Everyone will face some time in their life when they must be courageous. In the Shakespearean play Othello, Othello must show this bravery when his love for Desdemona is tested by her father Brabantio. Othello is accused of many evil tricks, but he remains determined that his love for his wife is true. This theme of showing and defending love in the face of courage is timeless; it is present in the Gay Rights Movement and the young adult novel Perfect Chemistry.
Whether one believes the homosexual way of life to be correct or incorrect, these people are in defiance of the standard way of believing. Showing romantic love for someone of the same sex takes an immense amount of courage. Often times, they are faced with ridicule, prejudice, and hate. Despite this, they remain firm in their love for their partner and deal with the social rejection. It is not uncommon that they face violence and hate crimes. For example, three men were just arrested for threatening violence against homosexuals. They distributed pamphlets “that showed an image of a mannequin hanging from a noose...said capital punishment was the only way to rid society of homosexuality.” ("Gay Killing Trio under New Hate Crime Legislation.") [The entire article can be read here] When Othello confesses his love for Desdemona, everyone is upset by how unorthodox their relationship is. Brabantio even tells Othello “Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her!” (I.ii.63) Othello faces hate from all of these people, yet he remains firm in his love for Desdemona, similar to how in homosexuals stay strong against ridicule for their love for their partners.
The Gay Rights Movement
In addition to the Gay Rights Movement, the theme of being courageous when showing love is present in the young adult novel Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles. [The book's website can be found here] The story centers around Brittany, a typical privileged girl and Alex, a Mexican gang member. Much to the objection of their friends and family, they fall in love. Brittany’s mother, who wants her daughter to be the perfect golden child, believes that Alex will ruin Brittany’s future. “‘If I ever...EVER find you were out with that boy again, I’ll have no problem convincing your father that you should be sent to boarding school for the rest of your senior year.” (Elkeles, p. 249) Rascism is one of the most prominent reasons that people object to love. If Alex had been Caucasian, Brittany’s mother would not have had any problem with him. Had Othello been the same race as Desdemona, their marriage would not have been objected to. Even more than that, Brabantio would have encouraged the match due to Othello’s important political standing. Race often stands in the way of love, but both stories show that courage can overcome that.
Othello is accused of bewitching Desdemona so that she would fall in love with him
Although obstacles may stand in the way, love can overcome them all with courage. No matter what, there will be someone opposed to a couple’s love and relationship. However, as long as they are strong in their love, they can overcome that. The current Gay Rights Movement and the young adult novel Perfect Chemistry demonstrate how William Shakespeare’s play Othello and its them of love even through hostility are timeless.
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