Emilia in the play othello

A detailed Summary of Emilia in the play othello


Emilia is one of the few straightforward people in the Shakespeare's Othello. Emilia is taciturn. When we first meet her in Cyprus, after his throwaway condescending remark about suffering her tongue, and Desdemona's rejoinder that "she has no speech", Iago has to admit that "she puts her tongue a little in her heart and chides with thinking". In the scene of light hearted banter that follows Emilia manages to utter two words. She really only finds her voice when fired by indignation as when Iago confirms that Desdemona has been called a whore, and even then much of her utterances or short phrases. Even when she really gets going, lambasting Othello after discovering the murder, most of what she says consists of phrases that are half a line in length or less.

We also know that she is happy to give good news but has the misfortune of not being listened to (Cassandra?). After Cassio's ignominious dismissal by Othello, Iago orders Emilia to get Cassio together with Desdemona for the ostensible purpose of getting her to plead his case. Instead, Emilia lets Cassio know that Desdemona and Othello have discussed the matter, and that Othello explained why he had to demote


I can't see how any one could take the remarks during the unpinning scene other than as banter designed to cheer up her despondent friend, with a little moralizing against excesses of speech ("...thy solicitor shall rather die Than give thy cause away." Des. to Cas. in the presence of Emi. Opening of III,iii.) thrown in for good measure? The key word is not "such a deed", but rather "for all the world": Cordelia's rebuke to her sisters. I have just rewatched Zoe Wanamaker's Emilia philosophizing to Imogen Stubbs' Desdemona in a Trevor Nunn TV production. There is no salaciousness or pandering, but rather a hard sad look at the plight of the female of the species. The parameters that for her justified infidelity were quite clear. She may have been thinking of the Biblical Esther who allowed herself to become the concubine of the king, even though, as tradition has it, she was married to Mordechai. (From this vantage point Esther was eventually able to plead to the king against the destruction of her people (Cassio), and frustrate the plan of the evil Haman (the king's "ancient" wharever that means?) In the final event Mordechai was elevated to a position of power in th

Some common words found in the essay are:
Emilia's Othello, Emilia Desdemona, Othello Emilia, Biblical Esther, Desdemona Othello, Nunn TV, Emi IIIiii, Cassio Desdemona, Cassandra Cassio's, , cassio desdemona, emilia cassio desdemona, emilia cassio,

Approximate Word count = 794
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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