Who was Desdimona ?
Character analysis of
Desdimona.
Desdimona was a lady of noble
character and beauty. She was the
daughter of Brabantio who was a powerful senator of Venice , wife of Othello and
central character in William Shakespeare’s famous play “Othello.”
She was
motherless girl and looked after by her father who was very loving and caring.
Emilia who was the wife of Iago always attend on her. Cassio was intimately
known to her. Othello also used to visit her house and narrate the stories of
his adventures in order to please and charm her ears and then Desdimona made up
her mind t go and live with him. Cassio mediated between Othello and Desdimona
and arranged their marriage and elopement.
Whatever we hear from the mouth of Desdimona’s father
is that she was very humble and obedient. She has turned down the proposals of
many handsome Venetian youths betraying her hatred for marriage. Brabantio
tells the duke about her quietness and humbleness –
“ A maiden never
bold,
Of sprit so still and quite that her motion
Blushed at herself.”
Brabantio
believed that her love for Othello was unnatural because their was no point of
similarity between them in relation to their age, nationality, culture,
religion, color, and nature. In the words of Brabantio-
“She, in spite of nature,
Of years, of country, credit, every thing,
To fall in love with what she feared to look on!
It is a judgment maimed and most imperfect
That will confess perfection so could err
Against all rules of nature.”
Of years, of country, credit, every thing,
To fall in love with what she feared to look on!
It is a judgment maimed and most imperfect
That will confess perfection so could err
Against all rules of nature.”
So Brabantio thought that Desdimona’s love for Othello was
against the rules of human nature. Othello
could have practiced some magic or given her some mixure to affect her
emotions.
Like Brabantio
every Venetian citizen would have felt surprised at the strange marriage of
Desdimona but her point of view for Othello was different. In the absence of
her mother, she felt very lonely at home. She wanted to come out for the
four walks of her house and take fresh
air in the open. It was Othello who could provide her an opportunity to see the world wide. She, therefore ignored
the black appearance and went for his inner virtues. She boldly told her father
in the presence of Duke-
“I
saw Othello's visage in his mind,
And to his honors and his valiant parts
Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.”
And to his honors and his valiant parts
Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.”
Desdimona died
because she suffered from contradictions in her character. To her father she
was very silent and innocent but suddenly she was very bold, violent and stormy
but she did not remain bold in the end. She was very sweet, loving and
forgiving. She assured Cassio that she would do everything possible within her
powers to make him and her husband friendly again. The last words of Desdimoma
was are full of pathos for her. When Emilia asked her while dying, as to who
had done that deed, she answered-
“Nobody,I myself, farewell,
Commend
me to my lord. O, farewell.”
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