Introduction
Review of the Shakespeare play “Othello” considers the subordinate role of Emilia. The attentive audience sees her character seemingly morph during the play from a silent sphinx-like shadow among the animated characters strutting and fretting their (hour) roles upon the stage (Macbeth 5:5) emerging with wisdom and misplaced loyalty to her sinisterly driven husband Iago. A critical analysis of this character from the perspective of the professional psychologist reveals her critical behavior regarding the infamous handkerchief forsaking her devotion to her mistress Desdemona resulting in the tragic end of this drama she is the victim of the most typical and vile spousal abuse and acts her role as such. This scholastic analysis of Shakespeare’s Emilia in Othello reveals different contemporary themes including her role as a victim of domestic violence from one perspective and a role model of feminist ideology from another. The outcome of her action linked to the handkerchief challenges the question of the beholder of this drama whether to forgive or condemn her two points of view. Arguably, “Othello” is the most tragic of Shakespeare’s dramatic creative renderings overtly played out by the tragedy of Othello toward his beloved Desdemona but more pragmatically in the abusive relationship of Iago toward Emilia and her subsequent behavior related to the influence of his offensive treatment she suffers. Clearly, the role of Emilia imagined by Shakespeare in “Othello” brings brilliant layers of complexity depicted in her character as the following analysis discusses.
The Idiom of the Cynical Emilia – A Character Analysis of a Would Be Feminist
Both older and far more cynical than Desdemona the close relationship between mistress and servant develops with vigor spurring a bond glued by the husband trouble even Desdemona eventually experiences. Emilia’s bitterness draws on the inequalities she sees but does not agree between the station in life of men and women.
This cynicism pours, over to her observation of the early difference of the apparent (if short lived) happiness in the marriage of Othello and Desdemona compared to that of her and the sinister Iago. "Emilia has her own idiom, essentially prose though formally in blank verse, for her important and trenchant speech (Act IV, Scene 3) on the need for give and take between men and women" (Bayley 150-151). What Shakespeare reveals in the character of Emilia is a woman while a wife, nonetheless, it appears she vacillates, or least facilitates “between wives and whores, between Desdemona and Bianca” (Calderwood 32).
The audience ponders on Emilia’s actions in the story that would link agreement to Othello’s “fears about the irrepressible sensuality of women that leads husbands to their horned fate” (Calderwood 32). Briefly, in dialogue she and Desdemona engage shortly before the murder, Emilia’s ironic confession attempting at cheering her mistress describing men attributing the failings of women makes it seem Othello is correct in his musings on this very subject. Compounding the skulduggery nature of this discourse led by the sardonically inclined Emilia is her demystification of a prominent assumption how “that this kind of sexual duplicity is virtually genetic in women” (Calderwood 32).
She queries Desdemona how such female behavior is any worse than when men act in such a manner. Her dialogue makes the case how the morality of such behavior exists akin to the legislation of morality in these matters connects to the owning of property. “If you own the world, as men do, you define right as what you do and wrong as what women do, even if both do the same thing for the same reasons “(Calderwood 32).
In this delivery of her worldly experience as a prostitute (also having slept with both Othello and Cassius) as she speaks to Desdemona, Emilia’s feminist ideals spew from her. Though now the wife of Iago, Emilia knows exactly what she means imparting amid her outwardly silent demeanor to the now clearly miserable Desdemona telling her young mistress she needs refrain from typical female submissiveness to Othello arguing the justification of the actions of both angry and adulterous wives.
Emilia tells Desdemona:
But I do think it is their husbands' faults
If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties
And pour our treasures into foreign laps,
Or else break out in peevish jealousies,
Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us,
Or scant our former having in despite--
Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace
Yet have we some revenge (Othello 4:3). [Sic]
Negotiating or even withdrawing from her marriage contract according to Emilia is the prerogative of a woman and this stands righteous in the face of husbands’ adultery and how they insult and continually diminish the voice of women (Israel 133). It remains clear, though a minor character in the play, Shakespeare nonetheless designs his Emilia as a pivotal force in this tragic drama – feminist angst amid a world ironically ruled by Elizabeth 1st but owned by the double-standard morality of men.
