Word Count: 986In William Shakespeares play Othello the use ofanimal imagery was evident throughout the telling ofthe story. There are a number of words that could be used to describe the Why don't libraries smell like bookstores? - Othellos treatment towards Desdemona has turned her into the vulnerable, fearful girl Brabantio had described - … Shakespeare's Othello - Desdemona in Othello Essay 1759 Words | 8 Pages. Iago tells Brabantio that Othello steals Desdemona from him by force. She is the first to suggest that somebody is telling Othello untruths about Desdemona; “The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave./Some base, notorious knave” (Act 4 Scene 2, Line 143-5). As the play goes on, Othello starts calling Desdemona a strumpet, or whore and “each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.”(III,I,248) In other words, Desdemona is like a crocodile which sheds hypocritical tears. The metaphor highlights Desdemona's innocence, as does comparing her to a "light" to be put out. Emilia says to Desdemona of Othello “I would you had never seen him” (Act 5 Scene 1, Line 17) presumably this is out of love and loyalty to her friend as opposed to a lingering affection for him. She is a lovely, intelligent, wholesome and pious person. Answered by Aslan 2 years ago 1/16/2018 11:33 AM In general, Desdemona is almost overly virtuous, which causes her to feel that she must defend Cassio, and speak in a public sphere when necessary. Othello and Desdemona's Relationship . with Othello—an older black man, an outsider to Venetian society (gasp! In Othello, the Moor was easily able to call his friend, Iago, “honest Iago.” Whereas in society, honesty is often times questioned due to the lack of knowledge. Desdemona's father, Brabantio, is a rich and important Venetian politician. He previously served as a theater studies lecturer at Stratford-upon Avon College in the United Kingdom. / Commend me to my kind lord. Influenced by the duplicitous Iago, Othello, a Moorish general in the Venetian army, begins to doubt his wife's faithfulness. Desdemona is one of the main characters in the play Othello. In this essay I will be talking about how Iago uses animal imagery to describe the relationship between Othello and his wife Desdemona and the image of poison and how he uses both of the images in his language as his primary weapon into manipulating Othello. In the play, Shakespeare introduces three female characters: Desdemona, Othello 's wife, Emilia, Iago’s wife and mistress. The term honest is a word that is easy to describe yet often times difficult to portray. There is irony in Othello's references to Desdemona here; he describes her with words that suggest her brightness and innocence, yet he is determined to condemn and kill her. 133–134). When did organ music become associated with baseball? Othello is manipulated by the truly evil and duplicitous Iago who has so few redeeming qualities. Read the full text here. Quote a few lines from Othello to support your answer.' Jealousy defines Othello and also the characters associated with his downfall. He likes Othello and invites him to visit his house a lot—but he never expected Othello to "steal" his daughter. He also knows that will sadden Othello, and rob him of his true love.The two men wake Roderigo in the middle of the night and describe in really crude language how Othello is having sexual intercourse with Desdemona. Get an answer for 'Describe Desdemona's personality (and what actress might portray that personality)? Desdemona, having embarked on marriage with Othello, wishes to accompany him into the field of war as a faithful wife. ThoughtCo uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Above all else, this Othello character analysis reveals that Shakespeare's Othello has gravitas. Through Othello’s language in Act 4 Scene 2, Shakespeare uses language of pollution, discarded waste and hell to describe his feelings. The audience sees this treatment through his constant manipulations of Othello’s mind, planting seeds of jealousy. He thinks that, perhaps this will stop Desdemona from running off with Othello if her father finds out. She makes a playful reference to Othello’s origins, suggesting that the sun in his native land made him impervious to jealousy, and therefore he is an exception to the typical Venetian tendency to be suspicious of women’s behavior. [I]f I be left behind, / A moth of peace, and he go to the war, / The rites for which I love him are bereft me, / And I a heavy interim shall support, / By his dear absence. Espinosa argues that as their first night was quickly interrupted by a brawl between Montano and Cassio, the consummation of their marriage might not have taken place. Many of Othello's insecurities are derived from his race and from the perception that he is lowlier than his wife. Iago's Psychopaths In Othello 757 Words | 4 Pages. This essay will analyze her. She refuses to marry any of the rich, handsome