Throughout the tragedy of Othello Shakespeare does an impressive job of quickly introducing and manipulating his main characters. His talents are no less when it comes to the creation and development of Emilia. Though it appears that Emilia is both a loyal and obedient wife, her actions speak much louder than her words. When Emilia betrays the sisterhood within the play of Othello much is revealed to the reader regarding her character. Through close reading and interpretation the reader may come to the realization that Emilia possessed a dangerously low self-esteem, never honestly loved someone wholeheartedly, and ultimately, acted out of jealousy of Desdemona.
Low self-esteem is a dangerous mental health disorder. Although one many commonly attribute low self-esteem with awkward high school students, it happens to be an accredited mental illness that is not only difficult to treat, but may also lead to more serious mental health disorders and harmful acts by the suffering individual. According to an article posted by Overcoming | Self-Help and Mental Health, a legitimate mental wellness webpage, they list multiple causes of low self-esteem, many of which can be found in Othello with relation to Emilia. It is common knowledge that Iago treats Emilia very poorly throughout the entirety of the play. At one point in the drama Iago discusses with Desdemona and Cassio how little he thinks of his wife when he says, “Sir, would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, / You would have enough,” (II i lines 100-103) while standing directly in front of Emilia. These hurtful words correspond with one of the main triggers of low self-esteem, as published by Overcoming | Self-Help and Mental Health. They ackn...
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... Desdemona and for Iago. Her inability to truly love and trust another human resulted in her selfish acts, along with the jealousy she felt towards Desdemona. With close analysis and comprehension one may be able to argue that Emilia’s role in Othello is perhaps the most significant of them all.
Works Cited
Bradley, A.C.. "Shakespeare: Othello - Bradley on Othello." Chao Mugger - English Literature Essay Site. Chao Mugger, 12 Oct 1997. Web. 3 Feb 2014. .
"Overcoming Low Self-Esteem." Overcoming | Self-Help and Mental Health. Overcoming, n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2014. .
Schilb, John, and Clifford, John. "William Shakespeare Othello." Making Literature Matter: An Anthology for Readers and Writers. 5th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 743-830. Print.
...Gardner, Helen. “Othello: A Tragedy of Beauty and Fortune.” Readings on The Tragedies. Ed. Clarice Swisher. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. Reprint from “The Noble Moor.” British Academy Lectures, no. 9, 1955.
Emilia, while lying next to her best friend on her deathbed, began to suppress her passive nature and attempts persecute the murderer. Nonetheless, the only woman who stood up for herself got killed in the end by her own husband. Othello and Iago’s wives were thought to be disloyal to their husband, while only one of them was correct in this accusation, Desdemona and Emilia were both murdered by the people they pledged their allegiance to. But, Emilia was the only woman who denounced the authority men had over women and compares the qualities of both men and women. She is fully aware of the gender
Emilia: Iago's wife and Desdemona's attendant. A cynical, worldly woman, she is deeply attached to her mistress and distrustful of her husband.
The Web. The Web. 11 Dec. 2011. Newton, K. M. & Co., Inc. The "Othello: Overview" Reference Guide to English Literature.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994.
In William Shakespeare’s play, Othello, the power that Iago has over Emilia in their relationship helps manifest the unfairness of gender roles thus, leading to a distortion of the worth of women. The power that Iago has over Emilia hurts Emilia’s self-confidence. The distortion of the worth of women ultimately leads to misunderstandings in Emilia’s view of relationships.
Shakespeare, William. "Othello". The Norton Shakespeare. Ed. Stephen Greenblatt. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1997.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Philip M. Parker. [San Diego, Calif.]: ICON Classics, 2005. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 17 Feb. 2014.
First, in order to defend Desdemona's chastity, Emilia challenges the societal norm of silence. Recall the incident when Othello calls Desdemona a "whore" for cheating. In response, Emilia protests loudly against Othello and attempts to disprove his belief that Desdemona is not chaste: "A halter pardon him [Othello]! And hell gnaw his bones! / Why should he call her [Desdemona] whore? (4.2. 143,144). Instead of Emilia conforming to the attribute of Renaissance women as silent, she condemns Othello for his false accusations against her mistress, Desdemona. Later in the play, after finding Desdemona killed, Emilia challenges silence again: "As ignorant as dirt! Thou hast done a deed-... / The Moor hath killed my mistress!" (5.2. 171,174). Although Othello tells Emilia that it would be "best" for her to remain silent, she ignores his request and ridicules him for killing "sweet" Desdemona (5.2. 169).
"Othello." Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 2007. 649-87. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 30 Oct. 2013. .
At first Emilia's character is the ideal submissive wife. Iago treats Emilia rather badly during the first scenes of the play. He refers to her as a nagging housewife and Emilia is submissively unresponsive to his harsh allegation...
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare’s Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994.
- - -. Othello. 1968. Ed. Kenneth Muir. The New Penguin Shakespeare. London: Penguin Books, 1996.