Monday, April 26, 2010

DISCUSSION QUESTION #4

There are only three women in the play: Desdemona, Emilia (both wives), and Bianca (a prostitute in love with one of her clients). What insight does the play provide into women's lives? How does the addition of Bianca, a prostitute, to the play emphasize or contradict different characters' ways of thinking about women? Compare and contrast Bianca's relationship to Cassio with Desdemona and Emilia's relationships with their husbands.


13 comments:

  1. • The women in Othello are controlled by their husbands or other male characters. This play shows that a women’s life was dominated by male influence and that they had no rights, except for a few.
    • The opinion by most male characters in the play is that women are fickle, do not truly love, but use their assets to further them. From the insight of the women of the play, we know that they do not hide their feelings and even though Bianca is a prostitute we find that all the women love their partners or spouses in some way shape or form.
    • Bianca is the odd women out in this play; she is a prostitute and is with many men. She uses men to gain money and has a love/physical relationship with her clients. While Desdemona and Othello love each other and everything would have been okay, had it not been for Iago’s meddling. Emilia has a bad relationship with her husband because he thinks of women as second class citizens, whom deserve nothing. Iago tends to complain and criticize his wife throughout the whole play.

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  2. Again, a good summary, but more is necessary for complete credit. Please add citations from the play.

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  3. The play provides insight into womens lives by showing the underlying roles they have that most men never notice. Through Bianca we see the struggle to retain the love of Cassio while trying to keep a job in which she gives away physical love; we see the feelings of confusion and loneliness in Desdemona as she struggles to figure out what is wrong with Othello, and we see the struggle to earn love through Emilia as she assists Iago in his various schemes. The addition of Bianca to the play I believe changes Othello's view of women. He, as Desdemona put in Act four scene three, thinks that there are women that do abuse their husbands. Bianca feels true love towards Cassio, something that Desdemona feels but something that I'm not sure Emilia feels towards Iago.

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  4. The play Othello provides insight into the lives of women by various conversations such in Act 4 Scene 3 Emilia explains to Desdemona that women feel, taste, and see just like their husbands. They are fully capable of the senses and have needs that must be met by their Husbands just their husband's needs must be met. Emilia expresses that women need affection just like their husbands need to fulfill their carnal desires. Iago and Othello both believe that their wives are unfaithful even though they are bound by marriage but the including of Bianca a prostitute who is in love with her client Cassio contradicts the stereotype that Iago and Othello have created of women. Bianca truly loves Casssio her love for him is like Desdemonas love for Othello but I do not believe Emilia loves Iago Act 4 Scene 3 Emilia states how she would commit adultery for the whole world in return.

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  5. The play provides insight on how much a women can struggle to prove her faithfulness and love to man. Both Desdemona and Emilia are in situations in which their husbands feel they are being unfaithful to them yet neither of the women really know of their husbands accusations against them. They feel that they try just as hard as their husbands to prove their love but that their husbands are unaware of their commitment. In the case of Bianca, she too is trying to prove her love to a man but because of her past it seems as if all hope is lost. The play gives insight on how powerful a woman's love can be. Although Bianca is in love with someone she used to only lust, her love for Cassio is much like Desdemona's love for Othello. Emilia's love for Iago quickly fades in the end when she learns of his actions.

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  6. The play shows the difficulty that women endured in their everyday lives, such as prejudice and abuse. Desdemona and Emilia are constantly underestimated and stereotyped. According to Iago, Desdemona is just “bound” to cheat on Othello because she is female. He even makes the claim that the only thing women are good for is to “look pretty.” These harsh accusations make it hard for women in this novel to gain any respect by the other characters. The addition of Bianca makes it even more difficult because her character embodies Iago’s stereotypes. While Bianca’s one-sided relationship with Cassio is different, in that aspect, compared to Desdemona and Emilia’s relationships with their husbands, in some ways her character is similar to the other women. She, like Desdemona and Emilia, fights to gain value from Cassio despite being a prostitute. In this way, the reader feels bad for all three women.

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  7. All three of the ladies had different roles, but they were all very independent and willed. This rebuts the idea that Iago has that women do not have a role and only want sex. The addition of Bianca that prostitute makes Iago’s idea that women want sex. But she is also very strong willed and this adds to the idea of women being independent. Both Desdemona and Emelia are very submissive and honest towards there husbands. Bianca did whatever Cassio told her, but she expected to have a payment, a payment as in sex.

