Critics have acclaimed that the play, Othello, is nothing more than a play about a handkerchief and the domestic drama it entails. The handkerchief is, however, more than just a square of cloth; it means different things to different people and is an indicator of character, a test of relationships and a key symbol of major themes in the play. It is a very important part of the play and is crucial to the plot as a whole.
One of the devices that often a Shakespearean play uses is a love token to emphasize confinement in a relationship and the possession of one individual by another. Likewise, in Othello, the handkerchief presented to Desdemona symbolically represents the marriage bond itself. Throughout Othello, the handkerchief is “handled” by almost every character, which reflects a significant problem existing within the marriage. A number of characters are involved in the couple’s relationship, thereby interrupting effective communication between the couple to a fatal extent. The handkerchief may appear to be an insignificant object, but throughout the play the way its symbolic importance is revealed, shows that it is really very significant. The handkerchief initially is a gift given to Desdemona by Othello as a love token. It is symbolically transformed into Desdemona’s bedsheets, which she uses to reveal her true innocence and fidelity to Othello; and finally, Desdemona requests that the bedsheets be used to cover her as a death shroud.
A handkerchief's role in medieval literate was as a romantic love token either given to a suitor or dropped to provoke a chivalrous response. Desdemona's handkerchief is very important to Othello. It is a romantic object he gave to Desdemona and asked her to cherish, therefore to him it is a...
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.... These two characters refuse to accept Othello as an equal member of society and therefore must share in the responsibility for the destruction of Othello and Desdemona. The marriage had the potential of being quite beautiful as Shakespeare united two individuals from very different backgrounds. But the potential harmony that could have been achieved between the two cultures was destroyed. Iago and Brabantio are not alone in their destructive behavior. Othello must ultimately be held responsible for the tragedy. His eager willingness to accept circumstances without focusing on the true situation left him vulnerable to Iago’s deceptions. In Othello, Shakespeare demonstrates just how fragile the marriage bond can be when the individuals place greater value on tokens than on the beloved. The fragility is emphasized by the use of a fragile symbol, i.e. the handkerchief.
Pray you let Cassio be received again.” (Shakespeare III.IV 81-83) At this point in the story, Othello is demanding that Desdemona present his handkerchief, a gift which he gave to her. In Othello, the manipulation, and whole story, revolves around a select few individuals.
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
Shakespeare’s Othello illustrates the story of one man’s, Othello’s, self-destructive journey through vicious lies and slander surrounding his loved ones. Who is to blame for this? While the play focuses heavily on “Honest” Iago’s devious acts, Brabantio becomes the catalyst by warning Othello about Desdemona: “Look to her Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. / She has deceived her father, and may thee” (I. iii. 294-295.
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
Iago finished his argument with the declaration; “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve, for daws to peck at,” I am not what I am” (I.I.66-67). Iago metaphorically personifies that “wearing your heart on your sleeve” is a precarious move because if your true intentions are visible, it weakens you to allow you to be the target of attack. However, in literal meanings, humans are metaphorically symbolised as ‘birds’ to contrast the nature of human behaviour to animals. Iago’s metaphorical statement “I am not what I am” alludes to the biblical connotations in the bible, chapter Exodus 4:14 when Moses asks for God’s name in which God strongly responded back “I AM WHAT I AM” which opposes to Iago’s open declaration, to reference him to be the devil for acquiring villainous traits and motives. The dominant implementation of the handkerchief was the most significant motif of the play as it rapidly endured different meanings, from a love token to represent Desdemona’s and Othello’s marriage bond to Desdemona’s sudden fatality. The handkerchief was a vital element for Iago manipulative schemes because he knew the importance of the sentimental value, to which he used it to manipulate it to symbolise Desdemona’s chastity and fidelity. Iago’s purpose of the handkerchief was to be a mere suspicion and a circumstantial evidence strong enough to feed Othello’s
...demona’s handkerchief was the main object and symbol that was known for betrayal. In result, Iago had been the primary reason why we experience betrayal in the play. Due to Othello giving away the handkerchief was a sign for his affection to his beloved wife. In addition, it then moves from person onto the next person which was caused by Iago. Once Othello becomes jealous it makes it act on as an illusion since Desdemona. She had been faithful the entire time during their marriage and thinks that she has been cheating on him. The people Iago had betrayed with this handkerchief were: Othello, Emila, Cassio, and Desdemona. Furthermore, it was intended to have significance as a symbol of sacred trust. It was known as the “pledge of love” to Desdemona.
