Essay I wrote for QUEUC
Here is the essay I wrote for the “Quebec University English Undergraduate Conference”
“The Opposing Forces of Gender, Sexuality, and Race in Shakespeare’s Othello”
Even though he is a moor, Shakespeare’s Othello is a member of the military and remains secure in his social position within Venetian society. He has married an aristocratic woman Desdemona, as well as gained the confidence of the Venetian court. However, his positions as a military man and a black man reveal themselves to lack said security once his jealousy escalates at the end of the play. Desdemona on the other hand, illustrates a strong independence and comfort in terms of her womanhood through her assertive qualities and stature within Venetian society, but this disintegrates once her gender and loyalties are questioned by Othello. Race, sexuality, and gender function symbolically in that their influence on the other contributes to the driving forces in this drama. Othello and Desdemona undergo drastic changes from the beginning of the play to the end, and it is through the conflict of their gender and sexuality which lead to their ultimate downfall.
Othello is first introduced by Roderigo as “a lascivious Moor” (I.I.122), Brabantino describes him as “an abuser of the world/a practicer of arts inhibited and out of warrant” (I.II.77). It is through these descriptions that Othello is stereotyped as someone who is violent and uses magic to influence people. Othello proves to be far beyond these stereotypes as his character is one that is rather well refined. For instance, he speaks in an eloquent manner and is also capable of asserting himself. This is shown when Iago’s attempt at inflicting fear in Othello in terms of the Duke’s potential anger towards his marriage to Desdemona fails. Iago tells him that the Duke will “divorce you/ Or put upon you what restraint and grievance The law” (I.i.14-15). Othello in return shows no concern and feels that “my services which I have done the signory/ shall out-toung his complaints: (I.I. 18). His capability of defending his position and asserting that his services will be looked upon gratefully provides him with an agency otherwise unanticipated from someone of his racial background in Elizabethan times. In addition to this, Othello is capable of enticing the crowd and proving that Desdemona’s love for him is genuine, despite Barbatio’s claims that “with some dram, conjured to this effect/ He wrought upon her” (I.iii.167-8). A story that even the Duke believes “would win my daughter too”. Essentially, Othello’s race is not an issue to the Venetian courts. He is given the means to carry out a regular lifestyle of any European gentleman; and let us not forget the Duke’s parting words to Desdemona’s father “your son-in-law is far more fair than black” (I.III. 171) signifying that he is clearly a respected and trusted individual within the aristocratic society despite his blackness. It is only when his sexuality is threatened that his race grows to become a greater issue for him.
Race and sexuality are implicated through the use of the handkerchief. Othello’s background story associated with the handkerchief is symbolic in that it functions as an association with femininity as well as with sexuality in terms of its association with virginity. Othello’s first claim is that an Egyptian gave the handkerchief to his mother and the other is that it was a token his father gave his mother. In telling the first story to his wife, Othello emphasises the importance of virginity, a virtue he expects from her. He claims it holds “magic in the web of it” and to lose it would cause such “perdition”. Therefore because their marriage has not yet been consummated (as we see later on with the mention of wedding sheets) the handkerchief is both a sexual symbol, that of virginity in terms of Desdemona’s chastity towards Othello, and furthermore a gender specific token in that it was passed on by a man to a woman in both cases.
Iago is aware of Othello’s insecurity as a moor and therefore uses this to further invoke the jealousy within him. He does so by using the object in which Othello associates his love for Desdemona: the handkerchief. He hints that Desdemona has deceived him “why then tis hers, my lord; and being hers/ She may, I think, bestow’t on any man” (IV.i.12-13). This claim is successful as it enrages Othello and causes him to lash out at Desdemona when he discovers its absence in III.iv. When Othello becomes jealous and suspicious of Desdemona’s supposed ill-mannered behaviour, fuelled by the loss of the handkerchief, he begins to question his inner-self and stature. As a result, his jealousy causes Desdemona’s mutation from his loving wife to an object of male domination.
Othello’s reactions to the stress created by Iago do bring to the surface what seem to be latent or repressed aspects of his “moorishness”: uncontrollable passion, superstitious interpretation of the handkerchief, and a ritualistic attempt to make Desdemona’s murder a sacrifice (Berry, 317). Although he has become comfortably assimilated within Venetian society, it would seem that these underlying insecurities (brought to light by Iago) are the cause of his downfall. The more jealous he becomes, the more Desdemona turns into an object he must dominate. He loses his passion, let alone his sanity, and in his rise as the dominate patriarch, he falls as “the moor”. Othello thus projects his self-loathing upon her. Desdemona becomes, paradoxically, according to Berry, the stereotype of the moor. Othello illustrates this through the language he uses towards her in calling her “cunning”, “sexually depraved” and diabolic. Moreover, he calls her a “slave” (3.3.479) a “lewd minx” (3.3.476) a “fair devil” (3.3.479) and a “subtle whore” (IV.2.21). Desdemona consequently moves from a white virgin to a fair devil (Berry, 328).
