“That’s he that was Othello: here I am” “O cursed cursed slave! Emilia defies her hierarchal position and condemns the Moor for his baseness in calling Desdemona a “*****”. Though teachest me.”. That is his motive. (3.4.) Act 5 Scene 2 Othello: Othello proudly declares that he has killed his wife moments after denying having any knowledge of her death. Shakespeare is allowing Othello a route back to honor through his language, whilst reminding us how far he has fallen. Act 5 Scene 1 Lodovico: Iago has been successful in deceiving even Venice’s most superior members of society highlighting his Machiavellian qualities. Othello is a mighty war general who should not be taught how to slay and kill. His death tally includes Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia, Othello, and ultimately himself; that is five lives ruined with four f those totally ended by one man, and all for no discernible reason. In spite of all the bizarre behaviour Iago has induced in him the dignity of his ending is impressive . Emilia expresses astonished disbelief, and Othello says, "Ay, 'twas he that told me first: / An honest man he is, and hates the slime / That sticks on filthy deeds" (5.2.147-149). (2.1.) Resources. Emilia’s love for her mistress and her determination to honor the truth illicit much courage and independence from the character which, in light of the tragic sequence of events, can be seen as heroic. “She’s like a liar gone to burning hell: Twas I that killed her!”. Examination Questions on Othello Question: What is the relationship between Iago and Emilia? “angel” and “devil””water” and “fire””blacker devil” and “heavenly true”. I have no wife”. The tragedy lies in Shakespeare conforming to these racist social conventions. He intends to signal that he did not mean any disrespect by kissing another man’s wife but that this sort of behavior is simply part of the good manners he is used to displaying. Questions the extent of Iago’s villainy and more of Othello’s own hamartia that caused his tragic downfall. Emilia is loyal to Desdemona, but she is loyal to Iago. Act 5 Scene 2 Othello: By Othello distancing himself and creating almost two identities Shakespeare heightens the tragic downfall of the person that Othello once was and who he became as a result of his jealousy. Cassio finds the handkerchief, and he asks Bianca to make a copy of it. ." Act 5 Scene 2 Desdemona: from a contemporary audiences’ perspective, in reality Desdemona’s love can be portrayed as sins and thus her downfall. They are not ever jealous for the cause But jealous for they’re jealous. I peace! '” (lines 96-7). It looks like your browser needs an update. That gives me this bold show of courtesy. "Iago's polemics is modelled on and distorts methods prescribed by sixteenth-century sermon theory. Many critics feel that the ensign remains an enigma. .whose noble nature was wrought on . She is the first to suggest that somebody is telling Othello untruths about Desdemona; “The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave./Some base, notorious knave” (Act 4 Scene 2, Line 143-5). Twice more Emilia expresses the strongest possible doubt that it was Iago who said that Desdemona was false, and Othello becomes impatient with her. The years that Othello has spent trying to obtain reputation has ultimately been destroyed in the space of a few days. … It is an emblem of Desdemona's body that does not circulate because her body is not supposed to circulate: the regulated passage of the handkerchief is along family lines, not elsewhere. #2: “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.” #3: “Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.” Act 5 Scene 2 Emilia: Emilia becomes the voice of the audience in this scene; we must have an outlet for our feelings of outrage. No, I will speak as liberal as the north; Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all… cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak’ (5:2:217-220). Act 5 Scene 1 Roderigo: Very important quote to remember. '. He was a gallant Moor, of royal blood . The fact that he offers no explanation seems to make his actions all the more worse and furthers the link between him and the devil. