Masculinity and Violence in Othello

There is a direct linked between masculinity and violence committed by men. Researches have reported that the men are stressed and in depression for not living up to their gender norms. And media has a role in for setting up these norms. According to TV and popular media to be a man, you must be stoic hard-working, emotionally constipated, intimidating, physical, strong, in control, rugged, be able to scare people, powerful, respected and much more. That is what our culture expects of so called “real man” and if you do not measure up to be the “real man” many insulting terms are used such wuss, wimp etc.

In play Othello by Shakespeare we observe similar gender norms portrayed by the male characters.

Gender Identity and masculinity are linked with violence without a doubt. Boys and men are not born that way but the society in which they are raised sets masculine norms for them to follow. According to statistics male gender is responsible for 90% of the violent crimes (Homicide Trends in United States, 1980-2008).

Sociologist Lisa Wade commenting on the sexual assault by Brock Turner and Pulse night club mass shooter, identified a pattern. According to wade, even though both crimes are not the same, but they have something in common, the toxic idea of masculinity. Men who believe in demonstrating masculinity are the one who commit violence across the world.

In the Othello, we see the same toxic masculinity demonstrated throughout the play. Male characters resort to violence to show that they needed to “man up”.

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We observe the masculinity norm in Act 1. Cassio became threat to Iago’s masculinity because Othello give him the promotion instead of him and since Cassio is not a muscle guy, Iago is unable to understand his apointment. In Act 1 Scene one he says:

“Three of Venice’s most important noblemen took their hats off to him (Othello) and asked him humbly to make me his lieutenant, the second in command. And I know my own worth well enough to know I deserve that position. But he wants to have things his own way, so he sidesteps the issue with a lot of military talk and refuses their request. “I’ve already chosen my lieutenant,” he says. And who does he choose? A guy who knows more about numbers than fighting! This guy from Florence named Michael Cassio. He has a pretty wife, but he can’t even control her. And he’s definitely never commanded men in battle. He’s got no more hands-on knowledge of warfare than an old woman—unless you count what he’s read in books,”

Iago is upset because Cassio has become the lieutenant while he doesn’t even have any war experience. Later he talks about how Cassio is not even a man because he has a pretty wife and has no control over her. This is the one of the norms of toxic masculinity that men are controlling specially when it comes to their women. He also referred to Cassio as an old woman as an insult, this is known result of toxic masculinity where men who don’t measure up to be the “real man” are often called a woman or sissy. By the end of play this threat to his masculinity turns violent and he wishes Cassio’s death.

The era in which this play was written a women infidelity not only herself but also her husband. A cheating wife violated the bond of marriage but also threatened the masculinity of her husband. Iago didn’t like at all and he knew that he couldn’t bring Othello down. Iago used race to bring him down, but it didn’t work on Othello. He had escaped from slavery and was granted the title of General in Venetian army. Iago tried to bring him down to collapse but failed, Othello was successful and was happily married to Desdemona. Underneath this successful, confident and strong man, there was insecurity and anxious masculinity that brought him down. Iago knew that if there is any that can bring a man down to collapse is when his masculinity is threatened and that is exactly what he did to Othello.

Iago suspected that Cassio and Othello were having sexual relationship with his wife Emilia. This suspicion shattered his masculinity and to counter this he took desperate measures to appear manly. John McClosky talks about Iago suspecious and jealousy, he says:

“Thus the Venetian soldier’s suspicious jealousy merges with his conviction of personal injustice into the dominant passion of hate for the Moor. To satisfy his hate he has two ends to accomplish: to get the lieutenantship away from Cassio and to abuse Othello with the same suspecious jealousy which corrodes his own soul. Justice and revenge are what he seeks” (26).

Iago planted his devilish plan in which he insinuates that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair to brings Othello insecurities into light. When Othello hears these accusations, he refutes them right away and says that his wife Desdemona would cheat on me and that she is loyal and faithful to me. He repeatedly asked Iago to give him proof that Desdemona was cheating. Mark Breitenberg talks about this in his book and he says:

“The texts and practices that enact male sexual jealousy function as a discourse produced largely by men, the referent of which-female sexual desire and sexual practices-is inevitably and necessarily elusive, rarely providing, as Othello demands, “Ocular Proof”” (384).

Alicia Fleming argues that Iago plans is due to his fear of emasculation, meaning he won’t be considred as a “real man” by the society. She writes:

“Iago, one of literature’s most perplexing villains, seems to have many motives for his evil; but in reality, he is ultimately motivated by fear of emasculation, a fear which leads him to commit many wicked actions. Iago’s “injured sense of manhood” (Radel 65) and the misogyny he employs in an attempt to mask his emasculation stem primarily from jealousy.”

