Discuss the presentation of women in Shakespeare’s Othello
Shakespeare radically defies contemporary Jacobean stereotypes in his tragedy ‘Othello’ by creating
complex female characters which transcend the limitations of his time. Whilst still reflecting the
period’s prevailing opinion of women, the progression of the play allows the audience to witness
Shakespeare’s development of female characters into something far more intricate than the typical,
two-dimensional portrayal of women as either a virtuous goddess or tempestuous whore.
The idealistic Jacobean wife is epitomised in Emilia’s earlier behaviour in the play: she conforms to
the expected subservient role, despite the fact that her marriage is neither happy nor successful. The
audience’s first impression of Emilia is delivered by Iago, who refers to her with disdain, chiding her
for ‘her tongue she oft bestows on me (him)’. He clearly seeks qualities in his ideal woman which
Emilia does not possess: Iago openly wishes for her to ‘ha(ve) her tongue at will’ and ‘ne’er disclose
her mind’ after expressing his frustrations at Emilia’s ‘habit’ of ‘put(ting) her tongue ... in her heart’.
Shakespeare presents what can be assumed to be the norm of the period, an intelligent and faithful
women trapped in a marriage to a man she cannot possibly please due to unrealistic and
contradictory demands: her blind obedience may only be encouraged by her husband, who praises
the worst qualities in women. Using a metaphor of appetite in Act 3 Scene IV, ‘They are all but
stomachs … they eat us hungerly … they belch us’, she identifies that the Jacobean wife’s purpose is
to fulfil men’s desires: a perfect reflection of her husband’s belief of women ‘go(ing) to bed to work’.
This compliancy to her husband’s will is most evident when she steals Desdemona’s handkerchief
whilst proclaiming her only motivation being ‘to please his fantasy’. ‘Nothing’ serves as proving her
self-thought purpose to be little more than belonging and obeying Iago; it can be seen to further
apply to other men, as she shows respect and obedience- ‘my lord’ - to Othello in Act 4 Scene II,
despite his interrogative and abrasive attitude.
However, Shakespeare’s genius in portraying authentic human behaviours allows him to explore the
deeper thinking behind a quiet woman- Emilia proves to be radically aware of the patriarchal society
she lives in, and cynical of the role she must take. Act 4 Scene III encapsulates her frustration and
fierce desire for the respect and recognition of women in society- most noticeable is her shift from
describing ‘those women’ to using collective nouns: ‘us’ (repeated 4 times) and ‘we’ (5). This
association of herself with all other women gives the impression of a strong force, rather than
submissive individuals, and perhaps calls to those women in the contemporary audience using
imperatives such as ‘Let husbands know’. The placement of the phrase demands attention, as Emilia
does, appearing in the centre of her speech following a caesura in the middle of a sentence, thus
intended to follow a dramatic pause for impact. Shakespeare promotes Emilia’s individual strength
through the words ‘I do think’, proclaiming her independence to act at her own will rather than her
husband’s and condemning Othello’s behaviour of ‘peevish jealous(y)’, ‘strik(ing Desdemona)’ by
using his mistreatment as an example of men’s failures, she demeans the men surrounding her; ‘it is
their husbands faults/If wives do fall’ embodies the events of ‘Othello’ and narrates Desdemona’s
own decline as she falls victim to Othello’s failures. Emilia possibly even challenges the superiority of
men, by elevating women to that of an equal standard- ‘we have galls … sense like them … see, and
smell’ and scandalously declares the sexual desires possessed by women through the recurring
metaphor of appetite and games, ‘palates for both sweet and sour’, ‘have we not affections/ Desires
for sport’. Outrageously it could be interpreted that she suggests the supremacy of women as they
keep the talent of ‘grace’ which men do not- Emilia appears to believe that strength and dignity can
be found in elegance and femininity, contrary to contemporary Jacobean opinions.
Shakespeare radically defies contemporary Jacobean stereotypes in his tragedy ‘Othello’ by creating
complex female characters which transcend the limitations of his time. Whilst still reflecting the
period’s prevailing opinion of women, the progression of the play allows the audience to witness
Shakespeare’s development of female characters into something far more intricate than the typical,
two-dimensional portrayal of women as either a virtuous goddess or tempestuous whore.
The idealistic Jacobean wife is epitomised in Emilia’s earlier behaviour in the play: she conforms to
the expected subservient role, despite the fact that her marriage is neither happy nor successful. The
audience’s first impression of Emilia is delivered by Iago, who refers to her with disdain, chiding her
for ‘her tongue she oft bestows on me (him)’. He clearly seeks qualities in his ideal woman which
Emilia does not possess: Iago openly wishes for her to ‘ha(ve) her tongue at will’ and ‘ne’er disclose
her mind’ after expressing his frustrations at Emilia’s ‘habit’ of ‘put(ting) her tongue ... in her heart’.
Shakespeare presents what can be assumed to be the norm of the period, an intelligent and faithful
women trapped in a marriage to a man she cannot possibly please due to unrealistic and
contradictory demands: her blind obedience may only be encouraged by her husband, who praises
the worst qualities in women. Using a metaphor of appetite in Act 3 Scene IV, ‘They are all but
stomachs … they eat us hungerly … they belch us’, she identifies that the Jacobean wife’s purpose is
to fulfil men’s desires: a perfect reflection of her husband’s belief of women ‘go(ing) to bed to work’.
This compliancy to her husband’s will is most evident when she steals Desdemona’s handkerchief
whilst proclaiming her only motivation being ‘to please his fantasy’. ‘Nothing’ serves as proving her
self-thought purpose to be little more than belonging and obeying Iago; it can be seen to further
apply to other men, as she shows respect and obedience- ‘my lord’ - to Othello in Act 4 Scene II,
despite his interrogative and abrasive attitude.
However, Shakespeare’s genius in portraying authentic human behaviours allows him to explore the
deeper thinking behind a quiet woman- Emilia proves to be radically aware of the patriarchal society
she lives in, and cynical of the role she must take. Act 4 Scene III encapsulates her frustration and
fierce desire for the respect and recognition of women in society- most noticeable is her shift from
describing ‘those women’ to using collective nouns: ‘us’ (repeated 4 times) and ‘we’ (5). This
association of herself with all other women gives the impression of a strong force, rather than
submissive individuals, and perhaps calls to those women in the contemporary audience using
imperatives such as ‘Let husbands know’. The placement of the phrase demands attention, as Emilia
does, appearing in the centre of her speech following a caesura in the middle of a sentence, thus
intended to follow a dramatic pause for impact. Shakespeare promotes Emilia’s individual strength
through the words ‘I do think’, proclaiming her independence to act at her own will rather than her
husband’s and condemning Othello’s behaviour of ‘peevish jealous(y)’, ‘strik(ing Desdemona)’ by
using his mistreatment as an example of men’s failures, she demeans the men surrounding her; ‘it is
their husbands faults/If wives do fall’ embodies the events of ‘Othello’ and narrates Desdemona’s
own decline as she falls victim to Othello’s failures. Emilia possibly even challenges the superiority of
men, by elevating women to that of an equal standard- ‘we have galls … sense like them … see, and
smell’ and scandalously declares the sexual desires possessed by women through the recurring
metaphor of appetite and games, ‘palates for both sweet and sour’, ‘have we not affections/ Desires
for sport’. Outrageously it could be interpreted that she suggests the supremacy of women as they
keep the talent of ‘grace’ which men do not- Emilia appears to believe that strength and dignity can
be found in elegance and femininity, contrary to contemporary Jacobean opinions.