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Act 5 Scene 2 Othello: Iago is finally being seen for what he truly is, a diabolical villain who was able to convince everyone of his honesty, become a trusted confidant and advisor to all whilst at the same time scheming to bring the downfall of Desdemona, Othello and Cassio. Emilia is Iago's wife, and Desdemona's maid, a woman of practical intelligence and emotional resilience. This is an example where women has to show obedience to the men. Because the handkerchief serves as proof of married chastity, it cannot be copied by Emilia and Bianca. As soon as they arrive,... (full context) . But then if I were you, I would not be me, and if I were not … Murder, murder!’ and goes on to confront her husband Iago, though fully aware that in doing so she risks her marriage and ultimately, her life. Act 5 Scene 2 Iago: his last line can certainly seem defiant. Her subversive nature is highlighted here and the fact that Desdemona blames herself could actually show that she has come to the realization that going against societies conventions and desiring a marriage that would have been portrayed as negatively towards the contemporary audience is her downfall. Iago’s short lines sound like threats: ‘Speak within doors’ (IV.2.146) and ‘You are a fool, go to’ (IV.2.150). She follows Iago in wifely duty, but during the play develops a strong loyalty to Desdemona and, at the end, denounces Iago's lies to defend Desdemona's reputation. “I durst, my lord, to … In Act II Scene 1, when Iago and Emilia arrive with Desdemona in Cyprus, Cassio greets Emilia with a kiss. Act 5 Scene 2 Othello: But does Othello remain somewhat deluded and self-dramatising, as some critics have suggested? He feels that nature should reflect the chaos he finds himself mired in. She's just trapped in a marriage to possibly the most malevolent Shakespearean villain ever. Search. She is caught between her conscience and her responsibilities as both a wife and Desdemona's attendant. Thrown such despite and heavy terms … . The quote suggests that Emilia has only gradually learned who Iago truly is, and that she is trying to encourage her friend to be more cautious and less naïve. English II Honors: Othello Act 5 Study Guide, “If Cassio do remain he hath a daily beauty in his life that makes me ugly”. Emilia Analysis . Of course, it seems that Shakespeare never wishes us to fully understand Iago’s motives. 369–370). Nevertheless Shakespeare keeps this character ambiguous, the fact that Othello is unable to stab him leaves the audience wondering the nature of Iago’s villainy and evil linking him closer to the devil. “Oh brave Iago, honest and just That hast such a noble sense of thy friend’s wrong! However, it could also show the incompatibility of Desdemona and Othello, they were too different. ", "The early modern affiliation between Reformed pastor and sinner clearly foretells the modern relationship of analyst and patient, an association carefully reproduced in Iago's treatment of Othello. “Villainy, villainy, villainy!” “He begged me to steal it” “fool”. Instead of seeking safety in silence and ignorance, Emilia shouts ‘I care not for thy [Othello’s] sword… the Moor hath killed my mistress. However, it could also show Emilia coming to realization of the character that she truly believed Iago to be but had constantly been denying to herself. My husband say she was false?’ . Iago is a “‘cursed slave'” “Spartan dog” and a “‘demi-devil'”. If that thou be’st a devil, I cannot kill thee”. We are aware that only one of them is sincere in this warning. From this day forth I never will speak a word”. Iago gave Othello very little fuel to go by his claims and yet, Othello readily let his jealousy get away with him. … Everybody calls Iago honest once or twice, but with Othello it becomes an obsession; at the crucial moment just before Emilia exposes Iago he keeps howling the word out. The Othello quotes below are all either spoken by Iago or refer to Iago. #2: “I am glad I have found this napkin. At the end of Act I, scene iii, Iago says he thinks Othello may have slept with his wife, Emilia: “It is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets / He has done my office” (I.iii. Although throughout the play Iago is constantly portrayed as a somewhat director of a play within a play, ultimately no one is really invincible in the tragic genre. He still insists that he is honourable: has his pride been his downfall? “I wouldn't even consider it if I were you. Although everyone, including Othello, believes that Iago is a loyal and devoted friend, Iago understands the strategic advantage that false friendship gives him. Act 5 Scene 2 Iago: Even though this quote does once again highlight Iago's villainy, it does emphasize the fact that Othello in reality really did concoct his own downfall. Anthony