Othello by William Shakespeare A discussion on the portrayal of women in Shakespeare's play Othello.

William Shakespeare's play Othello is set in a time when women were supposed to have the characteristics of chastity, silence and obedience. A major theme of the play is jealousy, which the three women in the play Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca contribute to. Focus is put on the role of the husband's and their wives' fidelity to them. The jealousy and treatment of Othello, Cassio and Iago towards the women fuels the plot and turns …

…the men feel that their women do not fit the mould they are supposed to fit at the time, jealousy rules. All the characters in Othello have underlying weaknesses, which causes everything to go astray. The underlying weakness in Desdemona, Emilia and Bianca is their immense love and loyalty to their men. Their independence also becomes a disadvantage to them causing the jealous nature of their men and the eventual death of Desdemona and Emilia.