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Comparing Men And Women In Shakespeare's Othello

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Women are looked over in Othello but end up being the downfall of their male counterparts; It was Desdemona that was Othello’s greatest weakness and Emilia was Iago’s. This is alluding to Shakespeare being incredibly progressive in a time where women were widely renowned as objects of men. By analyzing and comparing aspects of both Emilia and Desdemona in the William Shakespeare play Othello This is illustrated in Othello by comparing the difference in the opinions between Emilia’s and Desdemona’s on taking and following orders from men, the double standard between men and women when it comes to human impulses and urges, and how hard a fight they will put up against a man. Emilia exhibits the traits of a modern feminist for her time.

Desdemona …show more content…

Desdemona had been conditioned by her society to think otherwise. She was taught that women were to have unwavering faith in their husbands and to never question them. Othello was convinced by the evil Iago that Desdemona had soiled his name by being unfaithful to him. During his cold streak, Emilia and Desdemona discuss the accusations made against her. In awe of the motion of a disobedient wife, Desdemona asks Emilia if the act of adultery was something that actually happened if Emilia believes “that there be women do abuse their husbands in such a gross kind” (4.3.68-69)? It is not that Desdemona does not understand what adultery is and that men commit it, it is the idea that a women would break her vows with her husband and act on a human impulse. Emilia attempts to explain that men and women are the same in that they are both humans, with impulses the same. Emilia fights for her opinion and tries to explain in a way that Desdemona would understand, saying “have their palates both for sweet and sour, as husbands have. What is it they do when they change us for others? Is it sport? And doth affection breed it? I think it doth? Is’t frailty that thus errs? It is so too. And have not we affections, desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?” (4.3.107-111). She draws on the fact that women are simply as human as men and they can make mistakes. Emilia also admits that for the right reasons …show more content…

Desdemona is oblivious to Othello’s plans until he begins to enact them on her. She insists her innocence during the entire process. Emilia enters Desdemona’s chamber unknowing of what had occurred to find her mistress wailing “o falsely, falsely murdered”(5.2.144) and “a guiltless death I die” (5.2.150). As Emily realizes what had happened she is sent into a rage of defending Desdemona’s faithfulness and pieces together Iago’s role in the planting of the idea. Emilia calls guards and screams at Othello, defending Desdemona. She continually insists Desdemona could and would never have cheated on Othello and responds to Othello’s accusation of Desdemona being unfaithful by saying “o, the more angle she, and you the blacker devil!” (5.2.161). Emilia not only draws on Desdemona’s angelic presence, but also Othello’s biggest insecurity; his ethnicity. The action of her referring him to a blacker devil not only associates Othello with the embodiment of all evil but also stripps him of his accomplishments by taking away his name and only speaking to his skin color. Iago rushes into the chamber and in an argument between them, kills Emilia because she exposed his role in the entire thing. Emilia’s last dying wish was to die next to her honorable mistress, proving Emilia’s complete devotion to

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