Othello, the Moor of Venice is a story of great jealousy leading to the downfall of a once noble man. Deception and mistrust consume the majority of characters and tangle others into the conflict as well. Othello, a noble moor and newlywed, is content with his life until his ancient Iago plants lies and jealousy into his heart. As Iago tells Othello about Desdemona’s ‘affair’ Othello begins to question the one he loves. Desdemona, unknowingly thrown into this conflict by losing a handkerchief, is left to bear the accusations Othello places on her. To aid both Iago and Desdemona is Emilia. Emilia triggers the major conflict by bringing Othello’s handkerchief to Iago for him to use in his plan while comforting Desdemona in a time of need. Despite …show more content…
Throughout the play, Desdemona and Emilia dictate their actions based on their differing traits and ideas. Serene and disgraceful diction, conflicting dialogue, and guilty and resentful tones characterize the foils Desdemona and Emilia as women who follow their own moral code, conveying the theme that one’s actions are dependent on their personal beliefs.
In the initial scenes of the play, serene and disgraceful diction Desdemona and Emilia illustrate the two as opposites respectively. Desdemona is the pure and innocent wife many desire while Emilia is an unpleasant and bothersome wife that is looked down upon. By all accounts of her from others, Desdemona appears to be the ideal wife and of great integrity. As the wife to Othello, she relinquishes her duties to her husband similar to her mother
…show more content…
Despite their current predicaments, Desdemona remains faithful to her husband while Emilia speaks the truth about her husband’s deception. Despite Othello’s attempt to murder Desdemona, Desdemona still professes her love for him and her guilt. On the verge of death, Desdemona claims guilt and says “[n]obody” but herself is to blame and to “[c]ommend me to [the] kind lord” (5.2.128-129). As Desdemona dies at the hands of Othello, she proclaims that she still loves Othello and that this is her fault. Desdemona’s guilty tone portrays her as a waif blaming herself for Othello’s actions. After learning that Iago is the one planting jealousy in Othello, Emilia reveals to Othello that his ancient Iago is a liar. In reference to Iago, Emilia says “may his pernicious soul/Rot half a grain a day! He lies to th’ heart” (5.2.162-163). While Desdemona would protect her husband’s honor regardless of his actions, Emilia is willing to expose hers for what he is to bring about truth. Additionally, Emilia stands up and defies her husband, an action Desdemona wouldn’t do. Emilia is ready to “speak as liberal as the north./Let heaven and men and devils, et them all” (5.2.227-229). After being told to be silent by her husband Iago, Emilia decides to continue to speak on and expose Iago’s deceit. By speaking against her husband, Emilia is going against her husband’s wishes and honor, is an
In equation with the Elizabethan era, Shakespeare offers us a male dominated society in his renowned tragedy, Othello. Consequently, this definitely persuades a negative attitude and demeanor towards the women of the times. The female characters in the play: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca; play relevant roles in contributing to one’s understanding of this exhausted Elizabethan view. In contrast to the larger portion of the play, Emilia, spouse to the scandalous Iago, takes an opinionated stand for Desdemona in relation to her wholesome gone sour relationship with the Moor of Venice, Othello. I recognize Emilia’s “Betrayal lecture” as a justified outlook in accordance with today’s period and events surrounding Desdemona’s and Othello’s fatal misunderstanding.
In Othello, Act IV, scene ii and iii, Emilia, Iago’s wife, reveals her opinion about relationships to the reader as she attempts to comfort Desdemona. She indefinitely believes that many men, as well as women, are frequently guilty of deception and betrayal of their partner. By this part of the play, Othello’s suspicions of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness have greatly increased, and he begins to accuse her of cheating on him. When Desdemona persistently denies his accusations, Othello becomes enraged. He sarcastically asks for her pardon and claims that he took her to be the “cunning whore of Venice” (Act IV, scene ii, line 88). Desdemona is heartbroken by her husband’s mockery and seeks Emilia’s kind words.
Most obviously, the roles Desdemona and Emilia have in both society and the play sharply contrast each other, effectively ensuring their position as foils. On one hand,
These behaviours allude towards tension due to their dissimilarity to the accustomed conduct of Othello and Desdemona. Desdemona’s growing fear of Othello is evident. in the precautions she takes to avoid his anger. Desdemona places the importance of Othello’s commands above her need to confide in Emilia.... ...
Iago is the treacherous comrade. Angered that Cassio has been appointed Othello’s lieutenant, a post Iago wanted, Iago plots his revenge. He warns Othello that Cassio is having an affair with Desdemona. Brilliantly manipulating Othello’s jealousy and rising anger, Iago has his wife Emilia, who is Desdemona’s serving maid, steal a handkerchief that Othello gave his bride at their wedding.
Desdemona has a soft and refined use of her speech. Even at the foot of death her speech is still eloquent, "No, by my life and soul!" (1229). Emilia is a rougher around the edges, due to a middle class upbringing. Her speech is rough yet somewhat refined. Her speech is very direct and challenges the foreboding of death, “I care not for thy sword;” (1233). When Emilia is upset, her words turn harsh and very direct, "He called her a whore;” (1219). There is no humiliation for Emilia while speaking the word “whore”. When the word “whore” is spoken in front of her, Desdemona’s refined and proper upbringing makes her shutter.
