Adriana Petty

Professor Berger

English Honors I

10 November 2022

Key Factors of a Marriage

In the play, “Othello” written by William Shakespeare the couple Desdemona and

Othello shared a great amount of love for one another. During the late sixteenth century, the

expectations of marriage were to marry inside of your race, for the man to have a higher social

position than the woman, and for the couple to be close in age. The couple Desdemona and

Othello pursued a marriage although it didn’t meet the standards of society.

Race played a major role in the conflict in the relationship between Desdemona and

Othello. Desdemona is a Venetian woman and Othello is a black Moor. Racism was considered

normal during the time of their marriage. Since Othello was a dark-skinned man, he was seen as

an outcast and wasn’t looked at as equal to the rest of the Venice population. According to

Shakespeare, “Even now, now, very now, an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe. /Arise,

arise! / Awake the snorting citizens with the bell / Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you”

(1.1 96-100). In this scene, Iago shows up at Brabantio’s house to present the news of

Desdemona being married to Othello. Essentially, Desdemona is stolen from her father because

she was known to be his property. Initially, Brabantio is in denial but once Iago uses racism as a

tactic, he believes him. The phrase “black ram” and “devil” represent a negative image of

Othello which supports Brabantio’s racist ideas. Brabantio then believes that Othello isn’t the

right person for his daughter.

 There was a big age gap between Desdemona and Othello. Some people believe age

doesn’t matter but it can influence one’s relationship. Othello is much older than Desdemona,

which leads to a loss of confidence. As the author reveals, “Into the valve of years-yet that’s not

much / She’s gone, I am abused, and my relief” (3.3 307-308). Othello views his age as a curse

on the marriage because he thinks Desdemona will find someone who is younger than him and

close to her age. As a result, Othello feels insecure and loses faith in Desdemona’s loyalty.

Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, suggests that his daughter marries a man who is close in age.

Brabantio observes, “Judge me the world, if tis’ not gross in sense / That thou hast practiced on

her with foul charms / Abused her delicate youth with drugs and minerals” (1.2 91-93). Her

father is appalled that she married a man who is older than her. Brabantio concluded that Othello

used witchcraft to pursue Desdemona. She is a young naïve and gullible girl who subjects herself

to being taken advantage of. With this knowledge, Brabantio thinks it’s best that Desdemona

doesn’t remain in the marriage.

Another component that can hinder a marriage is the differences in social positions. In

the 16th century, the social standard was strictly followed where the man was to have a higher

social status than the woman. Desdemona was born into a wealthy family while Othello isn’t of

the Venice population, and he knows that he’ll never be in the same social ranking as them.

Therefore, this puts a damper on the marriage because Othello doesn’t meet social expectations.

Love is essential in marriage but that isn’t the only thing needed to keep it alive. Other

aspects such as age, race, and social ranking can all impact the relationship between two people.