Women and possessions

- Women controlled by fathers or husbands e.g. Desdemona = barbantio

- othello (described marriage as a purchase
- Expectations of Venetian society were for women to bow to the wills of their
husbands.
Iago
- Literally objectifies women depriving them of their humanity
- Revenge partially motivated by misogyny
- Emilia is under his ownership
- Outlines the widely held patriarchal view of women as deceptive
- He claims they act pure and chaste in public but really are wild cats with their
husbands

Women as submissive
- Desdemona declares her social role and power declaring ‘I am obedient’ and
providing to be so until her final breath.
- Emilia is likewise aware of her ‘proper’ role in society

Women as temptresses
- Men seem preoccupied with matters of the flesh for the women around them also
with feminine sexuality and infidelity
- Othello values Desdemona's beauty over kindness

Women as powerful
- Women garner power, according to the men of Othello in matters of sex and intimacy
only
- Iago especially emphasises the way women can control men by appealing to men’s
sexual desires

Strumpets
- In response to masculine fears of female power, men label women as temptresses
and thus degrade them

Conclusion
- Desdemona is the image of an ideal woman
- Emilia is a strong female character and at times exhibits masculine traits
- All three women are describes as temptresses

Cultural context
- Anglo catholic upper-class Venetian society
- Image of the ideal woman
- Comes from a family of status
- Upholds all expectations
- Venetian society = patriarchial
- Men hold power over women

Positive stereotype
- Epitomises the positive qualities of a women of her time
 - Contrasts with other women in the play
- Desdemona is describes a beautiful, loving and kind

Subverts stereotypes
- goes against the female stereotypes by marrying without her father’s consent.

Desdemona as ‘Other’
- Part of social minority
- Determined by acceptance of others

Imagery

Animal imagery:
“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe”

“You’ll have your daughter covered with a barbary horse”

Why? Othello’s power resides in his sexual difference from white males. Suggests that due
to Othello's not being white, he is deviant