Desdemona's Jealousy In Othello

She is then disowned by Barbantio with no further words directed to her by him but is referenced as a liar and should be kept on watch for her conniving ways by him towards Othello. Which then begins Shakespeare’s in depth writing on Othello and Desdemona’s relationship where she is as “a child to chiding” (4.2.119-120). Not even a moment after her father leaves Othello commands Iago to tell his wife, Emilia, to tend to Desdemona as a babysitter. Irony occurs within (2.1.169-171) where Desdemona challenges Iago and stands as an independent woman for Emilia objecting to his conclusion, that women no matter how beautiful or intelligent play the same “foul pranks”. However, as Othello’s jealousy and rage arises throughout the play it seems as her character has to fight even harder to breathe under his control; symbolic for her death of suffocation. Desdemona is a gentle women living under her love’s control with no power to object even if she had opposed this type of controlling relationship. As a higher class woman she had more power and respect over other women characters such as Emilia or Bianca, but is this dominance enough to feel in control of oneself? It is believed that Shakespeare added the 2 other

Othello insults and strikes Desdemona in public and Desdemona being horrified by these actions says that “I have not deserved this” (4.1.241). Desdemona finds Othello to be incorrect in his actions and she expresses her feelings to Othello. This proves Desdemona to be ahead of the time the play was written since unlike other women Desdemona defends herself and her beliefs strongly. Therefore, Desdemona is shown as an all-around powerful woman.

Emilia contributes greatly to the dramatic action of the play. In the rising action she unwittingly gives her husband the very object that will seal Desdemona’s fate. The handkerchief she hands to Iago becomes the material evidence that convinces Othello of Desdemona’s guilt. There are a couple of opportunities where Emilia is in a position to alter the tragic outcome. In Act III, scene iv Desdemona asks Emilia if she know where she lost her handkerchief. Emilia states, “ I know not, madam.” (III.iv.23). Again, later in the scene Emilia misses another opportunity to foil Iago’s plan. Emilia sees how upset Othello gets about Desdemona not being able to produce the handkerchief yet she does not come forth. Instead, she blames it on men and marriage; “ Tis not a year or two shows us a man. They are all but stomachs, and we all but food…” (III.iv.103-104). She does not see the connection between the jealous husband and the handkerchief. This dramatic device of having the character being naïve to information about which the audience is aware builds tension. The audience knows of Iago’s plan to use the handkerchief

In the given passage, we see that Desdemona takes a very honest, romantic and loyal stance towards Othello, (this is also true of her relationship with him), where as Emilia speaks more ‘sense’... more ‘realistically’. Desdemona is melancholy but hopeful, and her defenses of true love against Emilia’s more cynical view of the world

From the very beginning of the drama anyone can see the love Emilia has for Desdemona. Emilia is always there whenever Desdemona needed her the most. Emilia has shown her loyalty towards not only to Desdemona but to Othello as well. Desdemona and Emilia get closer when Desdemona starts to have issues with Othello. Emilia is always there to listen and to give advice to young Desdemona whenever she needs it the most. All though, Emilia does one act of dishonesty towards Desdemona by taking her handkerchief which Othello gave to her. Emilia does try to regain her loyalty by revealing her husband’s intentions towards Othello and everyone else. Once she did it was too late, Othello already had killed Desdemona for falsely accusing her of being a “whore.” Even though, Emilia finally cleaned her best friend’s name it was too late to bring Desdemona back to life. As any best friend would do she sacrificed her own life for Desdemona. Her husband, Lago, kills her by stabbing her in the back for revealing his true intentions. Emilia can finally rest in peace knowing that she cleaned her best friend’s name and that they will be together in the afterlife.

Her silence causes Othello to become in rage with his wife this leads us to believe that Emilia is a liar. Although Emilia doesn’t intentionally lie to Desdemona she fails to tell her that she took the handkerchief as a token to win praise from Iago. This causes conflict between Desdemona and Othello just as it is the reason for Othello’s jealousy.

Desdemona- Desdemona is Othello 's wife and her goal is to prove to Othello that she loves him. They make a sacrifice by eloping without her father knowing. She stays faithful to Othello the entire time despite his suspicion raised by Iago. She spends the entire time wondering why he 's being this way towards her and trying to steer his judgement in the other direction with the help of Emilia. This is to no prevail because she becomes the victim in the end due to the actions of Iago. She serves as a foil to Emilia because their ideals contrast each other. Desdemona has a naïveté to her that prevents her from even believing that wives cheat on their husbands while Emilia is sure of it and even believes the blame falls on the husband for the actions of the wife.

