Question

Explain what Emilia says about women who commit adultery. Cite at leasttwo significant lines and explain what each means.

Answer 1

Emilia, in 'Othello', speaks about women who commit adultery, emphasizing gender equality and criticizing societal double standards.

Step-by-step explanation:

Emilia, in Shakespeare's play 'Othello', speaks about women who commit adultery. Two significant lines that she says are:

1. 'Let husbands know Their wives have sense like them; they see, and smell, And have their palates both for sweet and sour, As husbands have.' Here, Emilia is suggesting that women are just as capable as men of perceiving and indulging in sexual desires.
2. 'Let husbands know, Their wives have sense like them; they see, and smell, And have their palates both for sweet and sour, As husbands have.' In this line, Emilia is challenging the societal double standards that condemn women for adultery while granting men the freedom to engage in extramarital affairs.'

These lines highlight Emilia's belief in gender equality and her critique of the unfair treatment of women who commit adultery.