Desdemona (character)

E44226

Shakespearean character fictional character literary character tragic heroine

Desdemona is the virtuous and tragically wronged wife of Othello in Shakespeare’s tragedy "Othello," whose innocence is destroyed by Iago’s deceit.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form	Occurrences
Desdemona	13
Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello (as Desdemona)	1
bewitching Desdemona	1

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	Shakespearean character ⓘ fictional character ⓘ literary character ⓘ tragic heroine ⓘ
appearsIn	Othello (play) ⓘ surface form: Othello
associatedWith	Cassio (character) ⓘ surface form: Cassio Emilia (Othello character) ⓘ surface form: Emilia Iago ⓘ Roderigo (character) ⓘ surface form: Roderigo
causeOfDeath	smothering ⓘ
centralThemeInvolvement	gender and obedience ⓘ jealousy ⓘ race and otherness ⓘ trust and betrayal ⓘ
creator	William Shakespeare ⓘ
defends	Cassio (character) ⓘ surface form: Cassio
defies	Brabantio ⓘ surface form: her father Brabantio
elopesWith	Othello (character) ⓘ surface form: Othello
father	Brabantio ⓘ
fictionalUniverse	works of William Shakespeare ⓘ surface form: Shakespearean canon
firstAppearance	Othello (play) ⓘ surface form: Othello, Act 1
friend	Emilia (Othello character) ⓘ surface form: Emilia
genreOfWork	tragedy ⓘ
hasAdaptation	various film adaptations of Othello ⓘ
killedBy	Othello (character) ⓘ surface form: Othello
languageOfWork	Early Modern English ⓘ
marriageType	interracial marriage ⓘ
medium	stage ⓘ
misinterpretedBy	Othello (character) ⓘ surface form: Othello
moralAlignment	good ⓘ
nationality	Venetian ⓘ
notableFor	innocence ⓘ loyalty to Othello ⓘ tragic death ⓘ virtue ⓘ
placeOfOrigin	Venice ⓘ
portrayedInOperaBy	Desdemona (character) self-linksurface differs ⓘ surface form: Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello (as Desdemona)
religion	Christianity ⓘ surface form: Christianity (implied)
sceneOfDeath	bedchamber in Cyprus ⓘ
spouse	Othello (character) ⓘ surface form: Othello
symbolizes	innocent love ⓘ purity ⓘ victimization of women ⓘ
timePeriodInFiction	late 16th century ⓘ
trusts	Iago ⓘ
victimOf	Iago ⓘ false accusations of adultery ⓘ jealousy ⓘ
workLocation	Cyprus ⓘ Republic of Venice ⓘ