Othello – Edited Body Paragraph

Iago continues to represent misogynistic ideals in a more jovial setting. Iago teases his ideas of a
wife’s role, ‘housewives’ in your beds’, and describes a wife’s role as more of an object than a faithful
and loving partner. For example, ‘[b]ells in your parlours’ depicts wives as an empty vessel which
produces repetitive, irritating sounds. He places them firmly in household positions- ‘your parlours’,
‘your kitchens’, ‘your housewifery’, ‘your beds’, presenting a particularly patriarchal argument for
where a woman should belong.

Another evident way which Shakespeare represents a woman’s role through both Emilia and
Desdemona is when they yearn for their husband’s love and approval and the suffering they must
endure. E.g. in ACT II SCENE II Emilia’s urgency to please Iago by seizing the handkerchief. This is also
demonstrated as well in Desdemona’s constant loyalty to her “noble” lord; even upon her death
bed where even dying she proclaims “a guiltless death I die…nobody but myself; farewell”. Hence
this highlights her eternal suppliance and reverence.

Thus, the evidence of repression and objectification of women contradicts the notion that true love
is the centre of the tragedy. It is rather a manifest greediness of patriarchal men who believe women
are mere objects for acquisition. Although, it can be argued that Shakespeare purposefully placed
these misogynistic attitudes to instead highlight their irony. He presents both Desdemona and Emilia
as strong women who have a voice and are assertive of their iniquity, hence to present to audience’s
question of female roles.