Why Does Desdemona go so Gently into That Good Night?.
In Othello, William Shakespeare's tragic heroine is represented as a keen, battle hungry, adventurous and feisty young woman. Yet, at the end of the play she submits passively to her demise at the hands of her husband. This plot development is a staple in the tragic orientation of the play; but how can one explain the seemingly ambiguous qualities of Desdemona's character? How can a woman who is seduced by battle stories let herself be murdered (unjustifiably) without putting up a physical fight? This paper aims to analyze her actions in the final scene (5.2) considering situational and societal variables that affect the outcome of the play in an attempt to shed more light on Desdemona's reasoning for dieing so complacently.
It can be inferred from the text that Venice (and Cyprus) were extremely patriarchal at the time that the play took place. Women held a much lower position in society, and were obliged to dutifully carry out the wishes of their husbands, as is suggested by Emilia (speaking of her husband, Iago) in Act 5, scene 2: "Good Gentlemen, let me have leave to speak. Tis proper I obey him, but not now- (5.2.191-92). So, one can discern that Desdemona held a similar feeling of marital obligation. However, from what we know of Desdemona, it is probable that she felt an even greater sense of duty to her husband than the wife of Iago (Emilia). Desdemona is nave and young, and thus would place more value on societal conventions than Emilia would, as Emilia is an adulteress. This sense of duty combined with the demoted social position of women would inhibit Desdemona from acting out against the wishes of Othello. Thus, when Othello expressed his desire to kill the young woman, she tried to convince him it was the wrong thing to do, but would not take action against him due to a strongly held societal convention.
Throughout the play it becomes apparent that Desdemona is truly and faithfully, in love with Othello.