for her, she allows herself to be free unlike the other women. In Mosaic: A Journal for the Interdisciplinary Study of Literature, we see the value of a woman’s virginity. “Of course virginity has a certain literal reality, but it also seems to be a kind of magical quality which virgins possess and “Fallen women,” unfaithful wives and prostitutes do not” (Splitter, 20). Bianca does not hold her virginity. She is not a wife nor virgin but is still magical in the eyes of men. Bianca gets showered in gifts and money for no price. She is a character who fights her stereotype in a whole other way. Bianca's presence put Cassio’s power into question. She is not anyone’s property and that instills fear in men.
Shakesphere brings his characters to life by making each individual character realistic. Though the women in the play seemed to be living in trying times, these times were accurate. In Shakespere’s day, women were indeed seen as property. Othello challenges the idea of quiet women. The play shows how women were defined in Shakespeare's time. Women were either wives or prostitutes. While the three women who were featured in the play were still labeled as wives and prostitutes, Shakesphere showed how these women are more than those labels. His characters were brought to life because of how realistically and accurately they were represented. Shakesphere made his characters even more realistic by showing who they are not just what they are.
Desedoma proved herself to be an independent woman. She showed that she was more than a daughter and more than a wife. Desedoma was a lover, who chose to love who she wanted to. She did not let stereotypes of African-American men or father-daughter relationships to impact her decision. Emilia showed she had a voice. Rather than sit silently and grieve, she voiced her opinion to Othello. She verbally blamed him for Desedoma’s death even though she knew the danger. Emilia also expressed her opinions on the power of men. She made it known that men were responsible for their own actions. Emilia believed that men were always responsible for the deaths of their wives because they allow abuse and anger to take over. They simply use women for their satisfaction. She stood up to her husband by refusing to take his disrespect anymore. Biana chose not to fit into the stereotype of other women. Though she loved Cassio, she was still a prostitute. She did not stand side by side to a man. She allowed men to give her gifts and money without the price tag of marriage. Bianca’s sexual presence was enough for men to want her. She was financially dependent and was property of no one. Bianca held a power over men. Though loving Castillo, she had no issue walking out on him when he angered her. All three women in Othello proved they were more than their stereotypical roles. They were each strong and independent women in their own way. Each woman's hidden power instilled fear in men.
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