Emilia, Othello

 "I nothing but to please his fantasy."

Emilia is the attendant of Desdemona in the play, Othello. She serves as a somewhat strong contrast to Desdemona who is smart, romantic and ever obedient. Emilia is smart, distinctly cynical with a “tell it as it is” attitude towards life which the reader instantaneously notices. Emilia is a witty, faithful and trustworthy attendant.

By the Act 3, Emilia seems to have acquired a “divided duty” between her husband Iago and her mistress Desdemona. Iago had several times asked Emilia to steal a handkerchief Othello had given to Desdemona. Iago finally gets the handkerchief when Desdemona drops it and Emilia picks it up. When she ask Iago what he is going to do with it, he tells her not to admit to knowing about it. This development in Emilia’s character is relatively understandable since she says, “I nothing but to please his (Iago) fantasy (3.3.349)” but yet still questionably when she knows and says, “She’ll (Desdemona) run mad when she shall lack it (3.3.366)”. She openly lies when Desdemona questions where she might have dropped the handkerchief. In her defense, her marriage to Iago is neither an affectionate nor romantic one, throughout the play Emilia tries to create some form of intimacy between herself and Iago but he often quickly rejects her and even refers to Emilia as, “foolish (3.3.348)”. She might have hoped by giving him what he sought, their marriage would have become better.

Emilia’s cynical views rears its head (probably out of guilt) right after Othello confronts Desdemona about the missing handkerchief. Emilia feels that women are defenselessly subjected to possessive greedy and even abusive men, this fact manifests itself in her speech when she tries to comfort Desdemona, “ They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; They eat us hungerly, and when they are full, They blech us (3.4.121)”. Emilia also however believes both men and women have the same needs and when one part “slacks at their duties (4.3.98)” cheating might very well occur.

One fact any reader will concur with is the undying loyalty Emilia has for Desdemona. When Othello questions Emilia as if she is the mistress of a brothel and Desdemona is one of her prostitutes, Emilia is more than quick to proclaim Desdemona’s faithfulness. She is even ready to, “Lay down my (her) soul at stake (4.2.16)” to defend Desdemona’s good name; she actually dies defending Desdemona. Emilia becomes so alarmed when Othello implies that his wife is cheating that she curses, “Any wretch have put this in your (Othello) head (4.2.18)”. This is quite ironic (Dramatic irony) because she cruses her own husband.

After walking in on Othello killing Desdemona, Emilia screams out for help, Othello draws his sword to silence her but she surprisingly dares him to try. Her “tell it as it is” attitude kicks in when she discovers her husband’s involvement in Desdemona’s death even after her husband commands her to shut up and leave. Iago stabs Emilia when she says too much.

Again Iago and by extension Shakespeare uses a strong women as a means to an end. He uses Emilia’s hopes to cause her ultimate downfall. She tries to please her husband but in the end,

ends up partially causing the death of her mistress and her own, thanks to a bitter, vengeful husband.

(Begin from 4:45)