Hello everyone.

Welcome to our lesson on exploring the character of Desdemona in the play "Othello." I'm so glad you joined me for today's lesson.

I'm Miss Sutherland and we'll be learning together today.

Our learning outcome for today is to explore how Desdemona is characterised in relation to the role of Jacobean women.

So we'll be looking at how Desdemona is presented to us and how she compares to the expectations or stereotypes of Jacobean woman.

Our four key words today are misogynistic, which means being strongly prejudiced against women, submissive, which means to be ready to conform to the authority or will of others.

Chaste, to be chaste can mean not having any sexual desire or intentions, and resigned.

Resigned means having accepted something unpleasant that one cannot do anything about.

I'll give you a moment to jot down any of those keywords that you need to.

Excellent.

In today's lesson, we'll be starting with exploring Desdemona's character, and then in the second learning cycle we'll be writing about Desdemona and analysing her character.

So let's start off with exploring Desdemona's character.

We're going to explore Desdemona's character change in this lesson.

So we are going to explore what she was like at the beginning of the play and what she is like towards the end.

So let's look at this quote that Othello says to Desdemona in Act 4, Scene 2.

He says, "I cry you mercy, then I took you for that cunning of Venice that married with Othello." Raising his voice.

"You mistress that have the office opposite to Saint Peter and keep the gate of hell!" So you can see there that Othello is calling Desdemona derogatory names, that he is shouting at her and that he is saying that she guards hell.

I want you to discuss how do you expect Desdemona to react to, and treat Othello after this.

So based on what he said and how he's treated her, how do you think she would react and treat him? Pause the video and have a think.

I heard some of you say that you expect her to reject him and tell him how unfair he's being, but I also heard some of you say that perhaps she wouldn't do that because Jacobian women were expected to obey their husbands.

I think we should find out.

Let's take a look at Act 4, Scene 3, which takes place after Othello has made these misogynistic and derogatory remarks to Desdemona.

Let's start reading Act 4, Scene 3, Othello, get you to bed on the instant, I will be returned forthwith, dismiss your attendant there, look it be done.

I will, my lord.

Exeunt Othello, Lodovico and attendance.

How goes is it mow? He looks gentler than he did.

He says he will return incontinent.

He has commanded me to go to bed and bade me to dismiss you.

Dismiss me! It was his bidding, therefore, good Emilia, give me my nightly wearing and adieu.

We must not now displease him.

I would you have never seen him.

So would not I my love doth so approve him that even his stubbornness, his cheques, his frowns.

We'll continue the reading in a moment.

I want you to discuss how Desdemona seems submissive here.

Pause the video and discuss that question.

We can see how Desdemona's submissive here because she says she will do exactly what Othello has asked her to do.

Let's continue with the reading.

Prithee, unpin me, have grace and favour in them.

I have laid those sheets who bade me on the bed.

All's one.

Good faith, how foolish are our minds! If I do die before thee prithee, shroud me in one of those same sheets.

Come, come you talk.

My mother had a maid call'd Barbary.

She was in love, and he she loved proved mad and did forsake her.

She had a song of "willow." An old thing t'was, but it express'd her fortune and she died singing it.

That song to-night will not go from my mind.

I have much to do, but to go hang my head all at one side and sing it like poor Barbary.

Prithee, dispatch.

I now want you to discuss how Desdemona comes across in the following lines.

She says, "If I do die before the prithee, shroud me in one of those same sheets." And she talks about a willow song.

A woman called Barbary sang the song of Willow.

She died singing it and that song will not leave Desdemona's mind this night, and she wants to sing that song just like poor Barbary.

What do those highlighted lines suggest about Desdemona in this scene? Pause the video and discuss that question.

Perhaps you said that Desdemona comes across as very pitiful in this section.

She seems resigned to her own death.

Now the next question is Desdemona's name means "ill-fated" or "unfortunate." And how does she live up to her name in this section? Pause the video and discuss that question now.

You may have said that Desdemona at this point seems accepting of her own death and in that sense she lives up to her name, meaning ill-fated because she accepted that her fate will indeed be ill, will indeed be tragic.

Let's check your understanding of what we've just read.

How does this Desdemona appear in Act 4, Scene 3? Does she appear powerful, dominant, submissive or independent? Pause the video and answer that question.