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  8. The play provides insight on how little women are trusted. It shows how difficult a woman’s life can be during those times, constantly trying to prove her faithfulness and loyalty. When Othello believes that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio, Desdemona tries her hardest to explain the situation, but without much luck. The addition of Bianca further emphasizes the different characters’ ways of thinking about women. Although Bianca truly loves Cassio, she can never rid her reputation as a prostitute. Iago believes women are not to be trusted and treats them all as objects for love. Bianca’s reputation and image as a prostitute just affirms Iago’s opinions on women. Even though Emilia and Desdemona have both tied the knot, Bianca’s relationship with Cassio is similar to theirs. All three women married for love, but the men have trouble accepting the fact. When Othello has a tiny bit of doubt about Desdemona’s love for him, he quickly acts on his thoughts- which definitely hurt him in the end. Emilia truly thought she loved Iago; but when she learned of his evil actions, her love for him vanished. It seems as if Bianca and Cassio’s love, although not accepted by outside parties, is the strongest.

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  9. Emilia and Desdemona are the permanent property of their husbands whereas Bianca is a temporary pleasure to Cassio. Emilia and Desdemona are subservient to their husbands. Bianca, on the other hand, is more of a paid servant who sells herself for sex. Othello is jealous of Cassio because he believes Cassio is sleeping with Desdemona. His rage and jealousy causes him to kill his wife. Iago uses Emilia�s servitude as a way to destroy Othello and Desdemona�s relationship. After Iago uses Emilia he kills her. The two wives die and the prostitute continues to make her money.

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  10. The provides insight on how hard it is for a woman to show she is faithfull and loves her husband. In Binanca's case, she fell in love hard with this man, but because she is a prostitute her past isnt helping her prove she loves him. With Desdemona, and Emilia they are both acused of being unfaithful but in reality they love their husbands more than anything. In all cases I, being the reader felt sympathy for all three girls for all they wanted was their men to love and make happy. Iago didnt believe women so he tried to get all the men not to trust, all he wanted women for was sex.

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  11. The play shows that women are not just pretty trophies that their husbands can carry around to look nice. We see the trials and tribulations of three different women and their struggles to keep their true love. Bianca is inlove with Cassio, but as a prostitute she has to continue being immoral to make a living. She is an independent woman, but still feels the need for love. Desdemona struggles throughout the play to make Othello happy. But with Iago plotting against their relationship, and Othello's stresses of his employees, she has trouble getting him to open up sometimes about what is wrong. Emilia goes along with Iago's schemes to make him happy, even though she knows it is wrong. She even brings him Desdemona's most prized posession in hopes to make Iago happy. All three of these women try their best to make their men happy.

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  12. The play shows that women were considered inferior to men. Both Desdemona and Emilia were controlled by their husbands, and they allowed themselves to be controlled. When Othello accused Desdemona of cheating she did not fight him the way a woman in today's society would. She knew he was going to kill her and all she did was say please don't. Emilia does everything Iago tells her to do even when she knows its wrong. She knew that the handkerchief was a gift from Othello, but she stole them for Iago anyway. At the end Emilia does "woman up" and stand up to Emilia, but it takes the death of her friend to make her do it. Bianca is different from Desdemona and Emilia. She is the type of woman that Iago describes when talking to Desdemona about women. Bianca's relationship with Cassio is different than Desdemona and Emilia's relationships with their husbands because she is not Cassio's wife. Cassio is just one of her clients that she has fallen in love with. She has no legal ties to him.

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  13. This play shows insight on how women were treated by men back in those days. The women were not trusted as shown by Othello believing Cassio and Desdemona were having an affair. Othello never believed Desdemona even when she was begging and pleading with him that she had never been unfaithful. Also, this play shows how women were supposed to be inferior of their husbands. Emilia, Desdemona, and Bianca are all made to be inferior of there loved ones. For example, Iago talks down to Emilia, he calls her a "whore" and is never happy with anything she does, even when she steals the handkerchief for him. Bianca being a prostitute bring in another view of women. Bianca's situation is different from that of Iago and Emiia and Othello and Desdemona because she isn't trully tied to Cassio, but she alows him to treat her as his inferior anyways.

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