Vanita, Ruth. “‘Proper’ Men And ‘Fallen’ Women The...

Vanita, Ruth. â€Å"‘Proper’ Men and ‘Fallen’ Women: The Unprotectedness of Wives in Othello.† Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, vol. 34, no. 2, 1994, p. 341. MLA International Bibliography EBSCOhost, doi:10.2307/450905. Accessed 12 Mar. 2017. Synopsis There are a great deal of plays that end with the death of a wife, often due to rumors of cheating. While many of these plays serve to provide violence in the private, domestic sphere, Othello pushes this issue into the public eye. Although there are many opinions on whose fault the deaths may be, Vanita argues that Desdemona and Emilia are very similar in their deaths. She feels that these deaths are caused by a series of ever escalating male characters as well as those who refuse to†¦show more content†¦Similarly, another option for escape is taken away by her husband’s refusal to return to Venice, as the character Lodovico announces they are able to do. Lodovico, continuing the running theme of uninvolved witnesses, sees Othello strike Desdemona without reason, but chooses not to insert himself into the situation. A more sarcastic reading of the unrobing scene would help to support the theory that Desdemona’s feelings have changed towards her once familiar cousin. A clear point is made on page 348 of the article, stating â€Å"Desdemona is killed not only by Othello and Iago but also by all those who see her humiliated and beaten in public, and fail to intervene† (Vanita). This is contrasted strongly by some of the male-male relationships, as it is made very public when a dual or violent event occurs between two members of the male sex. This trend of the abused and murdered wife can also be seen in the character Emilia. Vanita argues that Emilia’s death has a similar process as Desdemona’s, but is much shorter in the eyes of the audience. The lack of involvement from other characters is what makes the environment one where a wife can become a victim easily. However, Emilia most evidently becomes a victim after she has revealed Iago’s secret plan. She is suddenly in danger, having told everyone of her husband’s guilt, but none of the characters think to protect her from her obviouslyShow MoreRelatedEv aluation of â€Å"‘Proper’ Men and ‘Fallen’ Women: The Unprotectedness of the Wives in ‘Othello’†766 Words   |  4 PagesRuth Vanita is an English professor at Delhi University who wrote this essay, â€Å"‘Proper’ Men and ‘Fallen’ Women: The Unprotectedness of the Wives in ‘Othello’,† as part of her work on the representation of wife-murder in Renaissance drama. The article was published in 1994 in the journal, Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900. Vanita’s thesis is that the deaths of Desdemona and Emilia were a reflection of societal acceptance of violent behavior against women and in particular within the husband-wifeRead MoreGender And Sexuality By William Shakespeare2834 Words   |  12 Pagespeople exemplify the notion of masculinity and femininity and generally how men relate to women in the society. Shakespeare’s play examines the various issues that surrounded th e sixteenth century and to some extent they still exist in the present world. This paper will mainly analyze how the play explores the theme of gender and sexuality and the paper will analyze the presentation of gender roles and especially how women act within or outside their roles and marriage. In Othello, the maleRead More Othello as the Greater Evil in William Shakespeare’s Othello1842 Words   |  8 Pagesthe power to turn a man in love into a man full of hatred. Othello’s attitude, during the first discussion with Iago, is one of clear denial. He claims that he would simply whistle her off, and let her down the wind, or divorce her in other words (Vanita 3). As time goes on, the accusations that Iago has made, against Cassio and Desdemona, begins to churn in Othello’s mind. He tries hard to forget the claims but when Iago offers him proof, he begins to break down and cries out I’ll tear her to piecesRead More Mary, Eve, and Lilith in Shakespeares King Lear, Othello, and Macbeth3162 Words   |  13 Pagesbirthed evil spirits and also supposedly the devil and birthed the jinn (Arabic demons of legend, sometimes ascribed as being genies). Later in legend, she became identified as a succubus who caused nocturnal emissions [associated wit h wet dreams in men] and the birth of witches and demons called lilim. Charms were created to protect from her influence and she was believed to have stolen and slain children (Grolier Lilith).    She is mentioned in the Talmud in several places. Among these