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Jealousy, love, and/or betrayal
Othello's Relationship with Desdemona
Othello's Relationship with Desdemona
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Loyalty and Faithfulness in the Handkerchief Loyalty and faithfulness are necessary in a marriage. If a person is not faithful to their spouses, in the relationship, then there is a very high percent that the marriage will work. According to the Dr. Becky Whetstone, the percentage that a marriage will work after a spouse has been unfaithful to the other is 75%, because they feel like life would be more complicated if they were to get a divorce (Dr. Becky Whetstone, “Marriage Crisis, Separation, Infidelity.”) In this remarkable play Othello, loyalty and faithfulness is the major storyline throughout this play. Othello starts off giving Desdemona a handkerchief as a gift that was part of Othello’s family heirloom. This handkerchief that Othello gave Desdemona was to symbolize her loyalty and faithfulness to the …show more content…
In this play, the handkerchief that was given to Desdemona when the two got married was the very first gift that she received from Othello. When Othello gave the gift of the handkerchief to Desdemona it meant the world to her and she even went against her father’s wishes because she loved Othello and her dad thought he was wrong for his daughter. Desdemona lets her father know that she is bound to her father for the life that she has been given along with her education. Desdemona’s father gets upset when she tells him that her marriage to Othello fulfills her like her mother was fulfilled by her father (Bartels, “Strategies of Submission: Desdemona, the Duchess, and the Assertion of Desire”). She always kept this gift on her all the time because she felt like the gift symbolized how much Othello thought and loved her. Desdemona thought this because when Othello gave her the gift of the handkerchief, he told her that his mother used the handkerchief as a promise of her love and loyalty to Othello’s father. Othello went on to tell Desdemona that when his mother had the handkerchief and she would lose it or would give it out as a
In the story The Odyssey, Odysseus showed many traits. I believe the most important trait he showed was loyalty. He showed it in multiple situations. Odysseus showed loyalty when dealing with the sirens, the louts eaters, and the cyclops.
In the beginning Othello is seen as a calm collected man when put into an awkward situation, such as being ridiculed by his wife’s father in thinking that Othello has used some sort of magic to gain Desdemona 's infection. Othello’s calm collected ways start to deteriorate after he is convinced by Iago, a deceiving evil man that Desdemona has slept with Cassio. Othello’s self control no longer exist once he is fully convinced that it is in fact true that Desdemona has been unfaithful. His sense of what is real and what is not real is thrown out the window. Othello starts to become extremely jealous of his used to be beloved Cassio, and after considering giving back his spot as liternuanat he denies him that. He starts to become cold and distant towards his wife, and starts to call her out of her name. As Othello continues to lose control the people around him start to doubt his abilities of being able to protect Cyprus, and even his wife starts to doubt him, and agree with her father. No one knows who this man is anymore, he has started to act in an insanely matter. He can longer be his true self and take on the responsibilities of being general as he starts to crack. With Othello being faced with evil, him being calm is no longer an option for him because he can’t face the fact that the person he loves so dearly is cheating on him. Going back the they handkerchief, the symbol of his love for her. Othello seeing Cassio with Desdemona’s handkerchief sets him over the edge becoming truly convinced that his wife has betrayed him. Even when Desdemona and her maid Emila, Iago’s wife, has told him countless times that she has not been unfaithful, he is so far gone from reality that he does not believe either one of them. With the state of mind he’s in he cannot bear the thought of another man touching his wife. Othello and Iago plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. After he
