patriarhcal attitudes to women Flashcards
(13 cards)
‘Is there not charms/ by which the property of youth and maidhood/ may be abused’
It is unbelievable for traditional Venetians that Desdemona may go on her own accord - youth and maidhood require docility, which her actions show she has not
‘She is abused, stol’n from me and corrupted’
As Othello is black, Barbantio sees this as corrupting her purity, as their relationship is unconventional.
‘You rise to play and go to bed to work’/ ‘You shall not write my praise’
Iago portrays women to be simple creatures with only domestic purposes to serve men
Her eyes must be fed. And/ what delight shall she have to look on the devil’
This is the beginning of Iago’s portrayal of Desdemona as sexually explorative; he plays on Christian attitudes about female sexuality and hell to add fear and disgust to the action and portrays her similarly to the way he portrayed Othello: animalistic
‘O curse marriage/ that we can call these delicate creatures ours/ and not their appetites’
There is engagement with appearance vs reality here, as women seemingly are passive creatures, yet their inner desires or metaphorically their ‘appetite’, is dangerou.s
A good wench! Give it to me’
Iago praises Emilia, but only when it benefits him
‘I nothing but to please his fantasy’
Emilia too understands her role as a woman, but actively tries to dismiss this to Desdemona
‘She plucked him to my chamber’
The verb ‘plucked’ feels intentional but rather delicate, showing Desdemona as someone who can pick and choose her men at her discretion just like they are some sort of flowers
‘Come, Desdemona, ‘tis the soldier’s life’
While Desdemona seems to be included in male business in Venice, she is excluded from it in Cyprus, and her failure to understand this change or military culture leads her to her traged.y
‘out of her goodness make the nett that shall emesh them all’
Metaphor - again, patriarchal manipulation of women allows men great power over women’s fates, and Iago uses this to also entrap Othello, who is inextricably linked to Desdemona
‘Are not you a strumpet?’/ ‘No, as I am a Christian’
Desdemona’s purity comes from her Christian values and yet Othello although preaching Christian ideas throughout seems to ignore this; this again shows his selective belief system
‘O notable Strumpet’/‘I do suspect this trash’
Iago uses negative descriptions of Bianca as she is a prostitute and he condemns female promiscuity
‘What are you made? Charge thee home’
Iago’s again exhibits misogynist attitudes as when Emilia speaks out against him he tries to silence her
