Love in Othello Essay

To Love or Not to Love, That is the Question

Manipulation, jealousy, and love can encourage people to act in many different manners. A perfect display of this can be found in Othello, the Moor of Venice written by William Shakespeare. Desdemona, the daughter of the great senator Brabantio, defies her father by eloping and marrying the love of her life Othello whom had been a family friend. The marriage of Othello and Desdemona causes controversy around the town of Cyprus where they have gone to defeat the Turkish fleet. In result of the controversy as well as deceit, death transpires. Through the characters Desdemona and Emilia, Shakespeare exhibits how they have similarities as well as differences when it comes to aspects such as marriage, honesty and death.

The wife of Iago and the mistress of Desdemona, Emilia is a very outspoken woman. While she possesses many lack lustering qualities she remains realistic and opinionated. By being married to a man who shows much disrespect towards women Emilias views on marriage is tainted. As she speaks to Desdemona she tells her Tis not a year or two show us a man. They are all but stomachs and we all but food. They eat us hungerly, and when they are full they belch us. Look you, Cassio and my husband (3.4.97-100). Taken through many hardships by her husband she still remains a faithful wife.

Young and beautiful Desdemona disappoints her father as well as others by marrying this older black man whom she loves dearly. Desdemona states to her father I am hitherto your daughter / but heres my husband, And so much duty as my mother showed To you, preferring you before her father / So much I challenge that I may profess Due to the Moor my lord (1.3.184-188). Throughout her marriage she had the utmost respect for her husband. She cherishes the love that she has found and feels as if he treats and loves her better than the men that Emilia speak of.

When it comes to honesty Emilia knows just how to be that, yet she can be very untrustworthy. Being the mistress to Desdemona she defies her by taking her precious handkerchief. Not only does she take the sacred piece of cloth which means so much to both Desdemona and Othello but she gives it to Iago unknowingly of his misguided intent of use. While this shows that she can be dishonest without realizing it, she does have remorse once she realizes the harm that she has caused. At this time she emphasizes that she has had a part in Desdemonas death and states to Othello I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Lay down my soul at stake / If you think other, (4.2.12-13).

Untrustworthy due to the way that she defied her father Desdemona was still a modest honest woman. Had she been conscious of all the disloyalty surrounding her then her demise possibly could have been avoided. She is the type of woman who sees the good in most all people never thinking that she is being manipulated. Once she realizes that Othello finds her untrustworthy she continues to pledge her love and loyalty to him. Even as he talks to her as a whore in the streets she defends and states to him I hope my noble lord esteems me honest (4.2.65).

Desdemona realizes that Othello was angry with her for things that were untrue. She began to fear for her life as she saw his eyes roll. After repeatedly trying to convince him that the things told to him were untrue she still knew that he had no belief in her. The moment when she realizes that she is about to die at the hands of the man whom she loves dearly she pleads for her life. Oh, banish me, my lord, but kill me not! (5.2.78).

Just as Desdemona dies Emilia comes in and realizes that the sweet and innocent has died. She cries out, I will not charm my tongue, I am bound to speak / My mistress here lies murdered in her bed (5.2.183-184). Realizing that her husband was the centers of all the deceit that Othello believed Emilia had then forsake her husband. Iago, distraught, stabs and kills Emilia. As she dies she asks to be laid by her mistress side as she dies in solace.

Desdemona and Emilia carry a lot of the same characteristics yet are totally different women. Both endlessly loving the men whom they had married they were both killed by those men. Neither of them more or less honest than the other yet they both were gentle women. Despite the situation manipulation, love and jealousy can cause people to act in different manners.

Shakespeare, William. Othello, the Moor of Venice. Rpt. In Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, Perrines Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. 9th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, 2006.