Emilia's Speech in "Othello"

Paper Summary:

This paper examines a passage from Act IV of Shakespeare's "Othello", (scene iii, ll.89-106), which comes after the dinner that Desdemona hosts for Othello. The passage is a speech by Emilia in which she tries to get Desdemona to feel better and not to despair at the way her husband has been treating her, in essence by suggesting what she should do. The paper points out that this speech serves as a balance to an earlier speech by Iago on the false nature of wives from Act II. To conclude, the paper focuses on the way Shakespeare uses the sound of the words the way they are put together to create an impression that guides the listener through Emilia's argument and enhances aspects of that argument to make it more sensible and to show ways in which men and women are alike.

From the Paper:

"This speech serves as a balance to an earlier speech by Iago on the false nature of wives from Act II. Emilia here refers to the false nature of husbands and to the consequences for those husbands, for their wives are then unfaithful in retaliation. Emilia is always the practical one in the play, sat least in terms of how she believes people should behave. She takes the practical view that if Desdemona is under suspicion and if her husband is mistreating her, then Desdemona should take care of herself and forget Othello. At the same time, she knows that Desdemona is innocent and also knows part of what Iago is doing. She certainly knows that Iago has taken the handkerchief, and she is likely also bitter about the way she is treated by her own husband, Iago. Much of this bitterness comes out in this speech."

More papers on Emilia's Speech in "Othello":

• Book Review # 132445 : "Analysis of a Passage from "Othello"
• Analytical Essay # 27478 : "The Filming of "Othello"
• Analytical Essay # 23458 : "Racial Discrimination in "Othello"

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