At the beginning of the action, the two ladies relationship furthers the plot by creating a circumstance in which Desdemona’s handkerchief goes missing. Desdemona’s most valued token of Othello’s love is a supposedly magic handkerchief that belonged to his mother and Desdemona keeps it with her at all times. When she drops it Emilia swipes it to try to please her husband, Iago. By stealing the handkerchief Emilia unwittingly sets in motion Iago’s scheme that will eventually lead to the death of herself, Othello, and her beloved Desdemona. Without this handkerchief Iago’s scheme would never work because it is the only piece of substantial proof of Desdemona's infidelity can use to convince Othello. Therefore, without Desdemona and Emilia's close friendship there would be no plot. Toward the end of the play, Emilia and Desdemona’s relationship becomes crucial to the plot again. After Othello kills Desdemona Emilia is the one who puts together the facts and unearths Iago’s scheme, risking her own life to do so. After witnessing Desdemona’s death Emilia says, “O thou dull Moor, that handkerchief thou speak’st of I found by fortune, and did give my husband- for often, with a solemn earnestness he begged of me to steal ‘t”(5.2.267-272). At the threat of her own death she revealed Iago’s treachery and concluded the plot by explaining how Iago’s scheming led to the death of four different people. Without Emilia’s proximity to Desdemona she would never have been able to take the handkerchief and her knowledge of Iago and Desdemona’s natures made her the only character able to uncover Iago’s scheme. Certainly, Desdemona’s close relationship and differing characters were essential to the plot of the
Shakespeare’s Othello portrays a process through which pure evil has an effect on love and morality. The character of Iago twists Othello into killing his wife, and eventually himself, through manipulating Othello’s trust and loyalty. Iago uses the handkerchief as a symbol through which Othello is convinced of Desdemona’s unfaithfulness. This handkerchief plays many roles throughout Othello. Because of the importance placed upon this object, the driving force of the play becomes centered on the particular qualities of this handkerchief. In its most important aspect, the handkerchief becomes associated with a kind of web set by Iago, in order to ensnare both Othello and Desdemona.
...ignificance amount of importance to Othello and this is why it is his first gift to Desdemona. Desdemona keeps the handkerchief with her at all times as a symbol of Othello’s unconditional love for her. The handkerchief moves through many hands throughout the play and represents different things to everyone who touches it. However as it is physically moving through the play, it is silently putting a wedge between Desdemona and Othello. In the play, the reader quickly realizes that the handkerchief is something more than it seems to be. It is such a small object, but has such an enormous weight in the play by symbolizing Desdemona’s marital fidelity and Othello’s love and trust in Desdemona.
Throughout the play, the reader was shown a loving relationship between Othello and Desdemona that was almost too good to be true. When Desdemona referred the idiosyncrasy of being loyal to her husband by using the noun “duty” and by calling her husband the noun “lord”, it further proved to the reader that she was devoted to her husband. Shakespeare chose this pattern for Desdemona’s language to substantiate to the reader how important Othello was to her and that she stayed by him every step of the way up until her death. The reader was affected tremendously by this pattern into thinking that their love was true because of the loyalty she demonstrated in her
The play Othello by Williams Shakespeare was First Performed and created in 1604. It was one of the most popular plays throughout the seventeenth century, During the play Othello is led to destruction by his so called friend Iago , Othello unlike Iago is capable of forming . Strong , Loving , and Healthy relationships. Even though Iago is using him. In the plot, it is proven that othello is mentally weakened and manipulated by Iago. In my statement Othello is very sympathetic throughout the text by making mistakes, by listening to others, and having low self-esteem.
From this point on, Othello insecurity manifests into a seemingly irrational fear of being cuckolded, and his self-perceived worth diminishes exponentially. Othello comments on the likelihood of Desdemona cheating, by explaining how it may be “for [he is] black / And have not those soft parts of conversation / That chamberers have…” (3.3.280-282) Othello’s frustration with the threat of being cuckolded puts strain on his relationship with Desdemona, and she quickly becomes a victim of domestic abuse. For example, Othello acts as an interrogator, demanding to see the handkerchief which he gave her that symbolizes faithfulness and commitment towards Othello. (Quotation) When she is unable to produce their symbol of trust, Othello’s anger manifests inside him. The audience is shown a stark contrast to Othello’s typically cool, collected and composted nature. This abrupt and irrational change in behaviour is emphasized when Othello strikes Desdemona in front of Lordovico, (4.1.245) Othello’s
Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief. The handkerchief had been given to Othello’s mother by an Egyptian charmer. Desdemona is unable to present the handkerchief to Othello Othello continues to demand the handkerchief while Desdemona continues to plead for Cassio’s return to service. “Fetch me the handkerchief! — my mind misgives” (Othello/Otl. 3, 4, 85) Filled with anger and doubt, Othello exits the...
