A question about the character of Emilia in the play Othello:?

Question

What makes Emilia a feminist in the play Othello? She sometimes has a feminist nature even if she is loyal to Iago in the first part of the play. Then she defies him despite his threats.

Answer 1

Emilia is a comparatively minor character for much of the play; however, she serves to provide a strong contrast to the romantic and obedient Desdemona, demonstrating that she is both intelligent and distinctly cynical, especially on matters relating to men and marriage - her speech to Desdemona listing the faults and flaws of the male sex in Act IV Scene III is a good example of this (though she does admit that women also have "frailty, as men have"). She also states in the same scene that she would be willing to commit adultery for a sufficiently high price - this shows her cynical and worldly nature in sharp contrast to Desdemona, who seems almost unable to believe that any woman could contemplate such an act.