Throughout history, womens place and role in society has vastly changed, as well as their sexuality.

In the Victorian era, it was considered abnormal for women to masturbate or feel pleasure from sexual intercourse with her husband. They were led to believe that they were sick, and thus went to their doctor who would rid them of their fever through vaginal stimulation. The patriarchal society did not want women to know or understand their sexuality because that would give them power and control over their bodies. Additionally, in many African tribes, when a girl reaches womanhood, it is custom to mutilate her genitals in order to keep them chaste until they are married. During the Elizabethan era, women were considered second-class citizens. They lived in a society in which a woman was either a whore, or a good, angelic wife. The three female characters in Othello, Emilia, Desdemona, and Bianca, all vary in their personalities and roles, yet they all share one common trait, in that they are all women living in a patriarchal society and thus by suffering together, their female bonds become stronger. Emilia is a very outspoken, strong, independent women who believes her husband Iago, to be a mischievous, deceitful, idiot. Although Iago treats Emilia rather badly, she still stands up to him. In Act 3, scene 3, Emilia has discovered Desdemonas handkerchief and brings it to Iago in which Iago call his wife foolish and a wench. Emilia stands up to Iago by defending Desdemonas keepsake by questioning Iago why he wanted her to steal it in the first place, and then finding out his cruel intentions, What will you do witht, that you have been so earnest to have me filch it?...If it not be some purpose of import,/ Givt me again. Poor lady, shell run mad/ When she shall lack it (63). Although Emilia could have done more to stop Iago from taking the handkerchief, being a woman, she probably did as much as she could without suffering consequences. Emilia attends to Desdemona and thus they are together quite often. Desdemona, being more of a submissive female character is always going to Emilia for counsel, and Emilia always speaks words of wisdom and has the clearest understanding of men and the emotions that drive their actions. For example, in act 3 scene 4 Desdemona goes to Bianca after Othello has questioned Desdemona about the missing handkerchief, DESDEMONA Alas the day! I never gave him cause. EMILIA But jealous souls will not be answered so;/ They are not ever jealous for the cause,/ But jealous for theyre jealous. It is a Monster/ Begot upon itself, born on itself. DESDEMONA Heaven keep the monster from Othellos mind! (74). Although both Desdemona and Bianca are not sure what has gotten in to Othello, Emilia gives a good explanation and has a good notion on why Othello is acting up. She can clearly see that jealousy (the monster) has clouded Othellos thoughts, and she explains this to Desdemona as she sits and innocently mopes. Nowhere in the play does Emilia ever get advice from Desdemona. However, there are two completely different women bonding together in these scenes of private girl talk. Desdemona is passive, a newly wed, and has a reputation of being a good, sweet, chaste wife. Emilia on the other hand, is assertive, intelligent, and has been married for a longer period. This is clearly seen in act 4, scene 3 where Desdemona and Emilia have their final meeting before Othello murders Desdemona. In this speech by Emilia, it is conveyed that she has a strong sense of how marriage and male and female relationships function, and how they ought to function. EMILIA Yes, a dozen; and as many toth vantage as/ would store the world they played for./ But I do think it is their husbands faults/ If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties/ And pour our treasures into foreign laps;/ Or else break out in peevish jealousies,/ Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us,/ Or scant our former having in despite./ Why, we have galls; and though we have some grace,/ Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know / Their wives have sense like them. They see, and smell,/ And have their palates both for sweet and sour,/ As husbands have. What is it that they do/ When they change us for others? Is it sport?/ I think it doth. Ist frailty that this errs?/ It is so too. And have not we affections,/ Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?/ Then let them use us well; else let them know,/ The ills we do, their ills instruct us so. (98) Emilia clearly is going out on a limb here because she knows the patriarchal society she lives in and she does not accept it. She does not like living under her husband and believes that husbands are the source of womens problems, part of the problem being that men do not view women as equals but with their own gaze. The secret lives of women also come out of this speech, and that is the fact that women can see beyond what men see. Emilia and Desdemona can view women and men as equals, and men cannot, thus getting at the root of the complexity of the women in this play. They are in a bind because although they have the knowledge to be at the same level as men or even on a higher level than men, they do not have enough social support to fight against the inequalities. Through this common knowledge that women share about the lives of men and women, they create a bond of mutual reasoning and understanding. At the end of the play Emilia is the one who steps forward and has the courage to tell Othello the truth about what really happened with Desdemona, Moor, she was chaste. She loved thee, cruel Moor./ So come my soul to bliss as I speak true!/ So speaking as I think, alas, I die (5.2. 113). Although she spoke the truth and was in the right in this situation, even being the strong woman that she was, Emilia could not handle the violence towards Desdemona and she dies on a weak note.

