Blog Entry 18: Quote-Response (Othello I & II)

Quote:

"I do perceive here a divided duty.
To you I am bound for life and education (upbringing);
My life and education both do learn (teach) me
How to respect you. You are the lord of duty (to whom duty is due);
I am hitherto your daughter. But here's my husband,
And so much duty as my mother showed
To you, preferring you before her father,
So much I challenge (claim) that I may profess
Due to the Moor my lord" (Shakespeare 954).

Response:

These are Desdemona's first words, directed toward her father, as she enters the scene where the men are attempting to debate the cause for union between Othello and Desdemona. While Brabantio (Desdemona's father) launches accusations against Othello that he wooed and lured Desdemona through sorcery or magic, Othello references a contrary magical love, fostered by his inspiring tales and Desdemona's intense reaction to them. Desdemona then enters the scene to set the record straight. She observes the escalating conflict between two men, of whom she wishes to remain similarly dutiful. A great deal of her loyalty lies with her father, who raised her and helped her to become the strong and independent thinker that she now recognizes within herself. The greater portion of her loyalty lies with her husband, however, as he now occupies the remaining void in her heart. Desdemona attempts to explain to her father that she is as loyal to her own husband as her mother was to him.

This opening quote by Desdemona is important as it introduces us to a strong, independent, and faithful woman. She obviously commands respect among these men. Otherwise, they would never even consider claims regarding her love for Othello. She is clever enough to cement a pending argument by calling upon a more familiar example. She mentions her own mother, the wife of her father, whose duty is to that of her husband, which is inarguably her proper role as a wife. The words "preferring you before her father" (Shakespeare 954) lay claim to a perfect irrefutable example of a generational duty in a marriage. It is an effective way for Desdemona to leave no room for argument as Brabantio and the other men attempt to thwart possible justification regarding the controversial marriage between Othello and Desdemona.