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Act 4 scene 3 - Coggle Diagram
Act 4 scene 3
The willow song
Desdemona's mother's maid Barbary died singing the willow song, who was ”in love, and he she loved proved mad” this song ”expressed her fortune” there are clear parallels between Barbary and Desdemona - Barbary's death calls us to think of Desdemona's own mortality thus evokes pathos
The words of the song refer to accusations of infidelity, the poor soul sits weeping next to the water. Like Desdemona, the woman in the song's love is unconditional ”let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,”
In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is found wandering in a sycamore grove, suggesting the tree can be associated with forsaken love
In western Scotland sycamores were planted for a sinister purpose. The barons used them to hang their enemies from. The willow was a more traditional symbol for lost or unrequited love.
Symbolism
Both Othello and Desdemona have wept in act IV due to Iago's evil influence. Othello's been mourning his marriage and his wife's chastity, and Desdemona because her husband does not love her. Crying as a symbol of a tortured mind.
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The two wives
Desdemona
Desdemona's love for her husband is everything to her, her no longer having the love of her husband in return despite her innocence leaves her lost and melancholy. She seems unworldly/naive in comparison to Emilia who is cognisant of the worlds wrongs
Her virtue and innocence continue to shine through her character as always. She remains obedient to Othello, evoking pathos as she dismisses Emilia, "we must not now displease him." She remains loyal and refuses to say a bad word, Emilia says she wishes she'd never seen him, she replies "So would not I. My love doth so approve him..."
She asks Emilia "If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me in one of those same sheets" possibly a passing comment from Desdemona, yet reminding us of her mortality still. Her care for her wedding linens reflects the importance to her of her love and marriage to Othello even in death.
Desdemona's innocence and unworldliness shine through as she asks ”TDost thou think- tell me. Emilia - that there be women do abuse their husbands in such gross kinds?" saying she would not "do this deed for all the world Not by this heavenly light! reminding the audience of her innocence, piety and virtue making the tragedy of her death all the more tragic
Emilia
Emilia is similar to her husband in that she has a cynical view of the world and of love. Desdemona cannot believe that there are women who would be unfaithful to their husbands, while Emilia suggests that adultery is a ”small vice” yet we know she herself would not do so for ”a joint-ring”
Chastity is a serious subject to Emilia, as shown by her outrage at Othello'a accusations (irony as Iago believes that Othello and Emilia have had an affair). We must see Emilia as a virtuous woman as she is Desdemona's defender after death, and the accuser and condemner of masculine abusers,
Emilia's to some extent realistic and to another extent pessimistic views regarding marriage strike a chord with a modern audience, such as her quip in reply to Desdemona ”nor I neither by this heavenly light; I might do't as well in the dark." and during her speech her "Let husbands know that their wives have sense like them: they see and smell..." and "The ills we do, their ills instruct us so" as Shakespeare strangely includes the discussion of sexual and gender politics in a pre-death ritual scene.
Emilia becomes the voice of the audience, expressing the audience's horror in act V when the crimes of Othello and Iago are revealed.
Summary
- Othello sends Desdemona away to prepare for bed.
- Emilia says she wishes Desdemona had never met Othello, but Desdemona insists upon her love for him
- Desdamona thinks to her mother's forsaken and mad maid, and the willow song she used to sing
- The women discuss female infidelity
Bad omens
Desdemona's undressing - not in preparation of her wedding night, but the night of her death. She mentions winding sheets, her itchy eyes, and the song of her mother's old servant Barbary.