Downfall of (wo)Men:

Masculine Arrogance, the Demise of both Sexes in Othello

Chris Roy

Ms. Fortuna

English 12H

Self-DeclaredSuperiority

Women: a Commodity

Misogynistic Conformity

Effects on Both Genders

Downfall of Genders in An Anti-Feminist

Society

Graph

Self-declared Superiority

• “Masculine” men harbor a sense of gender-superiority over women

• “You [women] are pictures out of door, bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens, saints in your injuries, devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds” (II.i.108-12) ~ Iago

• “O Curse of marriage, That we can call these delicate creatures ours and not their appetites!” (III.iii.267-9) ~ Othello

• Iago: “I’ll warrant her [Desdemona], full of game”Cassio: “Indeed, she’s a most fresh and delicate creature… an inviting eye” (II.iii.19-24)

• “Women are… figured as deceiving, dishonest, and dangerous creatures concerned solely with the entrapment and destruction of men” (Bryson 1)

Self-declared Superiority: Interpretation

All the main male characters in Othello show some form of misogynistic tendencies. Iago degrades women by essentially portraying them as aggressive and hypocritical, hiding behind a false sense of propriety, and useless except in bed. The repetition of “creatures”, as found in Othello across multiple characters and Michael Bryson’s critique of Renaissance Tragedy, lowers the status of women from human to animal, implying inferiority in not just society, but cognition and understanding as well. Cassio agrees that Desdemona is “full of game” and describes her as a “fresh… creature”, as if she is an object to be used for pleasure and not a respectable human being. Othello also indicates a sense of superiority when he realizes he is not in complete control of Desdemona, as he fully expected marriage to allow him, and curses the institution because of it. Although not always blatant in their discourse or action, all of these men, look down upon women as inferior.

The Apple of Their Eye, or Just Their Apple?

• In society, women are viewed as an object to be possessed by man.• “She [Desdemona] can turn, and turn, and yet go on and turn again;

and she can weep, sir, weep; and she’s obedient… very obedient” (IV.i.252-5)~ Othello

• “Zounds, sir, y’are robbed!” (I.i.83) ~Iago• Iago: “What, are you mad? I charge you get you home”

Emilia: “Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak. ‘Tis proper I obey him, but not now. Perchance, Iago, I will ne’er go home” (V.ii.191-3)

• “I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a door mat or a prostitute” (West)

• “He [the Duke] can isolate Desdemona from other women of Venice who might be encouraged to form their own alliances with prospective husbands, thus depriving their fathers of their rightful marriage profits” (Henningfeld)

Interpretation Women are viewed as a possession of their husbands. Othello

refers to Desdemona as “very obedient” and “can turn… and turn again” as if she is his pet obeying and doing tricks for him, furthering the analogy of women as animals that prevails throughout the play. Iago tells Brabantio not that his daughter is missing or kidnapped, but that he is robbed, implying she is a possession of his. As Henningfeld points out, daughters are commodities to their fathers, meant to be traded for “their rightful marriage profits”. Rebecca West reveals that women are often viewed as “door mats” or “prostitutes”, and feminism is the “radical” idea that women are people too. Further, when Iago tells Emelia to go home, she feels almost obliged to follow his orders, stating that she knows it is considered proper to do so when she asks the other “gentlemen” to allow her to speak. Emilia’s warped sense of propriety can be attributed to not just inferiority in the eyes of men, but women conforming to the misogynistic society they live in, where they are reduced to property.

Societal Pressure to Conform

• Women, pressured to conform to an anti-feminist society, enable the male sense of superiority through submission.

