Desdemona

Still from the motion picture version of Shakespeare's Othello, with Orson Welles as Othello and Suzanne Cloutier as Desdemona, 1951; directed by Welles.

Desdemona, fictional character, the wife of Othello and the object of his unwarranted jealousy, in William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello (written 1603–04). The daughter of a Venetian senator, Desdemona is greatly loved by Othello, an honoured and heroic Moorish general in the service of Venice.

Citation Information
Article Title: Desdemona
Website Name: Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher: Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published: 30 March 2020
Access Date: February 22, 2025