Well done, if few said Desdemona in Act 4.

Scene 3 comes across as submissive.

This is because she does exactly what Othello tells her to do with no question, even if it means putting herself in danger.

Next question to check your understanding is what is the significance of the "song of willow?" Does it show that Desdemona is angry with Othello? Does it show that Desdemona doesn't want to die? Does it show Desdemona is resigned to her own death? Or does it show or does it foreshadow the tragic fate of Desdemona? Pause the video and answer that question now.

Well done if you said the "song of willow" both shows how Desdemona is resigned her own death and foreshadows her tragic fate.

I now want you to annotate each quote to explore how Shakespeare has presented Desdemona as the play progresses.

So will now be looking at her in Act 1, 2, and three as well as Act 4, and we'll see how her character has changed.

I'm giving you a couple of quotes on the screen here from throughout the play.

Let's read them as they appear.

So in Act 1, Scene 3, early on in the play, Desdemona says, "But here's my husband and so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father.

So much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my Lord.

See in that quote, Desdemona is defending her love for Othello and standing up to her father.

"And I a heavy interim shall support by his dear absence.

Let me go with him." So this quote is also from Act 1 Scene 3, very early on in the play where she is demanding that she go to Cyprus with Othello.

The next quote is from Act 2, Scene 1, and where Othello says to Desdemona, "My fair warrior." The next quote, Act 4, Scene 2, Desdemona says to Othello, "By heaven, you do me wrong." So that's when he's accusing her of infidelity.

She stands up for herself and now we reach the scene that we've just read.

It was his bidding, therefore good Emilia, give me my nightly wearing and adieu.

We must now not displease him.

So there you have six quotes from throughout the play.

Your job is to annotate each quote to show how Shakespeare has presented Desdemona as the play progresses.

Pause the video and start that task now.

Excellent work.

I really, I'm impressed with how some of you have managed to use the keywords of the lesson, especially the word submissive.

Let's look at what you might have annotated.

So in Act 1, Scene 3, Desdemona assertively professes her love and loyalty to Othello.

She's eloquent in her argument, allowing her to resolve tension and conflict and be listened to, and she courageously defies her father who expects her obedience in this scene.

So overall then in Act 1, Scene 3, we see Desdemona as a strong, independent, courageous woman who is respected by other people.

Now in Act 1, Scene 3, Desdemona boldly follows Othello to the battlefield.

The imperative is used to show the power she has.

So when she says, "Let me go with him." She's using an imperative to show that she's not asking anyone.

She is demanding, and again, she's eloquent in the way she persuades others to listen to her opinion because of course she does go to Cyprus with Othello.

So again, in Act 1, we see Desdemona as a strong, powerful woman, not submissive at all.

In Act 2, Scene 1, Othello perceives and treats Desdemona as an equal counterpart.

So Othello shows respect to Desdemona in Act 2, Scene 1 of the play.

By Act 4, Scene 3, Desdemona is submissive.

She does what Othello asks, despite him being verbally and physically abusive to her and she says, "We must not displease him." Which could suggest she's become fearful of her husband.

So Desdemona has changed a lot since Act 1 of the play where she was brave and bold.

By Act 4, Scene 3, she is submissive and fearful.

Well done if you said any of that.

Let's now look at how we can write about Desdemona's character change and how she compares to a Jacobean woman of the time.

So let's examine Desdemona's character against Jacobean expectations of women.

Shakespeare lived and wrote in an extremely patriarchal society and that means a male dominated and male controlled society.

This meant that women were considered to be the property of their father until they married, when they became the property of their husbands.

Women were expected to be obedient to their father and husband in all things.

Marriages in the Jacobean era were normally arrange with a father having the final say on who his daughter married.

We can consider all of this as we look at the character of Desdemona in more detail.

In Jacobean England, there was an understanding of what it meant to be a "good' wife and mother, which was often found in church sermons and advice manuals.

In 1983, academic Suzanne Hull, compiled a book which gathered many of these sermons and advice manuals together.

She entitled the book with what she believes is an accurate summary of the advice given to Jacobean women, and the book is called "Chaste, Silent and Obedient." Let's consider this question, what kind of advice would Jacobean women receiving? Pause the video and discuss that question.

