Shakespeare’s Approach to Gender Roles & Patriarchy in Othello
Literature is a reflection of society. The values, attitudes, beliefs that society holds dear are projected by writers who have the hope of altering the negative values and upholding the positive values. Gender is understood as not only referring to either male or female but also as a social construct. It is the latter perception of gender as a social construct that informs this discussion because gender roles flow from this social construction of gender. Gender roles are the socially defined tasks given to a man or a woman primarily because of their sex. The stereotypes on the capability to perform a certain task or not are deeply entrenched in societies since time immemorial, thus reflected in literature. The renowned work of Shakespeare captures the patriarchal values of society, which is a system that treated men as superior and women as inferior. Women are perceived as the “other” “second class” persons, while men are the “subjects” of the system (Iyasere). The result of this treatment is that men get access to the public sphere of politics and economics, while women are relegated to the private sphere of reproductive work and performing house chores. In essence, the economic dependence of women and men is sustained by these systems, and their freedom curtailed. Men’s values are privileged to those of women, which is illustrated, for instance, by Othello’s condemnation of Desdemona that “Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.”
To put this in perspective, the play Othello is set in the patriarchal context of Renaissance Era Venice. Men are portrayed to occupy powerful positions in the Senate and to serve in the military. The rationale for the elevation of men into powerful positions is based on the understanding that men possess the superior intellect and physical prowess than women. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The character of Emilia, as presented by Shakespeare, challenges patriarchal ideas. Emilia is gentle, but she is not as elite. Emilia is bold in voicing for sexual equality between the sexes. The depiction of the husband as angry for minor faults of the wife. Emilia is convinced that Othello, who she views as a jealous husband, is hiding the real marital grievance by focusing on petty misgivings. The approach taken by Emilia is she chooses silence over confronting the issue. The rationale for the silence lies in protecting other women who are as vulnerable as her. Criticism against Emilia’s character is the silence that led Othello to be persuaded of his wife’s guilt of unfaithfulness. However, it is argued that silence is justified as a basis of self-preservation. In as much as she had the power to speak up, her authority to do so would be denied.
Emilia is loyal to the mistress whom she loved as producing the handkerchief as evidence would implicate the mistress. Shakespeare depicts the women in the subsequent analysis as vulnerable and inclined to be silent to be protective of each other. The vulnerability in such a context furthers the stereotypes of the weakness of the female gender. The vulnerability continues when a battered woman is left at her husband’s mercy with no one to come to her aid; however, murderous the assault gets. From a feminist cultural perspective, he exalts the caring virtues of a woman, which is to be celebrated. Further, Othello’s presentation of jealousy as a normal manly behavior reinforces the stereotypes of the wife as being the property of the husband, which he purchased, jealously guards. It thus can dispose of it as he wishes (Vanita).
A divorced woman faced dire alternatives of either dying or becoming a prostitute. As Desdemona sought allies, she chose the option of being patient in the hope that Othello would come around. Iago’s views to Desdemona reflect the views that society tells victims of domestic violence to hang in there and be an obedient, submissive wife and be patient. The other ally who is willing to help but powerless is Emilia. Othello is presented as a violent husband who is insecure as he is quick to strike Desdemona when she received news from her cousin Lodovico. Lodovico witnesses the violence but does nothing to intervene or later on question Othello for his behavior despite warning from Iago that Othello’s conduct was not an accident. Lodovico distances himself from complaints of violence when he disregards Cassio’s and Roderigo’s pleas for help. It has been argued that the representation of Othello shows society’s “hands-off approach” to marital issues. Other critics posit that Lodovico’s representation from Shakespeare is to show his incompetence as a dramatist (Vanita).
The death of a Desdemona is caused by not only Othello and Iago but also by the humiliation she suffered as others watched without intervening. However, in the end, Desdemona lets go of her hold onto chastity, which cannot save her and wishes for “beggarly divorcement” than death. Desdemona’s character is that of a “so good a wife” as Desdemona (Bartels). At one point, she asks Emilia whether there are wives who abuse their husbands and vows never to do such a deed. According to Vanita, this scenario illustrates that the requirements of chastity and innocence for a woman do not necessarily protect them from violence and murder.
On the contrary, women who undergo such tests are more likely to face victimization and violence. On the other hand, Bartels discusses the options available to a woman as either reaffirming her position as a subordinate to her husband or rejecting the grounds of her assigned roles. There is no easier path as both involve acts of self-sacrifice (Bartels). Desdemona is presented to merge the characters of both a good wife and a shrew (Bartels). In doing so, she challenges the existing presumption that a man and a woman are different, which is reinforced in marriage, courts, and society at large (Bartels).
