Emilia from Othello and Elena from A Midsummer Night's Dream both experience a constant battle against the institutions of men, such as marriage and courtship. These institutions have the implications of turning these women against their own sex and against themselves due to the institutions' attribution of gender upon them. Both express their grievances against these institutions and conform to the standards set by them, but are ultimately silenced by the institutions, relaying the idea that conforming to these institutions is not a choice, but a life-or-death style for these women. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essayWhen Helena first appears in Act 1, she is inseparable from her irrational love for a man. She adores Demetrius, but he finds Hermia more attractive. This makes Helena wish she wasn't herself, which begins her cycle of self-deprecation: “How happy they can be compared to each other! For Athens I consider myself as just as she is. But what can I say? Demetrius does not think so;”(1.1.226-228). Even though all of Athens believes her to be beautiful, she only wants a man's affection and admiration, without this she is nothing. Essentially, he wants to be someone or something else to gain Demetrius' favor, which becomes more apparent when the characters enter the woods. In this monologue Helena mentions that Hermia stole Demetrius' love from her, which deepens the intra-gender rivalry. This institution of courtship and courtship establishes a divide between the female sex as they compete for the desire of males. Although Hermia is not responsible for Demetrius' interest in her, Helena places the burden on her instead of Demetrius because she loves him. This creates a rift within the female company, thus making the men in this play even more powerful and enhancing their control through the divide and conquer method. This idea becomes clearer as the show ventures into the magical forest, where roles come into question. Emilia faces a similar situation with her husband Iago and his lady Desdemona. The problem that arises is Othello's handkerchief, a seemingly meaningless object that comes to mean everything. Emilia's job as an assistant becomes significant because her duty is to protect her lady, but she is also "hired" by Iago to be his wife. She immediately finds herself caught between the sexes and must choose between herself and her husband. Before the handkerchief situation, she is completely subservient to her husband's needs, which leaves her open to his abuse. In Act 2, Scene 1, Iago goes on a tirade about women in front of Desdemona and Emilia, harshly criticizing Emilia for the way she has treated him. Emilia is silenced by her husband and it is Desdemona who speaks for her: “Oh, have mercy on yourself, slanderer!” (2.1.129). In contrast, Emilia later favors Iago by giving him the handkerchief that seals Desdemona's fate and death, and by satisfying her husband silences another woman forever. However, it is Desdemona's situation with Othello that leads Emilia to criticize the institutions of men and men in general, but up to this point she is totally in love with her husband as can be seen when she declares what she will do with the handkerchief: “ Come on Iago . God knows what he will do with it, not I; I do nothing but please his imagination” (3.3.335). Her words “I nothing” call attention to her dehumanization and self-deprecation. She does not say "I am", which furthers the idea that she sees herself not as something, but as a servant of Iago. Interestingly, the name ofIago begins with an "I", Shakespeare uses this capital letter to indicate throughout the play the deception and penetration of Iago's plans, and in this case implies his control over Emilia. Furthermore, she echoes Helena, who is also willing to do anything to please her man and knows nothing else. Now that both women have been placed in precarious situations by institutions, this allows them to criticize the very institutions that put them there. The situations in which these two women are placed by institutions allow them to question the very institutions in which they are trapped. Helena begins to question the institutions of men in the forest, where the laws of Athens do not apply. It is in this context that she manages to question the powers that be, because when she returns to Athens she is once again subjected to male domination and no longer expresses complaints. However, within the forest he becomes a dynamic character rather than simply overly loving. At the beginning of the forest sequence, Helen humiliates herself before Demetrius, begging for his love: "What worse place can I ask for in your love -And yet a place of great respect with me- than to be used as you use your dog? (2.1.208-210) can be compared to Emilia's removal of the word "am" in her speech as it subjects her to men, however Helen's rhetorical degradation is much less subtle and emphasizes her plight of 'love and the irreconcilable desire for Demetrius ultimately fails in “his opinion” because of the difference between the sexes, as he notes in his rhyming couplet: “We cannot fight for love, as they can do. men; We should be wooed, and were not made to woo” (2.1.241-242). Shakespeare uses a couplet to emphasize this difference between the sexes, suggesting that it is not only Helen, but