Gender Dynamics in Othello

As the American writer George Santayana notes: “[t]hose who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (Santanya 172). In a century where gender equality starts to become the norm, it is therefore important to remember that it has not always been the case. To do so, one can look at past literary productions, “reflection[s] of the world” (Atwood 15) and, in relation to gender, at Shakespeare’s Othello. Indeed, patriarchal gender dynamics cast Desdemona in a position of outsideness which reaches its peak as she tragically departs from the play. Moreover, Emilia’s attempt at trying to fight these gendered interactions results in her death, highlighting the plight of womanhood at the time. Before exploring these dynamics in depth, however, it is important to first summarise the key events of the play.

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Eugène Delacroix, “Desdemona Cursed by Her Father” (1852). Oil on canvas, 59 × 49 cm. Reims, Musée des Beaux-Arts. Photo by G. Dagli Orti. © DeA Picture Library / Art Resource, N.Y

Othello starts in Venice where Othello, a Moorish general from the Venetian army, marries Desdemona, senator Brabantio’s daughter. If Desdemona’s father is first enraged by this union, Othello is supported by the Duke of Venice who notably praises his military achievements. The general is then sent to Cyprus to repulse an invasion from the Turkish army, and decides to take Desdemona with him. Because he feels betrayed by Othello, who promoted Cassio instead of him, Iago plots a revenge against his general. Iago manipulates the newly promoted Cassio, encouraging him to drink heavily, into a brawl which leaves Othello with no choice but to downgrade him. Driven by his jealousy and ambition, Iago then suggests to his general that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair. To convince the general, he entices his wife Emilia to steal and give him the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona as a token of his love for her in order to place it close to Cassio. After discovering the handkerchief, Othello, consumed by jealousy, kills his innocent wife. A bit later, Emilia arrives and discloses the truth about handkerchief, thereby revealing Iago’s plot. Devastated, Othello ultimately kills himself.

Central to this tragedy is Desdemona’s status of married woman in a patriarchal society as it casts her out of the play by killing her. For Shakespeare’s audience, the ‘outsider’ position of women is not at all unknown. Indeed, Juan Luis Vives’ influential The Education of a Christian Woman discusses the role of women in depth and, as Glorya Kaufman argues, presents the educated woman as male dominated but also renders her inexistent in the world (Kaufman 891). When Desdemona makes her first appearance, the play directly points out her submission to Othello. Her wish of accompanying him to Cyprus is granted only when he “let[s] her have [Brabantio’s] voice” (1.3.257). This suggests that to be heard, she needs her husband to talk for her. Moreover, she is given a masculine voice, Brabantio’s, which ties in with Kaufman’s analysis of Vives’ text, but also with sociologist Allan Johnson’s idea that one of “patriarchy’s defining elements [is] its male-dominated character” (Johnson 27). Being a woman, Desdemona’s words have no influence on other characters, forcing her to rely on male voices. Narratively, she is outside the play, like a spectator. Spectator of what Othello decides for her because patriarchy “relegate[s] [women] to the marginal position of other” (Johnson 27). Another speaking example is the contrasting treatment that Iago and Desdemona’s opinions receive. Had she been a man, she would most certainly have been able to convince Othello that she is “not a whore” (4.2.7). Indeed, Othello listens to Iago, a male, but never to his “sweet Desdemon[a]” (3.3. 56) and turns the handkerchief, a symbol for Desdemona’s love, into a symbol of patriarchal abuse. Once again, Othello’s decision to follow Iago’s point of view strengthens that it is Desdemona’s gender that places her in a position of outsideness. Her femininity precludes her from entering the epicentre of the play’s action that is determined by male characters. Ultimately, her silencing by patriarchy persists until her very last moments as Othello “smothers her” (5.2.85 [stage directions]), turning her metaphorical muteness into a physical reality. Furthermore, not long before her death, all that Desdemona desires is to “gai[n] [Othello’s] love, [e]ither in discourse of thought or actual deed” (4.2.151-152). Not only does this show the strength of her bondage to Othello, but it also suggests the despair caused by her outsideness. She wishes to be noticed at all costs, she wants to exist. When she says that “[she] [her]self” (5.2.126) is to be held accountable for her death, Desdemona conveys her longing for existence and agency to the audience. Besides, Desdemona’s death at the hands of Othello is the pinnacle of her gradual disappearance from the play. Her influential outsideness because of patriarchy becomes a tangible reality as he, the husband, casts her outside of the fictional reality by murdering her.

