Who is ÆMILIA?
Writing down all Emilia's lines from Othello was a starting point to shape her personality.
I wrote all down on paper, as a stream of consciousness, and then read it out loud several times.
I then highlighted and extracted the lines I considered essential to then create her story.
Resources: Æmilia
Development from the text.
Listening to Æmilia speak:
Text sourced from The First Folio (Digital facsimile of the Bodleian First Folio of Shakespeare's plays)
To speake your bosome freely.
Actus Tertio. Scena prima.
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I am glad I have found this Napkin:
This was her first remembrance from the Moore,
My wayward Husband hath a hundred times Woo'd me to steale it.
But she so loves the Token, (For he coniur'd her, she should ever keepe it)
That she reserves it evermore about her,
To kisse, and talke too. Ile have the worke tane out,
And giv't Iago: what he will do with it
Heaven knowes, not I: I nothing, but to please his Fantasie.
Actus Tertio. Scena Tertia.
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'Tis not a yeare or two shewes us a man:
They are all but Stomackes, and we all but Food,
They eate us hungerly, and when they are full
They belch us.
Acto Tertio. Scena Quarta.
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I durst (my Lord) to wager, she is honest:
Lay downe my Soule at stake: If you thinke other,
Remoue your thought. It doth abuse your bosome:
If any wretch haue put this in your head,
Let Heauen requit it with the Serpents curse,
For if she be not honest, chaste, and true,
There's no man happy. The purest of their Wiues
Is foule as Slander.
Actus Quarto. Scena Prima.
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Oh Heavens, that such companions thou'd'st unfold,
And put in euery honest hand a whip
To lash the Rascalls naked through the world,
Euen from the East to th'West.
Actus Quarto. Scena Secunda.
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Oh fie upon them: some such Squire he was
That turn'd your wit, the seamy-side without,
And made you to suspect me with the Moore.
Actus Quarto. Scena Secunda.
I should venture Purgatory for't.
Actus Quarto. Scena Tertia.
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Why, the wrong is but a wrong i'th'world;
And having the world for your labour, 'tis a wrong in
Your owne world, and you might quickly make it right.
Actus Quarto. Scena Tertia.
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But I do thinke it is their Husbands faults
If Wiues do fall: (Say, that they slacke their duties,
And powre our Treasures into forraigne laps;
Or else breake out in peeuish Iealousies,
Throwing restraint upon us: Or say they strike us,
Or scant our former having in despight)
Why we have galles: and though we have some Grace,
Yet have we some Revenge. Let Husbands know,
Their wives have sense like them: They see, and smell,
And have their Palats both for sweet, and sowre,
As Husbands haue. What is it that they do,
When they change us for others? Is it Sport?
I thinke it is: and doth Affection breed it?
I thinke it doth. Is't Frailty that thus erres?
It is so too. And have not we Affections?
Desires for Sport? and Frailty, as men haue?
Then let them use us well: else let them know,
The illes we do, their illes instruct us so.
Actus Quarto. Scena Tertia.
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She said so: I must needs report the truth.
Actus Quinto. Scena Secunda.
Oh Mistris, Villany hath made mockes with love:
My Husband say she was false?
Actus Quinto. Scena Secunda.
Thou hast not halfe that powre to do me harm,
As I have to be hurt. Oh Gull, oh dolt,
As ignorant as durt: thou hast done a deed (I care not for thy Sword) Ile make thee known,
Though I lost twenty lives.
Actus Quinto. Scena Secunda.
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Oh, are you come, Iago: you have done well,
That men must lay their Murthers on your necke.
Disproue this Villaine, if thou bee'st a man:
He sayes, thou told'st him that his wife was false:
I know thou did'st not: thou'rt not such a Villain.
Speake, for my heart is full.
But did you ever tell him, She was false?
You told a Lye an odious damned Lye.
Upon my Soule, a Lye; a wicked Lye.
I will not charme my Tongue;
I am bound to speake,
My Mistris heere lyes murthered in her bed.
Villany, villany, villany:
I thinke upon't, I thinke: I smel't: O Villany:
I thought so then: Ile kill my selfe for greefe.
O villany! Villany!
Good Gentlemen, let me have leave to speake:
'Tis proper I obey him; but not now:
'Twill out, 'twill out. I peace?
No, I will speake as liberall as the North;
Let Heaven, and Men, and Divels, let them all,
All, all, crie shame against me, yet Ile speake.
I will not.
That Handkerchiefe thou speak'st of
I found by Fortune, and did give my Husband:
For often, with a solemne earnestnesse,
(More then indeed belong'd to such a Trifle)
He begg'd of me, to steale't.
No, alas I found it,
And I did giu't my Husband.
What should such a Foole
Do with so good a wife?
What did thy Song boad Lady?
Hearke, canst thou heare me? I will play the Swan,
And dye in Musicke: Willough, Willough, Willough.
Moore, she was chaste: She lou'd thee, cruell Moore,
So come my Soule to blisse, as I speake true:
So speaking as I thinke, alas, I dye.
Actus Quinto. Scena Secunda.
Resources: Æmilia & Iago
Development from the text.
Listening to Æmilia & Iago speak:
Text sourced from The First Folio (Digital facsimile of the Bodleian First Folio of Shakespeare's plays)
DESDEMONA. Oh, fie upon thee, Slanderer.
