In the book othello , why does emilia not stand up too iago at first ?

Emelia did not stand up to her husband Iago for she believes that a wife is supposed to be the helper of her husband, and that she wants to keep her wedding promise of staying faithful to one's spouse.

Explanation:

William Shakespeare's "Othello" tells the story of a black moor Othello who is married to a beautiful white woman Desdemona. Iago serves in Othello's army but still hates Othello and would do anything to smear his name. So, he hatched a plan to with Roderigo, a very rich man who loves Desdemona. Together, they planned to accuse Othello of stealing Desdemona using witchcraft. But their plan backfired. Emelia, the wife of Iago, is the attendant of Desdemona.

When Othello had to go to Cyprus for some urgent matter, they all go to meet him. When Roderigo tells him that he stands no chance of breaking apart their marriage, Iago advises him to wait for Desdemona will get bored of Othello. And when she's on the lookout for something fresh, Roderigo will be the man. Iago has been receiving gifts meant for Desdemona from Roderigo which he kept for himself. Even to this part, Emelia did not say anything against her husband. She thinks he's doing it for the good of both of them. She did not suspect any dishonesty on his part and she dutifully obeys whatever Iago asks her to do, keeping intact the nuptial promise.

But later, towards the end of the story, when Iago actually kills Desdemona, she repels him and accuses him of doing the most villainous act. She exclaims that she will expose his crime, even if it means she'll be killed twenty times over. Gone is the wife who listens to her husband's every biding. She is now fully aware of the torturous and demeaning treatment she has suffered, and the full extent of her husband's evil nature. And in the end, before she could manage to fully reveal anything, she was killed herself. Her rebelling of her husband's villainy leads o her death.

●intensive purposes is the correct answer