The Symbolism Of The Handkerchief In Shakespeare's Othello

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Othello for not promoting him and because he thinks that the Moor seduced his wife, and he decides to destroy Othello by persuading him that Desdemona has made love to Cassio.
Using Cassio and another young man, Roderigo, Iago convinces Othello that Desdemona has been unfaithful. Then he finally gets his wife, Emilia Desdemona’s maid, to steal a handkerchief that Othello gave to Desdemona. Iago makes sure that the handkerchief gets into Cassio’s possession and that Othello sees Cassio with it. At the end, convinced by Iago’s constant insinuations, Othello murders Desdemona in her bed. In the closing scenes of the play, Emilia helps to reveal Desdemona’s innocence, and Iago kills her. He has already killed Roderigo because he felt to murder …show more content…

In Othello, the handkerchief symbolizes different things to the different characters and plays an important role in the play. Since the handkerchief was the first gift Desdemona received from Othello, she keeps it with her constantly as a symbol of Othello’s love for her. The handkerchief is first seen in Act 3, when Iago begins to work directly on Othello by poisoning his mind with lies that Desdemona has been unfaithful. Othello was thinking what Iago told him when Desdemona enters to tell him that the Islanders of Cyprus are waiting for him to come to a dinner he has organized. Othello can only answer poorly because he is stunned by Iago’s words. In answer to his wife’s inquires, Othello says that he has a great headache. Desdemona is very concerned about him and offers to bind his forehead with her handkerchief but Othello puts it aside, saying that the handkerchief is too small. The handkerchief falls on the ground but they leave without noticing it. Emilia is the one who finds the handkerchief and gives it to her husband, Iago, who has often urged her to steal the handkerchief for him but she has been unable to do so because Desdemona has always treasured it. Emilia knows that Desdemona will miss the handkerchief and will look everywhere for it, and she doesn’t want to cause any pain to her mistress. She does not know that she

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