Emilia And Desdemona As Victims Of Women In Shakespeare's Othello

In William Shakespeare’s Othello, women were not portrayed as strong. The men in the play do not respect women as they should and in turn, the women see it, yet are powerless due to high social standard. There are three women in Othello and each one is bound in a relationship with a man; only one survived. In Othello, Emilia and Desdemona are both victims of the men in their lives, but they also contribute to their own fate.

As the play proceeds, Emilia is a victim of her husband’s deception; however she also contributes to her own fate. Emilia’s relationship is a symbol of how women were mistreated. Her character starts off as docile and submissive to her husband; the way women in Shakespearean era were supposed to be however, she has so

She unconditionally loves her husband so much that she is blind to what is going on around her especially his changing treatment of her. This was seen when Othello accused her of infidelity, called her names and physically abused her. He says “o, devil, devil!/ if that the earth could team with woman’s tears, each drop she falls would prove a crocodile./Out of my sight!” (4.1.273-276). Despite his attitude towards her, she loves him sill which makes her more of a victim because she fails to realise that Othello has changed. Not only is Desdemona a victim of her husband, she is also a victim of Iago’s manipulation. Iago identified a character trait in Desdemona, which he plans to use to his advantage. He believes she will be a perfect opportunity to get him back into Othello’s good grace. He says: “To win the Moor again? For ’tis most easy /Th' inclining Desdemona to subdue/ In any honest suit. She’s framed as fruitful” (2.3.359-361). Her always inclining to help make it easy for Iago to manipulate her in helping Cassio. Her involvement in helping him made it easy for Othello to be convinced that there was something going on between the both of them. Othello justifies his act of murder by saying “yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” (5.2.6). Othello believes that he has provided justice by killing Desdemona. Desdemona at the end of the play suffers a tragic fate because she was too naive to

She self- possed the marriage between Othello and herself. In the first scene with her father, she explains, I am hither to your daughter./But here’s my husband. /And so much duty as my mother showed/To you, preferring you before her father,/So much I challenge that I may profess/Due to the Moor my lord” (1.3.215-219). Desdemona chose to be with Othello thereby triggering her own downfall. She went into her marriage too quickly without getting to know Othello more. The handkerchief is a very significant symbol in the play. It solidified Othello’s jealousy when he is convinced about his wife’s supposed affair. When Othello finally confronts Desdemona about the handkerchief, she has the chance to come clean yet lied to Othello more than twice while bringing up Cassio despite being confronted by Othello aggravation. She says: “I pray, talk me of Cassio man that all his time/Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,/Shared dangers with you (3.4.108-112). She is trying to help Cassio without realizing it is making Othello jealous. Desdemona could have avoided her fate by telling Othello that she dropped his token. Othello would not have been jealous and Iago plan to cause chaos would not have worked however, she kept quiet. Desdemona had another chance to tell Emilia this time who killed her. However, she refused and tried with her dying breath to protect her husband. She tells Emilia “nobody. I myself farewall./ Commend