Public VS. Private: The Struggle of Military Life Conflicting with Marriage Shakespearean works often revolve around the idea of reputation and outward appearance. During the time period that Shakespeare lived, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries, honor was highly valued among men. This importance of honor and reputation is consistently reflected in Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello. Othello displays a theme centered on the idea of military life conflicting with marriage; this theme demonstrates how a man’s public appearance is more important than his personal life. Conflicts between marriage and military life first begin when Desdemona requests to travel to Cyprus with Othello. Not wanting to be separated from her husband, she states, “That I did love the Moor to live with him…my heart’s subdued even to the very quality of my lord,” (1,3, 248-251). Othello and Desdemona had just married, and rather than having a honeymoon with his new wife, even for a short time, Othello agrees to travel to Cyprus as quickly as possible. This decision demonstrates the first time the military is placed above his marriage. In the article “Othello’s Motive for Murder” by Arthur McGee, McGee discusses the unanswered question of when Desdemona was killed. According to McGee, Shakespeare often did not demonstrate a sense of time in…show more content… Even while Desdemona’s death did not occur until later, this idea of time demonstrates how Desdemona’s fate was sealed shortly after her arrival to Cyprus. This idea can also be related back to the theme of military life being placed above marriage. Not even a day after arriving to Cyprus, Iago begins insinuating that Desdemona was unfaithful. From this moment on, Othello’s trust in his new wife had diminished and his pride began to take over all thoughts and actions. While she had not yet been murdered, from this point on her fate was