Brennan 1986 Many explanations have been given for the recovered stature which Othello achieves at the end. There is a troubling irony in the fact that his last crime mirrors Othello’s: he too kills his honest wife to preserve his honor. Ac 5 scene 2 Othello: Shakespeare is trying to show Othello’s confusion; his speech at line 90 is a little disjointed, with short phrases and questions. It is completed by a yelp of pain, “‘My wife, my wife, what wife? . "No one in Othello comes to understand himself or anyone else. . Act 5 Scene 1 Iago: Shakespeare is reflecting some of Iago’s weaknesses in this quote. In this quote, Emilia speaks to the audience as she says that she is glad to have found Desdemona’s handkerchief, which is a token of Othello, since her husband Iago has been trying to get her to steal it many times from Desdemona and wonders what he will do with it. None of them realize their situation. But she so loves the token (For he conjured her she should ever keep it) That she reserves it evermore about her To kiss and talk to. In his final speech and his suicide he is able, as he was before the Senate of Venice, to express his nobility and to manifest himself rightly. Quotes. "Now, now, very now" Repetition when talking to Brabantio ... "Othello's opinion of Iago was the opinion of … ", "I have always felt that I have never read a more terrible exposure of human weakness - of universal human weakness - than the last great speech of Othello.". “I look down towards his feet – but that’s a fable. Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her. Only now in death does he realize that Iago has taken everything from Roderigo, his money, his time, his effort, and eventually his life for his own gain. My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wooed me to steal it. Act 5 Scene 1 Othello: The dramatic irony and the height of which Othello has fallen is extremely evident here. Start studying Key Quotes: Iago. Shakespeare's Venice looks like some accounts of his plays, since it is not a place that can tolerate difference: the only characters left alive on stage are white men. While Emilia loves Iago, Iago does not love Emilia. Throughout, his motives have been questionable and founded merely on rumors and hearsay. Iago to Emilia Iago stoops low enough to the point of even deceiving his own wife all in his grand scheme to get revenge against Othello. “Oh banish me my lord but kill me not” “Kill me tomorrow but let me live tonight” “but half an hour”. Iago gave Othello very little fuel to go by his claims and yet, Othello readily let his jealousy get away with him. Until the last scene, Emilia does not associate her better half with plotting against Othello. Once Emilia hands over the handkerchief to Iago, the plot against Othello accelerates. “I told him what I thought, and told no more Than what he found himself apt and true”. Emilia. “what you do with ‘t” Is a quote from act 3 scene 3 page 15 where Emilia has given Iago the handkerchief that Desdemona has dropped and is asking what he intends to do with it. "The fifty-two uses of honest and honesty in Othello are a very queer business: there is no other play in which Shakespeare worries a word like that . In Shakespeare slander is one of the worst of evils; it is a vice that I do not recall ever being excused. ). In her dying words she says ‘Moor she was chaste…so come my soul to bliss, as I speak true; so speaking as I think, I die, I die’ (5:2:247-249). Powered by WordPress. Iago says this line to Roderigo at the start of the play as he explains that he secretly hates Othello and is plotting against him. He reminds Lodovico and the others (with characteristic self-effacement) that he has been of service to the Venetian state, and seems to want to insist on his identity as heroic soldier, not disastrous husband. Admittedly Othello does not confess his own guilt or express remorse here, but he clearly understands what he has lost. “Villainy, villainy, villainy!” “He begged me to steal it” “fool” Act 5 Scene 2 Emilia: Emilia is the guardian of Desdemona’s honor, a role Othello should have assumed. I have no wife; / O, insupportable! Act 5 scene 2 Desdemona: though this quote prove to create even more pathos from the audience through Desdemona’s undying love that she continues to feel for Othello highlighting her devotion towards him, it could also convey many character tragic flaws that Desdemona truly has. This servitude was a key contributor to her murder in this scene. “My wife, my wife! Answer: