Desdemona

In Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the Moor of Venice the character of Desdemona, the wife of Othello appeared to me as one of the most naïve characters within the play. She appears somewhat brave in the beginning of the play because she has secretly married Othello without her father, Brabantio’s knowledge. She also appears brave when she makes an attempt to stand up to her father after he accuses Othello of using magic to woo her. Desdemona stands up to her father in Act I, Scene III, when she states, “And so much duty as my mother showed/ To you, preferring you before her father,/ So much I challenge that I may profess/ Due to the Moor my lord.” I considered Desdemona to be very brave in this scene because her father pretty much considers her his property. He states in Act I, Scene III, “She is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted/ By spells and medicines brought of mountebanks.” It is clear he considers her property because he thinks of Othello as stealing her away from him by secretly marrying her. I think it took guts for a young woman during her times to stand up to her father about who she decided to marry but also Desdemona appears very naïve in her marriage to Othello because in Act III, Scene IV, Desdemona has a hard time catching onto what Othello is trying discuss with her.

In Act III, Scene IV, Othello question Desdemona about the handkerchief he gave to her as a present. Desdemona lies to Othello saying that it isn’t lost when he asks her for it and she quickly changes the subject to Cassio. Othello tries to tell her the importance of the handkerchief and how it use to belong to his mother but she doesn’t want to admit that it is lost so she keeps bringing up Cassio’s case. Throughout their entire discussion Desdemona doesn’t sense that Othello appears to be growing jealous and that he is requesting to see the handkerchief for other reasons. The more Desdemona appears to bring up Cassio, the more Othello appears to be demanding to see the handkerchief but Desdemona just doesn’t seem to catch on to the reason for her husband’s behavior.  Emilia tries to bring it to her attention. She states, “Is not this man jealous?” Desdemona who still doesn’t get it states, “I ne’er saw this before./ Sure there’s some wonder in this handkerchief!/ I am most unhappy in the loss of it.” Desdemona just doesn’t seem to understand Othello’s purpose for wanting to see the handkerchief. Later in the scene, when she tells Cassio what happened when she tried to discuss his case with Othello she thinks that he is upset because something dealing with the state either from Venice or Cyprus. Emilia points out, “Pray heaven it be/ State matters, as you think, and no conception/ Nor no jealous toy concerning you.” Emilia appears to think differently unlike Desdemona she understand that Othello could possibly be jealous and that could be the reason why he is upset. Desdemona appears to be naïve because she doesn’t understand that her husband could be jealous and that is the reason why he is upset.