In reading Emilia's monologue, I chose to use a tone halfway between serious and joking. Emilia is alone with a close friend during the scene, and at some points in the written language it seemed almost as though she is exaggerating her statements for humorous purposes. I identified with this because when I am with my good friends, even when we're talking about subjects that mean a lot to us we often joke about them or act as if they aren't as big of a deal as they actually are. However, as the monologue continues Emilia's tone becomes more and more serious. I saw this as her own realization that what she is really talking about is her own marriage and her anger towards Iago for being a bad husband. For this reason, I tried to start the speech more humorously and end on a more solemn note as Emilia's true thoughts and feelings really come out. I think that this was also the reason why I chose to take a longer pause before the section where Emilia is describing the things that men do that women also do. For me, this was where she really transitioned from a more jovial tone to talking about feelings that are very close to her, and the pause I took symbolizes her own mental pause to gather the courage to say what is really on her mind. Finally, I attempted to emphasize the words and phrases that I thought were most important to Emilia, such as "treasures" in the line "And pour our treasures into foreign laps." The word "treasures" in particular means a lot to Emilia because she feels as though Iago does not appreciate everything that she does for him-- in other words, he disregards the treasures that she gives him, among them the very treasure of having her for a wife.
Reading Emilia's monologue helped me understand her thoughts and desires. When most people read Othello, they think of Othello, Iago, and Desdemona as the major characters-- but I think that Emilia deserves to be recognized as a character who is important and progressive in her own right. As I read her lines more closely, I realized that Emilia isn't just talking about women in general; she is venting to Desdemona about how she feels about being married to Iago. Despite the fact that Emilia is loyal and kind to Iago, always trying his best to please him (including betraying her friend Desdemona by giving him her handkerchief), Iago barely seems to recognize that she is there. In Act Two, he jokes about how all women are useless objects to her face without regard to how she feels about it. Putting myself in Emilia's shoes made me realize that it is no wonder she believes men are responsible for the bad things that their wives do-- she must want to leave Iago all the time and yet she stays true to him, even though he acts as if she doesn't exist. To some people, that might make it seem like Emilia is a weak character who will do anything to please a husband who obviously doesn't love her. But I thought about it differently; to me, this monologue proves that Emilia actually does have her own strong beliefs and perspective, and she realizes that Iago is not fulfilling his role as a husband. This idea gave me an entirely new perspective on the play Othello. Before, I had thought that the play was primarily about the complicated minds of men and what they will do for women. But reading Emilia's monologue and seeing the strength with which Shakespeare portrayed her made me realize that the women in the play often have the upper hand over the men. Although Iago is the person who makes Othello jealous, Desdemona is still the object of his desires; there is no jealousy without her, and he is powerless to do anything against her will until the day that he kills her. Emilia herself is the person who uncovers Iago's plot by revealing to Othello that she was the one who gave Iago the handkerchief and not Desdemona. More than the jealousy of men, the deeper meaning of Othello is that the greatest power is often found in unexpected places, like the traditionally inferior women of the play or even Iago, the lower-ranking soldier.
Emilia's monologue is connected indirectly to the conflict of the play and her own characterization. While Iago is telling Othello lies about Desdemona's unfaithfulness, this scene explores Desdemona's utter disbelief at the idea that any woman would ever cheat on her husband, to which Emilia's speech is a direct response. Thus the conversation in the scene that the monologue is a part of serves to complicate the conflict by clearing up any doubt the reader may have of Desdemona's innocence-- and thus increases the tension as Othello becomes more and more sure that she is indeed cheating on him with Cassio. The monologue alone also serves as an important moment of characterization for Emilia. For the first time, we get to hear what she really thinks about marriage and her own life. Where before Emilia seems like a minor character, her monologue establishes the strength of her convictions. Her assertion that men are always responsible for the actions of their wives characterizes her as the strongest feminist character in Othello, a woman who is unwilling to believe that women should be blamed for their own unhappiness in marriage, and who thinks that both marriage partners should have equal treatment-- even when it comes to being unfaithful.
Reading Emilia's monologue helped me understand her thoughts and desires. When most people read Othello, they think of Othello, Iago, and Desdemona as the major characters-- but I think that Emilia deserves to be recognized as a character who is important and progressive in her own right. As I read her lines more closely, I realized that Emilia isn't just talking about women in general; she is venting to Desdemona about how she feels about being married to Iago. Despite the fact that Emilia is loyal and kind to Iago, always trying his best to please him (including betraying her friend Desdemona by giving him her handkerchief), Iago barely seems to recognize that she is there. In Act Two, he jokes about how all women are useless objects to her face without regard to how she feels about it. Putting myself in Emilia's shoes made me realize that it is no wonder she believes men are responsible for the bad things that their wives do-- she must want to leave Iago all the time and yet she stays true to him, even though he acts as if she doesn't exist. To some people, that might make it seem like Emilia is a weak character who will do anything to please a husband who obviously doesn't love her. But I thought about it differently; to me, this monologue proves that Emilia actually does have her own strong beliefs and perspective, and she realizes that Iago is not fulfilling his role as a husband. This idea gave me an entirely new perspective on the play Othello. Before, I had thought that the play was primarily about the complicated minds of men and what they will do for women. But reading Emilia's monologue and seeing the strength with which Shakespeare portrayed her made me realize that the women in the play often have the upper hand over the men. Although Iago is the person who makes Othello jealous, Desdemona is still the object of his desires; there is no jealousy without her, and he is powerless to do anything against her will until the day that he kills her. Emilia herself is the person who uncovers Iago's plot by revealing to Othello that she was the one who gave Iago the handkerchief and not Desdemona. More than the jealousy of men, the deeper meaning of Othello is that the greatest power is often found in unexpected places, like the traditionally inferior women of the play or even Iago, the lower-ranking soldier.
Emilia's monologue is connected indirectly to the conflict of the play and her own characterization. While Iago is telling Othello lies about Desdemona's unfaithfulness, this scene explores Desdemona's utter disbelief at the idea that any woman would ever cheat on her husband, to which Emilia's speech is a direct response. Thus the conversation in the scene that the monologue is a part of serves to complicate the conflict by clearing up any doubt the reader may have of Desdemona's innocence-- and thus increases the tension as Othello becomes more and more sure that she is indeed cheating on him with Cassio. The monologue alone also serves as an important moment of characterization for Emilia. For the first time, we get to hear what she really thinks about marriage and her own life. Where before Emilia seems like a minor character, her monologue establishes the strength of her convictions. Her assertion that men are always responsible for the actions of their wives characterizes her as the strongest feminist character in Othello, a woman who is unwilling to believe that women should be blamed for their own unhappiness in marriage, and who thinks that both marriage partners should have equal treatment-- even when it comes to being unfaithful.
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