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Shakespeare's works continue to promote intellectual discussion across all spectrums of academic discourse; the universality of their themes culminate in the excellently crafted play Othello. The multi faceted nature of such a text allows for many interpretations and readings; a feminist reading of Othello examines how the patriarchal nature of Venetian society manifests itself and works to label women who behave outside expected norms.
A Marxist reading considers the effect of a class struggle, seeing Iago as part of the oppressed working class, taking advantage of the system set before him to overthrow the ruling elite.
Both readings are equally valid, holding values intrinsic to discovering new meanings hidden within the text and beyond. The 1970's represented a dynamic decade in World politics and saw a rise in feminism. Like other concurrent social movements concerning peace, civil rights, ecological issues and gay rights, this women's movement challenged long-held assumptions about the distribution of power in society. Read about anarchists demand the impossible
A feminist interpretation of Othello focuses on the attitudes towards women; the way in which their sexuality is transferred into whoredom and their role in regards to men, is specified from birth - evident in Iago's assertion "You rise to play, and go to bed to work".
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In the beginning of the play we see a racial slur from Iago towards Brabantio, Desdemona's Father. The language displays the considered distinction between the black and the white - Othello is called an "old black ram", implying he is a sexual animal, ravishing the pure "white ewe", Desdemona.
This scene is one of the few instances in the play in which a woman is considered vulnerable to sexual coercion, rather than as an amoral temptress.
Desdemona is referred to as "half [Brabantio's] soul"; yet this implies ownership, rather than an emotional connection between father and daughter. Furthermore Iago insists "Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags" again classing Desdemona as Brabantio's possession. Brabantio is an example of the patriarchal nature of his society, believing that his daughter would only not obey his every will by means of witchcraft.
This displays not only his views of women as weak-minded - considering her "delicate" and "abus'd" - but also his racial prejudice towards Othello, believing him to have committed witchcraft in order to ensnare the love of his daughter. At a closer glance it is even worth considering the true root of Brabantio's anger - is he more upset that Desdemona has chosen a black man, or that she has chosen for herself at all? Brabantio is a symbol of the patriarchal social system at the base of Elizabethan society.
He differs from many of the male characters of Othello, in that he does not hate women; he just views them as inferior property, incapable of making their own decisions. Important to this reading is also the involvement of Emilia, a stark contrast to Desdemona and her sexual purity, innocence and naivety concerning the world and in particular the role of women. She is a charismatic character representing the voice that women so often have not been given.
Emilia is able to challenge the men with pure conviction - "Disprove this villain, if thou be'st a man" - and can be seen as a manifestation of our contemporary women's movement. It is even fair to say that she acts as a voice for the audience. The role of Bianca is very interesting here as she essentially is helpless in the pursuit of her love interest, Cassio. As Marilyn French in "The Women's Roan" points out, "Women may get jealous as well as men; but they have no power, and their jealousy is dismissed with scorn. "
Another insightful interpretation and perspective is the Marxist reading. Marxism is a 20th century doctrine that arose through the ideologies and teachings of Karl Marx during a contemptuous age fed up with their grievances over capitalism. Marxists believe that economic system is the determining factor in history; the role that different classes play in the process of production drives historical development. Marxist discourse can be applied to Othello by inspecting the ways in which class affects the course of events.
We can separate the characters into three sections, namely; The Elizabethan aristocracy, meaning those born into wealth and power, such as Brabantio and Rodregio; The rising classes, such as Othello and Cassio - those who worked to rise from their set place in society; The humanists, namely Iago, who believed that they could control their own fate by initiating struggle and overthrow. Othello, the central figure of the play, has overthrown his set place in society as a black man by earning a position of power, and influencing Desdemona, originally part of the aristocracy, to deny the values of obligation towards her father and society.
He epitomises the shift in ideology in regards to the established hierarchy that Marx viewed as necessary in order to create revolution. However, through this interpretation we may concede that the true protagonist and revolutionary of the play is Iago - the character who truly believes in his own right to assert his place in society. As a humanist, he believes in his own control over his fate, yet, Othello thwarts this by choosing Cassio as his right-hand man, despite Iago's genuine belief that he is more experienced, and thus worthier.
He resents Othello who symbolises the more marginalised race, yet is able to assert his superiority and admiration of the upper classes such as the Duke and his entourage. In a way, he is the initiator of what is representative of the class struggle - using his reputation as "honest", he informs Brabantio of his daughter's elopement, manipulates Cassio into getting drunk on duty and shaming himself, and most obviously manoeuvres Othello into believing his wife is being unfaithful.
This may be viewed as a representation of the violent overthrow Marx considered necessary to take the power from the hands of the few, and place instead it in the hands of the many. The focus of the military in Othello can also be taken of note. In Geoffrey Sax's modern interpretation of the play, he replaces this military setting with that of the police. For both cases in a utopian Marxist scope (verging on the closely related ideology of anarchism), all forms of law and order are a farce, only necessary to sustain the divide between "those who have and those who ain't got".
We can see that even the revolutionary Iago is a victim of society, himself perpetuating the inherent class divisions he seeks to overcome. Iago, who is in most circles considered the villain, is almost a character worthy of sympathy, only manipulating people in order to rise above his low place in Venetian society, and bring the power to the working class into play. However, Iago is foiled - by those who represent the Elizabethan aristocracy. It is his wife Emila who first recognises his plan, and is called a whore and stabbed.
She is symbolic of the working class; along with Bianca, the husband and wife attempt to rise above their ranks, and are punished for it. Many Marxist readings have ignored the value and place of women within the text; the women in Othello are integral to the representation of the class struggle as they also reject accepted codes of behaviour. After close review of both readings, their validity and value become obvious in the greater understanding of such media and their contexts. The feminist reading however - standing with ideas that parallel Othello's core values - is far more credible.
A reason why I have not included quotes for my Marxist reading is because it is solely an interpretation of the social environment. I do not believe Marx's ideology can be applied so literally to a text if one is to gain understanding of its circumstances. This essentially turns into fundamentalist Marxism; I do not believe a Marxist discourse can be of benefit without subjectivity. To be blunt, there is no need to conduct a feminist reading in order to see the already imminent feminist undertones. Throughout the play there are many connotations towards femininity.
The implications of such attitudes are much more prominent in Othello and thus show its closer relation to the texts superficial themes. Thus the feminist reading has more relevance to Othello and its context than the Marxist. The value of these and other perspectives enables the reader to discover and consider new intellectual insights which enlarge former perceptions of the play in its responders. Each reading - whether Racial, Feminist, Aristotelian or Marxist - holds, like the Othello itself, a number of merits and insights into society.
Each reading of Othello establishes certain values. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/reading-othello-establishes-certain-values-values-explored-feminist-marxist-readings-othello-new-essay
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