From hearing Othello’s description of his courtship with Desdemona and her entrance shortly afterwards, it seems that she was indeed ‘half the wooer’ and continues to show her womanly strength by insisting that she should go to war with her husband and that she ‘did love the Moor to be with him’. Desdemona claims she cannot stay put as ‘a moth of peace’, the marriage has not yet been consummated and she does not want to be hidden away from the man that she loves. This strong sense of will Desdemona shows in Act One contrasts to her actions further on in the play. At this point her strong will and love she holds for Othello’s also shows how she completely commits herself to him, her ‘heart’s subdued’ to Othello. It could be argued that this results in her becoming the ‘innocent victim’ as she stops standing up for herself and instead stands up for Othello. Desdemona refuses to blame Othello for her unhappiness in Act Four, instead she declares that it is her ‘wretched fortune’.
In Act Two, Scene One, Desdemona’s strong will is further enforced, as she is able to confront Iago’s comments, which his wife Emilia would rather just set aside. Where Emilia says to Iago, ‘You shall not write my praise,’ Desdemona says to Iago, ‘What wouldst thou write of me, it thou should praise me?’ This clearly displays how Desdemona is not afraid to speak her mind. She does not shy away from others and she comes across as a strong and confident woman.
When Desdemona tries to reconcile the relationship between Othello and Cassio, she is simply doing it for Othello’s best interests. Some argue that Desdemona is being a nag and getting involved in problems that are nothing to do with her and that she does not know the boundaries between private and public life. However, her motives are completely genuine and I believe that this shows her innocence. She is very young and perhaps slightly naïve. It would have been more beneficial on her part if she had kept out of the way, however Othello allowed her to follow him to war so it is not her fault. He said he would not let Desdemona affect his judgement as a soldier.
Desdemona does lie to Othello about the handkerchief, but only because he frightens her with his serious talk about its magical properties. The fact that she believes him just enforces her innocence and leads her to lying to him. She is desperate not to hurt Othello’s feelings; she does not want him to know that she has lost the handkerchief. This does not show Desdemona to be rebellious or indeed mature – she is frightened and concerned for Othello’s feelings, displaying her innocence. The fact that Iago is manipulating Othello into believing that Desdemona gave the handkerchief to Cassio shows how Desdemona is the passive victim who has done nothing wrong.
Iago’s sinister plots are working and Desdemona becomes increasingly vulnerable and impotent in each scene that follows. When Othello strikes her in public, she reproaches him, but only briefly, ‘I have not deserved this.’ The Desdemona that we meet at the beginning of the play gradually deteriorates and her strong will and outspoken mind becomes more and more passive.
In her discussion with Emilia in the beginning of Act Four, Scene Three, she accepts and defends Othello’s authority over her, ‘we must now not displease him.’ This displays the ‘embodiment of her goodness’ and her complete devotion towards Othello. She has learnt that ‘men are not God’s’ and although this is a disappointment to her she submits willingly to the man she chose.
The fact that Desdemona cannot believe that a woman would choose to commit adultery, declaring that she would not ‘do such a wrong for the whole world’, displays her unworldly innocence. It cannot be possible that a woman who truly believes this can be called mature or rebellious.
Desdemona’s death on the other hand is not passive; she dies fighting for the right to live, and trying to defend herself. Othello has to literally silence her. Her final words, ‘O falsely, falsely murdered’ seem to portray that Desdemona has taken control and is finally speaking her mind even though it is now too late. Her words are selfless and though she has spoken her mind she takes on the role of the innocent victim; she becomes a sacrifice.
Desdemona’s innocence we see so clearly at the end of the play certainly contradicts her early assertiveness. The young woman who is not afraid to speak her mind and disobey her father is drastically changed into a passive victim at the end of the play. To a certain extent it could be argued that ‘Desdemona is a sensual, mature, rebellious woman who knows her own mind’ but only at the beginning of the play. By the end the view that Desdemona has been manipulated into ‘an innocent victim and the embodiment of goodness in the play’ is clear.