Revels in his own ability to wreak havoc "hell and night." witchcraft, Iago as villain -white man subversion of expectation Insecure about his status and power - resents cassios florentine culture, dismisses and is haunted by high statusĪble to defy the lines between appearance and reality - skills that make him so dangerous Uncanny ability to identify someones biggest fralities or insecurities and exploit them for his own gain → venetian societys biases and prejudices make it vulnerable to such mechanisationsĭoesn't commit crimes until the end only orchestrates thee actions of everyone else so that they do his dirty work for him - avoids blame and preys on the malice and evil of others Resentful egocentric, views himself entitled to the promotion envious of others power and authority Motives for cruelty are just exuces to mask an innately evil nature Pride and arrogance in his cunning immorality Motivated by hatred and jealousy fulled by convoluted contradictory delusions and an inflated egoĬonspiring with the villain -> iagos whose deepest thoughts we are privy to, complicit in his bigotry only rise through social ranks through menĮmilia becomes a symbol of iagos discontent - reminding him of unhappy state Wives had to blindly obey their husbands as indebted to him for her social standing and financial security - power he posesses to ruin her reeputation Iago cares more about his pride and masculinity than herįirst interaction in act 2 - after thought less importantĪn easy target, takes out his anger on her dutiful wife has to take it Their union as typical of the era lacking in respect power divide - shameless misogyny and emilias subservience loveless Shocked exasperations at the end "my husband?" blinded herself to his maliginity Iago underestimated and neglected her in his plans - channels her resentment into ending his life Passive reaction to iagos mockery in act 2 scene 1 - used to treatment and has surrundered herself to it Obliged to do as he asks, pressured by convention and the ideal of the obliging subservient wife put forward by veneitan society - womens identities and own autnomy erased in marriage does as he wishes without justification complict in his malevolence. ursurps her inferioer position to get her to steal handkercheifĬraves attention from iago - navigating contradicting loyaltys to iago and desdemona - ultiamtly pledges allegiance to desdemonaįirst part of play she appears pathetically submissive to husbands desires Used as a pawn by iago in his pschological warefare against othello emilia signs her own death warrant through defending desdemonaĬatalyst for iagos plot - affair with othello Life or death importance of obeying husband in emilia - knwoing the premium placed on female obedience by society at the time we can appreciate the risk emilia is taking Women as helpless victims to male jealousy "monster begot upon itself born upon itself" Immense pressure placed on women and the risks they face becuase of their isolation in wider society Women can be innocent and still be disgraced - women have no control over their lives - men dictact narrativeĪ wife can be as doting and loyal as desdemona or as outspoken and cynical as smilia and still suffer the same fate womans reputation at the mercy of mens whims and fancies Reputation as a patriarchal tool used to control and demean women her resignation to the reality of male jealousy and greed, depiciting it as a cruel inevitability
Women murdered for adulterly regardless of their guiltĮmilia exposes the treatment of women as something destructive and entrenched in lust