A Comparison of the Three Female Characters in Shakespeare's Othello

A Comparison of the Three Female Characters in Shakespeare's Othello

Othello, The Moor of Venice, by William Shakespeare, is one of Shakespeare's most well known tragedies. In the play, the many types of jealousy are explored through love hate and deceit. There are three main female characters, in Shakespeare's Othello. Each of these women, Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca, has a distinct symbolic role in the play. Desdemona is Othello's loving and dutiful wife. She symbolizes purity and fidelity. Iago's wife, Emilia, symbolizes frustration and assertiveness, and Bianca, a court prostitute, or courtesan symbolizes sin and ignorance. Shakespeare characterizes the three women through their words and actions and in turn develops what each woman symbolizes.

Desdemona is a young Venetian woman of high birth. Her father is Brabantio, a wealthy senator and renowned citizen of Venice. She is married to Othello and is loyal, faithful, and passionately loves him (Othello).

From the Library of Congress: TITLE: Thos. W. Keen...

English: Photographic full-length portrait of Edwi...

Illustration of Othello and Iago

In the play Desdemona is charged with adultery by her true love and husband Othello. Through the evil doings of Iago, Othello's ancient, Othello believes that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, his lieutenant. Desdemona is somewhat overly virtuous, which causes her to feel that she must defend Cassio's lieutenancy, which her husband suspects as evidence of her alleged affair. Othello eventually takes the position of Othello's lieutenant from Cassio, and gives this honor to Iago (Othello). Othello also kills Desdemona because of her supposed unfaithfulness. It is ironic that Desdemona dies because she remains faithful to Othello, and cannot understand why he believes her to be an adulteress. She, in her last words, speaks, "A guiltless death I die" (V.ii. 121). She is blameless, and she dies tragically, so devoted as to deny that Othello has killed her in her dying breath.coge ger segegew orge

Francois Guizot...