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by William Shakespeare

Othello Theme of Gender



Questions About Gender

  1. What kinds of assumptions do male characters make about women? How do male characters view female sexuality in the play?
  2. Do male characters ever feel emasculated? If so, when? What triggers such feelings?
  3. When Iago tells Brabantio that Othello has eloped with his daughter, why does he call Othello a "thief"? What kinds of assumptions about daughters are being made here?
  4. Why does Desdemona want to go to war with Othello?

Chew on This


In the play, most male characters assume that women are naturally promiscuous, even if there's no concrete evidence to support such ideas.

Othello is like Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice in that both plays feature fathers who view their unmarried daughters as their property.

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