The Character of Emilia in OthelloThe definition of Renaissance women is of fundamental importance in the play Othello by William Shakespeare. One of the main causes of Othello's tragedy is his belief that Desdemona is not chaste. According to Renaissance men, chastity, silence, and obedience are three attributes that defined Renaissance women. Although Othello is set in the Renaissance, the women in the play, Bianca, Desdemona, and Emilia, defy traditional norms by lacking at least one of the major defining attributes of women; Bianca's lack of chastity is made clear when she illegally sleeps with Cassio; Desdemona's lack of silence is clearly displayed when she constantly urges Othello to return Cassio's position. However, in the final two acts, Emilia most strongly challenges the definition of Renaissance women as silent, chaste, and obedient, primarily in defense of Desdemona. First, in order to defend Desdemona's chastity, Emilia questions the societal norm of silence. Remember the incident where Othello calls Desdemona a “whore” for cheating. In response, Emilia loudly protests Othello and attempts to refute his belief that Desdemona is not chaste: "A halter, forgive her [Othello]! And it will gnaw his bones! / Why should he call her [Desdemona] a whore? (4.2.143,144). Instead of conforming to the attribute of Renaissance women as silent, she condemns Othello for his false accusations against his mistress, Desdemona. Later in the play, after finding Desdemona killed, Emilia again challenges the silence: “As ignorant as dirt! You have done an act-... / The Moor has killed my mistress!" (5.2.171,174). Although Othello tells Emilia that it would be "better" if she remained silent, she ignores his request and ridicules him for killing "sweet" Desdemona (5.2.169), Emilia mentally challenges the social norm of chastity by tolerating women who cheat on their husbands Although Emilia does not explicitly state whether she has ever cheated, she says. that she would not cheat for little, material wealth, but any woman would cheat to make her husband king: “Who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? , Emilia explains that the reason women cheat is because their husbands "slacken in their duties" and "break out in sullen jealousies (4.3. 87, 89) In essence, Emilia accepts the "abuse" of men by women. because she believes that it is the husband's faults that encourage women to cheat.