Emilia is a character in Othello inherently resistant to secular notions, who nevertheless dies due to her own secularization. Unlike how he deals with most other personalities, Shakespeare presents Emilia with a straightforward attitude: without laying much context, he makes Emilia an obedient wife yet a cynical and intelligent subject who perhaps has been so long constrained by stereotypically female obligations. Her tones, gestures and diction suggest a cynical nature, and this part of hers is both generated and hidden by the roles she has to perform. It is also a crucial factor which differs her from her husband Iago, though both of them understand the sentimentalities and frailties of human beings very well. As in Act 3, where she plays the old experienced woman and says that “[jealousy] is a monster begot upon itself, born on itself,” the scene indicates she is not less intelligent than Iago. However, Iago is the one who takes advantage of this knowledge to fulfill his evil purpose, while Emilia simply sees it as a worldly fact and chooses not to be bothered with it. Moreover, standing with the wealthy, prestigious moor Othello, she never fears speaking out her mind. The ending is slightly ironical in that the lowest positioned female servant finds the truth and strikes it on everyone. There is, indeed, some virtue or some strength that lies in the cynical heart.

Though given a tragic ending, Emilia never stops seeking her happiness throughout the course of the play. The last resort to be satisfied without material or spiritual fund, according to Epicurus’ three modes of happiness, is to seek connections with friends. For Emilia, Desdemona, whom she serves without complaint, is her friend and soul mate. Whether it is because Desdemona’s tenderness thaws her heart, or their heartstrings are coiled to endure the suppressed fate together, Emilia devotes to her mistress’ good in her final minutes. Desdemona’s sincerity and closeness to this miserable being is of life’s significance, and thus secularizing Emilia. As a cynical observer who never takes action, Emilia finally bursts out a justifying word for others — some would interpret this as the implication of sexual liberation, but I would rather interpret it on the humanity’s scale. It is as if she puts her chains off her mind and speaks “as liberal as the north.” Thus she receives her downfall, a treacherous kill done by her husband, who she never fully trusted.