Othello Compare and Contrast The Two Wives - 1627 Words

Bob Mudd Compare and contrast the two characters Desdemona and Emilia from the play Othello. Desdemona and Emilia Comparison and Contrast In the play Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare., there are two prominent women that grab and hold our attention. One is the wife of the play’s heroic character Othello; the other is engaged to an untrustworthy man named Iago. The women are part of, but yet serve as a small piece of what goes on in the play and which is how the conflict of the play finally comes to an agreement. These two feminine figures of the play can be compared and contrasted in more than one way. A key to understanding the two women is to understand their husbands: Desdomana is married to Othello, a general in†¦show more content†¦A significant difference between Desdemona and Emilia is reflected in their morals. This is best shown in their intent to be faithful to their husbands. Desdemona has never even thought of engaging sexually with anyone other than Othello, but at some point in the play Emilia admits that she would be unfaithful to Iago in the right circumstances. It is in this part of the play that Desdemona tells her father. (Aside: Iago’s plot was to convince Desdomona’s father that Othello had in fact kidnapped her when in fact he wooed her and won her as an ideal wife.) Desdemona explains that she was in no way taken by Othello, and explains just how much she loves him. â€Å"My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty: To you I am bound for life and education; My life and education both do learn me How to respect you; you are th e lord of duty; I am hitherto your daughter: but heres my husband, And so much duty as my mother showd to you, preferring you before her father, So much I challenge that I may profess due to the Moor my lord. (I.III.28-37) . In this part of the play Iago indicates his low opinion of Emilia. â€Å"To have a foolish wife.† (III.III.32) This would speak of their bitter and untrustworthy love for each other, because they both are dishonest. By contrast, this is the exact opposite of the loving and trusting (at least initially) relationship between Desdemona and Othello. Another dissimilarity between Desdemona and Emilia is in the level of maturity andShow MoreRelatedComparison Between Othello And Emilia1147 Words   |  5 PagesRussell COM1102 1 August 2014 Compare and Contrast Desdemona and Emilia in â€Å"Othello† In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, there are two significant ladylike assumes that draw in our consideration. One is the wife of the play s tragic saint Othello; the other is locked in to one of the best malevolent individuals ever Iago. They are an imperative piece of what goes ahead in the play and inevitably how the genuine issue of the play is settled. These two females of the play might be investigatedRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s The Ghost 2757 Words   |  12 Pagesvictim to a woman deserving of the title ‘Th’imperial join tress of this warlike state’ is similar to Emilia’s confession in ‘Othello’’s finale. Both villains of Shakespeare’s tragedies never foresaw their wives’ disobedience and this inadequacy proved to be lethal in leading to their cataclysmic demise. Shakespeare’s conveyance of misogynistic attitudes can also be seen in ‘Othello’. As one of the greatest villain in Shakespeare’s tragedies, Iago is extremely skeptical of women to the point that he isRead More The Role of Femininity in Shakespeares Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear2337 Words   |  10 PagesThe Role of Femininity in Shakespeares Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear Hamlet, Othello, and King Lear similarly experience an unhooking (Tompkins) in the eponymous plays. 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This is reinforced by the climax of the play, the deaths of Othello, Desdemona and Emilia and Iago’s subsequent arrest and tortureRead MoreWomen in William Shakespeare’s Plays Essay2376 Words   |  10 Pagesfemale characters, one has to remember that the plays were written in a time when women were considered weak-minded creatures who were apt to make bad choices if given the freedom.   Shakespeare, for the most part, divided his female characters into two categories.   One was the docile, obedient, virtuous woman, the heroine in some cases, who embodied all that was desirable in a female.   The other was the independent, dominating, evil counterpart.   Ã‚  Ã‚   It’s difficult to comprehend exactly how