Desdemona’s death is caused because Emilia is naive and has poor judgment of Iago. Iago believes that Emilia is promiscuous this sparks his jealousy toward Othello. Because he suspects that Othello and Emilia have been together intimately. He then seeks revenge on the Moor in the process he uses his own wife as an accomplice. This leads to, the case of the missing handkerchief! Emilia is completely naive and without any suspicion she never suspects that Iago envies the Moor and will use the handkerchief to deceive him. When Emilia says:
Desdemona is a young Venetian noblewoman, who falls in love with a general in the army who works for her father, a senator. As a child she finds herself infatuated with Othello, and the childhood lust grows into love. Their elopement begins a downward course for them both. In spite of her youth and inexperience, she's strong enough to stand up to her father's disapproval of her marriage, and is loyal to Othello until she dies. Whether it is her father Brabantio, or husband Othello, she is objectified. Desdemona is in the risky position of attempting to reconcile her true sexual identity with the sexual identities in which others attribute to her. Brabantio and Othello misinterpret Desdemona's assertiveness and desire while simultaneously attempting to repress any signs of desire within her. In addition to Desdemona being a woman of appetites, the object of her affections is a moor. This choice of mate further strays from the role in which Venetian society would like to cast Desdemona. The location of Venice is essential to the text of sexuality and power because Venice was known for its sexual permissiveness. Desdemona's body is considered her father's possession until she elopes, then she is Othello's. She defies Brabantio by marrying Othello, taking charge of her own destiny. Brabantio's symbolic death of Desdemona foreshadows her literal death at the hands of Othello and conveys his sense of loss as he realizes that Desdemona's body is her own domain, not his. Othello also attempts to control the sexuality of Desdemona and once again she is viewed as property.
Iago controls Emilia and treats her as less when she does not act as a submissive wife. Therefore, Emilia follows to keep Iago satisfy. Further, Iago tells Emilia to steal the handkerchief; which she follows without knowing his intentions, to then be insulted by Iago calling her a “foolish wife” (3.3.313), and demanding her, “Go, leave me” (3.3.330). Apparently, Iago makes Emilia lesser, and she accepts her role as a submissive wife. Moreover, although Othello proclaims loving Desdemona, he perceives her as inferior as a result of jealousy. As in Act 5, Scene 2 where Othello says to Desdemona, “Down, strumpet!” (89), suggesting that he puts her in an inferior position to kill her reflecting his true perception of Desdemona. And likewise Emilia, Desdemona accepts the role of an obedient wife by using her last breath to take the fault off Othello
Desdemona enjoys a much more loving relationship with her husband. Othello even says he is dependant on her.
Throughout the play, the sweet and old-fashioned Desdemona shows to be a satisfying wife and a great friend, and she also denotes unquestionable ignorance to her surroundings. On the other hand, the open minded and slightly cynical Emilia supplies a huge contrast to her mistresses’ persona; a feminist way ahead of her time. Despite coming from different social backgrounds and having different personalities, both women find the same faith by dying at the hands of their own husbands. But still, even when they do share a handful of similarities, it is their perception of life that makes them react in different ways. However, Desdemona is the one that is least aware of what is happening due to her undoubtedly naiveness.
Even on her death bed, Desdemona’s character of an inanimate object belonging to Othello is carried on. It is lead on by Emilia’s question of “who hath done this deed” (5.2.137) referring to Desdemona’s death and her reply, “Nobody. I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. Oh, farewell!”(5.2.138-139), overall putting the responsibility of her death upon herself. Leaving the readers impression of Desdemona as one filled with sympathy and rage against her unwillingness to fight her independence as well as against the men of this time period for not realizing the importance of such a woman.
He uses Desdemona to cause the emotion since she is the person he loves the most. He uses her personal items to convince Othello she has slept with another man. For example, Iago requests his wife to steal Desdemona’s the handkerchief. Emilia being an obedient wife does so, informing him that she has obtained the handkerchief “That the Moor first gave Desdemona,/ that which so often you bid me to steal” (3.3.33-334). Iago stealing the handkerchief gives him the ability to provide Othello with ocular proof of Desdemona's unfaithfulness.
(4.1.201) Othello later enters their quarters and tells Desdemona that he will kill her, he tells her “Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin,/ For to deny each article with oath/ Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception/ That I do groan withal. Thou art to die” soon after Othello Suffocates Desdemona. In the end Emilia tells the truth of Iago’s ploy, because of the sudden realization of what he has done he says to Lodovico, Desdemona’s cousin, and Gratiano, a kinsmen, that when he tells the people of Venice this new they speak as someone who “loved not
/Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!” (3.3.165-170). He uses this tactic to get Othello to finally admit he has doubts about his wife’s honesty. This scene is ironic in that Iago has not only extreme jealousy over Othello’s position but also he believes that Othello is sleeping with his wife Emilia. Eventually Iago successfully convinces Othello to strangle Desdemona in the marriage bed and drives Othello so mad he commits suicide.