# Othello and Desdemona explained — Getting Married

> Chapter companion for Getting Married by George Bernard Shaw.

## What happens

Shaw uses Shakespeare's Othello and Antony to illustrate the proprietary view of spouses as property, comparing it to a woman's disgust at the idea of 'lending' her husband. He argues that such views must be eradicated for a healthy public opinion on sex and marriage, and criticizes the hypocrisy that maintains the white slave trade while refusing sexual education.

## Themes in this chapter

### Property and Ownership in Marriage

Shaw analyzes Othello's and Antony's proprietary jealousy as evidence of viewing spouses as owned objects, not loved persons.

### Hypocrisy and Social Pretense

Exposes the hypocrisy of maintaining the white slave trade as a 'breakwater of marriage' while refusing to discuss sex openly.

## Character check-ins

### Mrs. Bridgenorth

Referenced as the lady who compared lending a husband to lending a toothbrush, sparking Shaw's reflection on proprietary attitudes.

## Key lines

> I found you, as a morsel cold upon dead Caesar's trencher.

Antony reproaches Cleopatra as if she were leftover food from a previous owner.

_Shaw uses this to illustrate the proprietary view of a partner as used property._

> keeping a corner in the thing he loves for others' uses.

Othello's worst fear is that his wife might be sexually shared with other men.

_Shaw argues this reveals ownership, not love._

> she would as soon think of lending her toothbrush to another woman as her husband.

A lady expressed disgust at the idea of sharing her husband, equating him with a personal hygiene item.

_Shaw uses this anecdote to show that women also hold proprietary views of spouses._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/othello-and-desdemona
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters