Emilia also allows herself to comment on Lodovico’s physical appearance, demonstrating her sexuality. Emilia is a middle-class woman, and she is more pragmatic and realistic about men, including her husband and Othello. This purity of Desdemona also creates a tragic component to the play. That is why she remains loyal to Othello despite his attitude. Second, she is a noblewoman whose obligations are to be a good wife and defend her husband. The women’s views on the general are different due to many factors. Desdemona quickly responds that she loves Othello with all her heart, including all his flaws. She also states that she wishes Desdemona never met him. This uncertainty creates tension and serves as a foreshadowing that something terrible is about to happen.Įmilia remarks how happy she is that Othello manages to control himself. This order is unusual, and both women try to find reasons for that when Othello leaves. Othello takes Lodovico for a walk and orders Desdemona to go to her bed. The scene opens with Othello, Desdemona, Lodovico, and others after dinner. Until this moment, the audience heard about the nature of women coming from men, mainly from Iago. It is the only scene in Othello that has only women in it most of the time. Their dialogue provides a window for the audience to see the inner thoughts and beliefs both women have. In this scene, Desdemona prepares to go to sleep and has a private conversation with Emilia. The dialogue between two women allows the audience to understand what they think about men, women, and the world around them in general.Īct 4 Scene 3 of Othello is particularly long, but it does not have much action compared to the previous episodes. Desdemona wonders if women abuse their husbands. The audience sees that she is bothered by something when she exclaims, “O, these men, these men!”. The conversation between the two women is interrupted by Desdemona singing The Willow Song. While for Desdemona, the way he speaks is more important than his looks. Emilia agrees but admires his physical appearance. Recalling their last encounter with Othello, Desdemona compliments Lodovico saying that he is a proper man. That same song is on Desdemona’s mind all night. The man she loved was mad, and she died singing it. Barbary sang The Willow Song about her tragic situation. She tells the story of her mother’s maid Barbary, who fell in love. “If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me in one of those same sheets.” And yet, she suspects that she might die at the hands of her husband that night. However, Desdemona is ready to do that because, as she says, “We must not now displease him.” She also confesses her love for Othello. After that, Emilia and Desdemona stay on the stage, trying to understand why he wants to dismiss the servant.Įmilia is suspicious and does not want to leave her lady. Othello orders his wife to leave and wait for him alone in their bedroom. Othello, Lodovico, Desdemona, Emilia, and others enter a room in the castle. Act 4 Scene 3 starts in quite a small setting.
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