ABSTRACT
The chapter examines Shakespeare’s domestic tragedy Othello in comparison to twenty-first-century domestic murders at military bases. Desdemona and Emilia’s stories open up the struggle of women experiencing domestic violence. In particular, this chapter reads the character Emilia as a person with Battered Person Syndrome. Taking this information into account enhances our understanding of the play, as it sheds light on Emilia’s motivations and provides the audience with a fuller context for Desdemona and Emilia’s experience and their relationship to modern spouses’ lived experiences and fears.