Venetian men that everyone expects her to marry. While talking to Brabantio, Iago also describes Othello and Desdemona’s relationship as animalistic. While playing around with word vectors and the "HasProperty" API of conceptnet, I had a bit of fun trying to get the adjectives which commonly describe a word. The idea for the Describing Words engine came when I was building the engine for Related Words (it's like a thesaurus, but gives you a much broader set of related words, rather than just synonyms). Othello says to Desdemona, “Come, my dear love,/The purchase made, the fruits are to endue:/ That profit’s yet to come ‘tween me and you” (Shakespeare, 2.3.8-10). How many candles are on a Hanukkah menorah? Furthermore, he never believed his darling little girl would marry Othello unless she was drugged or under some kind of spell. Desdemona may have the choice of many suitable matches, but she chooses Othello, even despite his racial difference. Desdemona insists to Emilia that Othello is not a jealous man. Emilia, in the play Othello, is not a typical example of a female character during the time of William Shakespeare. Desdemona’s “napkin is too little”, for Othello. This language reflects the feelings of hate for Desdemona and lead to him eventually murdering Desdemona by suffocation later in the play. character including romantic, passionate and loyal. Read More. How would you describe Shakespeare's character Desdemona? Copyright © 2020 Multiply Media, LLC. The relationship between Othello and Emilia is never corroborated but Emilia has a very negative opinion of Othello, possibly based on dealings with her own husband? Desdemona is a lady of spirit and intelligence. Her speeches are not as lengthy as those of the men, but with Desdemona, every word counts. Farewell. Animal Imagery is used throughout the play especially in Act 1. (III,iii,303) This quote symbolizes Desdemona’s love for Othello. Desdemona is a beautiful, young, white, Venetian debutante. Pride is also one of Othello’s weaknesses; for him, his wife’s alleged affair confounds his belief that he is a lesser man, that he cannot live up to her expectations and her position in society; her need for a conventional white man is a critical blow to his achieved position. The Duke only speaks of him in terms of his achievements and his valor; “Valiant Othello…” ( Act 1 Scene 3 Line 47). Emilia As A Female Character In Shakespeare's Othello 1363 Words | 6 Pages. Rhymes Lyrics and poems Near rhymes Synonyms / Related Phrases Mentions Phrase rhymes [Descriptive words] Definitions Similar sound Same consonants Things othello often describes (“othello … Honest is used in Shakespeare’s play, Othello, as well as in society to describe… One could argue that Othello is easily manipulated but as an honest man himself, he has no reason to doubt Iago. Emilia says to Desdemona of Othello “I would you had never seen him” (Act 5 Scene 1, Line 17) presumably this is out of love and loyalty to her friend as opposed to a lingering affection for him. I'm auditioning for the part of Desdemona from the play 'Othello' and i want to get into character. Just come up with one, simple word that describes each individual in a nutshell and punch it in with the word 'lyrics' into Google and you are sure to be successful. Start studying Adjectives that describe Iago. Unfortunately, she does not identify her own husband as the perpetrator until it is too late: “You told a lie, an odious, damned lie” (Act 5 Scene 2, Line 187). By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, 3 Prominent Themes Found in William Shakespeare's 'Othello', Iago Character Analysis From Shakespeare's 'Othello', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' - Study Guide, M.A., Theater Studies, Warwick University, B.A., Drama and English, DeMontfort University. The other main characters in the play all form theirown opinions of him and as the play continues, his character begins todeteriorate and … “Haply for I am black, And have not those soft parts of conversation That chamberers have…” (Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, Line 267), Iago and Roderigo describe Othello at the start of the play, without even naming him, using his racial difference to identify him, referring to him as “the Moor”, “an old black ram”. The material on this site can not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with prior written permission of Multiply. Instead, she elopes (gasp!) Knowing some … The characters in Othello were often depicted ashaving animal-like characteristics. In marrying a Moor, Desdemona flies in the face of convention and faces criticism, which she handles unapologetically. Get an answer for 'In Act 1, what imagery does Iago use to describe Othello and Desdemona's elopement, and what conflict does that imagery develop?' The play, then, depicts Desdemona contradictorily as a self-effacing, faithful wife and as a bold, independent personality. Othello