Depending on the interpretation of this view taken by Emilia and her would-be feminist approach to this double standard, by this 16th -17th century woman, created by Shakespeare, speaking out with brave vigour on her view of equality of the sexes she comes up short or emerges a vanguard spokesperson. Surely, upon closer examination, all Emilia’s argument amounts to is nothing more than the equal rights of wives behaving as despicably when it comes to fidelity of the marriage contract? While there is substance to her argument in theory of equality framework of it lacks and therefore, speaks volumes to Shakespeare’s view of this former prostitute creating this vision of sexual equality to men rather than a fundamental underpinning of ethical, moral, and equal behavior of the sexes.
Reflection on the speech Emilia provides her mistress Desdemona on her view of the equality of the sexes she makes the point how the humanity of men and women drive them equally in their desires. She posits while men remain the recognized gender traditionally assigned to the desires of the flesh the truth remains how demonstrably equality in this fact of life if the quality of both genders (Gay 6).
As already suggested, Shakespeare’s failure on the one hand make, it clear this is actually what his Emilia character really means remains as Gay reveals as a matter of interpretation. Gay supports how “extraordinary” for the early 16th -17th century intelligence of Shakespeare captures this understanding through his Emilia character and it is a this recognition of equality of the sexes that emerges “despite a hierarchical social structure” (6).The Abused Wife -The Case of the Handkerchief – Where the Crisis Erupts
Married to this devious, villainous, and deadly Iago, Emilia grieves when they interact throughout, the play building her distrust and animosity toward her husband. Iago, while a vile creature, at the same time like many scoundrels manipulates people and circumstances and there is no difference in his actions understanding other peoples’ behavior – except for his misjudgment of Emilia. Here we see the outcome of her seeming submissiveness to Iago boorish and bullying of his wife – that he clearly miscalculates the intelligence of his wife – the one person who should by their, relationship have known better than anyone else. Anyone familiar with the psychological profile of a wife abuser sees Iago in this position. He exhibits textbook traits so the audience hears his initial words to Emilia meant publicly debasing and humiliating her so she remembers her “place” of inferiority to him –to men (Walker 36).
Russell explains this abusive relationship between husband and wife with Emilia discovering the misplaced special handkerchief of Desdemona and never imagining Iago’s reaction to discovering her having possession of the piece of cloth then proves the decision Emilia makes giving it to Iago. Here, expert psychological analysis of Shakespeare’s character development of Emilia connects to her position as an abused spouse (Davidson 63).
Her action linked to keeping her mistress’s handkerchief shows her behavior typical of the abused woman willingly submitting to the abuser sacrificing (betraying Desdemona with the theft) spoiling him by offering the handkerchief as a gift (and regularly staying loyal to his underhanded spew of words and actions in light of his continually unrealistic mandates (Davidson 63). Further indications of the caretaker role as wife to Iago super ceding her devotion to the more worthy mistress in the lie she tells about the missing handkerchief revels her continued intent to satisfy the abusive Iago. The audience observes the doting mother like behavior of Emilia to the impulsive childlike behavior of Iago, and in turn Iago exhibiting the behavior of the self deserving and demanding child requiring care with the sole attention of Emilia to “his” needs (Russell 43).
The end of the increasingly dramatic tragedy unfolds around the decision and one and only act of dishonesty Emilia chooses against her mistress Desdemona with the theft of the distinctive handkerchief given the young wife by her husband. The consequences of this act weave a case of unjustified jealousy and distrust consuming Othello. His already tainted view of women from his experiences of the camp followers and easy pickings in back alleys and taverns as a soldier leads his impractical love for Desdemona initially putting her on the proverbial pedestal that no human realistically may exist (Davis 19). As the audience so realizes, this fall in Othello’s eyes leads to her senseless murder.
Ironically, the handkerchief as already explained creates conflict between the Emilia and Iago relationship as with Cassio and Bianca where these two men use it reestablishing the view of their position of power over their wives – of women. Ultimately, Emilia regrets her theft of her dear mistress’s prized possession but at that, moment is when Iago crassly snatches the object from her hand and at the same time dismisses her, as does Cassio to Bianca in another scene (Bloom 100).
The subsequent reappearance of the misplaced handkerchief causes a healing truce between the battling Bianca and Cassio, but the jealously consumed Othello refuses recognizing the significance of it reappearing resulting in opening the exiting breach of his creation between he and Desdemona’s relationship. The finality of his psychological and emotional state culminates in the murder of the innocent Desdemona (Bloom 100).