Desdemona’s gender undergoes transformation in that she is no longer an autonomous woman within her marriage. Her sexuality is also threatened as Othello believes that she did not remain chaste in their marriage. This transformation, as Berry suggests, occurs when she travels from Venice to Cyprus (321). In Venice, she remained independent and aggressive in that she had status with the aristocracy. Once she leaves Venice and goes on to a foreign land she loses that agency and therefore decreases to passivity and helplessness. This is better reflected in comparing two scenes in which Othello accuses her of betraying him. The first is in III. iv when Othello demands to know where the handkerchief is, she stands her ground despite his persistence in asking her to fetch it “why, so I can, sir, but I will not now/ This is a trick to put me from my suit” (III.iv.86-7). Her acknowledgement that he is attempting to make her seem at fault, as well as her restriction form adhering to his demands illustrates her strong assertive qualities. She will not allow herself to give in to his anger and in turn tries to reason with him. Since this clearly is no use she allows him to walk away and states that he has no one to blame but himself. She senses that something is wrong and admits her discontent with the loss of the handkerchief. This is the instance where we witness Desdemona’s independence slowing down as she begins to decrease in agency and grows to become docile and submissive. She is losing control of her marriage as well as her husband and seems powerless to stop it. Unable to stand her ground with a husband that will no longer listen to her, she is left with no other choice but to step down and yield to his demands resulting in her defeminisation.
Desdemona is defeminised when Othello strikes her in public in IV.i. Her response to his demand that she leaves “I will not stay to offend you” as well as his referral to her as “very obedient” to Lodovico brings down not only her social position as an aristocrat, but also her position as his wife and love. The passion that is witnessed between them at the beginning of the play is no longer present. Desdemona has given up her independence in turn for dependence as Othello gives her no choice but to obey him in order to avoid upsetting him any further. His happiness depends on her obedience and how her behaviour will be looked upon by those around him. This is the effect we receive from Othello as he digresses to Lodovico on how obedient she is and that he can make her do whatever he wishes “You did wish that I would make her turn/ Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on”. Othello wishes to maintain his reputation and that is what is at stake for him, by demeaning Desdemona and parading her around as a submissive wife he can regain both self-confidence in himself as well as the recognition from others that he remains the dominant figure within his marriage thus leaving Desdemona shamed and substandard.
Evidently these actions disgrace her as both a woman and his wife. The only aspect of herself that remains to be proven to Othello is her virginity and she therefore works towards proving her loyalty to him. By asking Emilia to place the wedding sheets upon her bed, she demonstrates her final attempt in regaining back the man she loves and restoring her status within the marriage. Her attempts fail as they do not seem to be enough for Othello. At this point he is blinded by the deceptions he allowed himself to give in to and disregards Desdemona’s surroundings during the murder scene. When Othello goes in to kill her, Desdemona is already stripped of her nobility, her status as a wife and most importantly her sexuality. Othello’s conclusion that she is but a whore and his inability to see beyond that is the result of her downfall as well as his. In killing her and becoming obsessed with the idea that she was unfaithful to him, Othello loses his position within society as well as his position as the dominant male.
As Berry suggests, Othello’s sexual disgust is thus not merely a “universal” symptom of repressed sexuality, but is deeply implicated in the specific question of Race (329). Returning to the idea that Othello projects his blackness onto her consequently converts Desdemona into that which Roderigo and Iago place before him at the beginning of the play. She becomes the slave, the moor, the abuser of the world. His insecurities which are heightened as a result of Iago’s influence play a factor in his motives for the death of Desdemona. His killing of Desdemona cannot be considered so much as the killing of her specifically but a killing of his own insecurities. The self- reflexivity he imposes upon Desdemona cause her to change in his mind from his wife and partner to the insecurities which he himself suppresses and does not face. Iago succeeds in bringing out the worst in Othello: the stereotypes associated with being a moor, the idea that his position is not as secure as he considers it to be, and the idea that Desdemona has deceived him etc. His influence on both Othello’s race and gender, cause Othello to destroy his wife’s own gender and question her sexuality resulting in his fall as he moor and her fall as a woman.