• Othello: “Get you to bed on th’ instant; I will be returned forthwith. Dismiss you attendant there. Look’t be done.”Desdemona: “I will, my lord” (IV.iii.7-10)

• “Prithee hie [hurry] thee [Emilia], he’ll come anon… ‘Let no one blame him, his scorn I approve’” (IV.iii.51-3) ~ Desdemona

• “[Iago] hath a hundred times wooed me to steal it… What he will do with it, Heaven knows, not I; I nothing but to please his fantasy” (III.iii.291-8) ~ Emilia

• “The second mode [of feminism], justificatory criticism, emphasizes… women’s subordinate position and the pervasiveness of male power in Shakespeare's plays… It acknowledges that women characters are as often victims as heroines, that they are inevitably defined and define themselves in relation to men—most often to men they love” (Neely)

Societal Conforming: Interpretation

Women allow themselves to be degraded by succumbing to the anti-feminism of society. Desdemona follows Othello’s every order, whether it be against her liking or not, permitting Othello to control her as if she was his property. She even accepts his doubts in and anger at her as if he was all-knowing when she sings to Emilia, “no one blame him, his scorn I approve.” Emilia succumbs to her husbands every command as well, as she steals Desdemona’s handkerchief for him, admitting that she does not know what he will do with it but that she wishes nothing but to please him. Finally, Carol Neely, a self-proclaimed critical feminist, acknowledges that female characters are often victims of the “pervasiveness of male power” and are defined, and define themselves, in relation to men. Thus, women such as Desdemona and Emilia, who are brought up in a male dominated society, are forced to accept their subordinate position in society, further enabling this society to suppress female empowerment.

No One Wins in War

• Both men and women are hurt by men’s anti-feminism.• “Let heaven and men and devils, let them all… cry shame

against me… She give it [the handkerchief to] Cassio? No, alas, I found it, and I did give’t my husband” (V.ii.217-37) ~ Emilia

• “I am not valiant neither… But why should honor outlive honesty? Let it all go” (V.ii.240-3) ~ Othello

• “[Remember me as] an honorable murderer, if you will; For naught I did in hate, but all in honor” (V.ii.289-91) ~ Othello

• Emilia: “O, who hath done this deed [mortally injured Desdemona]?”Desdemona: “Nobody– I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell!” (V.ii.122-4)

Interpretation Desdemona is never allowed to speak for herself, as Othello takes

Cassio’s word without consideration of his accused wife’s position. But despite being murdered because she was considered inferior and “inherently flawed” in respect to men, she still upholds the anti-feminism of her society by supporting, covering for, and even praising her “lord” moments from her death by his hand. Emilia is also devastated, realizing she, blindly, played a vital role in helping Iago convince Othello that Desdemona was unfaithful. In the end she realizes her mistake of unquestioningly following Iago’s commands, finally speaking up for herself and Desdemona as to her husband’s deceit, only to be slain by him. Othello, aware he murdered his honest wife without giving her the chance to defend herself, hysterically scars Iago and commits suicide. The main characters, both male and female, are ripped apart by the evils of a misogynistic world, not allowing women to think or act for themselves.

SynthesisIn Othello, the final demise of both genders is male arrogance.

This arrogance is fostered by the anti-feminist and male dominated culture of a misogynistic world they live in. In this world women are meant to selflessly cater to their “master”, be it their husband or father, without the slightest concern for anything else. Emilia and Desdemona both follow their husband’s orders without exception, as society's sense of propriety dictates, finding themselves only enabling the inherently destructive nature of misogyny. Because the women in Othello are merely objects of possession, Othello does not look beyond Iago’s slander to let his own wife defend herself against his accusations, instead unrightfully killing her. This false judgement, provoked by his gender-superiority induced arrogance, proves fatal for not only Desdemona, but Othello, Cassio, Roderigo and Emilia as well. Through studying Othello one learns that Misogyny hurts more than just the women it aims at, but the society that supports it as a whole, and that equity and peace among the sexes is necessary in maintaining a healthy world.

Bibliography• Bryson, Michael. "The Discourse of Honesty and

Whoredom in Othello." Michael Bryson.net. Web. 04 Dec. 2009. <http://www.brysons.net/academic/othello.html>.

• Henningfeld, Dianne. "Critical Essay on Othello." Reference Answers. Web. 04 Dec. 2009. <http://www.answers.com/topic/othello-play-7>.

• Neely, Carol T. "Feminist Criticism and Teaching Shakespeare." ADE. Web. 04 Dec. 2009. <http://web2.ade.org/ade/bulletin/n087/087015.htm>.

• West, Rebecca. "Mr Chesterton in Hysterics: A Study in Prejudice." Feminist Quotations. The Clarion. Web. 8 Dec. 2009. <http://www.quotegarden.com/feminism.html>