The Handkerchief In Othello

Words: 866

Pages: 4

Open Document

THE HANDKERCHIEF
In Othello, the handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona is a factor that determined her fate. Othello had given desdemona the handkerchief as his first gift to her and it meant a lot to him emotionally. Othello The handkerchief was a symbol of his love and affection towards her. Othello says to Desdemona that the handkerchief was given to his mother by and Egyptian charmer (III.iii.86-87) so it it a memory of his mother and is special to him.

A major key to Iago's master plan is convince Emilia to take the handkerchief from Desdemona. He knows that it has a great sentimental value to Othello and it will trigger Othello to become on edge. Emilia gets blindsided into Iago's plan and she says “I am glad I have found this napkin. My wayward husband hath a hundred times wooed me to steal it. But she so loves the token. That she reserves it evermore about her to kiss and talk to. I’ll have to work ta’en out and give it Iago. What will he do with it heaven knows, bot I. I nothing but to please his fantasy” (III.iii.334-343) Iago knows that if he were to place it in the belonging of Cassio it shows to be a symbol of Desdemona's …show more content…
Yet de to the color of his skin he is manipulated and talked down to by his peers. Iago uses animal imagery when he refers to Othello as an “old black ram” or a “large beast” making his comments serve a much more powerful purpose. Due to the color of Othello’s skin Iago is able to belittle him and make him feel superior. However if there were to be reverse race roles all the contents in the play would not unravel as they should. The use of animal imagery animal imagery would not be able to work on Othello psychologically. Iagos master plan of destroying would not be able to be targeted at Othello. Instead he could target Desdemona and put it in her head that she isn't worthy of

Handkerchief In Othello

In Shakespeare’s, Othello, we see that the handkerchief is a significant item in this tragic play. The handkerchief was the first gift Desdemona received from Othello. Almost every character in the play handles the handkerchief. This one handkerchief ultimately causes Othello’s downfall to kill his own wife. The many deaths that happened in the play, Othello, would never have happened if this handkerchief did not exist. In the play, Othello, the handkerchief has much more meaning than a…

Words 616 - Pages 3

African Handkerchief In Othello

wife Emilia was Desdemona's friend , Iago asks her to bring him the handkerchief that Othello has given to Desdemona as a gift. The handkerchief is so important for Othello; it is symbolic of masculine vigor. Othello tells Desdemona that his mother has used it to keep his father's faithful to her. The handkerchief means a lot to Othello, and he regards it as a sign of loyalty to him. Infact in some parts of Africa handkerchief during the traditional marriage which signifies as a sign of cleaning…

Words 316 - Pages 2

What Is The Handkerchief In Othello

In the play Othello, the handkerchief played a huge role, the entire plot essentially revolves around that small piece of fabric. This handkerchief, that the Moor of Venice named Othello, had given to his wonderful wife named Desdemona was a symbol of their love and affection; it represented the strength of their marriage. As the play delves deeper into their relationship and the people surrounding them, we start to see the meaning of the handkerchief turning into something a little more diabolical…

Words 424 - Pages 2

The Handkerchief In Shakespeare's Othello

What I find interesting in Act III of Shakespeare’s Othello is that the handkerchief goes on a little trip from character to character until it ends up with Bianca at the end of the act. It starts off as an Egyptian giving the handkerchief to Othello’s mother, Othello’s mother gave it to Othello, Othello gave it to Desdemona, Emilia stole it from Desdemona, Emilia gave it to Iago, Iago gave it to Cassio, and now Cassio gave it to Bianca. After Cassio apologizes to Bianca that he hasn't been able…

Words 223 - Pages 1

Who Is Desdemona's Handkerchief In Othello

wife. I offer my handkerchief as a token of our love, and with it I join my life to yours. When people get married there would be a similar quote instead of a ring symbolizing love it is a handkerchief. Othello has given Desdemona, his handkerchief symbolizing his love for her, by accepting it, she has accepted that she loves him too. Desdemona has carried the handkerchief around every day up until she forgets where she have relinquished it. As a consequence of losing the handkerchief Iago wife have…

Words 124 - Pages 1

Honest Othello: The Handkerchief Once More

Honest Othello: The Handkerchief Once More Though Othello might have exaggerated or told some extended lie, Shakespeare certainly did not make Othello the main protagonist as Michael C. Andrews did in his article, "Honest Othello: The Handkerchief Once More". Andrews describes Othello as a tragic hero who tells two different stories to his wife, Desdemona, about his believed and sacred handkerchief. When looking closely at the text, you can see that Othello forces the idea of magical properties…

Words 954 - Pages 4

Symbolism In Othello

symbols in his play, Othello. The setting of Othello is in the 16th century where many marriages lack trust. Men, during that time, were paranoid that their wives would cheat on them and women had bad reputation due men believing that women were unchaste. Othello, the main protagonist of the play, similarly has the the perception that his wife, Desdemona, was having an affair on him. In William Shakespeare's tragedy,…

Words 675 - Pages 3

Essay about Othello and Iago

“Othello” is a tragedy play, about a man named Othello, and how a friend of his named Iago betrays Othello and uses Othello’s love for a woman named Desdemona to betray him. It is set in a very late time, and the story is based on mostly of how rumors and trust are used. Iago wants to destroy Othello for a couple different reasons. The first is that Iago has been working with Othello for a long time, and Iago’s position is an ensign, or a standard-bearer, which has a lot of power. Othello had…

Words 559 - Pages 3

Othello by Shakespeare Essay

May 10th, 2015 Shakespeare’s Othello 4 Paragraph Essay Prompt 3: Handkerchief Helen Fisher once said, “ Once you fall for someone, their smell can be a powerful thing. Women will wear their boyfriend's' T-shirts, and throughout tales in history men have held on to their lover's handkerchief.” Items are given symbolism even something as insignificant as what wipes one’s nose. Things can become tokens of love, remembrance, tests, fidelity and much more. In Othello , written by Shakespeare…

Words 967 - Pages 4

Act 3 Questions Essay

1. If we have learnt anything throughout the course of Othello, it is that Iago is one of Shakespeare’s smartest, most reckless and sociopathic villain. However this does not stop the pondering question that perhaps if Iago would have failed to get Cassio drunk, his plan would not have been successful. Many people would like to have this sense of hope and agree with the statement. Unfortunately, if we were to take a step back and really take a look at Iago, we would realize that he would have found…

Words 3581 - Pages 15