Othello: Climax

Act V scene II of Othello by William Shakespeare reveals the heightened climax of the story. Emilia, one who appears earlier in the play to be tolerant of her husband Iago's rudeness, now speaks out against him, knowing Iago has been dishonest about Desdemona's infidelity, and calls her husband a liar. Desdemona tells Othello, who has been lied to the whole time and had believed Iago, thus Othello was driven to kill his wife after Iago told him of her affair that: "He lies to the heart..You told a lie, an odious, damned lie, upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie,"(Shakespeare, V.ii.155 & 179-180). Even though Emilia's calling out her husband creates controversy and of course, enrages Iago, and thus, she dies, Emilia proves to be the one loyal friend to another character in this play. Iago is certainly not a friend to Othello, lying to him and leading him to kill his wife. Iago is not a friend to Roderigo, who he lets die and who he does not take into account Roderigo's feelings for Desdemona and try to help him. Emilia knows Desdemona is a woman of undying devotion to the Moor, pure and steadfast to his love, serviant to the Moor's commands. Emilia will not die without letting the other characters know of this as well. Overall, the suspense which comes from the climax of Emilia revealing the truths, and them unfolding before the eventual deaths of Emilia and the Moor, as a reader I couldn't believe all that shortly came together. So much action packed tragedy packed into scene 2.