What Does The Handkerchief Symbolize In The Great Gatsby

There are many symbols in every work of literature, some of which are much more notable than others. The more obvious ones are those present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter such as the rose-colored “A” on Hester’s chest, those present in Beowulf such as Heorot Hall, and those present in Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby such as the light fixated upon by Gatsby at the end of the dock. All of these pale in comparison, however, to Shakespeare’s use of symbolism in his many plays. Like many things during Shakespeare’s time, the aptly name Renaissance, the use of symbolism saw what can only be described as a rebirth through his plays. One key example, as seen in Othello, is the handkerchief, which changes hands many times throughout

the course of the play.

The handkerchief, although appearing to the audience as a simple square piece of cloth, is, in reality, a symbol of love in the eyes of Othello, the jealousy that plagues Othello’s heart as the play progresses, and even Othello himself.
As Stephen Hannaford puts it, “the handkerchief points to some more profound and less materially definable world outside the limits of the play… …something as indefinable as love” (Hannaford 474). In particular, the handkerchief symbolizes Othello’s view of love. The handkerchief was originally given by Othello’s father to Othello’s mother. This is evidenced by Othello referring to it as “an antique token my father gave my mother” (5.2.228-9). This, through the careful use of the words such as “token,” which means something that serves as a representation of a quality or feeling, establishes the handkerchief as a symbol of love in Othello’s eyes. Othello’s mother then, on her deathbed, gave the handkerchief to Othello with her final act on this earthly plane. With each exchange of hands, it can be seen that Othello’s handkerchief, and therefore his idea of what love is, becomes slowly, but surely, perverted. Othello’s first experience of love would

have likely been his parents. Because of this, Othello had associated an idealized form of love, the kind of love he experienced with his parents, with the handkerchief. To Othello, the handkerchief would serve as a constant reminder of this idea of what love should be. The same can be said about Othello having received the handkerchief from his mother. Of all things that Othello’s mother would have wanted in the world during her final moments on this earth, she wanted nothing more than for him to have the handkerchief. Again, this is an act of love that Othello very closely experienced. This further cements Othello’s association of love with the handkerchief. Because of this association, Othello would give it to Desdemona, the love of his life, with the anticipation that their love was cut of the same cloth. Unfortunately, Othello would be held to believe quite the opposite due to Iago’s iniquitous deception. Further still, the handkerchief, as seen by Othello, would somehow end up in the hands of Cassio. Othello, being logical, assumed it would have had to have been given to him by none other than Desdemona. This act of betrayal, symbolized by Desdemona giving what Othello truly and deeply believes to be the embodiment of his love for her to another, is what Iago would utilize in his efforts to sabotage Othello. What ultimately drove the final nail in both Desdemona and Othello’s coffin, however, was the fact that it managed to find its way, as Othello understood it, into the hands of Cassio’s mistress. It is at this point that Othello has finally seen with his own eyes what lies Iago has been telling him throughout the play. With this, Othello’s view of love is shattered into countless pieces, and is subsequently replaced with betrayal. He realizes that there is no such thing as love in this cruel world. The fact that the handkerchief, having been associated with Othello’s idealized views of love, made its way from being so whimsically incredible to being held by a glorified whore absolutely destroys Othello, driving him to take his love’s and his own life.
There is something else that must be considered when discussing Othello’s handkerchief: its change.

Something that the handkerchief does that very few symbols can even begin to fathom is evolve throughout the course of the play. As mentioned previously, the handkerchief symbolizes love both in a general sense as well as in the eyes of Othello. Iago becomes a cancerous growth in the body that is Othello’s well-being, affecting all that he cares for, including his love for Desdemona as is symbolized by Othello’s handkerchief. Because of this, the handkerchief inevitably becomes a symbol of the jealousy that consumes Othello. Andrew Sofer states that “Othello’s jealousy, once aroused, infects his interpretation of all subsequent events” (Sofer 369-370). This jealousy would ultimately consume Othello, culminating into his telling Desdemona “thou dost stone my heart, and mak’st me call what I intend to do a murder, which I thought a sacrifice” (5.2.71-3). In reality, it is not Desdemona’s betrayal that causes this great distress for Othello and those around him, but it is instead caused by the seed of jealousy that took root in Othello’s heart. It has now grown into this atrocious and man-eating floret that destroys everything in its path. This is what has become of this jealousy symbolized by the handkerchief. In addition to this, Othello’s handkerchief not only evolves throughout the duration of the play, but its evolution mirrors that of Othello and his relationship with

others. As the jealousy in his heart festers and grows into its final pugnant form, Othello also grows more and more wicked and damning in his interaction with those around him. He curses Desdemona for her perceived deception and turning his heart to stone. Similarly, he pushes his friends away because no one can be trusted by him. Only Iago remains by Othello’s side in his time of great need. Othello could not have asked for a more loyal friend. Where others betrayed him by sleeping with his wife or by disgracing the sanctity of the love symbolized by his handkerchief, Iago always was there to guide him toward the light. Only that it is not the light, it is rather the dark corners of this cruel world in which there is no love for Othello. Iago then, by his intervention, infected Othello, planting the seeds of jealousy in his heart.
Because of this, it becomes evident that the handkerchief symbolizes Othello himself, as well as his belief of love in this world. As previously mentioned, Othello believed in an ideal love from when he first received the handkerchief. Additionally, as also mentioned previously, Othello becomes plagued by Iago’s intervention. The handkerchief, and all it stands for, follows suit.
It is for these reasons that the handkerchief present in William Shakespeare’s Othello
is one of the best examples of, and also one of the most underappreciated uses of, symbolism in modern English literature. The handkerchief symbolizes the incredibly abstract symbol that is love. On top of this, it is not a static symbol, meaning that it does not stay the same , but rather changes throughout the course of the play as it is corrupted by the negative forces of jealousy incessantly drowning Othello and those around him due to Iago’s influence. Finally, and most likely the most profound of the things the handkerchief symbolizes in Othello, Othello’s handkerchief symbolizes Othello himself.