Today, no respectable woman would put up with such an abusive, untrusting relationship like that of Othello and Desdemona. If I were a woman, Othello would be dead the second he put his hands on me.
However, I understand that the choice for Desdemona to be submissive to Othello's accusations and accusations was her only option. The fact that Desdemona is so submissive is surprising since she is in the upper class of society and could have had many suitors for her hand in marriage. She also proves to be independent, secretly marrying Othello and standing up to her father when he opposes the marriage. It's understood that women did not have many rights in the 16th an17th centuries and men were dominating figures but where do you draw the line?
I do respect Desdemona's attempt to plea for mercy by putting the white sheets on the bed. She may have had a shot at living if she didn't break down when hearing of Cassio's death. Clearly, that was the straw that broke the camels back in Othello's mind. Watching this relationship deteriorate was very frustrating because it was interesting to see Desdemona break away from traditional values during her time by marrying a black man. Once again, like in Much Ado About Nothing, manipulation leads to the downfall of love between man and woman. What is most frustrating for me is when Desdemona defends Othello to Emilia before she dies. Like Claudio, Othello should have seeked the truth harder and should not have laid a hand on a woman. Desdemona should have exposed him for being a mad man.
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3 comments:
I know it says accusations twice in the blog. I meant to say actions and accusations.
You wish this kind of treatment had stopped in the 17th Century. Just do a bit of research on English Common Law and the phrase "rule of thumb." Or check this site "Herstory of Domestic Violence: A Timeline of the Battered Women's Movement" at http://www.mincava.umn.edu/documents/herstory/herstory.html#sche
and scroll down to the 1960s, when Italy finally made killing a wife a "serious offense."
Oh, and you can change your blog once you have published it (just go to edit post).
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