At the end of the play, Othello attempts to regain himself by claiming his murder of Desdemona was a sacrifice he had to make “yet she must die else she betray more men” (v.ii.6) which he uses as his main point in his defence. The idea that he killed her in order to have “done the state some service” is a final attempt at bringing together his status as a warrior and as a man. Othello throughout was incapable of coming to terms with these two identities. He suppressed his insecurities as a moor, and all the stereotypes that surrounded his race. This is evident as Iago tuned into these insecurities and used them to fuel his jealousy towards Desdemona. Othello’s sexuality in terms of his manhood and the occupation that surrounds his gender, are directly inflicted by the actions of Desdemona. His inability to accept himself as a moor is what drives him to insanity. The situation with Desdemona does not derive simply from his supposed threatened manhood and reputation, but instead function at a higher level. Iago is capable of invoking that which is Othello’s only weakness, his status as a moor. Othello is not merely jealous but driven by his insecurities which he perceives to be working within his wife. Desdemona in his perspective is not betraying their marriage but is furthering his moorishness in becoming black herself. By observing her as such, he allows for his insecurities to manifest themselves within her and therefore envisions her as a threat to his position within society. Othello is torn between his moorishness and his status as a gentleman of Venice and it is these two doubles that reveal themselves to be in conflict in his final speech.
Before he stabs himself, Othello exemplifies his recognition of his double identities but does not come to terms with them. He brings to light that he is both the “turbaned turk” and the “Venetian” and by killing himself he kills these two polarities. Once again he is sacrificing that which he believes to be at stake for society. He kills Desdemona to save other men, and kills himself to rid society of such a “circumcised dog”. His incapacity to bring together these two identities rupture his mental construct and he as a result cannot live with himself and the consequences of his actions and therefore becomes a martyr for Venice by disposing himself before they have occasion to.
In conclusion, race (that of the moor), gender, and sexuality are the prominent forces that drive Othello to his downfall dragging Desdemona down with him. The handkerchief and Iago’s influence also fuel the action in this play, as it is these two currents which signify the greater issues at hand. The handkerchief influences Desdemona’s sexuality as it is the loss of it that causes her to lose her own virginity in the eyes of her husband. Iago invokes Othello’s deepest anxieties towards his manhood and race within society. Othello allows himself to be manipulated by his insecurities and affectedly deteriorates in his social position as both a member of Venice and as a husband. Desdemona deteriorates as a woman when her sexuality and loyalties are brought forward, questioned and turned down by the man she loves. She loses agency and mutates into a suppressed and targeted individual thus traveling from an assertive woman to that of a submissive one. It is through the corrosion of sexuality, gender and race that both Desdemona and Othello fall as the lesser version of themselves.
Blasted United States
As of late, I have been greatly offended and perhaps felt a tad left out, due to Canada’s exemption from a variety of events. It seems to me that the United States seems very adamant on excluding us from certain areas.
I understand many American based projects will rightly so be released in the US firstly, and then, should we be so lucky, will Canada receive such an honour. More than likely though, only Toronto will get anything.
Here are recent examples of areas in which I was incapable of accessing due to my habitation residing in an area OTHER than the glorious United States of America:
1) I cannot stream certain television shows on certain websites because I don’t live in the US. —- And then you wonder why I download. Perhaps because I am given no other choice.
2) Check out the link for the Eat, Pray, Love release dates: http://www.sonypictures.net/movies/eatpraylove/international/ —- Apparently North America does not include Canada. We have somewhere along the line detached ourselves from the continent it seems, or perhaps Eat, Pray, Love will not be released in Canada at all.
3) And I am really pissed about this one. I could not see James Franco’s recent documentary “Saturday Night” because it won’t be released in Canada, and I probably won’t be able to watch it online either because I will be outside of the boundaries of the US.
I just don’t understand how almost everything American is so exclusive. What is so special about their technologies, Films, and a plethora of other inaccessible areas that makes it merely IMPOSSIBLE for this vivacious, educationally orientated, and thriving young cultural connoisseur to get her pretty little hands on things that are kind of important to me?
I like the US, to a certain extent. Some great people there, but GOD, do you every look up to the Northern part of North America and think ” Ah yeah, there is another country there in which we trade with, have ties with, share certain cultural areas with. May be we should INCLUDE THEM!”
Beauty is Pain… Or something like that.
Getting up at 4:30am was tough this morning. I am also in a lot of pain from going to the Gym almost every day this week, I must have overdone myself yesterday, because it hurts to walk. Also, loading boxes onto crates at 6am doesn’t help either and I guess running the treadmill longer that you have is a valid contribution to the fact that I am walking like an old man today… Ugh.
I got home at 10am and decided to take a hot bath to sooth muscle pain (didn’t work), I used one of my Lush bath bombs. It made the water purple and had little star sparkles in it so it was fun and relaxing.
