Desdemona
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- The daughter of Venetian senator Barbanzio, and General Othello's wife.
- Desdemona's fairness attract many men, including Roderigo.
- Desdemona fled with Othello and married him. By defending him in front of the Venetian senate and against her father, it shows that she is intelligent, confident, loyal and respectful This was her first words in the play - from then on, all she says is honest.
I do perceive here a divided duty.
To you I am bound for life and education.
My life and education both do learn me
How to respect you. You are the lord of my duty,
I am hereto your daughter. But here's my husband,
And so much duty as my mothered showed
To you preferring you before her father,
So much I challenge that I may profess
Due to the Moor my lord. (I.iii.179-188)
- Desdemona is courageous. She begged the Duke to go with Othello to the war against the Turks. She also stood up against her father to defend her husband.
- Desdemona is oblivious to what is happening around her. She continues to defend Cassio to help him regain is position, she doesn't know that this causes Othello's jealousy to stir.
- She is naive. Desdemona might be refrained from the outside world by her father for he treasures her; she wasn't aware that women or men can cheat on their partner. In fact, she does not believe it. She thinks that it is not possible.
- Desdemona sees beyond Othello's blackness. Before dying, Desdemona seems to be aware of her imminent death. She asked Emilia to put her wedding sheets on the bed, and even sang the Willow song that her mother's maid sang before her death.
- After Othello had killed her, Desdemona wakes up and says, "A guiltless death I die." Her words are her last way to defend herself from all the accusations against her. It was her last way to tell her husband how she had done nothing wrong to deserve such thing.