The Handkerchief Returns to its Original Function
Emilia decision to keep the misplaced handkerchief had intentions of civilizing and controlling Iago. The same was true of Bianca with Cassio. The last scene and act of the drama surrounding the damned handkerchief draws and enlightens the confused Emilia ending any further domination of Iago over her again (Bloom 100-101).
The clarity of the realization how in part, her theft of the handkerchief has caused the death of her mistress, brings all the frustration, the repression, and suppression of her life by men – as exemplified by both Iago and Othello alike – generating the ensuing accusations she spews at Othello and Iago in disgust for the brutish misogyny. Finally, it “enables her to prove Desdemona's faithful "amiable" love. Othello is once again "subdue[d]" to this love. Emilia, stealing the handkerchief, is catalyst for the play's crisis; revealing its theft, she is catalyst for the play's denouement” (Bloom 100-101).
Bloom explains how Emilia choosing restating of mistress and husband in this last scene of the drama underpins the central division of the play as well as the division of Emilia’s duty. With Emilia betrayal of Iago making known his villainy in using the handkerchief to manipulate outcomes of other people’s behavior, her shift of allegiance shouts to the audience. Her actions drive the point Shakespeare intends his play make.
Instead of tolerating both Iago's ‘fancy’ and Desdemona's virtue, she denounces the one and affirms the other. She questions Iago's manliness: ‘Disprove this villain, if thou be'st a man: / He said thou told'st him that his wife was false, / I know thou didst not, thou art not such a villain" (5.2.173- 75). Then she rejects the wifely virtues of silence, obedience, and prudence that are demanded of her, ‘unhousing’ herself:
I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak:
'Tis proper I obey him, but not now:
Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home. (ll. 185, 197-98) (101) [Sic]
Choosing in her last moments to clear her beloved mistress of the name of “whore” Emilia speaks her own epithet immediately before the evil Iago dispenses her life with a knife to her body befittingly referring to every man in the play. Here the audience knows “Iago, to whose taunts it is a response; Othello, who responds to it; and Cassio, Roderigo, and Brabantio as well: O murderous coxcomb! what should such a fool /Do with so good a woman? (ll. 234-35)” (Bloom 101). [Sic]
Instead of calling for revenge and without self-justification, Emilia dies testifying to the innocence of the good Desdemona. As earlier discussed, the other aspects revealed in the character of Emilia as an abused woman looks at her bonding with the equally unjustly abused Desdemona creating her devotion and love for her mistress. Her last request she is laid to rest beside her dear mistress, her last action to amend her bad behavior with the theft of the handkerchief, and the willow song she repeats aloud completes her desired identification with the sweet Desdemona (Bloom 101). The final tally on Emilia’s last actions before Iago brutally takes the life of this good woman results in destroying the last bond between him and Othello. It is Emilia’s refusal obeying Iago that brings his dastardly plot down refuting his philosophically diabolical and manipulative behavior, that finally refutes his final attempt to deny his wife’s charges acting like Othello and calling her a “villainous whore” (Bloom 101-102).
Nonetheless, this like every other manipulative action of this night taken by Iago fails him. In the end, Othello’s love for Desdemona resurfaces from his blind and murderous jealousy, and it is the “deaths of Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello” that destroys annihilates any power held over others having provided the source of identity. When Iago vows he shall never speak, again it is the same as committing suicide. It is with the trickeries of his deceitful words he held power over others. “Othello, like Desdemona and Emilia, dies in pain testifying to love, whereas Iago lives, silent; Othello, like the women, stays to acknowledge at least partial responsibility for his actions, while Iago flees, accepting none” (Bloom 102).
Works Cited
Bloom, Harold, ed. William Shakespeare's Othello. New York: Chelsea House, 1987. Book
Calderwood, James L. The Properties of Othello. Amherst, MA: U of Massachusetts, 1989. Book
Davidson, Terry. Conjugal Crime: Understanding and Changing the Wifebeating Pattern. New York: Hawthorn, 1978. Book
Gay, Penny. Emilia Speaks Her Mind: Othello, IV, iii, 82-99. 2008. Web
Israel, Kali. Names and Stories: Emilia Dilke and Victorian Culture. New York: Oxford UP, 1999. Book
Russell, Mary Nomme. Confronting Abusive Beliefs: Group Therapy for Abusive Men. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 1995. Book
Walker, Lenore E. The Battered Woman. New York: Harper & Row, 1979. Book
