Desdemona is too innocent and gullible a character to be believable. Do you agree? Or, Why does Desdemona suffer? Or, Is Desdemona responsible for the tragedy of her life?

Desdemona is too innocent and gullible a character to be believable. Do you agree?

Or,

Why does Desdemona suffer?

Or,

Is Desdemona responsible for the tragedy of her life?

Desdemona, the heroine of Othello, is a young and white skinned lady, daughter of Brabantio, a noble man of Venice. She looks after the family affairs of her father in the absence of her mother who died long ago. Living in a limited circle she is not aware Of the corrupt practices of the world and as a consequence she remains innocent all through her life. She is a woman of simple virtue, falling a victim to the machinations of lago as a dove does to a hawk. Like Hamlet's Ophelia Desdemona is too innocent and has virginal purity and confidence in the good of the world, but it cannot be denied that she is not perfect.

 We have to consider the deception of her father, in the first place, for she has evidently been allowing the courtship of the Moor for sometime before he carries her off. There is a tendency to tell Innocent lies, rather than speak with full candour as she does in the case of the handkerchief. These are trifles, of course, and do not for One moment supply an explanation of the cruel fate that overtakes her. But they are trifles which serve once more to illustrate that "Character is destiny", for they are the very faults which are most deadly in her particular circumstances. Cordelia, frank and  0Utspoken by nature would have made light of the problem of explaining to Othello about the handkerchief. The fact is that at heart Desdemona is a little afraid of her overpowering husband when he shows signs of anger. Desdemona is more feminine and yielding than Cordelia, less qualified to hit back.

Desdemona is a perfect wife, obedient and self-effacing. She regards Othello as her lord to whom all worship is due. She has totally surrendered to him, and has no life of her own. She loves him even when he is harsh and brutal to him. Because of her religious mind and self-sacrifice, Desdemona takes the blames of her death on herself.

However, Desdemona's weakness lies in her lack of worldly wisdom. She does not simply believe that evil exists around man or woman. She cannot think that there are such women as will play the wanton although they are married. In the midst of a society with such hypocritical characters as lago, she is. like a dove in the midst of hawks. Despite her beauty and purity of her character she cannot protect herself against the attacks of calumny, for something more dynamic is then required. Her lack of worldly wisdom and experience contribute to the tragic catastrophe.

To sum up, we feel pity for the death of Desdemona. She is really an unfortunate woman. Throughout the play she remains too innocent and cannot understand the cause of Othello's jealousy. An innocent woman like her is a misfit for the society which is fill of hypocrisy, cruelty and jealousy. She is a victim of circumstances, but if she were tactful, she could avoid such a tragic consequence. Thus, Desdemona is partially responsible for her tragic end.