Essay exploring 'The Feminine Voice in Othello' and whether 'Emilia is the true hero?' Great look at the theme of femininity/women in the play. Thorough use of quotations, themes, context, debate and analysis. Perfect for studying Emilia and Desdemona. Explores how they foil each other as character...
THE FEMININE VOICE IN OTHELLO: IS EMILIA THE TRUE HERO?
What is femininity? Where is it in Othello?
Debate over whether Shakespeare’s works can be approached through a feminist lens continue to divide
how his female characters are seen and with a modern readership that only grows further away from its
contemporary time of writing, Othello, like other plays, has feminist views projected onto it that are
disputable in their worth.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, femininity is a ‘quality’ or ‘assemblage of qualities pertaining the
female sex, womanliness; in early use also, female nature.’ Though ‘gender’ is now considered a concept,
when looking at the 16th Century, femininity was seen to be inherent in women of the time and if we are
to consider the voice that it adopts within Othello, then we must define what being ‘feminine’ was. The
word may not have been used but certainly took root in societal expectations - women were to be pure,
mild, attentive to men and maternal; the course of life for women was daughter to wife. From the
abundance of three female characters in Othello, the femininity must be found within their dialogue, but
who is it that fits these feminine criteria the most. Bianca unfortunately only occupies two scenes, and her
voice is in itself is limited by her role as ‘mistress to Cassio,’ in her second and final scene she is blamed
for Cassio’s death. Her femininity is not given the chance to be seen, but the oppression she undergoes is
telling of a woman’s place in the play itself. Emilia, comparatively, is outspoken in her nature and
maintains a hateful repour with her husband, as well as criticizing the titular man of the play – so, despite
her position as wife – Emilia's femininity is perhaps less characterizing of her than Desdemona. Othello’s
wife, who at first speaks for herself, but then becomes passive – Desdemona meets the criteria for
feminine almost impeccably, and what is it that comes of her voice?
Does Shakespeare empower the feminine voice?
For a time that may have had a woman on the throne all by herself, to the distaste of all her male advisers,
the 16th Century did not exactly champion its women, which makes it harder to prove that Shakespeare
was in any means empowering the female voice through Othello. The modern perspective looks at
Desdemona as a romantic feminist who throws away her daughterly duties of propriety to marry the man
she loves. Ostensibly, Desdemona is defiant from the outset of the play – she marries a racially ostracized
man (beneath her class) without her father’s consent. This defiance should not be undermined by its
audiences, a woman eloping would have been a dangerous and talked-upon problem for a reputable
family as Desdemona’s and seen as a direct failure of her father – or at least a disregard of respect for him
as a superior man. However, when we do more than just scratch the surface – Desdemona does this
‘corrupted’ (60:1-3) action of marriage in order to aid her own conformation. All Desdemona wants is to
be a wife; subject herself to the patriarchy. Feminist readership looks at Lady Macbeth, the Taming of the
Shrew, or even Much Ado About Nothing for its presentation of outspoken, strong female characters; yet
none of these characters withstand their independence from the men in their lives. Beatrice and Benedick
in Much Ado, similarly to the Shrew, end up marrying despite Beatrice’s happiness in hating Benedick
and being avid on not marrying him. And of course, Lady Macbeth’s villainy, and driving force behind
Macbeth, is met with suggested suicide – unable to handle her power. Desdemona is no different, she
marries and instantly becomes passive. The voice she had in the opening scene was asked for by Othello
and enabled by her father with the simple, ‘Let her speak,’ the smallness of the phrase emphatic of the
vast power men have to limit, to quieten the female voice. Desdemona’s passivity is even the cause of her
death, ‘His unkindness may taint my life, but never taint my love.’ Though it is said ignorantly,
Desdemona’s blind devotion here speaks for the voice she has abandoned in marriage, her conformation
even means the extent of her life being in his hands. Desdemona’s willingness to be with Othello is not
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller willowmay. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $6.52. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
