Feminism in Othello

Feminism in Othello

• All three women in Othello are presented according to men’s interpretations?

There are several different forms of feminism represented in Othello, Desdemona is presented in Act 1 Scene 3 as a woman bound to her father and loyal to her husband (as men believe women should be). Perhaps it could be said that Bianca is also presented according to a man’s interpretation as she is a whore and is treated accordingly by Cassio. She is dismissed and disrespected. However Bianca is shown by Shakespeare to be a little hard done by and the audience is made to feel a certain amount of sympathy for her rejection by Cassio; this therefore does not continue that idea. Emilia is another woman in Othello who does not comply with this idea of women presented in a man’s image, she is feisty and stubborn and argues back in Scene 5 of the play, and eventually uncovering her husbands own betrayal which is his eventual downfall.