The relationship between Iago and Emilia’s stands in complete contrast with Othello and Desdemona’s. Emilia is eager to please Iago; however Iago treats her with suspicion and contempt. Shakespeare use of puns and language all serve to create a sense of tension for the forthcoming sex which makes it dramatically interesting. Their loveless relationship is fully illustrated in Act 3 scene 3, where Emilia presents to Iago Desdemona’s handkerchief. Immediately Iago greets Emilia with suspicion, he demands “How now? What do you here alone?” Iago’s tone is full of contempt, the short sentence structure as well as the plain language, contrasts greatly to those that he uses with Desdemona, illustrating his sense of disdain for Emilia, as if his words and attention is too precious to be used on her. Emilia ignores this comment and professes coquettishly that she has a ‘thing’ for Iago and asked suggestively what Iago would give in return.. In the Elizabethan time ‘thing’ is also a term for the female sexual organ. Shakespeare uses this pun to allude to sex; Emilia’s provocative language generates a sense of tension and suspense from the audience for their anticipation of sex but also considering that in Elizabethan times the actors were all men, the treatment on stage of it. However Iago does not miss the opportunity to deride Emilia, extending the pun “thing” to “it is a very common thing”, calling her a prostitute. Even when Iago is ecstatic that he now has the handkerchief, Iago calls her “a good wench!”, at first glance it seems to be a compliment to her however ‘wench’ is a derogatory for working girl or servant, moreover Iago’s brief and simplistic language shows his superior attitude towards Emilia. Hence Shakespeare’s use of puns and language not only shows Iago and Emilia’s loveless relationship but also builds tension and excitement through its foreshadowing of sex.
However Iago’s belittling of Emilia is not limited to the private domain; even in public he does not lose the opportunity to disparage her. In act II scene 1, Iago mercilessly criticizes Emilia as a lazy and cantankerous woman, Emilia’s silence and subservient attitude demonstrate their relationship as patriarchal. Shakespeare’s use of puns and parallelism to belittle Emilia creates tension between Desdemona and Iago, which seems to forebode a skirmish hence exciting the audience. When Cassio greats Emilia with kisses, Iago responds crudely with “would she give you so much of her lips/ As of her tongue she oft bestows on me,/ You would have enough.” This pun hints sarcastically to kissing as well as scolding, already it is embarrassing enough to be publicly denounced as quarrelsome, however it is even more humiliating as Iago also implies Emilia seems to ready to receive Cassio’s kisses. Desdemona attempts to rescue Emilia from such remarks, only to have Iago continue to defame his wife publicly. His invective, though, serves a greater purpose than simply providing a peek at his chauvinistic attitudes. Iago tartly expands his tirade and assuming what he perceives to be a ‘manly’ position, Iago uses Emilia as a representative for all womanhood, exclaiming, “You are pictures out of doors./ Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchen,/ Saints in your injuries, devils being offended,/ Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds”. Here he is stating that women appear as pretty and as silent as pictures in the public, then he continues ranting that rather than managing their households well, the only thing women seem to manage well at all is their bedroom, suggesting that women are maniacal when it comes to their sexuality. In addition the parallelism in the abrupt sentence structure, builds a cadence when spoken out loud, which implies sense of never ending to the list, which further underlines Iago’s chauvinism towards females and in particular this ideal has made it impossible for him to have a proper relationship with Emilia. Shakespeare’s witty puns and parallelism builds a momentum of discontent towards woman, his merciless criticism against Emilia and woman in general builds a tension between him and Desdemona, clearly Desdemona feels that these opinions are unjust. This tension seems to suggest a possible skirmish, which makes it exciting to the audience.
Shakespeare makes much effort to demonstrate that Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is based beyond physical attraction, that there love is based on an intellectual or even spiritual bond. Shakespeare’s use of repetition hints to Othello and Desdemona’s questionable basis for love, which foreshadows looming tragedy and urges the audience to anticipate for it. In Act I Scene 3, Othello states in his soliloquy that “She loved me for the dangers, I had passed, /And I loved her that she did pity them.” His soliloquy helps us to understand what is underlying his relationship with Desdemona. From what Othello says, his understanding of love is not what it should be, nor is Desdemona’s. Although little doubt exists that they love each other, but the reason for that love is to be suspected. Shakespeare further reiterates this point again through Desdemona, she states “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind, and to his honors and his valiant parts /Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.” Shakespeare’s use of the word ‘consecrate’ to describe their love, implies a spiritual bond, however the repetition of Desdemona’s attraction to “his [Othello’s] honors” and “valiant parts” although beautiful, suggests that their relationship may not be based on the most solid reasoning. Hence by alluding to the flaw in their love through repetition, Shakespeare fills the audience with a sense anticipation of the possibilities of Desdemona and Othello’s relationship. As the play moves towards the climax, the audience can see that Othello and Desdemona’s love is far from the unconditional love it seems to promise to be. As Othello’s jealousy becomes increasingly defined, Desdemona becomes more silent and submissive, retreating to the stereotype of an ideal Elizabethan wife. When the jealous Othello lashes out on Desdemona in act IV, scene 2; afterwards she compares herself to as “a child to chiding”. Being a woman in that time, she is unequipped to assert her chastity against a man, so Desdemona escapes reality through retreating to a childlike behavior. This reflects a fundamental weakness that lies in all relationships between men and woman in Elizabethan times, in Iago and Emilia’s relationship as well as Desdemona and Othello’s. That is the Elizabethan ideal of woman as silent and obedient and their inferior status will ultimately hinder men and woman relationships, and will ultimately lead to tragedy.
Shakespeare’s use of language, diction, parallelism, repetition and punning all serve to create tension, in both between the characters and the emotions of the audience. The tension created generates suspense and anticipation of what may follow, thus making the play more ‘dramatically interesting’ to the audience. Furthermore Shakespeare has used these literary techniques to explore the marital relationship between Othello and Desdemona and Iago and Emilia. Othello and Desdemona’s relationship is loving, and appears equal in the sense that sex and race does not seem to pose a problem, however as Shakespeare has repeatedly hinted to us their reasoning behind their love seems to simplistic. Whereas Iago and Emilia’s relationship is completely patriarchal, Emilia is treated without respect or trust, whereas she desperately wants to please Iago. Though these two relationships seem to illustrate two opposing extremes on the scale, however both are fundamentally affected by the Elizabethan social standards for woman, thus Shakespeare has illustrated that Elizabethan men and women relationships can not escape the patriarchal norm of society, which will ultimately lead to tragedy and destruction.
Word Count: 1745