IAGO. Nay, it is true: or else I am a Turke, You rise to play, and go to bed to worke.
ÆMILIA . You shall not write my praise. Iago. No, let me not.
Actus Secundus. Scena Prima
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IAGO. How now? What do you heere alone?
ÆMILIA . Do not you chide: I have a thing for you.
IAGO. You have a thing for me? It is a common thing
ÆMILIA . Hah?
IAGO. To have a foolish wife.
ÆMILIA . Oh, is that all? What will you give me now
For that same Handkerchief
Actus Tertio. Scena Tertia
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ÆMILIA . Disproue this Villaine, if thou bee'st a man:
He sayes, thou told'st him that his wife was false:
I know thou did'st not: thou'rt not such a Villain.
Speake, for my heart is full.
IAGO. I told him what I thought,
And told no more
Then what he found himselfe was apt, and true.
ÆMILIA . But did you ever tell him, She was false?
IAGO. I did.
ÆMILIA . You told a Lye an odious damned Lye.
Upon my Soule, a Lye; a wicked Lye.
Shee false with Cassio? Did you say with Cassio?
IAGO. With Cassio, Mistris?
Go too, charme your tongue.
EMILIA. I will not charme my Tongue;
I am bound to speake,
My Mistris heere lyes murthered in her bed.
EMILIA. Villany, villany, villany:
I thinke upon't, I thinke: I smel't: O Villany:
I thought so then: Ile kill my selfe for greefe.
O villany! Villany!
IAGO. What, are you mad? I charge you get you home.
EMILIA. Good Gentlemen, let me have leave to speake:
'Tis proper I obey him; but not now:
Perchance Iago, I will ne're go home.
Resources: Æmilia & Desdemona
Development from the text.
Listening to Æmilia & Desdemona speak:
Text sourced from The First Folio (Digital facsimile of the Bodleian First Folio of Shakespeare's plays)
DESDEMONA. All's one: good Father, how foolish are our minds?
If I do die before, prythee shrow'd me
In one of these same Sheetes.
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ÆMILIA . Come, come: you talke.
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DESDEMONA. My Mother had a Maid call'd Barbarie,
She was in love: and he she lov'd prov'd mad,
And did forsake her. She had a Song of Willough,
An old thing 'twas: but it express'd her Fortune,
And she dy'd singing it. That Song to night,
Will not go from my mind: I have much to do,
But to go hang my head all at one side
And sing it like poore Brabarie: prythee dispatch.
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ÆMILIA . Shall I go fetch your Night-gowne?
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DESDEMONA. No, vn-pin me here,
This Lodouico is a proper man.
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ÆMILIA . A very handsome man.
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DESDEMONA. He speakes well.
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ÆMILIA . I know a Lady in Venice would haue walk'd
barefoot to Palestine for a touch of his nether lip.
Actus Quarto. Scena Tertia.
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ÆMILIA . 'Tis neyther heere, nor there.
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DESDEMONA. I have heard it said so. O these Men, these men!
Do'st thou in conscience thinke (tell me Æmilia)
That there be women do abuse their husbands
In such grosse kinde?
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ÆMILIA There be some such, no question.
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DESDEMONA. Would'st thou do such a deed for all the world?
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ÆMILIA . Why, would not you?
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DESDEMONA. No, by this Heavenly light.
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ÆMILIA . Nor I neither, by this Heavenly light:
I might doo't as well i'th'darke.
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DESDEMONA. Would'st thou do such a deed for all the world?
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ÆMILIA . The world's a huge thing:
It is a great price, for a small vice.
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DESDEMONA. Introth, I thinke thou would'st not.
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ÆMILIA. Introth I thinke I should, and undoo't when
I had done. Marry, I would not doe such a thing for a
ioynt Ring, nor for measures of Lawne, nor for Gownes,
Petticoats, nor Caps, nor any petty exhibition. But for
all the whole world: why, who would not make her hus
band a Cuckold, to make him a Monarch? I should ven
ture Purgatory for't.
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DESDEMONA. Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong
For the whole world.
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ÆMILIA . Why, the wrong is but a wrong i'th'world;
and having the world for your labour, 'tis a wrong in
your owne world, and you might quickly make it right.
​
DESDEMONA. I do not thinke there is any such woman.
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ÆMILIA . Yes, a dozen: and as many to'th'vantage, as
would store the world they plaid for.
But I do thinke it is their Husbands faults
If Wiues do fall: (Say, that they slacke their duties,
And powre our Treasures into forraigne laps;
Or else breake out in peeuish Iealousies,
Throwing restraint upon us: Or say they strike us,
Or scant our former having in despight)
Why we have galles: and though we have some Grace,
Yet have we some Revenge. Let Husbands know,
Their wives have sense like them: They see, and smell,
And have their Palats both for sweet, and sowre,
As Husbands have. What is it that they do,
When they change us for others? Is it Sport?
I thinke it is: and doth Affection breed it?
I thinke it doth. Is't Frailty that thus erres?
It is so too. And have not we Affections?
Desires for Sport? and Frailty, as men have?
Then let them use us well: else let them know,
The illes we do, their illes instruct us so.
​
DESDEMONA. Good night, good night:
Heaven me such uses send,
Not to picke bad, from bad; but by bad, mend.
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Actus Quarto. Scena Tertia.