Characteristics of desdemona
How is Desdemona presented?
Desdemona is depicted as a paragon of virtue, a beautiful, loving wife, and a woman of high rank and culture. None of this is enough to protect her from Othello’s wrath: once he is convinced, on Iago’s word alone, that she is an adulterer, there is nothing that will change his mind.
How does Shakespeare Characterise Desdemona?
Desdemona: A Heroine of the Play
Encompassing all the good traits, a lady of spirit, intelligent, devoted, a loving wife, but she fails to justify her love to her husband and is murdered by her husband in a fit of jealous rage. Desdemona is one of the most direct and honest speakers throughout the whole play.
What is Desdemona known for?
Desdemona (/ˌdɛzdəˈmoʊnə/) is a character in William Shakespeare’s play Othello (c. 1601–1604). Shakespeare’s Desdemona is a Venetian beauty who enrages and disappoints her father, a Venetian senator, when she elopes with Othello, a Moorish Venetian military prodigy.
What is Desdemona symbolic of?
For Iago, it is a symbol of the power and control he has over Desdemona and Othello. For Desdemona, it is a symbol of Othello’s love. For Bianca, it symbolizes jealousy and passion. For Emilia, her desire for a happy marriage and subjection to her husband.
How is Desdemona complex?
Desdemona is viewed as virginal and naive, but in truth is manipulative and power hungry. It is also unknown if she truly loves Othello, as her love stems from pity. The most convincing reason Desdemona is a complex character is her growth through the play.
Why is Desdemona brave?
Key quotation: Desdemona’s bravery
Desdemona defends her own honour throughout the play, shown when she says to Othello, ‘By heaven, you do me wrong’ (IV. 2.82). Desdemona is still brave and assertive, even when Othello attacks her verbally and physically. The reference to heaven reinforces Desdemona’s virtue.
Is Desdemona loyal?
At this time, a woman was expected to show total obedience to the male authority in her life, but Desdemona is now transitioning from loyalty to her father to loyalty to her new husband. The quote reveals that Desdemona is very aware of, and eager to honor, social expectations of showing loyalty to her husband.
What first attracted Desdemona to Othello?
Othello
| A | B |
|---|---|
| What first attracted Desdemona to Othello? | The stories he told about his past |
| What rank does Iago begrudgingly hold? | Ensign |
| From whom did Desdemona first hear the “song of ‘Willow’”? | Her mother’s maid, Barbary |
| What epithet is most commonly applied to Iago throughout the play? | honest |
What does Desdemona’s handkerchief symbolize?
The handkerchief initially is a gift given to Desdemona by Othello as a love token. It is subsequently symbolically transformed into Desdemona’s bedsheets, which she uses to reveal her true innocence and fidelity to Othello; and finally, Desdemona requests that the bedsheets be used to cover her as a death shroud.
How is Desdemona Characterised in Othello?
Desdemona is a lady of spirit and intelligence. For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play. Her speeches are not as lengthy as those of the men, but with Desdemona, every word counts.
How is Desdemona viewed?
Desdemona is regarded as an independent, headstrong and determined to live her life as she wanted. Shehad no qualms about going against her father to marry a Moor in a time when racial prejudice was a norm.
What is the role of Desdemona in Othello?
Desdemona was the faithful wife of Othello in Shakespeare’s play. She was kindhearted and wished for all to be well with the male characters, and it is her sympathy towards Cassio which made Iago’s lies more credible. Her naïve nature made her an easy target for the antagonist in the play.
How does Othello view Desdemona?
Othello loves Desdemona for her feminine grace and sympathy; she loves him for his masculine heroism. Essentially, Othello and Desdemona love each other harmoniously because of the differences they perceive in each other.
Was Desdemona a good wife?
Throughout the play, Desdemona serves as an example of a female character who submits to these expectations to be a ‘good wife’. She behaves as a devoted and loving wife to Othello and acts exactly as she is expected to as his husband by supporting and concurring with him.
How is Desdemona honest?
Desdemona is a really honest character in the story, basically she is not scared to speak her mind out. She is a loyal wife to Othello, her love never change towards Othello no matter what they went through. She may have changed when she was with Othello then when she was with Emilia or other characters in the story.