Othello and Desdemona and Emilias Awakening and Shakespeare and Bill Long and Dr. Bill Long

Emilia is now shifting her allegiance from Othello and Iago to the truth as she sees it. In these lines she will not only develop her own theory of what is motivating Othello but will ignore her husband's advice to "tone it down." Though Iago will be able to control the minds of all the rest of the leading characters because of his facility with explanations or his proffer of help, he will not be able to quiet the storm in his wife's mind. Perhaps because Emilia believes that men "belch us" after they "eat us hungerly" (3.4.105-106) she is able to realize that her ultimate loyalty is not to a man or men but to the facts as she faces them. She discovers, as have many women throughout history, that when you have nothing to lose and truth to gain, that your clinging to that truth and proclaiming it becomes a much stronger weapon than all the troops the men command. Clinging to truth and proclaiming it may have unforseen consequences, but you must hold to it. You have no other choice.

Emilia's Explanation

With densely-packed precise words Emilia gives her explanation of the Moor's conduct:

"I will be hang'd if some eternal villain,/ Some busy and insinuating rogue,/ Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,/ Have not devis'd this slander. I will be hang'd else (3.2.130-133)."

Bingo. She is on the right track even though she does not yet know it. She doesn't know that Iago is responsible for the entire plot, but her instincts are correct. There must be some "cogging, cozening slave," some person who is cajoling, wheedling, deceiving, defrauding his way into Othello's good graces somewhere to make this happen.

There is a reason why she suggests this explanation, however. We recall that earlier in the play Iago stated one of his reasons for his hatred of "the Moor" was that he suspected that "'twixt my (i.e., Iago's) sheets/ H'as done my office (1.3.387-388)." Emilia now refers to that event:

"Some such squire he was/ that turn'd your wit the seamy side without,/ And made you to suspect me with the Moor (4.2.145-147)."

That is, she is calling on her earlier experience where Iago's jealousy was probably directed against her to inform her experience now. She knows that men are jealous. They seek to exploit other men's sensibilities and vulnerabilities regarding their wives in order to advance in the world. But who are the ones who receive the brunt of the accusations in these cases? Women. Emilia has been through it. Now she sees her mistress Desdemona facing the same thing. And she must speak.

Iago's Words

Iago responds vociferously to Emilia's suggestion that some "cogging, cozening slave" is behind the plot. "Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible (4.2.134)." This response is uncharacteristic of the cool, manipulative Iago. In every earlier instance where he wants to lead others "by th' nose/ As asses are (1.3.401-402)," he does so with subtlety and care. He gently steers the one of "weak function," Othello, to think about Desdemona's infidelity; he quietly suggests that Othello is occupied in "something of moment (3.4.138)" and Desdemona immediately extrapolates from those brief words that it must be "something sure of state (3.4.140);" he only uses more vigorous words to Roderigo because Roderigo is upset--nevertheless he skillfully steers him to the desired end of attacking Cassio (4.1.230). But here he tries with vigorous and punishing language to get Emilia off track. "Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible," he says. He protests so forcefully that she is wrong that we all know, as Emilia probably does, that she is on the right track.

Ignoring Iago

So, and this is the third point, what does Desdemona do when Iago vigorously tries to deflect her interpretation of events? She repeats it, with even greater vigor.

"Why should he call her whore? Who keeps her company?/ What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?/ The Moor's abus'd by some most villainous knave,/ Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow./ O heaven, that such companions thou'dst unfold,/ And put in every honest hand a whip/ To lash the rascals naked through the world/ Even from the east to th' west (4.2.137-144)."

Now she not only is convinced that a knave or scurvy fellow is behind this, but that judgment by whipping throughout the world is the proper solution.

Conclusion

Now Emilia is enraged. She still must obediently do as her mistress requires of her (4.3), to help her get ready for bed and then leave her mistress alone, but she has changed right before our eyes. Her personal experience of being on the short end of jealous suspicion and then seeing all the telltale signs of jealousy well up in Othello has made her realize that submission to her husband's words and claims is of secondary importance to pursuing the truth of the matter.

Thus, in the final analysis, Shakespeare has not only given us a woman who comes of age right in front of us but whose awakening neatly helps pose another issue: whether submission or self-assertion is the proper role for women. Desdemona will be the submissive one as the play ends. Though she expresses her sense of hurt after being slapped ("I have not deserv'd this"--4.1.241), she seemingly raises no objections to Othello's increasingly threatening conduct. Emilia, on the other hand, will speak out and confront the men and the society around her. To heighten the tension, both will die violent deaths at the hands of men. Exploring this problem will be the subject of another mini-essay.