Ever since the beginning of time, the male species have always been dominant. It is only within the past 100 to 50 years that females have become almost as important and equal in society. In Shakespeare's plays, most of the main characters or main speaking parts are played by characters that are male. The basis of Shakespeare's plays seem to focus mainly around the male main character and his conflict, which tends to deal with a woman. Othello presents this with Othello himself and the conflict deals with his own wife. Women also seem not to be favored in Shakespeare's plays, yet more of the problem. In Othello, Shakespeare writes his male character's to view women in a demeaning way.
In the 17th century the family of the daughter had all rights in the say of whom she shall marry. When Desdemona left the house of her father, Brabantio, to wed the Moor, Othello, it seemed to be her first step in redefining her role as a women. Instead of asking her father's permission, Desdemona went and wed on her own and denied him any right in choosing her husband. This was an act of independence on Desdemona's part, as to break away from male authority in a sense. Desdemona does love Othello though, as she states here, "I saw Othello's visage in his mind, and to his honours and his viliant parts did I my soul and fortunes consecrate"(Othello Act III. sc.iii li. 250-252).
Even though Desdemona breaks away from the authority of her father, she now seems to represent Othello's property and not her own. In this time era women were considered servents to their love for their husbands. Desdemona explains this here to her father: "But here's my husband, and so much duty as my mother showed to you, perferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my Lord"( Othello Act.3 Sc. 1 Li.182-187). Desdemona talks about her duty to her husband and this duty is to obey him and respect him.