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Contradictive Personality of Desdemona

Contradictive Personality of Desdemona


Desdemona is portrayed as a beautiful, intelligent young Venetian lady. The most expressive is lieutenant Cassio, who describes her as "perfection" and says "Hail to thee, lady! And the grace of heaven, / Before, behind thee, and on every hand, / Enwheel thee round".(2.1.84-86) Throughout the play, seemingly opened and simple character of Desdemona is presented with certain duality.

From the first scenes we understand that Desdemona is a very strong, determined and independent personality. She fearlessly oversteps anger of her father, traditions, racial prejudice, and bravely defends her affection and secret marriage to the Moor, charismatic Othello. This act of surpassing father's domination can be taken even as rebelliousness, which could cost Desdemona public reprobation and misunderstanding in stiff Venetian community.

At the same time, Desdemona is one of the most static, passive and calm characters of the play. He father, Brabantio, confirms this idea, calling her "a maiden never bold" and "of spirit so still and quiet" (1.3.95—96), representing, as critics say, "an individual domestic feminine charm and simplicity" (Sadowski, p. 201)

Desdemona definitely has some strong convictions and a lot of mannish courage. Like a man, she is seeking for freedom and independence as a "fair warrior" (2.1.180). She follows her husband to the Cyprus in the theater of war and stays with him in military camp, abandoning all girly social entertainments. But even in these circumstances she remains tender, sentimental and emotional.

Desdemona loves Othello sincerely and maturely (not just in a romantic way): "I saw Othello's visage in his mind, / And to his honors and his valiant parts / Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate". (1.3.250-254) Till her last breath she remains genuinely submissive and obedient wife: "yet she is chaste, innocent, passive, and submissive, dying on a lie rather than condemning her husband" (Sadovski, p. 201).

But, at the same time, she is unable to evoke total trust in her husband and cannot persuade him in her loyalty after receiving from him accusations in betrayal, saying that "It is my wretched fortune" (4.2.130). She acts so carelessly in this situation, because she believes that her "..noble Moor / Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness / As jealous creatures are". (3.4.20-23)

In many scenes Desdemona behaves with wisdom, cautiousness and high emotional maturity. In her speech to Brabantio in Act 1, she presents herself as a logical and very responsible person, who is looking for a compromise between social traditions and her own principles, saying "My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty". (1.3.180)

However, in some episodes her behaviors are quite ambiguous, and her character has obvious lack of consistency or diplomacy. For example, in her conversations with Othello about Cassio she is too naive and ignorant, using very warm words when addressing to her protégée: "a-wooing" (3.3.71) "love" (4.1.232).

Finally, the most symbolical contradiction of Desdemona is her playing completely different roles in the beginning and in the end of the play. Initially, she appears on the position of a brave woman protecting her love when confronting her father and the community. And in the end she is put into the situation of proving her faithfulness again, but this time to her beloved Othello. She does not fail in the Senate, but cannot succeed in front of her own husband, and innocently dies.





Bibliography:

Hall, Joan L. Othello: A Guide to the Play. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1999.
Long, William. "Desdemona I: Two Faces of Desdemona." Personal Page of Dr. W. Long 2004. 2 Dec. 2006 <http://www.drbilllong.com/ShakeO/DesdemonaI.html >.
Sadowski, Piotr. Dynamism of Character in Shakespeare's Mature Tragedies. Newark, DE: University of Delaware Press, 2003.
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Posted by: Kate L. Rizal

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