Amanda Sexton

12/12/19

Othello

William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, shows a deeper meaning of how women were

objectified by society in his times. Throughout the play, Iago tries to convince Othello that

Desdemona had an affair with Cassio. Othello’s pride is deeply wounded, wondering why

Desdemona would do such a thing when she was his. He felt that Desdemona was stolen from

him, and if she was still alive she’d just get stolen again. The fact that Othello feels Desdemona

was stolen from him suggests that women were treated as objects.

Throughout history, women are commonly objectified and treated as prizes to be won by

men. In this case, Othello had won Desdemona. But some objects and prizes are flawed, and

Iago tries to convince Othello that Desdemona one of the flawed objects, saying she had

cheated on him. Othello, at first, doesn’t believe this, claiming that Desdemona was perfect and

that he “had not found Cassio’s kisses on her lips” (3.3.393). However, as Iago kept stretching

his lies, Othello found himself believing Iago, becoming jealous. He was jealous because Cassio

had stolen his Desdemona, his prize. He confronts Desdemona, demanding that she told the

truth. Desdemona claimed that she was true to only Othello. Belittling her words, Othello

claims she is “false as hell” without taking a moment to consider that she was telling the truth

(4.2.48). He does this because, to him, she is only a prize, not a real person with feelings, and

she shouldn’t be listened to. In the end, Othello decides it would be best to kill her, but even

then he doesn’t want to ruin her. He even states that he would not “scar that whiter skin of hers

than snow” (5.2.4). He wouldn’t want to ruin his Desdemona, his pretty thing, just like a person

wouldn’t want to ruin a beautiful statue.

 Clearly, Desdemona is referred to as a prize to be won by Othello. If she wasn’t belittled

like this, Othello might have believed her in saying that she was faithful to him. Despite the love

both of them clearly had for each other, because Desdemona was treated as an object, Othello

chose to believe Iago, which resulted in him killing the love of his life.