Essay about The Impact of Gender on Shakespeares Othello

The Impact of Gender on Shakespeare’s Othello In the book â€Å"Gender Trouble† (1990), feminist theorist Judith Butler explains â€Å"gender is not only a social construct, but also a kind of performance such as a show we put on, a costume or disguise we wear† (Butler). In other words, gender is a performance, an act, and costumes, not the main aspect of essential identity. By understanding this theory of gender as an act, performance, we can see how gender has greatly impacted the outcome of the play in William Shakespeare’s Othello. From a careful analysis of the story, tragedy in Othello is result of violating expected gender roles, gender performance by Desdemona and Othello, and the result of Iago’s inability to tolerate these violations.†¦show more content†¦However, in Othello, the character of Desdemona surpassed the norms of gender set for women of that time. There is no doubt to consider Desdemona is violating the social norms because she is willing to breach her social roles as a daughter and even as a wife at times. Through her â€Å"incorrect† gender performance, Shakespeare portrays Desdemona as a strong, independent woman who breaks away the gender barriers of patriarchal society. But at the end of the play, we know it is the consequence of her actions that have led her to death. Desdemona’s action, instead of asking her father’s permission, eloped with the Moor, Othello, is another form of social transgressive action. It seems she denies her father any right in choosing or granting, instead she decides in her own, to marry Othello. This act of independence illustrates Desdemona’s transgression to perform her role as daughter, and reflects icons of masculine which is considered as â€Å"incorrect† gender performance. Marrying Othello has also proved that Desdemona breaks the social norms of women’s passivity during her time. From Desdemona’s conversation with her father, My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty; To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are the lord of duty, I am hitherto your daughter: but here’s my husband; And so much duty as my mother show’d ToShow MoreRelatedShakespeare Gender Stereotypes1049 Words   |  5 PagesImpact of Gender Stereotypes to Shakespeare’s Plays Imagine living in Shakespeare’s time, when expectations were held at a higher standard for both men and women. A time when what gender you were dictated what you could and could not do. Male supremacy ruled the world, and therefore women were subjected, â€Å"‘To suckle fools and chronicle small beer.’† (Othello 2.1.132) This means that the woman’s only responsibilities in life was to nurse her children and take care of her home. These kinds of genderRead MoreShakespeare s Othello - Role Of Women And Gender Representation1312 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Othello The role of women and gender representation in Othello challenged the male dominated society in that time period. Women in Shakespeare’s time were seen as being loyal and submissive to their husbands and not going against their husband’s judgment. Shakespeare developed complex and varied female characters in his plays, especially the women portrayed in Othello. In the play, Shakespeare introduces three female characters: Desdemona, Othello s wife, Emilia, Iago’s wife and mistressRead MoreEssay about The Effects of Femininity1571 Words   |  7 Pagessex of the being, whether male or female, and can be similarly tied in with notions of gender, either masculine or feminine, which are said to be constructs, or labels, created by society. However `masculinity and `femininity become, on some levels, dislodged from the idea of the biological makeup and gender constructs, and instead tend to be described in terms of discourse. It is not just the sex and gender of a being that determines their actions, but instead their thoughts and opinions. Read MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Othello - The Most Amazing Classics Of All Time975 Words   |  4 PagesIt has recently come to my attention that not enough people understand how great William Shakespeare’s Othello has been to our lives. When people look at this book, some of them think that it’s one the most amazing classics of all time, but other think that it’s nothing more than a bunch of clutter, which in reality, it’s not. So I began to research about it, explaining it by the main themes: Jealousy, Warfare, Marriage and Race. Which’ll lead up to the conclusion on how these main themes tie toRead MoreThe Effects of Racism and Misogyny in Othello Essay example876 Words   |  4 PagesMisogyny in Othello Race and gender heavily influence the course of peoples’ lives. Shakespeare’s â€Å"Othello† depicts a society in which racist and misogynist behaviour informs and affects how characters are perceived and treated. Women in the play are viewed by men as objects, available for their possession and use. The constant subtle and overt racism that Othello encounters throughout the play contribute to his downfall. The unjust treatment of women and people of colour in â€Å"Othello† is proof thatRead MoreWhat Way Would A Modern Audience React To The Way Race And Racism Is Portrayed In Othello?1725 Words   |  7 PagesIn the Sixteenth century, as we see clearly from Othello and other works of both Shakespeare and Cinthios original version of Othello, race was a topic of great debate and discussion. Today, in the twenty-first century the debate retains its controversy and passion. However, attitudes towards race have taken a dramatic turn during the last century. In the developed world people are now living in an increasingly cosmopolitan society would undoubtedly be more tolerant and would reject or even be offendedRead MoreComparison between Othello and Skin1414 Words   |  6 Pagestexts Othello and Skin. To what extent are the differences between the two texts treatment of this theme due to their different historical and cultural contexts? Othello and Skin are both excellent examples of how the outsider is topic in which society is intrigued by. Both Sandra and Othello are both victims of their time and geographical setting, as well as being considered different due to their race and achievements. Although there are a great number of common themes through both Othello andRead MoreAnalysis Of Shakespeare s King Lear, Hamlet, Othello And Macbeth1206 Words   |  5 Pagesthe audience. A Shakespearean tragedy, is a five-act play and they usually revolve around a similar idea of conflict. This is the Internal and external Conflict within the character. The four plays I have chosen to analyse are; King Lear, Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth. I chose these plays specifically because they all have universal themes which depict human emotions. They contain very important messages about internal and external conflict within characters and how this conflict can lead to terribleRead More Balance and Tragedy in Shakespeares Othello Ess ay2006 Words   |  9 PagesMerely accepting women as a rightful component of society and a necessary aspect of culture has taken countless numbers of years. And to this day, unfortunately, gender equality has yet to become a reality for many. Certain judgments and stereotypes have been placed onto women from the very beginning of time. The belief that the female gender should only be seen in society as homemakers is something that is widely accepted by people in a multitude of countries and places. Despite the setbacks, variousRead MoreComparing Power in The Tempest and Othello1801 Words   |  8 PagesPower in ‘The Tempest’ and ‘Othello’ Both plays are about the ultimate struggle for power. Power can be shown in many ways such as race, gender, ‘others’, social class, and most importantly through use of language. Power can be shown in both plays through the use of ‘otherness’. This can be associated with power as characters such as Othello or Caliban are ‘others’ because they are from ‘elsewhere’. One such character who could be described as an ‘other’ is Othello. Bill Bryson suggested that