Hind Abdullah writes about the motives of Iago in reference to the book “The art of loving: female subjectivity and male discursive traditions in Shakespeare’s tragedies” by Evelyn Gajowski. She says:

“Well, the thing is Gajowski suggests the reason Iago uses Othello’s ability to love and jealousy against him is because of a chain of male competition (Gajowski, 1992, p. 63). She argues, through a feminist lens, that men view women as possessions (p. 63): “Look at your house, your daughter, and your bags!” (Othello, 1.1.80). If this is true then Iago’s desire to exercise control over Othello and Desdemona is not only because of a desire to achieve love; he is also, as Coleridge may suggest, lusting after the power of control. Iago is manipulating in order to enter, compete, and win in the struggle for masculine dominance.”

On Iago argues that Othello is a good person and his goodness will make it easier for his to fool him, he says:

“Watch your wife. Watch how she is with Cassio. Just watch—don’t be either completely suspicious or completely trustful. I wouldn’t want to see you taken advantage of because you’re such an open and trusting guy. Watch out! I know the people of Venice well. They let God see things they wouldn’t show their husbands. They don’t avoid doing things that are wrong, they just try not to get caught” (III.iii.208).

By saying so, Iago stroked Othello manhood and increased his insecurities. The reality is just the opposite, Desdemona loyal and faithful to her husband. She cannot even comprehend the act of a wife cheating on her husband. When Emilia asked Desdemona if she would cheat on her husband, she replied:

“I’d never do such a bad thing, not for the whole world!” (IV, iii, 58).

In the times this play was written, if wife cheats on husband it also showed that husband was not able to sexually satisfy her. One of the norms of masculinity is controlling, men are supposed to be controlling, strong and most importantly be able to satisfy their wives/girlfriends sexually. This accusation threatened Othello manhood and he turned violent. He started abusing her verbally in sexual terms and even call her a devil, whore and a commoner. The abusing then becomes violent threats. Othello, to satisfy his toxic masculinity kills Desdemona. She became the victim of anxious masculinity of her husband.

Iago on the other hand also murders his wife Emilia for have an affair with Othello. To him she had committed a crime against him and needed to be punished. Taking her life would have preserved his honor that was taken away by his wife potentially sleeping with Othello. Both Iago and Othello were nothing but slaves of their toxic masculinity. Othello maintained his masculinity all the way to the end. His little speech before he stabs himself to death shows that:

“Wait. A word or two before you go. I’ve given the state of Venice a bit of help in the past, and they know it. But enough about that. When you record these sad events in your letters, please describe me exactly as I am. Don’t tone things down or exaggerate them out of hostility. If you’re being fair, you’ll have to describe me as someone who loved too much, but who wasn’t wise about it. I was not easily made jealous, but once I was tricked and manipulated, I worked myself into a frenzy. Describe me as a fool who threw away a precious pearl with his own hands, like a silly Indian who didn’t know what it was worth. As someone who was not emotional, but who then cried a lot. Write all this down, and then say also that in Aleppo I once saw a Turk beating a Venetian, so I grabbed the Turk by the throat and hit him like this” (V, II, 360-370).

The connection between violence and false, toxic masculinity is evident throughout the play Othello. Masculinity norm that real men should be respected, tough and in control led to the violent murders of two innocent women character in the play. The male entitlement is also to blame for it as well as the social beliefs in that era. Real tragedy is the not the unjust murders of Desdemona and Emila but real tragedy is the continuation of masculine principle and relationship of men and women under the shadow of cruel patriarchy which is produced by the insecurity and fear of emasculation.

Work Cited

1. Cooper , Alexia, and Erica L. Smith. “Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980-2008.” Bureau Of Justice Statistics, Nov. 2011, www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf.
2. Breitenberg, Mark. “Anxious Masculinity: Sexual Jealousy in Early Modern England.” Feminist Studies, vol. 19, no. 2, 1993, pp. 377–398. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3178375.
3. McCloskey, John C. “The Motivation of Iago.” College English, vol. 3, no. 1, 1941, pp. 25–30. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/371329.
4. Gajowski, E. (1992). The art of loving: Female subjectivity and male discursive traditions in Shakespeare’s tragedies. New York: University of Delaware Press.
5. ALKOLI, HIND ABDUALLAH. “An Analysis of Power Desire of Iago in Shakespeare’s Othello From Psychological Perspectives .” David Publisher, 10 Mar. 2018.
6. Radel, Nicholas F. “‘Your Own for Ever’: Revealing Masculine Desire in Othello.” Approaches to Teaching Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Peter Erickson and Maurice Hunt. New York, NY: Modern Language Association of America, 2005. 62-71. Print.
7. “‘Come, Be a Man!’: Iago’s Emasculation in Othello.” Alicia Fleming Sztobryn, 20 May 2016, alicianfleming.wordpress.com/come-be-a-man-iagos-emasculation-in-othello/.