If Emilia tries to oppose the gender dynamics that lead to her mistress’ death, patriarchy nevertheless deprives her of agency and kills her. Unlike Othello, Emilia sides with Desdemona and never stops to support her. When the Moor’s wife laments that she is called a “whore” (103), Iago’s wife is indignant about it and strongly opposes herself to Othello’s insult. Indeed, she wishes that “hell gnaws his bones” (4.2.135). Her overt disapproval of Othello’s behaviour, in front of Iago and Desdemona, whom she knows are intimate with Othello, suggests that her feminine voice transcends her societal position. She is a female and a servant, but she dares oppose her superior, Othello, and her husband, Iago. Later, Emilia’s empowerment translates into her attribution by Shakespeare of a monologue that sees her highlight the lack of agency that marriage attributes to women: “yet have we [women] revenge, [l]et husbands know their wives have sense like them: they see and smell” (4.3.83-102). With this, the servant entices Desdemona to rebel. Othello’s wife has agency, has “sense like” him and can defend herself, she must have “revenge”. Unfortunately for Emilia, Desdemona’s subordination to her husband quenches her servant’s burning anger as she coldly wishes her “good night” (4.3.103). In fact, Emilia’s words have no real effects on Desdemona who, precisely because Othello controls her, never revolts against him. Indirectly then, Othello’s patriarchal dominance extends to limit Emilia’s agency. Because she opposes Iago and Othello, Emilia does not have the outsider status of her mistress but does not have much agency either. She is part of a system that traps her, as she for example indirectly contributes to the murder of her mistress. Indeed, she steals Desdemona’s handkerchief to please her husband (3.3.294) and obeys him when he asks her to leave it to him, although she knows that the “poor lady [will] run mad” (3.3.14). If Emilia steals and follows Iago’s order, it is because of their respective positions in the relationship. As a married woman, she, in this scene, behaves like Juan Luis Vives’ educated woman. That is, she obeys: “I give no licence to a woman to (…) have authority of the man” (qted. in Kaufman 30). Without knowing it then, Emilia follows patriarchal gender dynamics, making her an accomplice of Desdemona’s murder which highlights how entrapped the servant is. Emilia’s only escape from patriarchy is, as she advises Desdemona, to act. Consequently, she reveals the handkerchief affair to Othello, and thereby stands against her husband (5.2.223-225). Nevertheless, despite her efforts, she must face the same fate as Desdemona as Iago silences and kills his wife in Act 5, suggesting the inescapability of patriarchal norms.

Othello explores the silencing power of patriarchy, illustrating how it deprives women of agency and leads to their victimisation. Indeed, Desdemona’s status erases her voice and alienates her from the play, placing her as an outsider before killing her. Moreover, Emilia’s courageous attempt at resisting patriarchy ultimately leads to the same tragic death, suggesting the impossibility of escaping patriarchal norms. Through these two characters, the play exposes gender inequalities, reminding 21st century readers of how far society has come and of how much there is still left to do.

© Liam Magin. All Rights Reserved.

This work is the intellectual property of the author. Do not copy or redistribute without permission.

This post is an adapted version of an essay written as part of an assignment for the EN280 Module at Maynooth University.

Works Cited:

Atwood, Margaret. Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature. Toronto: Anansi, 1972. Print, p. 15.

Johnson, Allan. Introduction to Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies: Interdisciplinary and Intersectional Approaches, edited by L Ayu Saraswati et al., OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2018, pp. 27.

Kaufman, Gloria. “Juan Luis Vives on the education of women.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, vol. 3, no. 4, July 1978, pp. 891–896, https://doi.org/10.1086/493546

Santayana, George. Life of Reason. Prometheus Books, 1990, pp.172. Shakespeare, William. Othello. Edited by Stanley Wells, Penguin Classics, 2015.