Iago talks about jealousy and deception in this same scene, but never gives any proof or direct descriptions of Desdemona's betrayal. Yet we know that Othello's perception has been sufficiently influenced to make him angry and sick by the end of this conversation. He tells Desdemona he has a headache, but he refuses any help from her. When she puts her handkerchief to his head, he pushes it away saying, "your napkin is too little" (3.3.285). This takes on more significance later on in the play when we find out that this handkerchief is the first token of love Othello ever gave to Desdemona.
Consequently, Brabantio is extremely upset when he learns that they have eloped. Brabantio's anger at Othello's "thievery" leads him to entreat the Duke and Senate to annul the marriage. It is also true that the scene involving Iago and Roderigo telling Brabantio of his daughter's eloping does much to develop the character of Iago as a meddling weasel early in the book. The scene in which Othello and Brabantio argue their cases before the Duke is the culmination of the underlying conflict between Desdemona and Brabantio. Desdemona's direct part in the saga is less important than the effects of this conflict on Othello, who emerges an honorable and lawfully wedded man after his appearance before the Senate.
The topic of betrayal and manipulation is a common theme in the play Othello. A numerous amount of characters in the play betray others, and also themselves. From planning affairs that ruin marriages and friendships, to not trusting their significant other. Ways that the play Othello brings out the theme of betrayal is Othello and Desdemona being the one’s who were most affected by Iagos betrayal with their marriage, Iago plotting to put the handkerchief with Michael Cassio, and the death of those who either betrayed, or were betrayed.
This item represented Desdemona’s love for Othello, but also all of the scandal that happened in the play. It was traditional in this time for women to give their handkerchiefs to the one they loved. In this play, however, while Desdemona did give Othello her handkerchief to represent her love, Iago used this item to manipulate Othello so that he could take Cassio’s place. In a way, the handkerchief is the second most important part of the conflict. Iago had a copy of the handkerchief made identical to Desdemona’s, and placed in on Cassio. This ended up causing the main uproar of the
Continuing Act three, Scene three, Othello feels the beginning of a headache. Desdemona offers Othello a handkerchief to ease the pain upon Othello’s forehead. The handkerchief is a gift from Othello to Desdemona as a symbol of the love shared by Othello and Desdemona. In Othello’s pain the handkerchief falls from Othello’s hand and Emilia steals the handkerchief. Iago uses the characters of the play as pawns, including wife Emilia. Jealousy is the fuel and the handkerchief is the spark. With the handkerchief in Iago’s possession, Iago can continue to spin the web of lies and deceit. Iago plans to leave the handkerchief in Cassio’s lodgings to further support the suspicion of Desdemona’s infidelity.
Iago proceeds to tell the news of Desdemona and Othello's marriage to a shocked Brabantio. He uses offensive imagery, showing the extent to which he will go to win Brabantio's support against Othello. While not in the company of either Othello or Brabantio, Iago debases the marria...
Although many arguments could take place over the blame of Othello’s fate, the one murderer no one doubts is jealousy. Although Othello’s insecurities and “blindness” along with one of the most duplicitous villains in all of literature definitely catalyze the deaths at the conclusion of the play, in the end Othello must suffer the consequences manipulated or not. Despite the number of uninteresting characters in the play, Othello, the Moor of Venice contains one of the most intricate characters in any of Shakespeare’s plays, and will be discussed and intensely argued forever.
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
How can one small piece of fabric manifest so much havoc? In William Shakespeare’s Othello, there is great significance of a powerful symbol that completely alters the fate of the story. “In the case of the handkerchief, it stands for several things, things that cannot be seen” (Hacht 663). This symbol, the handkerchief, is given to Desdemona by Othello, as a token of his love, and to their new beginnings as husband and wife. However, the meaning of the handkerchief is viewed differently in various characters perspectives. Reaching the hands of most of the characters, this item results in a sense of irony. What was anticipated to be the start of a new beginning, ultimately turns that vision into an abrupt end.