Emilia

Emilia

1. She's loyal

   • Her marriage to iago is unhappy, he doesn't love or respect her and never shows her affection. She's critical of men and cynical of marriage, but she's still loyal to iago
     • So desperate for his affection that she betrays Des and steals her hankerchief. "I nothing but to please his fantasy"
     • Even though she's trying to please him he still shows little appreciation. He snatches the handkerchief, saying "leave me"
     • Remains loyal to him till the end when she finds out what he's done, she acknowledges her duty to obey him but still speaks out: "Tis proper I obey him, but not now"
   • Loyal to her misstress Des, even sacrifices her life to clear des' name. However she steals the handkerchief
     • Stealing it has terrible consequences. It convinces Othello that she's cheating and he murders her. It's made worse by the fact she trusts iago with it but doesn't know why he wants it.

2. She's a foil to Des

   • Foil= Character who contrasts with main but also shares key characteristics
   • Similarities:
     • Troubled marriages
     • Loyal wives who want to obey their husbands
     • They both defend themselves, and womankind against the male characters int he play.
   • Contrasts
     • Emilia = more realistic about relationships. She believes men use women as objects and disregard them. men "are all but stomachs, and we but food". She blames men for their wives' unhappiness whereas Des blames herself.
     • have contrasting opinions on adultery. Emilia says women have just as much reason to cheat as men, and if women are unfaithful "it's their husbands' faults" But Des can't believe that women ever cheat. This also shows Ems morals aren't as strict as Des'

3. She stands up for her mistress

   • She defends des when she becomes increasingly powerless- said she would "lay down her soul at steak"
   • Critics like Harold Bloom argues that Emilia is the only character which Iago underestimates, this is why she's responsible for his downfall. Irony in fact that Iago fails to understand the person he should know best, his wife.