I decided to write my blog on Desdemona and Emilia who are the two unruly women of the play. In act V, Desdeoma sings a song called "Willow" as she prepares for bed. It is a song about a woman who is betrayed by her lover and also is a symbol of her forsaken love, which has been lost and she feels betrayed. This is a song about sadness. The woman who orginally sang it (her mother's maid) died while singing it.
The Willow Song
The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree
Sing all a green willow
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee
cho: Sing willow, willow, willow, willow!
Sing willow, willow, willow, willow!
My garland shall be;
Sing all a green willow, willow, willow, willow
Sing all a green willow
My garland shall be.
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmer'd her moans
Sing willow, willow, willow
Her salt tears fell from her and soft'ned the stones.
Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve
Sing willow, willow, willow
He was born to be fair, I to die for his love,
I call'd my love false love but what said he then?
Sing willow, willow, willow
If I court more women, you'll couch with more men.
This shows us that Desdemona isn't an unruly woman anymore, but she has lost all of her hope. The song suggests that both men and women are unfaithful to each other. The way that Desdemona interprets this song is that it represents an alienation of herself from Othello's affections and also is very melancholy. It also leads her to question Emilia's infidelity and whom she really is. Desdemona is truly hurting and feels like she has nothing left to give. She doesn't think she will ever find someone to love because of the experiences she has been through.
On the other hand, when discussing Emilia, it is completely different.Emilia speaks up for women which is against what Desdemona is saying. Emilia claims that women are human and have the sexual desire and appetitess just like men do. She also feels that women have affections. She speaks out for women's rights to be treated as equally as mens; she feels that we've been wronged by men so we have a right to wrong them as well. I happen to agree with Emilia, I don't think that it is okay for men to do things to us which they think are okay but if we were to do something to them it would be a completely different issue!
New Paltz Students Blogging about Shakespeare
2 comments:
Holly,
I appreciate how you noticed the Willow song, it was pretty interesting!
I have now noticed some of the warnings from Shakespeare to women about the foolishness of men. It is displayed in the willow song, and in "Twelfth Night" when the Feste sings "hey nonny nonny" about how women should not fret over men's mistakes and rudeness, to instead not let it bother them.
Also Emilia's speech is great that she is finally realizing to stand up for herself but her words come to late and totally contradict her previous actions. Does this downgrade the speech or make it more valuable? Well that's something to debate!
I really appreciate the attention to the Willow Song here, and the beginning of a contrast with Emilia. Shakespeare does give us two takes on the unruly woman here, and I would be interested in hearing more about the idea that Desdemona goes from being unruly to tamed.
You're right, Lauren--there is a genre of warnings about bad men in Shakespeare. That would be an interesting paper topic!
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