Feminine Perspective within Othello
In William Shakespeare’s tragic drama Othello, the male characters far outnumber the female ones. This may tend to cause the feminine viewpoint to be shortchanged. Let’s not let that happen – by consideration of same in this essay.
In the essay “Wit and Witchcraft: an Approach to Othello” Robert B. Heilman discusses
involvement in the play by Emilia, the wife of Iago:
Emilia’s picking up the handkerchief helps advance the action by contributing to Iago’s deception of Othello, but it is also relevant to her character and to Shakespeare’s conception of the modes of wifely devotion and marital relationship (not to mention its relations by contrast with actions of Desdemona and Bianca and of Emilia herself later). (330)
It was Emilia’s gift of the decorated kerchief to her husband that set up Desdemona for murder. Helen Gardner in “Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune” talks of Emilia’s outlook on things:
Emilia’s silence while her mistress lived is fully explicable in terms of her character. She shares with her husband the generalizing trick and is well used to domestic scenes. The jealous, she knows,
are not ever jealous for the cause
But jealous for they are jealous.
If it was not the handkerchief it would be something else. Why disobey her husband and risk his fury? It would not do any good. This is what men are like. But Desdemona dead sweeps away all such generalities and all caution. At this sight, Emilia though ‘the world is a huge thing’ finds that there is a thing she will not do for it. By her heroic disregard for death she gives the only ‘proof’ there can be of Desdemona’s innocence: the testimony of faith. For falseness can be proved, innocence can only be believed. Faith, not evidence, begets faith. (145)
At the outset of the play only the male perspective is given: Iago persuades the rejected suitor of Desdemona, Roderigo, to accompany him to the home of Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, in the middle of the night. Once there the two awaken the senator with loud shouts about his daughter’s elopement with Othello. In response to the noise and Iago’s vulgar descriptions of Desdemona’s involvement with the general, Brabantio arises from bed. With Roderigo’s help, he gathers a search party to go and find Desdemona and bring her home.
Many may say Emilia was not aware of how she is supposed to treat by her husband conversely, a comment made by her states otherwise. “Tis proper I obey him, but not now’ (Shakespeare V.ii.195). Towards the end of the story she explains to Othello how her husband asked her to steal the handkerchief from Desdemona She clearly states she know it is the right to obey her husband, but she was not going to support him in his wrong. She is one of the few in this time period to disobey their husband. Emilia is not the type of wife to support him in his wrong-doing. She stands up to her husband.
In May 1889, the Potomac River flooded and there was about two feet of water flooding the streets. A few members left Washington to go to Johnstown to help the survivors of the flood. They gave food and temporary shelter to those in need. When the members arrived, there was rubble in piles between twenty and thirty feet high. Many died and many were without food. Clara wrote, “…but if ever a people needed help it was these.” This quote shows the intensity and need of the situation. There was essentially a never ending stream of rain for weeks on end. The victims were getting supplies from many organizations, which was a tremendous help. This was another situation where Barton decided to aid many people who were in need. There were many other examples of times that Clara and other members of the Red Cross helped victims of natural disasters and wars. Some of these times include the Michigan forest fires, the Ohio River flood, the Texas famine, the Mount Vernon cyclone, and The Spanish-American
Emilia is not just in the play to be a simply friend. She is there to tell everyone the horrible acts that have happened. Once, Emilia realizes her mistress has died she starts asking questions which helps her put two and two together. Emilia finds out that Othello thinks Desdemona cheated on her something that Desdemona would never do. Emilia then asks Othello, why? The main reason is the handkerchief. Othello gave Desdemona handkerchief that represents their love and its precious. Because Othello finds out Cassio had it he thinks an affair was going on. Then is when, Emilia reveals that she gave the handkerchief to Iago because she found it. Quickly after that it’s revealed that Iago (her husband) is doing evil acts. Emilia “...That handkerchief thou speak’st of I found by fortune and did give my husband. For often, with a solemn earnestness—More than indeed belonged to such a trifle—He begged of me to steal it.” With that said, Emilia was much more than a
Just before this, Emilia had been having a conversation with Desdemona, Iago, and Othello and she probably notices a bit of the tension between Othello and Desdemona. They leave the scene for a while, then come back. Othello and Desdemona leave, and it is then that Desdemona drops her handkerchief.
The true tragedy of Othello is not the deaths or betrayals, but rather how each character was lost to Othello’s insecure masculinity driven by Iago’s hatred of feminine characteristics. Iago loathes Othello for giving into feminine characteristics, such as love, and despises Desdemona for being the cause of Othello’s loss of masculinity. Iago uses Othello’s trust in him as a way to bring out Othello’s masculinity. Iago is driven by his intense distaste for anything feminine.
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:
...ng Desdemona has been unfaithful, ‘Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ’. However, his manipulation can also be seen with Emilia, in particular her finding of the handkerchief, ‘my wayward husband hath a hundred times Woo’d me to steal it’. The fact that Emilia gives Iago the handkerchief, despite her initial intention which is to have it copied and to return the original to Desdemona and despite his crude and derogatory remark, ‘it is a common thing’, reveals her desperation to please Iago and to satisfy his need for instant gratification. This contrasts with her outspoken, headstrong nature when Iago is not present and shows that women of this time period were dominated by men in all ways, including the suppression of their natural personalities.