Character Essay 1140 Words | 4 Pages. This juxtaposition between Othello’s transparency and Iago’s duality identifies him as a sympathetic character despite his actions. For all the claims of military straightforwardness of some other characters, Desdemona is the most direct and honest speaker in the play. Some characterswere even compared to animals by other characters inthe play. He is even referred to as “the thick lips”. Having said that, he more readily believes Iago than his own wife but again this is probably because of his own insecurities. It is generally the morally dubious characters who use his race as a reason to disparage him. Iago’s use of words against people begins during the start of the play where he is talking to Roderigo. Othello is brave and celebrated which could also account for Iago’s intense hatred of him. Describe the character Desdemona in three words? There are a number of words that could be used to describe the character including romantic, passionate and loyal. For Desdemona- maybe "Stand by your man" lol . Jealous, deceitful, and unfair are all words you would not use to describe the character Othello in the beginning of the William Shakespeare play of the same name. Describing Words. A vocabulary list featuring "Othello" by William Shakespeare, Act 1. How would you describe Shakespeare's character Desdemona. And she's a total Daddy's girl... until she falls head over heels in love with Othello. - He says she is ''A maiden never bold of spirit'', modest and opposed to marriage. - Emerges from her fathers descriptions as innocent and a girlish figure. “For naught, I did in hate, but all in honour” (Act 5 Scene 2, Line 301). A celebrated soldier and trusted leader whose race both defines him “The Moor” and defies his lofty position; it would be rare for a man of race to have such a highly respected position in Venetian society. One of Othello’s admirable qualities is that he believes that men should be transparent and honest as he is; “Certain, men should be what they seem” (Act 3 Scene 3 Line 134). Lee Jamieson, M.A., is a theater scholar and educator. Who is the longest reigning WWE Champion of all time? “The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so,” (Iago, Act 1 Scene 3, Line 391). Good luck :) What does contingent mean in real estate? She makes it clear that she loves Othello and is loyal to him: “By the world, I think my wife be honest and think she is not. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Othello would be very attractive to someone in Emilia’s position; he is very demonstrative in his love for Desdemona but sadly this turns sour and his character becomes more recognizable to Emilia as a result. All Rights Reserved. Source (s) In response to Emilia’s question, “O, who hath done this deed?” Desdemona’s final words are, “Nobody, I myself. Shakespeare explained several charactersactions by comparing them to similarities in animals. Desdemona is one of the main characters in the play Othello. ). - He defines Desdemona as his ''jewel''. Othello's character during the play is first shown as a hero of war and a man ofgreat pride and courage. Desdemona in Othello In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the wife of the protagonist is Desdemona. Iago’s true Machiavellian victory is that he orchestrates Othello having to take responsibility for his own downfall. She is stronger than Othello believes her to be, and is not the … Words to describe Desdemona like a rose, alabaster, "shes framed as fruitful as the free elements", "virtuous" (cassio), "sweet" (othello), skin of "snow", strumpet Words to describe othello Unfortunately, Othello’s insecurity gets the better of him and he is moved to kill his wife in a fit of jealousy. Othello is clearly very much in love with Desdemona and in killing her he denies himself his own happiness; which heightens the tragedy. DISHONEST: Dishonest is the perfect word to describe Iago.At the tragic ending of Othello, Iago's dishonesty is revealed, as the truth of his lies to Othello were unveiled.Throughout the play, Iago in fact mentions that he is actually a very honest and trustworthy man, but that is truly ironic as the audience knows he is being dishonest when saying he is trustworthy. O, farewell” (V.ii. Iago’s hatred of Othello is profound; he does not employ him as his lieutenant and there is a suggestion that he bedded Emilia previous to his relationship with Desdemona. I think that thou art just, and think thou art not.” (Act 3 Scene 3, Line 388-390). 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M.A., is a word that is easy to describe the character including romantic, passionate loyal... Othello unless she was drugged or under some kind of spell thoughtco uses cookies to provide you with great. The term honest is a beautiful, young, white, Venetian debutante wife a... Character analysis reveals that Shakespeare 's Othello has gravitas despite his racial difference and study.