Emilia, the heroine of Shakespeare's Othello Shakespeare, in his tragedy Othello, features a minor character who does great things in the final act. His character deserves to be analyzed. Kenneth Muir, in the Introduction to William Shakespeare: Othello, explains Emilia's motivations through most of the play: Emilia's character is also determined by the plot. In the source, the villain's wife is aware of the nefarious plans. Shakespeare wisely makes her, like the other characters, unaware of Iago's character. She knows she has lost her love and her unhappy marriage drives her to cynicism about sex; but she tries to win back her husband's affection by fulfilling his wishes, even when this involves betraying the lover she loves. (41)AC Bradley, in his book of literary criticism, Shakespearean Tragedy, defines the character of the old man's wife: Few of Shakespeare's minor characters are more distinct than Emilia, and towards few do our feelings change so much in the course of the play . Until the end he often grits his teeth; and in the end you are ready to adore it. He shows no signs of having a bad heart; but she is common, sometimes vulgar, in minor matters anything but scrupulous, dull in perception and feeling, and entirely unimaginative. He let Iago take the handkerchief even though he knew how much its loss would pain Desdemona; and said nothing about it, even though he saw that Othello was jealous. (222)Emilia is not mentioned in the play until the initial furor of the first two scenes subsides. Brabantio's anger, among other reasons, makes it necessary for Desdemona to live with Iago and Emilia during the Moors' campaign in Cyprus against... middle of paper ......g murder: “And your dealings began the 'homocide. " Emilia is aware that here she is violating social conventions: "It is right that I obey him, but not now." This violation costs her dearly. Emilia's extraordinary interrogation and the conviction of her husband as the evil mind behind the murder becomes result in the killing of Iago. She becomes a martyr for the cause of truth and justice. Suddenly she turns into a heroine of comedy! , 1981.Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy, 1968.Shakespeare, William Shakespeare. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No lines n..