Respectively, Some feminists call Emilia’s Speech a “woman’s liberation” in a sense it can be with her questioning her role in society, but Shakespeare only focuses on the use of Emilia’s voice when men are not around. When Iago forced her to steal the handkerchief, she was willingly able to do so as she wanted to please his “fantasy.” However now, her mistreatment from Iago has brought her to think radically. Alongside this, Iago accuses Emilia of having an affair [“wife for a wife”] but there is no evidence to suffice this, as although Emilia speaks radically about the separation of genders. Her actions arguably do not lead her to challenge her morality, this is evident when Emilia states, ‘Heavenly light’ indicating that she wants to brea...
The play endorses the society of the time 's attitude that women were objects that could be possessed. This is demonstrated through dialogue; "Thieves, thieves! Look to your house, your daughters, and your bags!" Desdemona is made a possession along with a house and bags. Iago tells Brabantio that Desdemona has been 'stolen '. Desdemona is further objectified when the senator wishes Othello to "use Desdemona well". Emilia points out that they are being treated as objects when she says "They are all but stomachs, and we are all but food, They eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us." This metaphor compares women to food and upholds society 's attitude towards women as objects of desire. Emilia speaks out about the inequality and challenges society 's expectations of women. Emilia 's monologue in Act 4 Scene 3 expresses how men and women aren 't that different, "But I do think it is their husbands ' faults ... The ills we do, their ills instruct us so." This idea would be challenged to a Jacobean audience because of their patriarchal society, they believed men were superior to women. Emilia 's characterisation through her dialogue as an outspoken and bold woman ultimately lead to her death. Her attempt to speak out was shut down by Patriarchy as Iago killed her. To conclude the death of these two women uphold the idea of
Iago had asked Emilia to get the handkerchief and give it to him. She did not know why he wanted the handkerchief but she obeyed and got it. Emilia did know that Othello had given it to Desdemona as a gift. The handkerchief really symbolized the love Othello had for Desdemona, because it comes from his mother which who is a magician, and “That’s a fault. That handkerchief. Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer, and could almost read…” (Shakespeare III.IV.54-57). “...’Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but if she lost it Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt After new fancies” (Shakespeare III.iv.59-63). The handkerchief is also Desdemona first remembrance from Othello. Iago asks Emilia to get the handkerchief for him. Emilia gets the handkerchief when Othello pushes it away and makes her drop it. The handkerchief really matters to him because it reminds him of his mother. Desdemona drops it and her and Othello exited the room and that is when Emilia gets the handkerchief. “(Othello) Your napkin is too little [He pushes the handkerchief away, and it falls] Let it alone. Come, I’ll go in with you. (Desdemona) I am sorry that you are not well. Exit.[With Othello] (Shakespeare III.iii.286-288). Emilia picks it up from the floor and keeps it. When she sees her husband, Iago, she hands it to him.
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.
literary works which once amazed people in the days of old. Because of its popularity, the public pores into movie theaters to see movie-remakes of renown literary works. Natty Bumppo was the first true recognizable American hero. He was looked up to by the masses and is still a popular symbol of the classic hero. Just as Natty Bumppo was the popular hero of his time, Indiana Jones is still the favorite of millions today. Indiana has overshadowed Natty's success but still contains many of his attributes. The characteristics of the American hero are similar in both Indiana Jones and Natty Bumppo.
Shakespeare has written some of the most outstanding pieces of literature through out history that have lasted through out the ages. But, critics often critique Shakespeare as being sexist towards women in his work. He often portrays them as weak minded, evil, or as sexual objects. Ophelia, Queen Gertrude, Lady Macbeth, and Juliet Capulet are just a few female heroines that are accused of being feeble or heinous. Shakespeares Othello represents Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca as weak characters that do not become triumphant by the end of the play. While they have ardous intentions, none of them ever defend themselves. Desdemona is a passive victim who lets Othello abuse her, Emilia allows herself to be abused by Iago, and Bianca lets Cassio take
“Who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch” (4.3.85 - 87). A question stating Emilia would cheat on her own husband if it were to make him a king, and an example of Shakespeare challenging gender roles and social status. The Tragedy of Othello, by William Shakespeare, centers around six main characters who all end up on the island of Cyprus together. The main antagonist, named Iago, and his wife, Emilia live in sixteenth century Venice when they decide to go to Cyprus. While the standards for sixteenth century Venetian women were to serve their husbands, Emilia responds to those standards by challenging the relationship between man and woman, and by speaking out against her husband.
When Emilia discovers Othello and Desdemona in their bedroom she demands to know what happened. Desdemona, dying in bed, still does not implicate her love in her murder before she finally dies. Othello then tells Emilia about the handkerchief, in which she tells him that he was wrong and that she had taken the handkerchief and given it to Iago. Iago then kills his wife and tries to escape but is soon captured by Lodovico, Montana, and Cassio. The truth is soon revealed, that Othello and Iago planned Cassio’s death. Othello tries to reason with the men but they will not hear any of it. Othello, overwrought with grief over what he had done, kills himself and dies on top of his wife.