Deceit and Emilia's Unwavering Trust

Paper Summary:

In Shakespeare's "Othello", deceit and jealousy combine to make one of the most disturbing tragedies of all time. This paper discusses how, at the helm of this disturbing voyage is the villainous Iago, driven by pure malice. In particular, the paper looks at how there is a great irony in this story, since Iago's plan to dismantle all virtue and trust amongst the targeted characters would never have been successful without his own wife Emilia's complete, unwavering trust and obedience.

From the Paper:

"The first example of Emilia's unique and seemingly tolerant trust in her husband is shown early in the play. Upon arriving in Cyprus, Iago socially insults his wife in front of Cassio, Desdemona and others. Instead of immediately playing along, she falls silent, waiting for a cue from her husband. Her friend Desdemona notices this immediately: "Alas, she has no speech (II.1.118)." Emilia simply allows Desdemona to defend her, letting the game pass over her. This silence illustrates a great deal about the relationship between the couple. Even though Emilia eventually plays along with the game, "You shall not write my praise (II.1.132)," she clearly allows Iago to be in control of the situation. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Washington Square Press, 1957.
• Hylton, Jeremy. "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare" MIT, 2000.<http://shakespeare.mit.edu/othello/full.html>

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