Othello The Handkerchief Essay

His mother gave him the handkerchief on her deathbed and told him to give it to his wife if he should marry.Othello then said: Iago had created suspicion in Othello's mind that Desdemona and Cassio were having an affair by using innuendo and subtle suggestion.Othello sees the handkerchief and Iago later confirms that it is, indeed, his.

His mother gave him the handkerchief on her deathbed and told him to give it to his wife if he should marry.Othello then said: Iago had created suspicion in Othello's mind that Desdemona and Cassio were having an affair by using innuendo and subtle suggestion.

Othello falls into a trance of rage, and Iago decides to hammer home his false ideas about his wife.

Iago calls Cassio in, while Othello hides; Iago speaks to Cassio of Bianca, but Othello, in his disturbed state, believes that Cassio is talking of Desdemona, which is the last "proof" he needs before declaring his wife guilty.

Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. It is probably the most crucial evidence to prove Iago's claim that Desdemona and Cassio, Othello's lieutenant, are having an affair.

To understand the handkerchief's importance in this regard, one also has to know its history as well as both its symbolic and sentimental value to our protagonist, Othello, general of the Venetian army.

The sly Iago has already arranged to meet with Cassio and will talk about Bianca, a girl Cassio has been seeing. Othello listens to the entire conversation, believing that every reference to Bianca by the two men is about his wife.

The situation is worsened when Bianca later enters and waves the handkerchief at Cassio, exclaiming that she was insulted by him daring to ask her to 'take out the work' on the napkin, when it clearly was a gift from another woman.This set the scene for Iago to develop his pernicious plot, for when he and Othello saw them together, he suggested that their liaison was unbecoming.In Act 3, Scene 3, Desdemona starts pestering Othello with requests about Cassio's reinstatement.She attempts to change the subject and asks him about Cassio's appeal, but this just angers the general even more and he insists that she procure the handkerchief. Othello superstitiously believes that the supposed charm has done its work.His outburst provokes Emilia into asking whether he is not jealous.The charmer promised that the napkin would make her husband loyal and make her lovable.If she should lose it, her husband would turn against her and his eye would wander.In Scene 1 of Act 4, Iago so plays on Othello's suspicion and jealousy that the general falls into a fit, which pleases the vindictive ancient tremendously.When Othello recovers, he tells him to hide for he is going to indulge Cassio in conversation, and he will have him tell about his affair with Desdemona.Othello is enraged and promises to tear Desdemona to pieces. Othello then kneels and takes a sacred vow of vengeance.Iago kneels with him and promises to offer his life in Othello's service.