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‘Be a man’, how are ideas of masculinity presented in Othello.

Othello is set during the Elizabethan era, where men were considered to be the leaders and women their inferiors. Women were often regarded as the ‘weaker sex’. This patriarchal society and theme of male superiority is portrayed throughout the play. These themes are depicted through the relationships between the characters. Brabantio and Desdemona’s relationship shows how he believed the traditional Elizabethan view, that men were to control and dominate their wife’s or daughters. He is furious at Othello for stealing his daughter from him. Also, Othello’s masculinity is destroyed through the poisoning of his mind against Desdemona, his wife. Iago also treats his wife
Iago regards Othello as “old black rum” with “thick lips” and “black moor”, this use of animal imagery is shown throughout the play. It connotes the idea that even though his skill as a soldier and a leader is widely respected and valuable to the Venetian government his is still seen as a racial outsider, thus destroying his pride which is central to his masculinity and his role in society.

Brabantio depicts masculinity in the traditional patriarchal view, where men were superior to women and the idea that their role in society is to restore order and protect the females in their household. So when Desdemona, overturns this, he is extremely furious. He states, “Where most you owe obedience?” evidencing the patriarchal view that the daughters are either bound to their father if single or husband. Brabantio’s masculinity and power and senator is crushed as he finds out his daughter Desdemona has married a black man behind his back. He first finds out through Iago and Rodrigo who shouts; “Awake! What ho, Brabantio! Thieves! Thieves! Thieves!, look to your house, your daughter and your bags, thieves,! Thieves!” Iago begins to stir trouble for Othello by using thieves as the problem. Desdemona is his unmarried daughter and is considered her fathers property. He suggests Othello has stolen her from him. “O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow’d my daughter”, this again reinforces this view of