Desdemona

Desdemona is a character in Christopher Moore’s novel *The Serpent of Venice*.  She is the parody of Desdemona from the original play of William Shakespeare's *Othello*.  Desdemona is Othello’s wife and lives in Corsica.  She has a younger sister Portia.  They are newly orphaned after her father Brabantio's death.  Rodrigo is fond of her.  Her handmaid is Iago’s wife, Emilia. Pocket describes her as long hair, green-eyed with sparks, and round of cheeks.

## **Historical Background**

In the original play *Othello*, Desdemona falls in love with Othello.  The two get married, despite the fact that marrying with the Moor was against her father’s wishes.  She is manipulated by Iago, and is seen by her husband as cheating with Michael Cassio.  She is killed by Othello who thinks that she has been cheating and betraying him, which is the symbol of the tragedy of this play.  However, she believes in and is obedient to her husband until the very end of her life.

## **Unique characteristics of Serpent of Venice**

There are three key differences with Shakespeare’s original play.

Firstly, her marriage with Othello is helped by Pocket.  Desdemona and Othello had loved each other secretly. Cordelia’s ghost tells Pocket to help Othello, and he promises her to help the Moor.  Pocket sells them a favor and persuades them both of the marriage without permission or blessing of Brabantio.

> “He has not taken the lady against her will, he has married her.  Yes, she is ruined, but by her own will and consent, ruined only for me; in the eyes of God and the state, she belongs to the Moor.”
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Secondly, Desdemona becomes an important figure in politics, as her father was a senator.  Antonia claims that “Brabantio’s seat would go to his eldest son, but since he had no son, it will go to the husband of his eldest" , and Desdemona becomes the center in obtaining power.
Thirdly, Pocket is involved in fighting Iago and his plan to kill Desdemona. Iago's words gave suspicion to Othello that his wife may be cheating with Cassio.

> "The Moor, a storm of suspicion conjured in his mind by Iago, did burst into his lady's bedchamber to confront his enemy - fear - the fear of losing his love to another."
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Unlike the original play, Othello consults with Pocket that Desdemona is confounding him. Pocket seeks to persuade Othello that Iago is talking nonsense, and his wife couldn't have betrayed him.

> "Fine. So you would accuse your lady of being untrue - your lady, who throw all of Venice away for you, stood up to the most powerful men in the republic, for you, Moor: she you would accuse, without any evidence but the comment of another, yet Iago, who you know to be a villain, a cutthroat, and a traitor - for him you need proof beyond my word? Respect my judgment in this, Othello, if in nothing else, or thou art a fool."
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Iago still tries to convince Othello that Desdemona is cheating with Cassio, by for example, by looking at the actions and behaviors of Desdemona and Cassio, and acknowledging the loss of the handkerchief with strawberries. Othello looks as though Iago tricks him, and Iago believes Othello killed his wife and then took his own life as well. The sailors that were suppose to keep Iago were also convinced that Othello was dead, and released Iago because they thought Iago was going to become their new commander. In addition "lawyers released the gold that had been paid to the estate to Portia." However, it was all part of Pocket's plan to trick everyone, and Othello and Desdemona are alive.

> "Desdemona, as mistress of the estate, had rescinded her father's instructions and saw that half of Brabantio's fortune, along with the villa at Belmont, went to her sister, Portia"
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## **Personality**

Desdemona has a strong heart about her love with Othello.  She was loyal and faithful to her husband.

> “I would have a say in my future, if you please.  I, too, am a Venetian, and I would be at my husband’s side.  It is true that he won me by tales of his battles, so I would be with him while he does these deeds that drew my affection.  I would go to Corsica with him.”
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However, at the same time, she cares about her father, and marrying Othello was a big decision.  She gives her father the honor and gratitude about the life and education she received.   Tears leaped from her eyes when her father said the following line when he learned Desdemona had truly married Othello,

> “God be with you.  I have another daughter, this one is yours, and to me, is daughter no more.”
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She will still defy the will of her father, and he saw her marriage with Othello (the Moor) as a calamity.  He thinks that Desdemona is ruined and this leads to Brabantio being determined to have his other daughter Portia marry better than Desdemona.  Therefore he creates the price and test for Portia’s marriage.

> “Your father set the price and the test to see you married better than Desdemona.”
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However, the love Desdemona has for her father and family is still strong, and she cried when she learned of her father’s death, and also misses her sister, Portia.

She doesn't have a sense of humor. When Pocket called Iago "that dog-fucking scoundrel Iago", Desdemona couldn't see that essence of what Pocket was getting at, and simply understood that Iago liked dogs.

## **References**

1. Moore 2014, 144.
2. Moore 2014, 215.
3. Moore 2014, 143.
4. Moore 2014. 146.
5. Moore 2014, 35.
6. Moore 2014, 222.
7. Moore 2014, 233.
8. Moore 2014, 234.
9. Moore 2014, 244.
10. Moore 2014, 276.
11. Moore 2014, 288-289.
12. Moore 2014, 315.
13. Moore 2014, 166.
14. Moore 2014, 163.
15. Moore 2014, 165.
16. Moore 2014, 53.
17. Moore 2014, 52.
18. Moore 2014, 167.
19. Moore 2014, 191.
20. Moore 2014, 168.

## **Bibliography**

Moore, Christopher. *The Serpent of Venice*. HarperCollins. 2014. Print.

Shakespeare, William. *Othello*. Ed. Edward Pechter. New York: Norton. 2004. Print.

1. ↑ *Moore 2014, 144.*
2. ↑ Moore 2014, 215.
3. ↑ Moore 2014, 143.
4. ↑ Moore 2014. 146.
5. ↑ Moore 2014, 35.
6. ↑ Moore 2014, 222.
7. ↑ Moore 2014, 233.
8. ↑ Moore 2014, 234.
9. ↑ Moore 2014, 244.
10. ↑ Moore 2014, 276.
11. ↑ Moore 2014, 288-289.
12. ↑ Moore 2014, 315.
13. ↑ Moore 2014, 166.
14. ↑ Moore 2014, 163.
15. ↑ Moore 2014, 165.
16. ↑ Moore 2014, 53.
17. ↑ Moore 2014, 52.
18. ↑ Moore 2014, 167.
19. ↑ Moore 2014, 191.
20. ↑ Moore 2014, 168.