Othello’s female characters are depicted as feministic heros whose actions, not their skill, make them unique. Subservient heroines are depicted as women who will continue their men’s work. The authors portray women as being socially inept, yet they believe that they are capable of changing their circumstances. Othello and Goodnight Desdemona are examples of women who can be portrayed as the heroes in literature. However, this is not sufficient.
First of all, the social obligations that women face are to observe certain traditions regardless of their circumstances. Women who can’t escape the shortcomings of men in cultures that treat them differently will want to believe in feministism. Desdemona is an example of courage, demonstrating her resilience in face to death and manipulation. This allows society to see heroism in a new light. It is characterized as acts of integrity and trusting one’s beliefs. Desdemona asserts her will to marry Othello in Act I, Scene 3. Despite being bound by convention to her father’s for study and life, (Shakespeare 26). Desdemona is a female who disregards the traditional societal norms which bind women to husbands as wives and their fathers in life. Shakespeare’s horrible portrayal of women makes them invisible, but sins or sexism force them to be their real selves. Emilia acts with contempt towards mortality in Othello, in an attempt to show Desdemona her innocence, even though there are serious repercussions. To ensure that women act contrary to expectation, it is necessary to redefine heroism as a female’s perspective.