Women In Othello And Agmamnon Writing Assignment Paper (Essay Sample)

WOMEN IN THE OTHELLO AND AGMAMNON PERIOD
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It would be important to note that the analysis of women in this essay should not be interpreted in the current moments but rather in the ancient times. There are fundamental differences in the way women are treated in the current society compared to the past. It would therefore to start the comparison in Othello and Agamemnon reveals systematic differences and at times similarities in the way women were treated in those societies. It would be imperative to say that the women in the period of Shakespeare and those in the ancient Greek in Agamemnon faced similar challenges which helped to highlight the societal danger which would befall the society if the women were to be in control of the society.
Othello is mainly composed of three women with Desdemona being the highlight of the women. One of the things that she highlights is the way women can have a total disregard for traditions if allowed to be in charge of the society. Desdemona elopes with Othello to go and be his wife without the approval of her dad. This is one of the main mistakes that she illustrates as the women show that they can reason with their emotions rather than their brains, at times. Desdemona is an epitome of how a society would be vulnerable to such disregard for traditions. The importance of traditions is one that can neither be understated nor overemphasized, especially in the traditional society in which Desdemona lived. The society viewed the women as being subordinate and the glue that knit their homes together. Desdemona is blamed for her own fate that befalls her as she is killed by her own husband because he doubted her faithfulness in marriage. Whereas it is not clear whether this is true or not, it is evident that her action of disregarding the traditions is to partly to blame for her plight; however unfair it was. It is also funny that she never stops defending her husband even in death.
The other woman that the Othello presents is Emilia and she seems to be the one example of the voice of womanhood in the novel. It is however funny that she expresses her opinions in the shadows and does not openly show her defiance to the men who she so much appears to resent. She states that ‘let husbands know, their wives have sense like them, they smell and see…as husbands have’. This is a dangerous trend that Emilia seems to be taking on to. She not only questions the traditional role assigned to men as the heads of families but also subtly calls for the women to show defiance to what has been their rightful place in the society. Emilia is an example of what rebellion and disregard for the laid down procedures can disrupt the society. It is not only that man would not take the defiance lying down but also this would ultimately lead to a state of anarchy and lawlessness. Surprisingly, Emilia shows nerves as she too suffers a harsh fate as she dies defending what she believes to be the honor of her master. She is ready to sacrifice her own life for the sake of another woman who the men had found to be unfit as per the traditions. This probably highlights the societal danger that women could pose; an incessant need to defend each other without being open minded to any evidence or suggestions that depict otherwise. What sort of society would that result in? it just leaves a lot to be imagined.
The women in Agamemnon are one thing that is not quite clear as it is a story based on tragedy. It starts with a watchman watching and announcing the end of the Trojan War. It is the historical background of the way that puts perspective on the way women are seen in the period. Clytemnestra is not happy since she had a daughter who was sacrificed in order to please the gods and guarantee the victory in the war. This probably highlights the way women indicate their self-interests at the expense of the collective societal good. Whereas this should not be seen as a justification of sacrificing a human being, it is important to have the bigger picture in mind. The sacrifice for a human being which had the approval of the general society and actually ensured that the society won in the war...