There certainly is not that strong and equal tie of love which we would expect to find existing between man and wife. Many explanations have been given for the recovered stature which Othello achieves at the end. Emilia also shows courage and self-assurance in chastising Othello for doubting his wife’s virtue, scolding him “If you think other / Remove your thought” (4.2.). “‘Tis not a year or two shows us a man.They are but stomachs, and we all but food;They eat us … The audience continue to view the extent that Othello is completely blind to Iago’s villainy which is where the absurd and comic nature lies. Designed by GonThemes. Othello’s use of language here is a return to the romanticism he once shared with Desdemona. What you know, you know. Cassio makes this comment to Iago after greeting Emilia with a kiss. That he sees Desdemona’s death as a monumental loss can be confirmed by the fact that he thinks there should now be “‘a huge eclipse / Of sun and moon, and that th’affrighted globe / Should Yawn at alteration'” (lines 97-9). He seizes on discourses that the Shakespearean audience was accustomed to as salvific, and he deforms them toward an evil end. When she realizes Othello has killed Desdemona, Emilia immediately lashes out at him, stating “Thou dost belie her and thou art a devil” (5.2. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. When Iago declares at the end of the play that 'From this time forth I never will speak word' (V, ii, 301), the very means by which he avoids self-incrimination becomes an assurance that he will not repeat his offence. Only human compassion forces us to try to humanize him by projecting the various motives upon him but his silence evidently his true evil has no explanation to offer. “Demand me nothing. The deed he is bound to do is not murder, but a sacrifice. Act 5 Scene 2 Emilia: Emilia is the guardian of Desdemona’s honor, a role Othello should have assumed. Iago’s public treatment of Emilia is as dismissive as the way he speaks to her in private. -Emilia -Desdemona Explication: Emilia is talking about men how they are the same (Iago, Othello) and once finished he “belches” the women, gets rid of her since no use left. . When Othello demands an explanation, Iago is silent. Because here's the thing: Emilia is actually a total sweetie. His warping of contemporary preaching makes him even more diabolical than hitherto recognised. . The repetition of this quote is highly charged; Emilia is as reluctant as Desdemona to believe her husband is not what he seems. Whip me ye devils”. One minor relationship which revealingly impacts the tragic arc of the play is that between Iago and Emilia. In Othello, there are certain relationships that Shakespeare establishes which turn out to have major repercussions on the main action of the play. This is an example of women showing obedience to the men When her husband draws his sword against her, Emilia does not shy away but instead shows a bravery that challenges her assumed reputation, and cries ”Twill out, ’twill out. Emilia and Iago’s relationship is extremely unbalanced. Emilia is perceptive and cynical, maybe as a result of her relationship with Iago. Upon learning that the source is her husband, she cries: ‘O mistress, villainy hath made mocks with love! He is to save Desdemona from herself, not in hate but in honour; in honour, and also in love. . Othello recognises the justice of Emilia’s description when he reiterates her words, “‘O fool, fool, fool!'”. by an accomplished and artful villain . If Iago is the devil incarnate, pure evil, then he needs no motives other than evil itself. This is further evidence of the tumultuous state of his mind but also that in denying having done any wrong, his strong conviction and belief that he is in fact merely and agent of justice. Oh no! I’ll have the work ta’en out And give ‘t Iago. . Rationality on Marriage “O, thou Othello, that wert once so good”. Iago uses and manipulates Emilia by getting her to take the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona as a token of his love. Emilia’s castigation of Othello reminds us how far the noble Moor has fallen and the cruelty of her words might perhaps represent some kind of poetic justice. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ... Iago, Emilia (Iago's wife), and Roderigo is the next to arrive. Act 5 Scene 2 Othello and Emilia: Through their interaction after Emilia’s discovery of Desdemona’s death, Shakespeare uses antithesis to emphasize the falsehood of Othello’s lies.