Arguably a much stronger character, Emilia also indicates that she is aware of her ‘proper’ role in society. In material terms, she ends up an example of a physically vulnerable, isolated younger woman, a victim of domestic violence. Critical interpretations Contemporary approaches Feminist readings of Desdemona. Perhaps it could be said that Bianca is also presented according to a man’s interpretation as she is a whore and is treated accordingly by Cassio. Her loyalty to Desdemona and the truth proves stronger in the end than her compliance with male patriarchy. These opinions, however, are given to Desdemona in moments of privacy.Emilia does not express such opinions in the company of men. A feminist analysis of the play Othello allows us to judge the different social values and status of women in the Elizabethan society. Iago also is not only bitter at being overlooked for promotion, but also because he believes that Othello has bedded his wife, for which he also wants revenge: ‘Till I am evened with him, wife for wife-‘ (Act 2 Scene 1) Emilia is regarded merely as a possession, and just like Desdemona, has no say in the matter. She has been given a voice (albeit granted by a man). Dramatically however, Desdemona is the throbbing light of the drama, the moral counterpoint to Iago’s scheming. The Feminist Lens Examples Link to Othello Class Questions Activity Women as Possessions of Men In Othello women are constantly described as pieces of property that belong to men "If to preserve this vessel for my lord/ from any hated foul unlawful touch/ Be not to be a strumpet, Othello: Act 4, scene 3 Summary & Analysis New! Next. Upon receiving her husband’s letter about the witches’ prophesies, she attempts to be like a man in order to exude the strength needed to gain additional social status as royalty. Venetian society presents its own social beliefs as immutable laws of nature. Thanks to the women's rights movement, females today enjoy rights and freedoms that are unprecedented in the history of Western civilization. Following his hearing of Brabantio’s complaint and Othello’s defence, the Duke eventually grants permission for Desdemona to accompany Othello to Cyprus. There is no likelihood that her lover, Cassio, would ever marry her, especially when he becomes the new governor of Cyprus. Read our modern English translation of this scene. Emilia had stood silently in the background (as a lady's maid should) when Othello demanded to see the handkerchief and Desdemona could not produce it (Act III, Scene 4), so she is aware that the handkerchief itself forms part of Othello's accusation. -insult/comparison: O, devil, devil! It is ‘natural’ for women to be feminine and to do as their husbands and fathers tell them. In dying Emilia asks to be laid by her mistress’ side, showing symbolically where her sympathies lie. To speak now would seem too late, but to hide the information is not honest either. Why does Desdemona assume Othello is acting angry in Act 3? Even Cassio refers, jokingly, to Desdemona as ‘our great Captain’s Captain’ (II.1.75), implying that she is the only individual capable of controlling and taming Othello. Othello initially gives her space to speak, values the chance to be ‘free and bounteous to her mind’, allows her into a wider sphere of life as an equal and upholds her words before senior men. In her final breath she still remains true to her husband, saying ‘Commend me to my kind lord’ (V.2.125) and providing Othello with an alibi that he does not use. The patriarchal Venetian society presented in. Also, the men in the play are fortified by their fello… Othello, Act 4 Research for Theme "Moors are seen by Elizabethans as fundamentally different" Ian Mortimer says in his novel The Time Traveler's Guide to Elizabethan England "Such people are not christians, and so it is not possible to appeal to common virtues and morals, which Bianca’s character illustrates the class stratification and chauvinism of a Venetian society. However, today’s audience still finds it hard that she does not adequately counteract her husband’s intolerance, bullying and jealous rage. William Shakespeare's "Othello” can be read from a feminist perspective. Society weighs heavily on the shoulders of these women; they feel that they must support the men and defer to them, even if the actions of the men are questionable.Brabantio’s opinions of women appear to represent Venetian ideology.Speaking of Desdemona before she erred, he describes her as ‘perfection’,‘Of spirit still and quiet’ and ‘A maiden never bold’ (I.3.95-97). Othello is trying, even after swearing that Desdemona was unfaithful, not to condemn her too harshly. About “Othello Act 4 Scene 3” Othello orders Desdemona to go to bed and send Emilia away. It is perhaps ironic that the actions of Iago and Othello in this play confirm her arguments. He appears to be obsessed with Desdemona’s sexuality. She is variously called a ‘hussy’, a ‘strumpet’, a ‘fitchew’ and a ‘caitiff’, all terms associated with a prostitute. In a speech reminiscent of Shylock’s ‘Hath not a Jew eyes?’, Emilia argues that women are physically no different to men: Their wives have sense like them; they see and smell, And have their palates both for sweet and sour. She is devoted to her mistress and stoutly defends her innocence to Othello. We see her bantering with her contemporaries. A feminist interpretation of the play would assess the balance of power between the genders, the cultural expectations displayed in the play and the degree to which these are conformed to by the women, as well as how far the drama centres on male or female perspectives etc. She is both revered and loved, which is why Othello’s brutality towards her constitutes a tragedy. Thus she betrays her better instincts. However, although Desdemona confidently challenges her husband to be generous with his love both to her and to Cassio, when faced with his anger she retreats into the safety of conventional submissiveness: Desdemona is in one sense the perfect example of wifely obedience, yet she is ‘modern’ in asserting her own perspective, on acting with a degree of autonomy and, ultimately, in fighting for her life. Iago’s desire for revenge on Othello is, in part, dictated by his view of women as possessions. The women of Othello, however, are pre-Feminism, and seem to only compound the ideological expectations of what it is to be a woman through their own behaviour. When revealing Iago’s plotting at the end of the play, she states that ‘Tis proper I obey him, but not now’ (V.2.195). Ironically, it is Desdemona who exhibits some power in public, making powerful use of language when explaining to her father, in front of other Venetian senators, that her ‘duty’ (I.3.182) is now owed to Othello. Moreover, the function of women within marriage is also delineated by Othello’s ‘loving’ words to Desdemona in Act II: ‘Come, my dear love,/The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue’ (II.3.8-9). In the earlier parts of the play, in Act 3 Scene 4, after Othello swears and shouts at Desdemona for the disappearance of the hankerchief, Emilia speaks to Desdemona and comments on some qualities of men. It is ‘unnatural’ for them to do anything else. Themes Men and women Michael D Brown/Shutterstock.com. There is a suggestion, however, that women are beginning to question the validity of unchecked male authority. Emilia may have resigned herself to a sour, abusive relationship, but in Desdemona she finds a cause worth defending, a pure wife whose worth needs fighting for. Iago appears to be emotionally abusive, dishonouring her in public and ordering her around in dismissive tones. Othello speaks to his ensign Iago, ironically describing him as a man of ‘honesty and trust’, informing the Duke that ‘To his conveyance I assign my wife’ (I.3.283). Appearing only briefly, her story does not even merit a dramatic resolution. This links to her earlier description of the appetite of mankind, that ‘They eat us hungerly [men], and when they are full,/They belch us’ (III.4.101-2). Feminist critics would celebrate Shakespeare’s understanding of Emilia’s bid for women’s desires to be acknowledged, in her conversation with Desdemona in Act 4 Scene 3: In the face of husbands’ failing to acknowledge the needs of their wives, Emilia’s solution is for wives to play them at their own game. Othello: Act 4, scene 1 Summary & Analysis New! It is understandable that she wants to make Iago pay for the pain he has inflicted and to live beyond the constraints of an unsatisfactory marriage. 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