Marilyn French states that Shakespeare constructs only two types of women, the “virtuous subhuman or the deceitful subhuman”. In conjugation with the Elizabethan expectation of a woman as an “acceptable version of the feminine,” a passive, obedient and chaste woman, Shakespeare constructed Desdemona as a “virtuous subhuman.” This supports the feminist criticism that “literary representations of women repeated familiar cultural stereotypes.” Desdemona is perceived by the male characters as a nothingness, a “subhuman” tool to be used and a possession to be had in the form of a wife or daughter, as the male characters, according to Kate Millet, are “denigrating, exploitative and repressive in terms of their relationships with women". The role of submissive daughter and obedient wife is the role expected of an Elizabethan woman in a patriarchal society. Women who do not conform to these expectations are portrayed as deceptive seductresses. Shakespeare's construction of Desdemona's fall, Othello's perception of Desdemona as a seductress who is no longer pure and chaste and therefore kills her, coincides with the contemporary view that female independence "leads to antipathy and rejection " since independent women who are not pure or submissive are not considered "acceptable version[s] of the feminine". The aim, according to Bertens, is to prolong the unbalanced power relations between men and women in order to preserve the mechanisms of patriarchy. However, it must be noted that it is Desdemona's "acceptable" feminine nature that makes her susceptible to Iago's plots that ultimately lead to her downfall and therefore, it can be inferred that what is considered "acceptable" in terms of a feminine woman is actually unacceptable, according to Shakespeare, when considering women's survival in patriarchal societies, thus perhaps making Shakespeare a proto-feminist. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Toril Moi defines the ideal female character as a "passive, docile, and above all altruistic creature." Desdemona's constructed role as wife and daughter, her passive, selfless and obedient behavior, as well as the value placed on her chastity, embodied through the symbol of her handkerchief, are a product of Othello's patriarchal society, reflecting the ideal of feminine woman as was thought of by Elizabethan society. The angelic connotations surrounding the religious language associated with the “Divine Desdemona” emphasize her purity and angelic qualities and contribute to her construction as an acceptable feminine woman, whose embodiment of femininity will satisfy patriarchal expectations, as well as public expectations regarding to his character. Feminist critics debate whether a society's concept of femininity derives from biology, as that is what makes it feminine, or from social conditioning. Barry states that these feminine traits are supported by conditioning and "socialization", so it can be inferred that Desdemona's statement, "I am obedient", is the result of social conditioning imposed by patriarchal society in which her expected duty is to obey to her husband and father. . In this way he conforms to his society's expectations of him as virtuous subhumans. Desdemona recognizes the duty she has to her husband and father as well as the ritual passing of that duty as “as much duty as my mother showed / To you, preferring you to her father, / so much I defy I can declare it / because of the Moor, my lord. This ritual shift of duty can be interpreted as a shift of possession.It remained the property of the father until the marriage where it was "won" by Othello, thus becoming his property. The image of her as property, a subhuman, is further emphasized by Iago's use of animal imagery, referring to Desdemona as a "white sheep", an animal to be possessed by its master. This not only emphasizes the perception of her as a possession and a tool, but also denigrates her status and position in society, supporting the position of men as superior. This objectification of women is a strong feature of any patriarchal society, as it would have been in Shakespeare's time. Therefore, it can be inferred that Shakespeare's intention behind its construction is to reveal to women which version of female behavior is acceptable in order to find a husband, which was considered every woman's goal. It could therefore be argued that the intended message behind Desdemona's death, as stated by Bertens, is that "dependence leads to indulgence and reverence while independence leads to antipathy and rejection". Desdemona lives keeping her chastity and purity intact, however, when she loses her handkerchief, symbol of her chastity, she is perceived as a "deceptive subhuman" by the leader of the patriarchal world in which she lives, Othello. Shakespeare reveals this change in the change in language associated with Desdemona who is no longer angelic and divine, but crude and wicked as Othello calls her a “whore” and a “cunning whore”. As a deceptive temptress, she becomes a threat to the mechanisms of patriarchy and therefore “must die, otherwise she will betray other men.” Desdemona's growing independence from her husband contributes to “antipathy and rejection,” as predicted by Bertens, as she hides her intentions regarding Cassio's restoration from her husband. This independence becomes evident as Desdemona and Othello struggle to understand each other's use of language, while