Othello Confidante Analysis

Confidantes have become some of the most important characters in literature. They hold meanings that the main protagonists are not able to get a hold of. In William Shakespeare’s tragic play, “Othello,” the most exposed confidante, Emilia, is a maid and close friend to Desdemona, Othello’s wife. The knowledge that Emilia endures allows her to serve a greater purpose than what is explicitly shown. Ultimately, Shakespeare uses Emilia to spread information, reveal Iago’s legitimate character, and expose the main plot, emphasizing her importance and making her “the reader’s friend as much as the protagonist’s.” Throughout the play, Emilia is pushed around by multiple people. She is displayed as another role in the background. However, Emilia is much more than that. She mainly makes connections with …show more content…
Iago had been conspiring to eradicate Othello’s reputation as well as his life. Even though Othello was intelligent enough to detect Iago’s fake motive, he was still lured into the traps. Iago successfully manipulated Othello’s mind to make it seem as if Cassio and Desdemona were having an affair. To strengthen his plan, Emilia was able to get a hold of the handkerchief Othello gave to Desdemona. Right after Desdemona’s death, Othello reveals that Iago had told him about Cassio and Desdemona’s fling and the handkerchief situation, which shocks Emilia. She questions why Iago stated the handkerchief was given to Cassio by Desdemona when she was the one to give it to Iago. Emilia had triggered the most impacting scene of the play, which was the climax. Without Emilia’s actions, Othello would have never believed Iago’s words because he wanted solid evidence before accepting Iago’s remarks. Since Cassio was seen holding Desdemona’s handkerchief, Othello’s mind began to give in to everything Iago had planted, leading to the downfall of the situation. Conclusively, Emilia exposed Iago and completely developed the