I am going to spend the remainder of the day being PRODUCTIVE! I promise. :p
I am really excited because James Franco is coming out with two movies this summer: Date Night and Eat, Pray, Love. I am going to read the book before I see the movie, because I think that it is crucial to do before viewing any film that has been based on a book.
I wish I could view the movies that he has directed himself. They are all in the States though, and because I live in Canada, I am deprived of such luxuries. Sometimes I think they forget we exist over here. Oh well, may be it will come soon.
I am off to read some Milton and perhaps get a head start on one of my many final term papers.
Peace out brothers.
Stuck
Not feeling particularly inspired to do the plethora of schoolwork I have coming out of my eyeballs. Met with my Chaucer teacher today to discuss the outline for my final paper, that went better than expected. I am actually looking forward to writing it. Then there is the dreaded Spenser paper, NO idea what I am going to write about for that one. Then of course there is the final paper for my Canadian Lit course as well as another for my Milton course. Then THREE final exams. Let’s sum that up shall we?
4 final papers
3 final exams
And then… It’s graduation.
I make “To Do” lists almost every day, but lately it never seems to get done. I think it’s because the warm weather has begun setting in and I have not the slightest interest to remain locked away in a Library in order to write papers and study. Ugh! Alas, I must drudge through it all and make it to the finish line which is very fast approaching I might add!
Some motivation pleeeeeaaaase!!!
Beautiful Day!!!
I woke up and it is absolutely GORGEOUS outside. It’s supposed to go up to 14 degrees celcius which is pretty awesome for Quebec. I don’t have school today which means I should be more productive and start studying for the upcoming finals, but it’s so hard to study when it’s so nice outside, you don’t want to stay in!
Later today I have a meeting with my Professor for the QUEUC conference taking place next week-end. She is going to go over how to present your paper to a panel, and the 411 on everything that will be going on that day. I still haven’t reserved my suite yet though, I should get on that. I am pretty nervous about the conference though. I usually don’t have any problem with public speaking, but reading out an essay I wrote on Othello and having individuals argue my thesis and having to defend it, is what has my knickers in a twist. I am sure it will be fine though and a pretty awesome experience!
Nevertheless, it’s time I got up off my ass, walked my dog, do some readings, hit the Gym for an hour or two and then head on over to the meeting.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Today was the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Montreal. It is truly amazing, the biggest parade of the year and fun for everyone. It gives the Irish an opportunity to show their colours and spread Irish love and culture with everyone around them. However, today’s events took a tragic turn when a fellow participant (the news is yet unclear about this information) jumped onto a flatbed and fell off and was crushed beneath the wheels and as a result was killed.
I am very perturbed by this. For starters I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it considering it happened several minutes after I left downtown to go home. My heart goes out to those who had to bear witness to such a tragedy, for the family of the young male who had to deal with the loss of their son, cousin, brother, friend. But most notably, I feel the need to vent out my frustrations on the lack of security during this occurance.
When I was 18-19 (the age of the man who was killed), I was just as rowdy, just as drunk, just as rambunctious. However, I remember very clearly that when I was in line for the parade, I was allowed a few moments to dance a jig with my best friend Erica next to a float playing a jig, but then I was quickly ushered back into the crowd by a security guard. I remember them being very annoying, always making us step back, protecting us from hurting others and ourselves. Where were they during this event? How could they allow for some clearly drunken adolescent to get himself killed?
Of course, the full story has yet to be revealed and perhaps it is too early for me to express my full opinion on the matter. However, I strongly feel that a lack of security was most definately lacking in this situation. Secondly, although I am nevertheless guilty of drinking and being rowdy at the parade during my more youthful days when standing in the cold and wet didn’t bother me, for some the St. Paddy’s Day parade is just an excuse to drink themselves silly.
Moreover, on my way home I encountered a group of young people, I would give them 16-17, taking care of their drunken friend who was unable to walk. They were holding him up and dropped him, on the concrete floor in the metro station while we waited for our bus to arrive. He was so drunk he was passing out and they were laughing about how he couldn’t walk. When he fell to the ground, I quickly rushed towards them and asked if they needed any assistance, they gave me a dirty look and declined. I hope their friend is OK, and they did make it to the cab alright. But it irks me to see how our youth of today have no smarts in the least bit. At 16, you don’t know your limits. It’s only when you reach a certain age, when you come to realize how immature your behavior is, but at the same time you become acquainted with your limitations.
As a result of this tragedy, the St. Pat’s Parade in Montreal will most likely put a stronger ban on outdoor drinking. It’s fun, but within moderation and it saddens me to see that it had to take someone dying for people to wake up… If they even do wake up.
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I have no idea how to use this thing…