Chastity was very important to the men in Othello. Othello wanted his wife to be chaste for their wedding night. In fact, chasteness was so important, that Othello gave Desdemona a handkerchief that his father had given his mother that represented chasteness and faithfulness to the husband. The handkerchief was made from white linen, white being the color of goodness and purity, and it also represented the flawless white, clean sheets of the wedding bed. There were embroidered strawberries that were died red to represent virginal blood. The symbolism of this handkerchief and not the handkerchief itself is what sparks Othellos fury at his wife and thus is the reason Iago chooses to use it against Othello and Desdemonas relationship. The moment Othello finds out from Iago that Cassio had the handkerchief, his wife immediately goes from being a loving, faithful wife, to a useless whore. Othello, Hang her!I do but say what she is; so delicate/ with her needle; an admirable musician (O, she will/ sing the savageness out of a bear!); of so high and plenteous/ wit and invention, (4.1. 83). Even though Othello knew her to be a faithful wife, she has now spoiled in Othellos mind due to her alleged infidelity. To be called a whore is a strain on a good womans reputation, unless of course the woman is a whore and in that case, is treated rather differently. When Desdemona comes to Emilia to tell her what Othello has accused her of, she cannot believe her ears, Hath she forsook so many noble matches,/ Her father and her country and her friends, / To be called whore? Would it not make one weep?...Why should he call her whore? Who keeps her company?/ What place? What time? What form? What likelihood? (4.2. 91). Emilia knowing Desdemonas true nature is perplexed of course at the thought of Desdemona being labeled a whore by her own husband, and thus, again her speech about husbands is verified once more, that, But I do think it is their husbands faults/ If wives do fall (98). This indeed seems to be the case, and Desdemona still does not put up a very good fight against her husbands in act five scene 2, which shows Desdemonas submissive personality, but also her loyalty to Othello. Desdemona begs and pleads for her life while sitting on her wedding bed with Othello standing over her, and thus she is putting herself in a position of frailty instead of standing up to him. On the contrary, Desdemona remains faithful to her lover as she dies, A guiltless death I dieNobody. I myself. Farewell./ Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell! (5.2. 108). Desdemona did not tell Emilia that Othello killed her, but instead says that she took her own life. Desdemona was a very loyal woman to the men in her life from the very start. My noble father,/ I do perceive here a divided duty./ To you I am bound for life and education;/ My like and education both do learn me/ How to respect you; you are the lord of duty;/ I am hithero 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. 19-21) Desdemona clearly has nothing but good intentions for living a good moral life while pleasing all the important people in it. She shows love and respect for her father as well as her new husband, and asks he father very diplomatically with good support if he will see things her way. Desdemona, although passive and submissive, has a good head on her shoulders. The only other female character in Othello, is the prostitute Bianca who has interest in Cassio, and has very few lines in the play, and the lines that she does have are short, sweet, simple, and of no real substance. The only importance she has in the play comes from the involvement of her with Desdemonas handkerchief in which she is appalled by when Cassio gives it to her as she finds out it is another womans. Let the devil and his damn haunt you! What/ did you mean by that same handkerchief you gave/ me even now? I was a fine fool to take it. I must take/ out the work? A likely piece of work, that you should/ find it in your chamber you know not who left it there!/ This is come minxs token, and I must take out the work?/ There, give it your hobby-horse! Wheresoever you had/ it, Ill take out no work ont. (4.1. 82). Perhaps because Bianca is indeed a whore, Shakespeare gave this character a minor role with no such importance than a small subplot for Iago to manipulate Cassio with. Bianca perhaps was given very few lines to imply that prostitutes were of little importance. Iago describes Bianca as, A huswife that by selling her desires/ Buys herself bread and cloth. It is a creature/ That dotes on Cassioas tis the strumpeters plague (4.1. 80). Indeed Bianca sells her body, yet it is most likely the only way she can live. Women were not permitted to be educated; especially those of the lower class, and therefore Bianca probably received no education and obviously did not marry. If women did not marry and depend on a husband for support, they were left to fend for themselves and that usually only left them with the option of prostitution. Bianca knows this, however, after looking at Iagos harsh portrayal of Bianca, he clearly does not understand the situation Bianca is in, and thus Bianca shares the secret life of a female as does Desdemona and Emilia and therefore indirectly, establishes the female bond. The women of Othello have different characteristics, yet all share one common bond. Desdemona is submissive, but loyal and true to the men in her life. Emilia thinks quite low of her husband and is a strong, smart, assertive woman. Bianca knows her place in society and was unfortunate to succumb to a life of prostitution. However, all these women share the same knowledge, which brings them together as

females. They all live under a harsh patriarchal society that does not allow them to think and act freely and naturally as men do, even though unlike the men, they know they are of equal human qualities.