What Is The Handkerchief In Othello

Words: 424

Pages: 2

Open Document

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. Iago, who is the antagonist in Shakespeare’s play Othello, acquires the knowledge of just how important the handkerchief is to the Moor and his wife, begins to use it to his advantage and warps the meaning of it, turning it into a symbol of disloyalty and dishonesty. The villainous Iago makes it all seem as though Othello’s wife Desdemona had given it to Michael Cassio, the Moor’s lieutenant, this part of the intense plot of the play shows the handkerchief as being the trust and stabilization in Othello and Desdemona’s relationship being broken and torn apart. …show more content…
Irony is featured all throughout this popular Shakespearean play. One memorable part is when Iago, who is envious towards Cassio, stated in the play, “O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on.” (Shakespeare , Act 3, Scene 3) Iago states this to Othello ironically , because he is the one planting the soul of the green eyed monster within Othello, and also this whole tragedy began with Iago’s envy towards Cassio getting promoted to Othello’s

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

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

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

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

Jealousy In Shakespeare's Othello

William Shakespeare’s Othello is unlike any of his other tragedies. Instead of being centered on state-affairs, Othello focuses on a private matter (“Othello” Shakespeare for Students: Book One 411). Othello is molded around the characters’ passions and feelings; ultimately, jealousy leads to the deaths of Othello and his wife, Desdemona. Conflict in Othello originally appears when Iago, the play’s villain, is not awarded the position he desires and allows jealousy to overrun his reason. Jealous…

Words 1595 - Pages 7

The Handkerchief In Othello

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…

Words 866 - Pages 4

Othello Tragic Hero Essay

William Shakespeare’s Othello, is considered one of Shakespeare’s most tragic plays. The audience is shown the protagonist, Othello, as a tragic hero. Othello is displayed as a nobleman in Venice. He marries Desdemona without acceptance from her father. Othello takes pride in the love of his new wife. As the play progresses, Iago, the villain, manipulates Othello’s emotions into jealousy through Othello’s pride and internalized racism. The fatal flaw of Othello’s jealousy and lack of self-confidence…

Words 1313 - Pages 6

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

Othello - Deception and Vision Essay

Shakespeare’s Othello Walter Scott once stated, “Oh, what a tangled web we weave... when first we practice to deceive” (Quotation). Scott’s statement is overwhelmingly evident in William Shakespeare's Othello. Deception is a reoccurring theme in Othello, that touches each character individually and on various levels. The theme that affects Othello directly is vision. Vision is the “ocular proof” that Othello demands from Iago, and how his actions are based on what he hears rather than what he sees and…

Words 1511 - Pages 7