rather all women are not unable to woo and must remain passive spectators to get their lovers. In the forest the men request potions to begin courtship of Helen and use a similar technique that Helen used towards Demetrius, but it is Helen's reaction to this courtship that deserves attention. She has become so corrupted by the male institutions of courtship that she can no longer believe when someone actually feels affection for her. Her self-deprecation led her to believe that others could never fall in love with her. As Demetrius and Lysander attempt to seduce her, she observes that it is a “…manly feat, to evoke tears in the eyes of a poor maiden, (3.2.157-158). She believes that both of these men are deceiving and berating her for her unceasing love for Demetrius and that is simply what men do. She eventually grows tired of the contempt she feels from men and no longer wants to be treated that way. She doesn't mind being hated as much as she wants to be respected by others, which completely differs from her previous reduction of herself to a dog. Once again the blunt tone of her speech falls on Hermia, who Helena believes to be in cahoots with Demetrius and Lysander in this "manly enterprise." He verbally attacks Hermia, noting, “Even our sex, I could reproach you for it, though only I feel the hurt” (3.2.218-219). It separates Hermia as a sex traitor and creates herself as a sex martyr. Because of the men's actions, which are controlled by other men (Puck, Oberon), both women fall victim to institutional forces. The men are actually playing with them, literally because of the actions of Puck and Oberon, but the women fail to see this deception and discover that each other is the enemy. In the end, instead of attacking their oppressors, the women fightagainst themselves with Hermia trying to gouge out Helena's eyes, which indicates blindness to the hegemony of men and seeing other women to blame rather than men. Not seeing men as they truly are also plays a role in Emilia's relationship with Iago. Emilia only begins to open up to the seedy side of men because of the way Othello treated Desdemona. After Othello questions Desdemona about the handkerchief, Emilia comments on the nature of men: “They are but stomachs, and we all but food; They eat us hungry and, when they are full, they burp us” (3.4.116-119). This final speech adds to the list of difficulties of women and men are only interested as long as women satisfy their needs, but when women are no longer needed they are expelled from men's lives, which sheds light on the way Iago treats, yet sees Iago as a glorious man to be honoured. Her questioning of institutions, however, reaches boiling point in Act 4, Scene 3 where she examines her position towards men. He talks about equality between the sexes, but having to prove it to the opposite sex: “But we have galls; and though we have some grace, yet we have some revenge. Let husbands know, their wives have senses like them” (4.3.106-109). Even though she questions herself, she also remains in his sphere, still calling herself a “wife” and not a woman, which leaves her under Iago's control. It is only at the end of the play that she finally breaks with her husband and takes the side of her own sex. Although both women complain against male institutions, these institutions ultimately silence them. When the characters in A Midsummer Night's Dream emerge from the forest, the natural order of gender roles returns. Elena no longer expresses complaints against Demetrius who loves her and instead embraces him: "I found Demetrius like a jewel, mine, and not mine." He declares that he has no ownership of Demetrius even though they are in love, the first time he seems equal in the play. However, Demetrius exerts his power over her through this relationship. Although he appears in the last act, he does not utter a single line of dialogue. She, who has been a constant and long source of dialogue throughout the opera, has been deprived of speech, she has been silenced, finally gaining Demetrius, but in this gain she loses the ability to speak. It is simply a body on stage, a prop, calling for male control. On the other hand, Emilia, who has remained silent about her husband for much of the play, finally speaks out against him. Once she learns of Othello's murder of Desdemona and Iago's role in this tragedy, she speaks: “I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak” (5.2.217). For the first time Emilia fully takes the side of her sex, abandoning her husband and protecting Desdemona's name. But in speaking out, she is silenced by Iago as he stabs her to death. Emilia's last wish is to be fulfilled by her lover, promoting her full commitment to her sex. Emilia and Helena are both silenced, but in radically different ways. Interestingly, this is the last institution they face: gender. Although women have similar opinions on what should be done with men, they are treated differently depending on their respective gender. Helena is silenced through marriage, a comedic trope. At the end of the play, all is well in Shakespeare's world, but from a modern perspective his loss of lines and thoughts remains tragic. Now that Lysander and Helena are coupled, Lysander speaks for both of them. Her husband silences Emilia because he kills her, turning it into a real tragedy. Become a body.