The play Othello deals with many themes that fall onto a skeletal system of social fame work, which can be represented by the role of the women of the play. They represent levels of class, virtue and intelligence. Desdemona is high class, virtuous, and makes her own decisions; Emilia is in the middle, a maid, manipulated by Iago and loyal to Desdemona; and Bianca is the bottom of the line, as a whore she is talked down to. Iago's view on women is presented in (II.i), providing further insight into what women mean in the play. He states they are weak, lazy, and stupid and only desire sex for- shadowing how he will use them as his pawns.Desdemona, Othello's wife, is a young woman of the upper class in Venice. She is very honest, upright and moral; Shakespeare puts her up on this standard and makes her out to be pure and perfect and she foils Iago's character, which plays on good vs. evil. It seems that in this time period she should be submissive to her husband and allow him to do the thinking and the deciding, however she is not and she does what is in her own conscience, as we see when she helps Cassio and early on when she defies her father (I.iii.179) and later after Othello's violent outburst (IV.i.236). Her over willingness to do good is what Iago plays on in his evil plans to deceive Othello. Emilia is Iago's wife, which says something about her submissive character already. She is also Desdemona's handmaiden; this is a vital part in her role in the play. She is the wife of pure evil and the maid of the most virtuous. Emilia seems to be more loyal to Desdemona and also has very little knowledge of her Iago's plans or his evil nature. Emilia unknowingly plays a large role in Iago's plan and is ever suspicious.Bianca is the whore who Cassio frequents; her role seems small but significant. She is to copy the handkerchief for Cassio and the handkerchief in her possession is one of the final straws that led to Cassio's incrimination (III.