You may have said that Jacobean women were receiving advice to not be too loud, not give their own opinions, obey men and be pure for men, which means of course it doesn't seem as though they can live their own life and be true to who they are.

The next question is, does Desdemona conform or subvert the expectations of Jacobean women? Pause a video and answer that question.

You may have said that at the beginning of the play, Desdemona subverts the expectations because she marries who she wants to.

She doesn't listen to her father and she is courageous in doing what she wants to do, such as going to Cyprus with Othello.

However, by Act 4, Scene 3, we may say that she conforms to the expectations we are reading about because she does follow Othello's instruction.

She is obedient and she is silent.

Let's check your understanding.

Which of the following were expected of women in the Jacobean era? Select all that apply.

Pause the video and answer that question now.

Women were expected to be obedient towards their husbands and to be chaste.

They are the two correct expectations of women in the Jacobean era.

Well done if you got that right.

The next question is true or false.

Desdemona conforms to Jacobean expectations of women throughout the whole play.

Pause the video and answer that question.

Is that true or false? Well done if you said false.

Of course, Desdemona does conform to these expectations towards the end of the play, but at the beginning she does not.

She subverts them.

Now, justify your answer, pause the video and justify.

Well done if you said that.

We know that Desdemona does not conform to Jacobean expectations of women throughout the whole play because in the beginning of the play in Act 1, Scene 3, she defies her father and defying your father was not a thing that Jacobean women were expected to do.

Next question.

When Othello says, "I took you for that cunning of Venice that married with Othello." Which expectation of women does Othello believe that Desdemona has transgressed? Which expectation, other words, does Othello believe Desdemona has gone against or broken? Pause the video and answer that question.

In that quote, Othello believes that Desdemona has broken the expectation or rule that women be chaste.

Othello believes that Desdemona was led by her lust into having an affair with Cassio, meaning she's unchained and impure.

Now you're going to answer the question, how does Shakespeare present Desdemona throughout the play.

Use a sentence starters to help you and also use a vocabulary bank to help you as well.

Your aim is to try and include each of the words in the vocabulary bank.

Let's go through the sentence starters to make sure you are confident with starting the task.

You could start with, Shakespeare presents.

At the beginning of the play.

By the end of the play.

The significance of.

is.

Now pause video and answer your question.

How does Shakespeare present Desdemona throughout the play? Off you go.

I'm really impressed with how you managed to fit all of those key words in, in a coherent and thoughtful manner.

Great job.

Now we're going to read a model answer.

Shakespeare presents Desdemona as a changing character throughout 'Othello.

' Whilst Desdemona starts off the play bold, she ends it passively.

It seems her own downfall is directly tied to that of her husband.

At the beginning of the play, Desdemona defies her father.

Stating, "So much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor." This shows her courage as Jacobean women were expected to obey their fathers, she thus subverts gender expectations and this seems to prove her true love for Othello.

Othello recognises the courage and the strength of his wife, greeting her as "my fair warrior" in Act 2, Scene 1, demonstrating his respect for her as an equal counterpart in the marriage.

However, by the end of the play, Desdemona is submissive, despite being abused by Othello's, misogynistic actions and words, she follows his orders with no hesitation.

"It was his bidding.

We must not displease him." She seems to fear rather than respect him by the end of the play and she's resigned to her own death, "to go hang my head all at one side and sing it like poor Barbary." Desdemona conforms to both gender expectations and her tragic name by the end of the play.

Despite being faithful and virtuous, she is unable to escape her tragic end, perhaps showing how the restrictions placed on her as a woman contribute to her death at the hands of her husband.

After reading that answer, I want you to reread and check your work.

Is there anything you now want to include in your own answer? Pause the video, reread and check your work.

Brilliant.

Here's what we've learned today.

In Act 1, Desdemona is brave and adventurous, proclaiming her love for Othello and following him to the battleground.

Othello greets her as "my fair warrior" in Act 2, highlighting her strength.

Many argue that Desdemona becomes a submissive character and Desdemona's name in Greek is 'ill-fated' or 'unfortunate' suggesting that she is a tragic victim.

I've really enjoyed our lesson today and I hope to see you in another lesson soon.