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“His scorn I approve”: The self-effacing Desdemona

“His scorn I approve”: The self-effacing Desdemona Other Voices "HIS SCORN I APPROVE": THE SELF-EFFACING DESDEMONA Bernard I. Paris Desdemona is a controversial character whose behavior has been diffi- cult to understand. Is she little less than a saint, or a rebellious daughter who is rightly punished for her deception of her father? A Christ-like martyr, or a guilt-ridden woman who participates in her own victimization? Many critics have been struck by the disparity between her assertive behavior early in the play and her inability to defend herself later. This is the central puzzle of Desdemona's character, but it is by no means the only one. With the possible exception of Cleopatra, Desdemona is Shakespeare's most complex psychological portrait of a woman. Shakespeare's glorification of her as "the divine Desdemona" tends to discourage an examination of her motives; but when we look at her closely, we find that her actions are as extreme as those of lago and Othello and that her character, as well as theirs, contributes to the tragedy. She can be best understood, I think, through Karen Horney's description of the self-effacing person. As the play opens, Desdemona has just behaved in a way that is quite outrageous from the point of view http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png The American Journal of Psychoanalysis Springer Journals

“His scorn I approve”: The self-effacing Desdemona

The American Journal of Psychoanalysis , Volume 44 (4): 12 – Dec 1, 1984

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References (6)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
1984 Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis
ISSN
0002-9548
eISSN
1573-6741
DOI
10.1007/BF01252543
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Other Voices "HIS SCORN I APPROVE": THE SELF-EFFACING DESDEMONA Bernard I. Paris Desdemona is a controversial character whose behavior has been diffi- cult to understand. Is she little less than a saint, or a rebellious daughter who is rightly punished for her deception of her father? A Christ-like martyr, or a guilt-ridden woman who participates in her own victimization? Many critics have been struck by the disparity between her assertive behavior early in the play and her inability to defend herself later. This is the central puzzle of Desdemona's character, but it is by no means the only one. With the possible exception of Cleopatra, Desdemona is Shakespeare's most complex psychological portrait of a woman. Shakespeare's glorification of her as "the divine Desdemona" tends to discourage an examination of her motives; but when we look at her closely, we find that her actions are as extreme as those of lago and Othello and that her character, as well as theirs, contributes to the tragedy. She can be best understood, I think, through Karen Horney's description of the self-effacing person. As the play opens, Desdemona has just behaved in a way that is quite outrageous from the point of view

Journal

The American Journal of PsychoanalysisSpringer Journals

Published: Dec 1, 1984

Keywords: Clinical Psychology; Psychotherapy; Psychoanalysis

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