The most important relationship displayed in the story is between Othello and Desdimona. Shakespeare uses many examples to illustrate how the bond between them shines in the beginning and then fades as the play progresses. At the opening of the play they are being married without Desdimona's father's consent. In this time period a father owned his daughter in a way, and held the right to choose her husband. When her father ( Brabantio) learns of the news he is furious. He claims that Othello "hast enchanted her! / she had/ run from her guardage, to the sooty bosom of such a thing as thou/(1.3.64-73). This shows that Brabrantio thought his daughter to be unacceptable of choosing a husband ...
Shakespeare employs symbolism through the handkerchief as a token of love and faithfulness. When the protagonist is shown this token is no longer with Desdemona, rage incites within him and he strikes her out of pain and jealousy. Shakespeare uses this symbol to show that objects given in love and trust are directly connected to one’s integrity, and abuse of said trust results in broken faith. The composer uses a visual imagery metaphor in the protagonist’s dialogue stating his heart had “turned to stone” in relation to his wife. Through this change Desdemona is unaware of her alleged infidelity and so continues to act, as usual, oblivious to what it may seem like to Othello. The protagonist’s jealousy eventually drives him to murder his wife, who with her final words proclaims that she has committed suicide in order to acquit Othello from any blame. Shakespeare concludes the play with the dramatic irony of the emotive “she loved thee, cruel Moor”. This statement shows the audience that when caught up in orchestrated jealousy, one forgets true loyalty and tends to act
When first introduced, Othello, the Moor, seems to be committed to his beautiful wife, Desdemona, and to the army of which he is general. Yet, as time progresses and after being put in difficult circumstances, his loyalty takes a different form. A struggle between opposing loyalties begins to emerge. Convinced his wife is cheating on him with Lieutenant Cassio, Othello seeks to preserve his honor of having a chaste wife, to the point of
Examine the role of jealousy, love, and/or betrayal in Othello. You may want to pick one character (Iago or Othello perhaps?) and focus on one issue.(O) 15
Already there is a high importance to the handkerchief in the start of the story. This being due to the fact that it originally came from Othello’s mother. The reason it is also seem to be placed on a pedestal is because it is believed by Othello to possess magical powers. He had been told that it was woven by a 200-year-old sibyl also known as an Egyptian charmer. The process was done by using the silk from sacred worms, and the dye from mummified virgin hearts. Later being given to his mother; who he claims used it to keep his father from being unfaithful to her. This further illustrates Othello’s fixed perspective of the handkerchief, and the value of fidelity that it holds within it. When he presents Desdemona with the handkerchief, he expects nothing but love and faithfulness in return. The handkerchief, as mentioned, does give a variety of meanings to each of the characters as it falls into each of their hands throughout the entire story. So for Desdemona, the strawberry embroidered handkerchief, means nothing but Oth...
The handkerchief influence and affect multiple characters in the play. We see it speak to Othello his affection for Desdemona being his first blessing to her and later in the play speaking to his suspicion of Desdemona as to her loyalty. The cloth is immensely huge with Othello as we see him view it as genuine proof of Desdemona undertaking with Cassio. He once considered it to be an image of confidence and love and with Desdemona losing it and in his reasoning offered it to Cassio, he considers it to be an extreme treachery practically as in giving without end her handkerchief she has gave away her body to another man. It is essential in the play seemingly being the last hit on Othello’s pride eventually triggering his downfall. The handkerchief