In the last scene of Othello, Desdemona recovers long enough from the smothering that her jealous husband has inflicted upon her to pronounce her complete innocence, and with her last breath tells Emilia, "a guiltless death I die" (V, ii., l.120). Plainly, Iago has deceived Othello into believing that his beautiful young wife has committed adultery with his once-trusted second in command, Cassio. That being so, Desdemona is clearly innocent of the charges embodied in Iago's cunning innuendoes, and is a victim who does not deserve the tragic end that she suffers. Nevertheless, Desdemona has put herself in a position to be a victim by virtue of her decision to marry the Moor and to go with him to the isolated, embattled post of Cyprus where Othello possesses not only the moral authority of a spouse but also the legal powers of a governor. The question naturally arises: Why does Desdemona make these tandem choices?

By the time that we first see Desdemona in the middle of Act I, scene iii, we have been told that she is a young Venetian noblewoman, the beloved daughter of Senator Brabantio, who has married the military hero of the city-state without her father's consent or foreknowledge.

"Our general's wife is now the general" (II, iii. l.315), Iago says to Cassio as he steers him toward petitioning Othello for leniency through Desdemona's good offices. In the midst of the corruption scene, Desdemona is confident of her ability to restore Cassio to his position, assuring the crest-fallen Lieutenant, "Do not doubt Cassio,/But I will have my lord and you again/As friendly as you were" (III, iii, ll.4-6). She claims, then, to know how to work her husband to her will and even sets forth a strategy of attrition, telling Cassio that she will not let husband rest until he grants her petition on his behalf: "I'll intermingle everything he does/With Cassio's suit" (III, iii, ll.25-26). Desdemona takes it upon herself to overlook Cassio's dereliction and her confidence in pursuing his suit with her husband is confirmed when Othello says that he "I will deny thee nothing" (l.76).

What does Desdemona see in Othello that would cause her to take the rash step of choosing him as her husband? Following his recitation of the exotic adventure tales that he has related to Desdemona before their marriage, the Moor recalls Desdemona's response to these stories "yet she wish'd/That heaven had made her such a man/And bade me, if I had a friend that lov'd her,/I should but teach him how to tell my story/And that would woo her" (I, iii,, ll.162-166). What Othello fails to realize here is that Desdemona's reaction not only furnishes him with an opening to woo the girl, it implies that she is more in love with his renown than with his person. Having already decided by dint of circumstance that he will not oppose the marriage, the Duke then considers the issue of whether Othel

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1132
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)