Desdemona's Loyalty In Othello

Words: 917
Pages: 4
Open Document
In era where women were objectified and considered inferior to the male body, Emilia the spouse of Iago, proved that a woman was more than just property and should have equal rights to voice their opinions. As learnt from Emilia towards the end of the play, she is an example of why the greater sin would be to fear and lie, then be honest and stand against societal norms. Emilia displays true loyalty to Desdemona when she defends Desdemona’s chastity to Othello. She implores Othello to trust his wife and assures him there is no way she would cheat. Despite Iago’s threats, Emilia has chosen Desdemona over her husband, loyalty over deceit. As per the belief of men in this era, Silence, Chastity and Compliance are the three components that reflects …show more content…
Iago threatens to kill Emilia after his true intentions have been revealed. Emilia stands without fear to tell Othello the truth and defend Desdemona’s name. Standing up for the truth, Emilia has had enough of being obedient and complying to Iago’s orders, and speaks up against both men Iago and Othello. “Ay, ay. Oh, lay me by my mistress' side.” Till her very last point, Emilia proves her loyalty to Desdemona. After Iago stabs her with his sword, she asks to be laid next to her mistress, Desdemona. If Emilia wanted to, when Iago told her to stay quiet and go home, she could’ve obeyed those orders, but instead chose to be obedient and loyal not to her husband but to her lady. She spoke up against Iago’s crimes and redeems herself with true eternal devotion to Desdemona.

[Emilia demonstrates the strongest challenge to the definition of an “ideal” woman, while gathering inner strength to revolt against society and defy man’s invisible reign on woman.] As per the belief of men in this era, Silence, Chastity and Compliance are the three components that reflects an ideal woman.
Emilia stood against the image of an “ideal woman”, and proved that to be determined and lead a purposeful life was far more important than complying with the norms of society. She supported the truth and lived a life not of fear and wrongdoings, but of honour and
Show More

Related Documents: Desdemona's Loyalty In Othello

Who Is Iago's Ambition In Othello

Simultaneously, the audience can realize the difference between Iago and Othello expression in envy. Iago destroys most characters' lives in the play, whereas Othello's anger only has any effect on his wife. After Iago's plans are carried out as he images, Desdemona, Othello, Roderigo and even his wife face death (Shakespeare 5.2). Non-stop ambition of Iago messes up the peace and harmony in society. At that point, Iago displays his selfishness when bothering people around him and not appreciating…

Words 433 - Pages 2

Balance Of Power In Othello

Introduction Othello is about people wanting power, even if they have to go against their values to achieve it. Othello, the general of the Venetian army, is the main character. Desdemona, Othello’s wife, is the daughter of Brabantio, a Venetian senator. Desdemona is very loving and gentle towards Othello. You can tell Othello cares deeply as well, but it is less evident than Desdemona. Iago is Othello’s standard bearer. He is well liked by almost all characters and is known for his honesty, which…

Words 582 - Pages 3

Othello Essay

Othello Essay Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello (circa 1601) reflects the turbulent and contradictory world in which Shakespeare lived I Tudor England. Each character in the play experiences their own struggles to comply with the expectations of strict social and cultural values. Each character experiences their own personal and public battles with the unpredictable power of human emotions. For over 400 years, audiences have been mesmerised by the play’s profound depiction of the fine line between reality…

Words 1370 - Pages 6

Othello Play Vs Movie

In the 1995 film adaptation of Othello director Oliver Parker uses many different storytelling devices to strengthen scenes in the film that are harder for readers to understand in the play. Parker uses clever symbolism, visual aides, and the use of light and dark to help intensify the immortality of the play. Audiences are engulfed in a tragic story filled with deception and hate. Jealousy drives Shakespeare’s play which has made it relatable to audiences throughout time. One of the…

Words 600 - Pages 3

Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

William Shakespeare’s Othello is unlike any of his other tragedies. Instead of being centered on state-affairs, Othello focuses on a private matter (“Othello” Shakespeare for Students: Book One 411). Othello is molded around the characters’ passions and feelings; ultimately, jealousy leads to the deaths of Othello and his wife, Desdemona. Conflict in Othello originally appears when Iago, the play’s villain, is not awarded the position he desires and allows jealousy to overrun his reason. Jealous…

Words 1595 - Pages 7

Self-Deception In Shakespeare's Othello

greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinion.'' In Shakespeare's tragedy of Othello, deception as a recurring theme surround with two major characters, the Moor general, Othello, and the heinous villain, Iago, throughout the play and leads to the eventual downfall of them. Iago demonstrates the theme of deception with his immoral schemes, while Othello is the victim of self-deception. In the play Othello, Iago may be literature's most impressive master of deception. Iago is motivated mostly…

Words 869 - Pages 4

Essay about Othello Analysis

Shakespeare, who is famous for his tragic genre, embodies this scheme of writing in Othello. As a common quality in many tragic stories, there is a character that centrally leads to the downfall of all the others. Serving as this trend in Shakespeare’s Othello, the character who is directly responsible for such downfall is Emilia. Although her intentions are not malicious, Emilia’s actions do lead to the defeat of many characters that are associated with the plot of this story. She is the catalyst…

Words 1413 - Pages 6

African Handkerchief In Othello

Moreover, since Iago's wife Emilia was Desdemona's friend , Iago asks her to bring him the handkerchief that Othello has given to Desdemona as a gift. The handkerchief is so important for Othello; it is symbolic of masculine vigor. Othello tells Desdemona that his mother has used it to keep his father's faithful to her. The handkerchief means a lot to Othello, and he regards it as a sign of loyalty to him. Infact in some parts of Africa handkerchief during the traditional marriage which signifies…

Words 316 - Pages 2

Othello and Desdemona Essay examples

Essay #1 [5] In the tragedy Othello, Shakespeare illustrates how all humans are vulnerable to destruction even if they're in a position of power. Othello marries young, white Desdemona, something not so daily in the Venetian society. All the relationships in the play are used to demonstrate the vulnerability of people when involved personally with other people. Each of the relationships in Othello portrays insecurities in each person, except Iago. All of the relationships with Iago…

Words 936 - Pages 4

Othello Essay

Othello Essay 2 Throughout all time, it is clear that texts reflect the values of the society that produces them. These texts reflect the issues, struggles and circumstances facing the society of which the authors they are living in. This is seen through Andrew Davies 2001 film version of Othello due to his adaption of values, which are relevant in today’s society, which appeal to a contemporary audience such as racism, jealousy and love. These appeal to the audience due to because they require…

Words 1258 - Pages 6