rom the play is Emilia’s stealing of Desdemona’s handkerchief. Although Iago mistreats Emilia and detests her, Emilia remains more loyal to him than to gentle and caring Desdemona. She gives the handkerchief even after Iago calls her “a foolish wife” and “a good wench.” Another female character, Bianca, also allows herself to be mistreated. Bianca believes that she is in love with Cassio and will therefore do anything for him. But Cassio does not reciprocate Bianca’s feelings. He states to Iago “Alas, poor rogue, I think i’ faith she loves me.” (4.1.128) Cassio essentially uses Bianca’s love to his own means. He gets her to willingly do chores for him (e.g. copy the embroidery from Desdemona’s handkerchief) and goes to her house for dinner and other entertainment whenever he pleases. However, neither Emilia nor Bianca’s mistreatment is as tragic as Othello’s abuse of Desdemona. At the beginning of the play, Othello and Desdemona are completely in love and it is impossible to believe Othello capable of hurting her in any way. By the end of the play however, Othello is determined to kill Desdemona. When Desdemona learns of Othello’s intentions, she resists feebly, but accepts her fate. When asked who her murderer is, Desdemona says, “Nobody. I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell.” (5.2.152-153) No where is the submissiveness of the women to their significant others more apparent than in this scene. Desdemona’s last words are to clear her husband of the blame in her murder, though he is the one who carried out the deed. Thus, not only are women mistreated, they seem to accept their mistreatment with little resistance.The fact that men abused women without consequence was a common one in Shakespeare’s day and age. Despite the Chivalric Code during the Middle Ages and the ideal of the Courtier ...
