William Shakespeare's play Othello is set during the Renaissance period in Venice, Italy. The tragedy concerns a man who uses his talent for manipulation to seek revenge and causes chaos and death. Iago manages to make Othello believe that his wife, Desdemona, is unfaithful and dishonest. Although Desdemona has already declared her love for Othello, Othello turns into an angry and upset man who ends up killing his beloved wife. Not only is Desdemona killed by her husband, but so is Emilia. Emilia tries to do what is right at the end of the play by telling the truth about Iago's deceptive plan but is killed by Iago. During the 1600s, women were punished if they were dishonest and labeled as "whores" if they were suspected of cheating. Some husbands, like Othello, went so far as to kill their wives if they discovered that they were unfaithful. Renaissance women were advised to stay at home and obey their husbands at all costs. Desdemona and Emilia tried their best to stand by their husbands, but were killed because they had no power over their husbands. Women were considered objects and trophies in the 17th century and could not oppose their husbands without being harmed. In William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, Shakespeare illustrates the female characters as women who do not fit the Renaissance woman stereotype and sees them as dynamic. Shakespeare uses his characterization of women to teach society about their individuality and complexity. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essayDuring the 1600s, the Renaissance period, society viewed women as people destined to become housewives and to obey their husbands or dominant male figures. However, Shakespeare used the art of writing to depict women breaking out of the norm and becoming their own person. Since the beginning of time, women have been considered inferior to men. They were seen as people who could not become equal to men because they were weak or too delicate. Men took the dominant role and left very little power to women. Shakespeare depicted his female characters as objects of their husbands or male figures. In Act I, Scene I, Iago shouts “Wake up!” What, Brabantio! Thieves, thieves!/Look at your house, your daughter and your bags!/Thieves, thieves! As a first step in his plan, Iago begins to cause trouble for Othello by going to Brabantio, Desdemona's father, who learns of the marriage and becomes furious. However, the use of the word "thieves" proves to the audience that Desdemona is considered Brabantio's property that was stolen by Othello. Brabantio never recognized Desdemona's wish to love someone, so she decided to run away behind his back. The audience sees that Brabantio controls Desdemona's life and realizes that men were superior to women during the Renaissance. Shakespearean expert Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper states that “society was patriarchal; in other words, men ruled all institutions and were considered the heads of the family.” In Dr. Farah Karim-Cooper's article, Women in Othello, Cooper talks about the rules women must follow to "honor" the family name and Desdemona is no exception. Brabantio thought his daughter would respect their name because he is a senator. Shakespeare portrayed Desdemona as a woman who did not change her individuality because of a single personand who remained pure. Desdemona followed her heart, something few women did at that time, as they were told to never disobey their dominant figure. The female characters in Shakespeare's Othello were women who did not fit the mold of a Renaissance woman. For example, Shakespeare's characterization of Emilia shows society that women are capable of expressing themselves but are too afraid because they have no way to protect or defend themselves and will end up getting hurt. In the 17th century, women were punished if they did not obey their husbands or killed if they were suspected of cheating. However, Emilia went against her husband's order and states: “I will not charm my tongue; I have to speak.” Throughout the play, Shakespeare decides to add little feminist details to Emilia's character and, at the end of the play, decides that she is done with the mistreatment of women. Emilia speaks up, disobeying her husband, but is killed because she told the truth about Iago's deceptive plan. In the 17th century, women had the mentality of obeying their husbands. However, Shakespeare portrayed Emilia as a woman who saw others being abused and mistreated by men. Unlike Emilia, Renaissance women did not care about the struggles they faced with their husbands and stayed by their side. Although much of the problems between husband and wife have been made public, no one has decided to intervene. In Act IV Scene II, Emilia was in the presence of three other men who decided not to protect her once Iago drew his sword. Ruth Vanita, a professor at the University of Montana specializing in historical literature and gender studies, says: "What we see on stage at this point is a lone, unarmed woman surrounded by armed men who deliberately fail to protect it - a visual representation. of a woman’s impotence” (Vanita 32). Literary critic Ruth Vanita writes about the innocent and helpless wives who were collateral damage in Iago's plan. Desdemona and Emilia were unable to defend themselves because they had no power over their husbands. In the 17th century, women were obsessed with pleasing their husbands because it was their “duty” that led them to have very little power. The majority will argue that women fail to achieve their complexity and uniqueness because they were not capable against their husbands and had to follow a set of rules. Nonetheless, some would argue that Renaissance women lacked individuality, not because they were inferior to men or powerless, but because they chose to show their love and affection by obeying their husbands. However, Othello's wives were seen as objects or trophies for their husbands. For example, Othello states: “O curse of marriage!/That we could call these delicate creatures our own,/And not their appetites!” » . The audience sees that Othello claims Desdemona as if she were an object in his daily life. The audience also sees that husbands view themselves as superior to their wives because they are of the dominant sex. In the 1600s, women were advised to become obedient to their husbands whenever they faced problems with him. They were told not to upset them or provoke them, as this would cause them to no longer be loved. The strategy of obedience does not work in Othello because Desdemona is killed. Desdemona tried to stay by her husband's side, even in the worst case scenario, but it was no use. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get now.