While Desdemona reveals herself in Venice to be as strong as any of Shakespeare's comic heroines (defying her father, addressing the Duke, speaking openly about matters of marriage and desire), once she arrives in Cyprus, she becomes increasingly unsure of herself and her role. The uncertainty of this place and her role in it fosters character developments that lead eventually to her and Othello's deaths.
It's important to note lean toward "victim blaming" in thinking of Desdemona, for she is one of Shakespeare's most interesting of heroines. Similarly, one must not dismiss the courage she displays in the backstory and in Act 1. It might even be possible to trace a parallel tragic line between her and Othello, beginning in their use of language and shared love of story.
For instance, her boldness of speech in the city is replaced by a tendency to fall back upon the use of courtliness in speaking to Iago and Cassio when they first land. As Othello becomes increasingly agitated, her unwillingness to tell him the truth about the handkerchief fosters in him confirmation of her betrayal. Her fascination with the exotic stories of Othello's past further entrap her, as he makes her fear the consequences of losing the handkerchief, an object for which Othello offers two, somewhat contradictory, origin stories.
It's difficult to witness Desdemona final scene, especially her assurance to Emilia that Othello is blameless:
Emilia: O, who hath done this deed?
Desdemona: Nobody; I myself. Farewell:
Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell!
Like Othello, who finally is caught between being a loyal servant to Venice and an abuser of the same state (thus stabbing himself on behalf of Venice), Desdemona takes upon herself a willingness to define herself as her own destroyer, both victim and killer.
One might see, then, that the qualities that make Desdemona admirable in the first Act fail her as she finds herself out of place in the new and inscrutable world of a military encampment. The sympathies and loyalties on which the the marriage is based fail to protect her once Othello's imagination has run to jealousy, and her own innocence and inability to imagine a world in which others lack dignity and nobleness of mind ("Dost thou in conscience think,—tell me, Emilia,— /That there be women do abuse their husbands /In such gross kind?") create a state of mind in which Desdemona is powerless to oppose the villainy Iago initiates.
Desdemona's weaknesses are, ironically, related to her strengths. She is a strong, wilful young woman who defies her father in choosing to marry Othello. Having made her choice, she remains loyal to her husband even after he turns against her due to Iago's vile machinations. She continues to proclaim her love, come what may. Desdemona stands up for what she believes in, whether it's her love for Othello or her championing of Cassio's cause. Unfortunately, this creates problems for her, leading eventually to her downfall. In showing loyalty to both Othello and Cassio, Desdemona has inadvertently made it easier for Iago to destroy her. Perhaps Desdemona's greatest weakness is also one of her most admirable qualities—her ability to stand up to Iago:
O fie upon thee slanderer. (Act II Scene I).
Sadly, Desdemona's courage ultimately avails her nothing. She is too much of an individual, too loyal to her principles and the people she loves to survive in such a harsh, brutal environment.
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