Emilia, in Act IV, is depicted as loyal. She stands up for sexual equality to the point that women are not the sole keepers of faithfulness. Men, too have a responsibility to be faithful, and in as much as they enjoy the “sport” of being promiscuous, women can also enjoy it. Further, husbands are to blame for their wives’ fall. This is through their conduct of insulting and assaulting the wife in public and acting jealously overprotective. Emilia is of the view that a wife is justified to use the weapon of “internal” revenge of infidelity to get back to the husband. A counterchallenge to this view is that women choosing infidelity to revenge against their husbands is not a true exercise of autonomy over their bodies. It exalts the superiority of the man in the long run. However, it is argued that Emilia’s viewpoint is to be interpreted as encouraging husbands to be faithful and loyal than encouraging women to be untrue. Indeed, the views by Emilia depict the long stretching years of man’s domination within the home and over their wives (Bowman). In Emilia’s words, “…Why we have galls; and though we have some grace
Yet we have some revenge. Let husbands know.”
In the last words of Emilia, as she is martyred, she is at peace for standing for the truth and being loyal to the mistress. The rationale for Emilia speaking the truth lies in the theologian aspect of strict Renaissance Catholic tradition for one to get rid of guilt and eternal damnation in purgatory. Emilia affirms this when she asserts that “So come my soul to bliss as I speak True.” Shakespeare, therefore, observes the courage that women have in speaking against the violence and the tragic death of Desdemona. Iyasere, in his article, lauds Emilia in speaking the emotions that engulf readers following the tragic death of Desdemona. In the fifth act, after Othello murders Desdemona, Emilia makes a decision, to tell the truth, and “speak as liberal as the north.” This speaks to the courage of truth despite the consequences that follow. Notably, the murder flows from a series of acts of mistrust between the male and female sexes. Suspicions keep brewing, with women being on the receiving end of the gruesome consequences of mistrust.
Shakespeare challenges the patriarchal dominance of the truth to the extent that women also have a voice. On her death bed, Emilia disclaims Venice with its corruption and male- dominance. She is psychologically free from the constraints of patriarchy imposed on her by society and self-restraints flowing from the socialization of a woman in Venice. In Emilia, “speaking out,” Shakespeare reinforces the significance of being heard. However, since death symbolically represents silence, the effect of it is that Emilia does not get to exercise her newly acquired freedom that she fought for with blood and sweat. Nevertheless, this act is significant as it depicts the liberation of women and girls from the shackles of patriarchy. Notably, there seems to be a ripple effect from society to the individual self of the dominant values of patriarchy, which women and men accept as the norm.
Shakespeare challenges the dominant claims of masculinity through Emilio by allowing her to assert her independence free of Iago. Traditionally, married women were not allowed to exist independently of their husbands as their personhood was subsumed under that of the husband, who was the “One,” also referred to as coverture. They could, for example, not deal in property, or enter into contracts independently. The independence of women as presented contradicts the values of masculinity of dominance. In the play, Iago is offended by Emilia’s repulsiveness and show of independence, which provokes him to stab her. In this contact, Shakespeare is presenting the virtues of anger, which men have used previously to justify their actions of violence, as evident in the laws of, for example, assault. Laws are also a reflection of society, and it has been argued that the defenses put in law, such as the criminal law defense of provocation, favors men and exalts their values of anger. In the words of Emilia, “Tis proper, I obey him, but for now/ Perchance, Iago, I will ne’er go home.” (Iyasere).
The bold actions of Desdemona who marries an outsider breaking the mold that women could not do so depicts the kind of progressive thinking and attitudes for women. She asserts her personhood as an individual, rational, and capable of making choices as to who to marry. Criticism against the character of Desdemona is her conflation of characters as an independent individual on the one hand and as a willing submissive woman. On the one hand, she articulately states her mind independently, and on the other hand, she is loyal to her husband at an individual cost. The interpretation of Desdemona is a woman who seems willing to assert her self. Still, at the same time, she is strong and flexible enough to compromise and remain loyal to her father and husband. Desdemona, while recognizing the patriarchal authority of her father, pays homage to him, “to you; I am bound for life and education, my life and education birth do teach me, how to respect you. You are the lord of duty.” She recognizes the protocol of the local tradition of marriage but uses it to select her husband.
The assertion of independence and personhood comes at a great cost for Desdemona and leads to her undoing. Societal boundaries do not confine her; therefore is a threat to herself. She intervenes on behalf of Cassio. In doing so, she asserts her position in military politics, which is traditionally a playing field for men, thus surpasses traditional gender roles. This amounts to the addition of brewing anger to Othello’s heart, which was already filled with jealousy. As will be shown, the use of jealousy as a theme by Shakespeare is deliberate to depict how men felt threatened when women attempt to transcend the traditionally defined gender roles. The rationale for jealousy is said to be the fear that the husband, the traditional head of the family I likely to be a victim of cuckoldry.
Shakespeare presents two dimensions of the exercise of freedom by men and women through the characters of Emilia and Iago. Emilia uses her newly acquired costly freedom to speak the truth and uphold Desdemona’s virtues, while Iago uses his freedom to exploit others and cause harm. The consequences flowing from speaking the truth for Emilia are dire, and no one comes to her rescue as she is struck to death by Iago, while revealing the truth about him, testifying thus in need of protection, no man comes to her rescue (VANITA). Her vulnerability is watched without any action by the armed men.