Othello's usually calm and measured use of blank verse is replaced by verbal bullying, echoing the disintegration of their marital harmony. Independence and deception provide the basis for the theme of jealousy in the play, which ultimately leads to Desdemona's death. The structure of the play also supports the supposition that it was Desdemona's actions of deception and hiding the truth from her husband that caused her death as she is initially presented to us as a virtuous embodiment of the "acceptable version of the feminine" woman, and It's safe right now. However, as her actions transgress and she separates from her husband, becoming perceived as an unacceptable version of femininity, she dies. This suggests that Desdemona is constructed in a way that reveals the importance and security afforded by embodying acceptable feminine traits and the dangers of deviating from them. However, Shakespeare's use of dramatic irony, as we as the audience know that Iago and Othello's accusations to Desdemona are false and that she is not guilty of adultery and has remained obedient out of duty to her husband throughout the play, changes the reception of the construction of Desdemona as an acceptable feminine woman who dies as a result of her transgressions. Desdemona now appears as a “victim of the impossible ideals” expected of women. It may then become apparent that it is her seemingly "acceptable" feminine behavior of conforming to the expectations of patriarchy that leads to her death since her femininity and angelic sacrifice mean that she is unable to save herself from death, thus implying that the supposed acceptable female behavior behavior is unacceptable if you want to survive in a patriarchal world. Therefore, it can be argued that Shakespeare reveals “skepticismon the nature of women” regarding whether the nature attributed to women by patriarchal societies is acceptable or not. Desdemona's feminine nature and emphasis on the ideal, acceptable woman being "selfless" make her incapable of saving her own life because she is "typically female" and "cannot defend herself." Desdemona blames herself for his death by admitting that she herself "did this deed" and again seeks forgiveness from her husband, asking Emilia to "recommend me [Desdemona] to my kind lord." Even at the end, her character can't find fault with the husband who killed her. It can therefore be determined that Shakespeare is adopting a proto-feminist position by implying that it is a woman's seemingly "acceptable" feminine nature that will lead to her downfall, just as it is Desdemona's unfailing sense of duty to her husband that leads to her . Therefore, it can be inferred that Shakespeare is rather constructing Desdemona as an example of an unacceptable “female version” of woman, as her seemingly acceptable female version culminates in her death. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay Shakespeare evidently constructs Desdemona as an “acceptable version of the feminine woman” in terms of what a patriarchal society would deem “acceptable.” But despite her virtuous character traits and "acceptable" feminine nature, she dies at the hands of men, thus lending more credence to the thesis that Shakespeare is illustrating, through Desdemona's death, what a woman must believe to be acceptable. if he wants to survive. It can be determined that Shakespeare is implicitly indicating that women should not conform to the expectations of a patriarchal society or their social conditioning as, according to feminist critics; it's just a way to control women and recreate them as nothingness and "subhuman" to be used as tools. Therefore, it is evident that Shakespeare constructs Desdemona, in all its extent, as the “acceptable version of the feminine” of Elizabethan society; however this is only done so that Iago's character can manipulate her and carry out his plans which will lead to her downfall, thus pointing out to women the dangers of conforming to patriarchal constructions and expectations and thus subverting the supposed intention behind literary representations of women who repeat cultural stereotypes. This suggests that Shakespeare is illustrating female behavior that is unacceptable from his point of view as it will only lead to the demise of women and is therefore sending the message that women should be stronger, whole characters who embody both virtue and deceit to protect yourself. from dominant patriarchal societies. ResourcesBarry, P. (2002) Beginning Theory (2nd edition), (pp. 121-123), Manchester University Press. (Critical Anthology).Bertens, H. (2010) Literary Theory: The Basics, (The Politics of Class: Marxism), (pp. 94-5), 97-99), Abingdon: Routledge. (Critical anthology). Dreher, Diane Elizabeth. (1986) Domination and Defiance: Fathers and Daughters in Shakespeare. University Press of Kentucky.Kemp, Theresa D. (2009) Women in the Age of Shakespeare. Greenwood.Lauren Cygan, Sexist Themes in Othello, The Taming of the Shrew and The Tempest, (english.illinoisstate.edu/rlbroad/archive/teaching/studentpubs/OneWishENglish/cygan.pdf) (accessed March 20, 2014) Moi, Toril. (1990) “Women who write and write about women”. In Sexual/Textual Politics: Feminist Literary Theory. (pp. 50-69, 176). London and New York: Routledge.Shakespeare, William. (2000) Othello, Heinemann.Warren, Rebecca. Othello. (2003) York Notes Advanced, (London: York Press) Lauren Cygan, Sexist Themes in.