Question

Does Desdemona think of her husband as a jealous man?

a. She says that he's not the jealous type, so no.
b. Desdemona believes Othello is extremely jealous and possessive.
c. Desdemona is uncertain about Othello's feelings of jealousy.
d. Desdemona thinks Othello is overly trusting and not prone to jealousy.

Answer 1

Desdemona initially does not think of Othello as a jealous man, perceiving him as confident and trusting, but Othello's character eventually becomes consumed by jealousy, which Desdemona may not have expected.

Step-by-step explanation:

When considering whether Desdemona views her husband as a jealous man, we turn our attention to her perception of Othello within the play. Shakespeare furnishes a palette of emotions and character details that might seem ambiguous, but we understand that Desdemona initially does not consider Othello to be a jealous man. Rather, the nuances of her expression of love for Othello reveal a multifaceted view of her feelings. At first, Desdemona sees Othello as confident and trusting, not predisposed to jealousy. Answering the question, she says that he's not the jealous type, so option (a) would be accurate: Desdemona thinks of her husband as not being the jealous type. However, as the play unfolds, Othello's character arc plunges into the depths of jealousy, an evolution that Desdemona may not have anticipated from the start due to her love and admiration of him.