"Othello" - William Shakespeare (Act III)

ACT III

1. Iago is the master of planting seeds of doubt. Truly, what he leaves unsaid is much more influential on Othello than the things he says. Othello seems to be far to trusting, and guilible. We know that his love for Desdemona is great - and great jealousy often accompanies great love. It is quite strange however, that Othello is so quick to doubt and distrust Cassio, and his own wife . . . and yet he never stops to question Iago's loyalty. Perhaps this is because, in both the case of Cassio and of his wife, he had doubts to begin with. Iago shares in the opening scene that many people of note were unsure about Othello's choice of Cassio, feeling that he had only book learning rather than actual experience. Maybe this caused Othello to lose some of his confidence in Cassio, and made him open to doubts. The same with his wife - Othello probably felt the pressure of disapproval of Desdemona's father, and of society in general, regarding the marraige of a black man to a white woman. While he knew he loved Desdemona, their unique situation may have caused Iago's whispered doubts to grow into fruitition far sooner than they would have otherwise.

2. As we can see at the end of the play, Emilia is quite unaware of her husbands plot. We have already seen his unkind and disrespectful treatment of her, and hear in this Act of her cynical view of men, and marriage in general. These two things combined can't make for a happy marriage, or good relationship between them. So, it is plausible that she simply has no idea why her husband would want the handkerchief. However, two other ideas present themselves to me. One is that, while she may be aware of how evil his intentions are, she is afraid of him and what he might do to her, so afraid that she fails to tell her mistress of what she has done in giving the handkerchief to him. The second idea that I had was that perhaps, despite all her bitterness, she may love Iago, in a twisted sort of way. Often, we see women who are abused be defensive and protective of the very husband or boyfriend who is abusing them. Emilia may cherish this same type of blind devotion to Iago, desperate to do anything she can to win his love in return. And yet, she seems to, at the same time, despise this apparent need and desire for her husband's affection, especially since she is never fulfilled.

Favorite Quotes:

"By heaven, thou echo-st me, as if there were some monster in thy thought too hideous to be shown. Thou dost mean something. If thou dost love me, show me thy thought." - Othello

"It were not for your quiet nor your good, nor for my manhood, honesty, and wisdom, to let you know my thoughts." - Iago

Othello: "By heaven, I'll know thy thoughts."
Iago: "You cannot, if my heart were in your hand, nor shall not, whilst 'tis in my custody."

"I should be wise, for honesty's a fool and loses that it works for." - Iago

"'Tis not a year or two shows us a man. They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; they eat us hungrily, and when they are full they belch us. " -Emilia

"But jealous souls will not be answered so; they are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for they're jealous. It is a monster begot upon itself, born upon itself." - Emilia