First of all, Hermia and Lysander are one of the above mentioned couples that give anything up for their love for one another. In the beginning of the play, Hermia disobeys Egeus by refusing to marry Demetrius because she is in love with Lysander. This shows that Hermia loves Lysander enough to disobey her father’s wishes for her to marry Demetrius. Next point, Egeus and Demetrius do not allow Hermia to be with Lysander. As well, Egeus states that Hermia is his sole property and so she must marry Demetrius.
To what extent is Desdemona presented as a tragic figure in Act 4 Scene 3 and Act 5 Scene 2? How could an audience react to her death? On the one hand, Desdemona is presented as a strong female character; publically defying her father by marrying Othello, arguing with Iago regarding the role of women and breaking free of the gender expectations of a woman in the 16th century by denying her privileged but sheltered life to marry a black man of her own choosing, a hugely rebellious act at a time when women were seen as lesser and were expected to obey their fathers and then husbands unconditionally. However, on the other hand she is portrayed as naive, and full of doubts and fears. She does not stand up to Othello when it really matters, and accepts her own death far too easily, even to go as far as selecting the bed sheets she is to be murdered on.
Typically, a husband who can’t consummate a marriage should be abandoned without hesitation. When Bertrande is “urged by her relatives to separate from Martin, she firmly refuse[s]” (28). This decision reveals Bertrande’s “certain character traits…a concern for her reputation as a woman, a stubborn independence” (28). Bertrande cleverly calculates the advantages she possesses as a result of Martin’s incompetence. “Her refusal to have her marriage dissolved…freed her temporarily from certain wifely duties…gave her a chance to have a girlhood” (28).
However, when it seemed unlikely that Catherine would be able to produce a male heir for Henry, he wanted a divorce. He knew that only the Pope would be able to get him a divorce from Catherine, and, when he sent Thomas Wolsey, his minister, to ask the Pope, the Pope found himself in a tricky position. He did not want to upset Henry but he did not want to anger Catherine’s nephew, Charles V, who was against the divorce. So, he sat back and did nothing. Does Mary I deserve the title of Bloody Mary?
He tries to warn Odysseus, he says women are no longer faithful. Odysseus should keep certain things secret from his wife Penelope, even though he doesn’t believe Odysseus is in danger of being murdered by his own wife. In the Odyssey, Penelope, takes on the role of both a mother and sometimes a seductress. She led the suitors into making them believe that she would re-marry again, but Penelope is awaiting the return of her husband. An example of mothers in The Odyssey would be when Telemachus ordered Penelope from her room, to show the suitors of his intentions on claiming his father’s throne.
In trying to do what good parents are suppose to do, the Capulets tried to control Juliet’s life by arranging her marriage to Paris, someone that she did not have any romantic interest in. The prejudice and need for control in the lives of the couple by their parents lead to the demise of the romance of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence marrying Romeo and Juliet did little to avert the decisions the couple made in trying to take control of a situation that seemed doomed from the start. In the end no one but their parents could be blamed for the treacherous sequel of Romeo’s and Juliet’s lives because of the way they are controlling her life, the ongoing fight between the Capulets and Montagues and Friar Laurence for marrying Romeo and Juliet. Capulet and Lady Capulet are responsible for Juliet’s actions.
• Why did Iago leave Roderigo at Brabantio’s house? o Iago left Roderigo at Brabantio's house so that he is not identified as a trouble maker. • What was Brabantio’s reaction to Desdemona’s marriage? o Brabantio strongly opposed to Othello's and Desdemona's marriage. • Why did the Duke send for Othello?
The audience’s first impression of Desdemona in Shakespeare’s Othello is that of a woman who refused to conform to the norms of the 17th century Venetian society concerning gender and social roles. Without her father Brabantio’s knowledge or consent, Desdemona exhibits her independence and strength of character as she defies convention by secretly wedding Othello. In addition to challenging Venetian male authority, this miscegenation was an affront to the prejudicial Venetian social order and a major perturbation to Brabantio who is convinced that his daughter must have been bewitched by the Moor. However, Desdemona’s choice to wed Othello is not a result of witchcraft and much more than the mere political statement of a liberated woman. With passion and conviction, “the summoned witness” Desdemona unabashedly makes a public declaration of her love for and devotion to Othello: “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind, And to his honours and his valiant parts Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.” (I. iii.
6. Why is Brabantio opposed to having Othello for a son-in-law? 1.3 1. According to Othello, how did he and Desdemona fall in love? Why did they keep their love a secret?
Brabantio, the father of Desdemona, cannot stand Othello and is absolutely enraged when he finds out that his daughter has been seeing Othello behind his back. Unlike the other characters who refer to Othello in a racist way only behind his back, Brabantio makes these comments to Othello’s face. Brabantio constantly calls him a “moor” which is a racist way of saying that he is a black-skinned Arab from North Africa. He may use these comments, such as “sooty bosom” (1.2.89), to Othello’s face because he is the Senator of Venice and is higher in rank than Othello, feeling that he needs to make sure Othello knows who is in charge. I believe, however, that while Brabantio definitely dislikes Othello, many of the racist ideas are directly placed into his head by Iago, as many of the ideas in the play are.