Comparison Of Minor Characters In Othello

In the plays of William Shakespeare, he creates a range of different and interesting characters. Amongst his characters, there are similarities that can be traced throughout his plays. In this essay would be looking at Shakespeare’s Othello, Twelfth Night, and The Merchant of Venice. Within each of these works, there are characters that act as advisors, advocates, or go-betweens. These characters may be the protagonist or antagonist, the main or minor character, but they help move the plot forward with their actions. In Othello, Iago appears to be the advisor to Othello, yet he has other motives that drive the play forward. Also, Emilia, Iago’s wife, and Desdemona’s lady-in-waiting is loyal and supports Desdemona. Viola in Twelfth Night disguises
At first, Emilia appears loyal to Desdemona, but her actions may make the reader think otherwise when she does something that will affect her lady’s life. After Desdemona drops her handkerchief, Emilia picks it up and says, “My wayward husband hath a hundred times / Wooed me to steal it…I’ll have the work taken out / And give’t Iago” (III.iii.291-296). Although Emilia knows her husband wants the handkerchief, for some reason unknown to her, she stays loyal to Desdemona, knowing that it holds meaning to her, and decides to have a copy made to give to Iago. However, that does not go to plan when Iago ends up snatching it from her and tells her to “Be not acknown on’t” (III.iii.318). If Desdemona were to ask about the whereabouts of the handkerchief, she is to deny any knowledge of it. It is from this simple action of Emilia picking up Desdemona’s fallen handkerchief and later having it snatched from her grasp by Iago that spurs the plot forward to the next coming interactions amongst the characters. At this point in the play, the audience may begin to question where Emilia’s loyalty lies. Is it with her husband or with Desdemona? Will she obey her husband’s command or stay her loyal to Desdemona? These questions are answered when Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief in Act III Scene 4. Emilia is silently present in the room when the conversation between Othello and
Knowing the meaning behind the handkerchief and how unhappy her lady is about having lost the item, Emilia decides to stay silent instead of revealing what she knows. Rather than confessing the truth about what exactly happened with the piece of cloth, she decides to stay loyal to her husband and keep quiet. This once again advances the plot forward, thus helping Iago get one step closer to his goal. She once again shows her loyalty to Desdemona when she is later questioned by Othello regarding whether Desdemona had been unfaithful. She confirms that Desdemona’s innocence is still intact and any words exchanged between Cassio and Desdemona were harmless. For instance, Emilia says, “But then I saw no harm; and then heard / Each syllable that breath made between them [Cassio and Desdemona]” (IV.ii.4-5). Any exchanges between the two were always innocent and she heard every word that was spoken between the two in order to know that Desdemona is not having an affair with Cassio. She would “durst...to wager she [Desdemona] is honest, / Lay down my soul at stake” (IV.ii.13-14). Emilia would bet her own soul that Desdemona has stayed true to Othello and showed no signs of being unfaithful. Although Emilia does not confess that Iago took Desdemona’s handkerchief, she does redeem herself by firmly stating that Desdemona has been faithful to Othello. Ultimately, by the end of the play, we see that Emilia is loyal to Desdemona