‘Typically, texts about husbands and wives present marriage from a male point of view’
In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Othello and
Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
Throughout the extract it could be argued that marriage is only presented from a male perspective
since the extract is lacking any dialogue from a female character. Furthermore, the male characters
interpretation of marriage is portrayed in a negative light without providing the opportunity for a
female voice to neither defend their marriage nor promote an alternative perception. Alternatively,
it could also be argued that in other parts of the play the female characters such as Desdemona,
Emilia and Bianca all have the ability to highlight their view on their marriage in a way that isn’t
always undermined by the male characters dominance in the play.
Firstly, the extract begins with Othello’s expression of the importance of trust in a marriage as he
claims “I do not think but Desdemona’s honest” highlighting that from the beginning he had trust in
his wife which enabled a healthy relationship and now that he is beginning to question it, the
relationship is on the rocks. The conjunction of “but” emphasising the insecurities which have began
to eat away at Othello and lead him to question his wife’s honesty. Moreover, Iago reinforces the
importance of trust as he subtly mocks Othello stating “and long live you to think so” insinuating that
he is a fool to trust Desdemona with the rumours that have been told about her purity. Which
reveals the intolerance to impurities in female partners and that this leads to dishonesty which again
is not a characteristic which is seen as desirable in any relationship. The alliteration in “long live”
initiating the concept of marriage being an eternal promise between two individuals as Iago makes
the point that Othello is now in this marriage for the long run and so he hopes he hasn’t made the
mistake of marrying a dishonest woman. Alternatively, further on in the play Desdemona has the
opportunity to reveal her view on marriage as she claims “what you would ask me that I would
deny” as she passive aggressively states that as a married woman it is her duty to give her husband
whatever pleases him and she claims that she does so and therefore he has no right to be angry with
her. The verb “deny” reinforcing the concept that it is the husbands right to ask for anything they
desire from their wife and that should they refuse they would be considered unworthy of the
husbands love; as if they were going against someone of a higher status such as the king. Thus,
underlining that men were the more emotionally and physically capable of the two genders and,
therefore, to be the superior gender in the patriarchal Jacobean society. Consequently, going
against the view point that Shakespeare portrayed marriage from a male perspective alone as
throughout the text the female character of Desdemona has the opportunity to speak up against her
flaws. Although, she does die as a result of this, further insinuating that there was only an extent of
power for women to have a voice in a society governed by men.
Secondly, within the extract Iago makes it clear that Desdemona and Othello’s marriage isn’t
conventional of a Jacobean society as he states she could’ve married someone “of her own clime,
complexion and degree” with the racial slur of “complexion” and the triplet listing the reasons why
Othello should not trust his wife as she is bound to be using him. The question Iago poses is why
would a white woman of Venetian blood marry a black man from Florence when she has so many
suitors of her own social standing and ethnicity? Accordingly, Iago is stirring the anxiety and
insecurities in being an outsider in Othello’s head to lead him to believe his wife is untrustworthy.
This highlights the way the male characters are the focus of the presentation of marriage and the
attributes that are illustrated as important to marriage from a male perspective. From an alternative
outlook, later in the text Emilia finds the opportunity to speak out against her controlling husband
who is full of mendacity. She reveals “you told a lie, an odious damned lie” the adjective “odious”
In the light of this view, discuss how Shakespeare presents the relationship between Othello and
Desdemona in this extract and elsewhere in the play.
Throughout the extract it could be argued that marriage is only presented from a male perspective
since the extract is lacking any dialogue from a female character. Furthermore, the male characters
interpretation of marriage is portrayed in a negative light without providing the opportunity for a
female voice to neither defend their marriage nor promote an alternative perception. Alternatively,
it could also be argued that in other parts of the play the female characters such as Desdemona,
Emilia and Bianca all have the ability to highlight their view on their marriage in a way that isn’t
always undermined by the male characters dominance in the play.
Firstly, the extract begins with Othello’s expression of the importance of trust in a marriage as he
claims “I do not think but Desdemona’s honest” highlighting that from the beginning he had trust in
his wife which enabled a healthy relationship and now that he is beginning to question it, the
relationship is on the rocks. The conjunction of “but” emphasising the insecurities which have began
to eat away at Othello and lead him to question his wife’s honesty. Moreover, Iago reinforces the
importance of trust as he subtly mocks Othello stating “and long live you to think so” insinuating that
he is a fool to trust Desdemona with the rumours that have been told about her purity. Which
reveals the intolerance to impurities in female partners and that this leads to dishonesty which again
is not a characteristic which is seen as desirable in any relationship. The alliteration in “long live”
initiating the concept of marriage being an eternal promise between two individuals as Iago makes
the point that Othello is now in this marriage for the long run and so he hopes he hasn’t made the
mistake of marrying a dishonest woman. Alternatively, further on in the play Desdemona has the
opportunity to reveal her view on marriage as she claims “what you would ask me that I would
deny” as she passive aggressively states that as a married woman it is her duty to give her husband
whatever pleases him and she claims that she does so and therefore he has no right to be angry with
her. The verb “deny” reinforcing the concept that it is the husbands right to ask for anything they
desire from their wife and that should they refuse they would be considered unworthy of the
husbands love; as if they were going against someone of a higher status such as the king. Thus,
underlining that men were the more emotionally and physically capable of the two genders and,
therefore, to be the superior gender in the patriarchal Jacobean society. Consequently, going
against the view point that Shakespeare portrayed marriage from a male perspective alone as
throughout the text the female character of Desdemona has the opportunity to speak up against her
flaws. Although, she does die as a result of this, further insinuating that there was only an extent of
power for women to have a voice in a society governed by men.
Secondly, within the extract Iago makes it clear that Desdemona and Othello’s marriage isn’t
conventional of a Jacobean society as he states she could’ve married someone “of her own clime,
complexion and degree” with the racial slur of “complexion” and the triplet listing the reasons why
Othello should not trust his wife as she is bound to be using him. The question Iago poses is why
would a white woman of Venetian blood marry a black man from Florence when she has so many
suitors of her own social standing and ethnicity? Accordingly, Iago is stirring the anxiety and
insecurities in being an outsider in Othello’s head to lead him to believe his wife is untrustworthy.
This highlights the way the male characters are the focus of the presentation of marriage and the
attributes that are illustrated as important to marriage from a male perspective. From an alternative
outlook, later in the text Emilia finds the opportunity to speak out against her controlling husband
who is full of mendacity. She reveals “you told a lie, an odious damned lie” the adjective “odious”
