The random number generator has hit upon another major character for this week's Shakespearean Character Spotlight! Today we take a look at Desdemona.
The vast majority of Shakespeare's female characters are strong and powerful, which is why I give the more insipid women like Hero such a hard time. I was quite prepared to run roughshod over Desdemona for meekly putting up with an obviously irrational husband who emotionally and physically abuses her. However, the more I thought about it the more I realized Desdemona is actually quite spunky. She (understandably) loses it a bit in the last act, but up until then she is admirably froward.
Of course, my favorite character in Othello is Emilia, but more on her later...