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A Spider’s Prey? by Kevin Klembczyk
“So come my soul to bliss as I speak true; / So speaking as I think, I die, I die” (Shakespeare 88). With these profound dying words, Emilia’s image as a true martyr comes to fruition in the eyes of the audience. She be- comes a model of honor, killed
by her husband whose terrible
lies and crimes she has just un- covered. The audience invari- ably hopes that her soul does achieve the bliss of which she speaks. Throughout the major- ity of Shakespeare’s Othello, Emilia is portrayed simply as another one of Iago’s helpless victims, caught in his spider- web-like tangle of lies. Further, the female gender as a whole is degraded and even objecti ed until the nal scene. It is not until the nal scene that Shakespeare destroys Iago’s seemingly impec- cable schemes and gives a nod
webs as skillfully and thoroughly as a spider. The other charac-
ters are nothing but ies to Iago, as they succumb to his every whim without any suspicion of wrongdoing. With few words
and simple actions, yet bounteous skill and craftiness, Iago is able to incite any con ict of his choosing. His supreme con dence allows him to convince Othello (Iago’s boss and general), that his new bride, Desdemona, is cheating on Othello with Othello’s recently appointed lieutenant Michael Cas- sio.
knows all qualities, with a learned spirit, / Of human dealings” (Shakespeare 48). Evidently, this con dence trumps that which he holds in his own wife. Even as late in the tragedy as in the nal scene, Othello responds to Emil- ia’s astonishment that it was Iago that convinced Othello of Desde- mona’s in delity with “Ay, ‘t was he that told me rst: / An honest man he is, and hates the slime
to the true strength and integrity of Emilia and to contemporary women in general. While Emilia is ultimately killed, she is the
one who is exalted and respected by the reader, whereas the liv- ing Iago is detested and scorned upon. The tables are turned on Iago, Shakespeare’s spider, by his own prey, Emilia. The Bard is able to effectively portray women as the ethically superior gender in Othello.
‘t undone, but keep ‘t unknown. (Shakespeare 46)
With such insinuations as these, Iago basically drives Othello mad with doubt and jealousy. Addi- tionally, Iago’s crafty and insin- cere warnings against such doubt and jealousy only further incite Othello to believe in Iago’s sug- gestions.
The one aw in Iago’s seemingly invincible plot stems from his disrespect and ignorance of women. This characteristic rears its head at several points during the play. When the rst ship from Venice arrives at Cy- prus, Cassio greets Desdemona with much attery. Iago seems almost offended by and goes on to repeatedly slander the female gender:
Throughout nearly the entirety of this Shakespearean tragedy, Iago is able to weave his
In response to Desdemo- na’s angry denial, Iago contin- ues by insisting, “Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk: / You rise
to play, and go to bed to work” (Shakespeare 24). This is the deepest cutting of Iago’s insults,
Blackbird Review
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Receive it from me. I speak not yet of proof. / Look to your wife: observe her well with Cassio; / Wear your eye thus, not jealous nor secure: / I would not have your free and noble nature / Out of self-bounty be abused; look to ‘t: / I know our country disposi- tion well; / In Venice they do let heaven see the pranks / They dare not show their husbands; their best conscience / Is not to leave
/ That sticks on lthy deeds” (Shakespeare 85). There is obvi- ous irony here. While Othello is referring to Desdemona’s alleged lthiness in her supposed in del- ity (allegations that are false), the audience knows that Iago himself is the true perpetrator of “ lthy deeds” in his lies and misleadings.
Further adding to Iago’s prowess as an impeccable vil- lain is his ability to maintain the complete and doubtless trust of his subjects. In Act III, scene iii, when Iago departs after accusing Othello’s wife of cheating on him, Othello reaf rms his con dence in his lowly ensign: “This fel- low’s of exceeding honesty, / And
Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, / Bells in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens, / Saints in your injuries, devils being offended, / Players
in your housewifery, and house- wives in your beds. (Shakespeare 24)