"Othello, the Moor of Venice" Part 2

    Shakespeare characterizes Desdemona as an innocent, compassionate character even though Iago forces the other character to see her as an adulterer.  Shakespeare maintains this characterization even to Desdemona's final moments.  Before Othello comes to murder Desdemona, she and Emilia foresee that murder may be Othello's plan.  Because of this, the audience perceives that Emilia was "on guard" and aware of what might happen.  Not knowing Othello was in the midst of strangling Desdemona, Emilia interrupts to tell Othello about the death of Roderigo.  In the midst of this conversation, Emilia hears her mistress and asks her who has done this to her.  As a final display of loyalty and love, she says, "Nobody, I myself" (Shakespeare, 1453, V.ii.122).  This scene remotely reminded me of the deaths of Brutus and Cassius in Caesar.  Cassius dies selfishly asking Pindarus to kill him and then covering his own eyes.  Brutus dies an honorable death by telling the person holding the sword to turn his head and then Brutus would push himself against it, causing his own death.  Like Brutus, Desdemona maintains her honest, compassionate character up to and including the moment of her death.