JASMINE C.

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The Shakespearean work I decided to deal with is "Othello", focusing on the issue of jealousy that leads to femicide, which underlies this tragedy. I chose this issue because nowadays feminicides aren’t just an emergency to be addressed, but a structured and well-established situation in our society : also because while Shakespeare wrote about domestic femicides in the 16th century, the situation in 2021 has certainly not improved. This year alone here in Italy has been particularly dramatic: in fact , 211 homicides have been recorded since the beginning of 2021, with 89 women victims, of which 76 were killed in the family ; of these, 53 found death at the hands of the partner .

Today, unlike femicide in "Othello", in most cases the killing of women is not only the result of the sudden loss of control by the murderer, but it represents the latest in a series of violent acts to which a woman has been subjected for a long time.

Othello or "The tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice", is one of the most famous literary work that focuses on the dangers of jealousy. In particular, it is a tragedy based on jealousy, a sexual jealousy that becomes obsessive. Although the tragedy was written at the beginning of the seventeenth century, I noticed how the issue of sexual jealousy is highly pertinent to the cases of femicide that happen too often nowadays here in Italy. Furthermore, in this tragedy, jealousy takes many forms, from sexual suspicion to professional competition , but it is, in all cases, destructive.

Othello is a general in the Venetian army. He gets manipulated by Iago, furious at being neglected for promotion, and manipulates him into believing that his wife Desdemona is unfaithful. Othello lets himself be consumed by jealousy and kills Desdemona and then commits suicide.The Tragedy is set in Venice and in Cyprus, presumably in the second half of the sixteenth century. - The protagonist is Othello, who is a black man well respected , he is also the general of the Venetian army ; he’s married to Desdemona who’s a beautiful and pure women that until her last breath continues to be faithful to her husband. Iago is the man behind the plan to take revenge on Othello, in fact, he becomes really jealous because of Othello’s decision to promote Cassio instead of Iago himself. Emilia is the loyal maidservant of Desdemona that is married to Iago; In this tragedy she is actually also a victim of Femicide killed by her husband . Cassio is the charming man with whom Desdemona cheats on Othello with, according to what Iago tells Othello.

Quickly summarising how the apex of Othello’s jealousy occurs which then leads to fury; Iago, using a handkerchief belonging to Desdemona, persuades Othello by telling him that she herself gave the handkerchief to Cassio as a token of love. So of course Othello instead of confronting his wife, he believes Iago and blinded by jealousy, he suffocates Desdemona right in their wedding bed. Despite the knowledge of her own imminent death, she forgives her husband right before dying.

To conclude with, as commonly happens nowadays in the couples that are protagonists of this issue, even in this tragedy we find ourselves faced with jealousy, doubt and the laceration of a man poisoned by these feelings. The fear of losing love and madness that leads to no longer seeing anything and to act by instinct and ruthlessly.

https://www.interno.gov.it/it/search?search_fulltext=Femminicidi&page=1 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Othello-by-Shakespeare

https://www.repubblica.it/dossier/cronaca/osservatorio-femminicidi/2021/02/10/news/i_femminicidi_in_italia_nel_2021-286901654/