Comparision between Desdemona and Emilia in Othello.

 

Desdemona is the daughter of a powerful Venetian politician, educated and gentle. She became the wife of an equally prestigious Venetian army general, Othello. Her relationship was healthy and loving at first. For her, everything changed during the play.
Desdemona is loyal, kind and gentle. She is romantic, assertive, a bit naive and has not had much experience in love or life. As a noblewoman, she was educated and steadfast. She tends to be quiet most of the time, especially after marrying Othello. Desdemona is considered upper class because she is the daughter of a senator and the wife of the general.

Emilia, meanwhile, comes from a bourgeois family, married to a violent officer, Iago. However, she has more life experience than Desdemona. Therefore, she was not surprised by the turn of events.

Emilia is outspoken and more experienced in love and life. She is completely loyal to her husband. However, she will not hesitate to betray or deceive him under the right circumstances. She comes from a middle-class family and she is not educated or well-spoken like Desdemona. She makes up for this by being less naive and inexperienced.

The similarity between the two characters is that they are both married women. Both characters have a sense of pride and dignity. Desdemona never betrayed Othello, not even on his deathbed. Emilia sacrifices her life to save her lover's honor. Desdemona and Emilia have much in common. Both ended up in violent marriages. Both were killed by their husbands. And neither of them doubt (at least Emilia, it's not too late) what Iago is up to.
Both women become powerful characters: Desdemona reveals this when she conforms to society's expectations of heart and money by marrying an older black man whom she loved. Emilia shows her bravery when she tells the truth at the end of the play about Iago, exposing her duplicity.

The difference between the two women is their speech throughout the play. Desdemona started making noise after marrying Othello and moving out, then fell victim to male domination. Towards the end of the play, she is silent. Emilia starts to get quiet then gets louder as the part ends. Desdemona enjoys freedom of speech, especially in Act I. She defends herself against the Duke; she even openly rebelled in front of her father. Desdemona is a very modern woman. However, in his private conversations with Desdemona.

 
We find that Emilia is a modern then Desdemona, after marrying Othello, the woman becomes naive and loses her strong personality. Sometimes it seemed like Desdemona was a prisoner in her marriage. Enduring Othello's torment, she felt she had no other choice. She remains faithful to her husband and takes care of him.
In contrast, Emilia believes in freedom of choice. She has a favorable relationship with Desdemona, who is her servant. Sometimes she even shares her views on marriage and men in general:

Related Article

• Discuss the role of chance and coincidence in Silas Marner.
• Comment on Wordsworth’s treatment of nature in “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”.
• Two sets of problem in orientalism by Edward Said.

Another major difference is that Desdemona is very naive. Married, she was not prepared for the challenges set up. Othello's lack of confidence makes him an unreliable and demanding husband. Desdemona is not ready for her jealousy and does not know how to deal with it:

Emilia is a very experienced person and understands much more reality than Othello's wife. She realizes that she is imprisoned in her marriage to Iago. In her conversation with Desdemona, the reader will see how she analyzes the status of women. She doesn't consider it fair and criticizes society and the men's behavior. This is why her speech sounded feminist at the time.

Emilia always tries to influence her status by different means. However, Desdemona accepts her situation. She doesn't want or can't change anything, obeying Othello to the end:
The two women's attitudes towards adultery also differ. Emilia admits that she does not consider this a crime. When Othello accused his wife of being unfaithful, Desdemona did not object. This is a great illustration of Desdemona's loss. She lost her steadfast character after getting married. Abused by her husband, she became a submissive woman.

The contrast between Desdemona and Emilia is interesting. Desdemona is the epitome of feminine virtue; she is calm, submissive and innocent. Desdemona, even until the very last moment when her husband literally killed her, remained faithful and loving. Her optimism and unwavering faith in her marriage show that she is pure but ignorant.

 On the other hand, Emilia is extremely strong and straightforward. She is skeptical of human nature and love, often making realistic and pessimistic remarks about marital infidelity.

Desdemona was so innocent that she couldn't believe that adultery was even possible, a lack of understanding that contributed to her tragic end. Emilia rarely talks about how men and women share similar desires and weaknesses, nor does her direct views on marital infidelity.