While Othello is caught up in extreme jealousy he asks Iago to have Emilia spy on Desdemona “set on thy wife to observe”. Othello never considers a fair investigation or discussion with Desdemona or Cassio. Instead he craves revenge “arise black vengeance from thy hollow hell”. This action is a less noble and a more frivolous emotion. Othello also tests Desdemona’s loyalty “fetch me the handkerchief, my min misgives” instead of openly confronting her. He publicly humiliates her and smacks her declaring she is an “imprudent strumpet”. Othello has already shut his mind to the possibility of Desdemona’s innocence. He never tells her what exactly she has supposedly done, therefore never allowing her the opportunity to prove her innocence. He also orders the murder of his trusted loyal lieutenant Cassio. The audience is seeing another side to Othello which causes them to change their initial opinion of

In addition, Emilia proves her underrated intelligence by standing up for what she believes is right. Desdemona, Othello's wife, and Emilia's relationship grows because of her great loyalty towards her. At the end of the play Emilia stands up for Desdemona because Othello kills her. She explains Desdemona's true love for him and would never do anything to hurt him, which proves Desdemona's innocence. Not only does Emilia stand up for Desdemona, but she also voices her opinion to Othello. Emilia shows no fear standing up to Othello to prove to him that his wife has always been faithful. At first Othello finds it implausible but then Emilia says, "Thou art rash as fire, to say that she was false. O, she was heavenly true!" (Shakespeare V: ii, 165-166).Women are looked at in Othello as unintelligent and unfaithful, but Emilia changes that stereotype by standing up to the men. From the start Emilia and Iago's relationship always seemed rocky. Emilia's confidence in herself shows that she is not afraid to stand up to her husband. Emilia realizes the danger she puts herself in when she stands up to Iago. In order to make things right, she does whatever it takes, even if that means ruining their marriage or taking her life.

This was also scandalous and unimaginable for any woman to suggest cheating on her husband and trying to justify it. Thirdly, Emilia's one dishonest act towards Desdemona, stealing her handkerchief, turns out to have devastating consequences. “I found by fortune and did give my husband. […] He begged of me to steal it,” (5.2.240-243). The loss of the handkerchief is what convinces Othello that Desdemona is guilty of infidelity, and Emilia's little theft ends up indirectly causing her friend's death. Lastly, she swears at Othello multiple times. Though it seems valid to insult his lack of intelligence at the end of the play, it is unseemly for any woman during that time to insult anyone, especially a man superior to her. She screams at Othello, “Fie upon thee!” (5.1.127) then again she insults his irrationality, “O gull! O dolt! As ignorant as dirt!” (5.2.176-177). Although, Emilia may seem like an innocent woman who just wants to please her husband, there are many more moments in the play when she resists the female convention instead of fitting into it. Her behavior is highly inappropriate for a woman in the Shakespearean time

The outspoken Desdemona is now a reserved housewife; and the reserved Emilia is now the outspoken confidant that Desdemona relies on. She believes that her friend does not deserve the treatment that has been served to her; so she speaks out on her problems reversing the roles placed on them both. As Desdemona begins to settle into the housewife settings, she calls upon Iago and Emilia recalls most of the event to her husband herself. Throughout the conversation, she even brings up something she was too afraid to do so earlier: Iago’s accusations that “made you to suspect me with the Moor.”(IV.ii.173). Emilia has completely changed to a woman with an unfiltered speech; through the heat she gained from her anger at Othello for hurting her friend mentally and physically, she accounted some of her own relationship problems.

Othello asks Emilia if she has ever heard Desdemona tell Cassio anything or if she has whispered to him. He specifically asks Emilia because she has been there every time that Cassio and Desdemona have talked. Emilia says that if anyone has tried to convince Othello that Desdemona has done wrong then that person should be cursed. It is ironic because Iago, Emilia’s husband, has been convincing Othello that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Emilia is unaware of the fact that her own husband is creating problems between Othello and Desdemona. The reader might wonder what Emilia would do if she found out that Iago was the person that was influencing Othello. The reader also has sympathy for Desdemona because she is kind hearted and loyal, but she is mistreated for acts she did not take part

When Othello summons Desdemona and dismisses Emilia, “Leave procreants alone . . .; / Cough or cry hem if anybody come. / Your mystery, your mystery! . . .” (IV.2.28-30), he not only dismisses Emilia, accuses Desdemona of infidelity, and betrays his own insane bitterness, but he converts the marriage into a

In her final moments, Desdemona chooses not to blame Othello for her death because she saw that the honor of their love was more important than honesty. After Othello was convinced that Desdemona was cheating on him, Othello had started to show his disappointment with her. He had even gone as far as hitting her (4.1 134). Despite this, Desdemona continued to stay true to Othello. Othello, though, decides to kill her. Desdemona senses a change in Othello and she has a feeling that she will die soon due to the hands of Othello. This does not stop her, though, from continuing to care for Othello. Even when Desdemona was found after Othello strangles her, she still believed that her death was not the fault of Othello. Emilia comes into the couple’s bedroom after Othello smothers Desdemona, but hears Desdemona cry out. Seeing her dying, Emilia asks who would do this. Desdemona replies that it was her fault: “Nobody – I myself. Farewell / Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell!” (5. 2. 125-126). Not only does she try to protect Othello’s reputation by blaming herself, Desdemona tells Emilia to remind Othello about her showing that she stills respects Othello. By trying to hide the fact that Othello had murdered her, Desdemona has chosen to put the honor of their love above honesty.

Looking at the play, all along Desdemona is a very feminine character. She most likely acts like a wife and daughter. So full of cares, Desdemona at a point of the play even neglected her house quarrels and goes out to spare fellings with Cassio to try to help with his situations with Othello. So faithful she was, even when she and Othello were not on the best terms, she was still trying to fixed everything even she knows that she was not cheating, which she explains, " Yes, faith, so humbled that he hath left parts of his grief with me to suffer with him. Good love call him