The two paradigms of the public and the private sphere are evident in this play as most murders of a spouse are often considered “domestic affairs” that do not warrant state interference. The killings are compared to political murders, which are always automatically part of the public sphere (Vanita). A systemic culture of violence preceded the deaths of Desdemona and Emilia. Society does not intervene in what is perceived as an unavoidable expression of masculinity and the beliefs that what happens between a husband and his wife is private. For instance, the death of Emilia occurs in the presence of non-intervening onlookers for accusations of “mental” unfaithfulness. Emilia’s independence in thought and for speaking out against the atrocities committed against Desdemona. In cultures, a wife would be murdered for being adulterous.
There is a difference in response to violence against a man and a woman. A woman must be bold enough to stand up against her wrongdoers, and in the process, she might get support from another woman. It is as if society has colluded against women and normalized “husbandry violence.” Emilia courageously intervened on Desdemona’s behalf and took risks that put her in jeopardy. In comparison to the support Desdemona received from Iago and her cousin Lodovico, Emilia put herself on the line despite being powerless. Bartels argues that what the women lack is not a lack of power but the authority to legitimate their decisions or agendas (Bartels).
Bianca is a courtesan from Cyprus. They have a level of independence and freedom despite being from the lowest members of society. Regarding prostitution, Othello forces the mistress to dress and act as a prostitute and Emilia as a bawd. Radical feminist scholars argue that prostitution is the highest form of expression of the subordination of women and thus condemn it. On the other hand, some argue that it is the expression of the autonomy of women over their bodies. As Camille Paglia stated, “the prostitute is not, as feminists claim, the victim of men, but rather their conqueror, an outlaw who controls the sexual channels between nature and culture.”
Shakespeare challenges the patriarchal order by presenting the perspectives of a woman who feels trapped in a woman’s body wishing she had been born as a man. This is significant in highlighting the consequences of self-condemnation and inferiority flowing from treating one gender badly solely on the basis that one is a woman. Desdemona, “she wished / That heaven had made her such a man.” (Vanita). Criticism against this view is that women are, at times, the perpetrators of the continued maintenance of the patriarchal order. However, in Shakespeare’s Othello, armed men are depicted as the primary benefactors of the patriarchal order through their remarks and attitudes towards women, which reaches at its peak through the acts of violence and murder of the two women who defy the patriarchal order.
Through the male character of Iago and Lodovico, Shakespeare is critiquing the patriarchal order and society at large for passively abetting the continued subjugation of women. Lodovico represents acceptance by society of unwillingness to interfere with private family issues. Despite being a cousin to Desdemona, he watches passively as she is insulted. Neither does e conform Othello nor ask him the basis of striking his wife. Iago advises Desdemona to patently stay put in her functionless marriage, despite listening to her complaints. The climax of the passivity of society when violence is meted against women is during the public abuse of Emilia by armed men. She is defenseless, speaking the truth, but no one comes to her rescue. In essence, Shakespeare was stressing the importance of human intervention to save a woman from an abusive husband out to harm her.
It is argued that Shakespeare upholds the patriarchal attitude in Othello to the extent that it presents a narrow perspective of female expression and sexual freedom. To illustrate this, it is argued that Shakespeare uses women in scenarios that require a male solution. A further argument is a deep suspicion that surrounds the lives of female characters, which leads the audience to believe that the women did something t merit such treatment. The depiction of domestic violence depicts sexist overtones. At the time he wrote, his intended audience was male, and that male audiences were paying him. However, these critics laud Shakespeare for his articulate understanding of female psychology and for effectively showing the effects of conflict between two sexes whenever mistrust breeds.
Conclusion
The position taken by this essay is that Shakespeare challenges and critiques the patriarchal ideas about gender roles. The context, “Elizabethan society” within which Shakespeare wrote Othello, is predominated by male-domination. Despite being awake to the patriarchal order, Shakespeare presented ideas from a female perspective to engineer and steer new thinking that challenged the stereotypes about womanhood. However, some critics argue that Shakespeare sought to attain a balance to keep his patriarchal audience. He emphasized the importance of a woman assertively expressing herself independently without crossing the boundaries of what is acceptable female behavior.
On the other hand, men could not trust a woman because of how unpredictable women can be (Greer). The predisposition to cheat by women is a belief held by men leading to Othello’s murder of Desdemona. Therefore, the women during Shakespeare’s time were objects of oppression and subjugation. The language by Shakespeare in portraying the characters mirrors the reality ad conflict that women found themselves etched in. He challenges the oppression they face through allowing them to heroically assert their individualism, albeit at the cost of their life. This literature is relevant in showing the conflict that women face in asserting themselves and mistrust that arises from patriarchy, causing conflict.
References
Conley Greer “To Be A Woman: Shakespeare’s Patriarchal Viewpoint.”
Solomon Isere The Liberation of Emilia
Thomas Bowman in Defense of Emilia
“Proper” Men and “Fallen” Women: The Unprotections of Wives in Othello
Emily Bartels Strategies of Submission: Demon, the Duchess, and the Assertion of Desire