Othello the Faults of Desdemona Term Paper

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Othello continues to change the subject and make light of it, but Desdemona persists asking "Shall't be to-night at supper?" And "To-morrow dinner, then?" (I, ii). From Othello's responses, it is clear that he is becoming annoyed. However, Desdemona remains unaware of this and persists. This is a sign of how naive she is because it shows that she is not aware of Othello's feelings. She is not capable of observing that he is not interested and it is not the time to convince him. Instead, she just continues to repeat herself as she tries to get Othello to listen to her and agree with what she wants. This also shows that she is naive because she is more intent on what she promised Cassio than the promise she made to Othello when she married him. This shows that she is driven by her own goodness and by her own interest in helping others. In this section of the play, it is not suggested that she has any romantic interest in Cassio. However, it is understandable that Othello gets this impression. It seems that Desdemona is too naive to see how her actions could look to Othello.

Desdemona's flaws are then highlighted when Othello verbally abuses her after he has become convinced that she is having an affair. At one point, Othello says to Desdemona "I took you for that cunning whore of Venice that married with Othello / You, mistress, / That have the office opposite to Saint Peter, / and keep the gate of hell!" (IV, ii). This comes after a series of questions where Othello asks Desdemona is she is a strumpet and a whore.

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These are obvious insults but Desdemona does not respond to them. When asked if she is a strumpet, she simply states that she is a Christian. When asked if she is a whore, she simply says no. The problem in Desdemona's response is that she does not stand up for herself or ask what is happening. While it seems obvious that Othello thinks she is unfaithful, she does not seem to be aware of this. It seems that her goodness and faith in Othello prevents her from questioning him. She does not demand to know why he thinks that and even ask why he is acting so strangely. In fact, she responds to all his questions calmly and with little emotion. This is Desdemona's greatest flaw and the one that leads to the tragic outcome. If Desdemona had of stood up for herself at this point and confronted her husband, they may have been able to realize that it was an error and realized the manipulation that was taking place. As it is, Othello continues to be convinced that Desdemona is guilty and the situation is not resolved.

Overall, this shows that Desdemona is a contributing factor to the events that take place. She is a naive woman who does not see reality clearly. She is a good person but sees too much good in others and is unwilling to see any flaws. She is also too willing to help others and does so at the expense of her relationship with Othello. In the end, her own goodness and naivete allow her to become a victim in the….....

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