women Flashcards
natural inferiority
Natural inferiority
According to the medieval chain of being, still given credence at this time, women came below men on the hierarchy of creation – and just one run above animals. When Iago sneeringly says of Desdemona “our General’s wife is now the general” (11.3.305 -06) he is drawing attention to the fact that it is unnatural for her to be of a higher rank than her husband.
reputation
It could be argued that what distinguishes a respectable married woman like Emilia from a “strumpet” like Bianca is not necessarily her appearance or social background, or even her sexual behaviour, but her reputation – the label she is given by society. This made reputation an essential commodity for social survival. The fallen woman became the prey of gossips and a reputation, once lost, could not be regained. Often women were ostracised and excluded from polite society, necessitating suicide or entrance into a nunnery or the equivalent. Either way they brought shame on the extended family.
sex
Women had no role to play in the public arena and must be owned (or disowned) by their father or their husband. They had no education or financial independence and as Othello describes, their job was to “be delicate with a needle” and “sing the savageness out of a bear”. There were only four categories of sexual status (with no equivalent male versions): maiden; wife; widow; whore.
silent women
Women were expected to be seen but not heard, and to be obedient – which mean silent – even or especially in their husbands’ or fathers’ presence. In the Middle Ages punishments were designed specifically for scolding or nagging wives. All three women in “Othello” endanger their life, and two of them lose it, for daring to break the vow of silence imposed on them, and either they do not get to present their case or are punished for doing so. Desdemona is disowned as much for her natural forwardness in defending herself to the Senate as she is for her shocking marriage.
fickle women
A combination of the prejudices of the church against descendants of disobedient Eve, stereotypes from classical literature and treacherous and faithless women, and the medieval icon of Fortune as a female who arbitrarily turning her wheel, had all gained women the reputation of being untrustworthy and inconstant. Iago assures Roderigo that Desdemona will soon tire of her new husband. Other female traits, emotion, moodiness, domesticity, intuition, sensitivity, creativity -were seen as usual in women and contemptable in men. Iago despises what he sees as feminine characteristics in Othello and Cassio, which he feels betrays soldiering and masculinity.
sacrifice
In medieval and sixteenth century literature, written by men, women tended to be represented as either malevolent witches or passive Christian martyrs. The virgin, newly-wed or demure widow was a target for predatory males and lechers whose conquest of the apparently unattainable was an irresistible challenge to their masculinity. Though the men were rarely punished, in reality or fiction, the conquered female would have to die or be killed. Desdemona seems doomed at birth by her birth name, meaning unfortunate. The male characters all desire and worship her, and put her on a pedestal, which means she will inevitably fall when she is unable to live up to ideals of male perfection and divinity.
