The Handkerchief Of Shakespeare 's Othello

In Shakespeare’s play Othello, one of the main character’s Desdemona possesses the most essential symbol and object in the play, a handkerchief. The handkerchief appears in Act III of the play and is a particularly important part in the plot of the play. It helps weave the entire story together. The handkerchief symbolizes Othello’s love and trust to Desdemona and Desdemona’s marital fidelity to Othello.

Analyse how a key relationship was used to comment on the human condition in the written text(s).

Through using powerful words in, “Othello”, the human behaviour of the characters is either positively or negatively influenced, and their characteristics and destinies are created. In the following essay “the power of words” in “Othello” will be discussed. Firstly, an introduction paragraph will be given about the power of language devices. Secondly, the language device, “words as power”, will be discussed. Thirdly, the language device, “words as character”, will be elaborated upon. Lastly, the

Shakespeare is known for his use of recurring themes throughout his work, including love, death and betrayal. These themes are present in his work of Othello. However, the most fundamental issue is jealousy. The lives of the characthers in Othello are ruined by jealousy from the beginning to the end of the play. The telling of the story is carried out by passion, jealousy, and death. Shakespeare’s Othello reveals devastating tragic inevitability, stunning psychological depth, and compelling poetic depth; the fragility and mysterious power of love, as well as demons of doubt, and how suspicion can be triggered by manipulative villain (Barthelemy 12).

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.

Shakespeare’s Othello was engaging and kept me wanting to read! The character development was so creative because just when you thought you had figured someone out, they developed into something new, like the ever-changing Othello for example. We witness the fall of a great, for reasoning that boils down to nothing more than jealousy brought about by racial insecurity. When the question of who is ultimately to blame for Othello’s downfall comes about, my mind begins to mull over a thousand different scenarios, and I can never decide to blame just one person. Othello definitely should have delved deeper and made an attempt to speak with Desdemona or Cassio outright before ever running with accusation of that magnitude. Although I’m sure he felt like the handkerchief was more than enough, he should have AT LEAST asked more questions of the people accused. Othello being an outsider he was already uncomfortable in his environment, he went on to marry a white woman whom went against her father’s wishes to do so. It is easy to see why Othello would be uncomfortable regularly and on edge, especially knowing the venetians disdain for Moors. Iago took the chance to take advantage of a weakness, and ultimately drove Othello to insanity and death at his own hands. Shakespeare exemplified the places hate can take a victim perfectly,

Iago and Cassio are going to spend time together partying and drinking. The dramatic irony in the situation is that the audience knows Iago is not really Cassio’s friend in this situation but instead Iago is just going along with his plan. In Othello’s statement “Iago is most honest” (IIiii), it is a dramatic irony because the audience knows that Iago is not honest at all and he’s only pretending to be honest to manipulate Cassio and Othello.

What would happen if an aunt or uncle murders a parent that belongs to them, to benefit from something such as their bank account? Shakespeare's famous play, Hamlet exemplifies what a tragedy genre is and is a very popular play that has been studied since 1604 ("Hamlet"). In this play, Hamlet discovers that his uncle, Claudius, murders his father in his sleep, by pouring poison in his ear, all this information is said to Hamlet through the ghost of his father. Every good child who respects their parents, will seek to avenge for them, like Hamlet, they will develop a hatred towards the murderer and plot ways to rat them out, but many are afraid of the consequences and as a result, they shy away and choose to not do anything. However, in Hamlet,

One of the biggest approaches that Othello shows in fulfilling his assertion is through the handkerchief scene in Act 3, Scene 3. In this scene, if Othello had not known that Desdemona lost her handkerchief, it might have

The handkerchief is significant to the plot, mainly to Iago's manipulation of Othello and his convincing the latter of Desdemona's infidelity. Moreover, it sheds light over Iago, Desdemona, Othello and Emilia's characters, and is thus important to characterisation. The symbolic significance attached to the handkerchief reveals Othello's social background, his treatment of Desdemona and the latter's feelings towards her husband.

It is described by Iago as being “spotted with strawberries” . Shakespeare scholar Lynda Boose argues that the strawberries symbolize blood and that the handkerchief itself represents wedding-bed sheets. The handkerchief is “a visually recognizable reduction of Othello and Desdemona’s wedding-bed sheets, the visual proof of their consummated marriage, the emblem of the symbolic act of generation” . This comes from a historic precedent which originates from the Book of Deuteronomy and was used as evidence in the divorce proceedings of Henry VIII from Catherine of Aragon. Here the symbolic value of the handkerchief is tied to its physical manifestation. The strawberries would look like drops of blood from the seats. Thus the audience would see the spotted strawberries on the prop, and the interpretation would be understood from its visual quality. The physical reality of the prop reinforces Othello’s incidental interpretation, though it does not confirm his conclusion. To possess the handkerchief would be to have demonstrable proof of fidelity just as a blood-stained bed-sheet would prove consummation to the Elizabethans. The handkerchief, were it an actual equivalent of the marital bed-sheet, could be the ocular proof that Othello desires. Yet the handkerchief in reality proves nothing. The handkerchief cannot represent marital fidelity in any

Critics have debated the significance of Othello’s race in terms of portraying his identity for a long time. The negative connotations of “blackness” have led to the creation of many racial constructs associated with the “Moor”; this denigration has infused the opinions of many critics, such as Albert Gerard, proposing that Othello’s “negroid physiognomy” reaches down to the “deepest levels of personality” and that he is a “barbarian”. However, many other critics like Edward Berry and Martin Orkin believe that colour is merely a “surface indicator” compared to the outward virtue of beneficence, defining identity. Beneficence could be defined by the will to practice good acts, in conjunction with the aversion of practicing evil, and the prevention and removal of evil.

"Othello is set in a world and focuses on the passions and personalities of its major figures." (Thomas). Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, Othello's wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio and advisor Iago. The play appeared in seven editors between 1622 and 1705. The themes of the story are racism, love, jealousy, and betrayal. Othello is a black soldier who is accused of stealing his wife Desdemona. Although Desdemona's father dislikes his daughter's choice, Desdemona loves Othello very much and the two are married. Othello’s right hand man is angered at the fact that Othello picked a man named Cassio to be more important than him and he also feels that he is messing with his wife. Iago plans to manipulate Othello but his plan eventually causes more hurt to most of the characters. Iago tries to use the meeting between Cassio and Desdemona as a way to make Othello believe she was cheating on him. Iago goes on with his manipulative plan by planting a handkerchief in Cassio's room, and goes and tell Othello about what he has seen Cassio do. Othello becomes jealous throughout the story and begins to believe that Cassio is talking to his wife. Iago persuades Othello to come up with a master plan to kill Cassio and Desdemona. As Othello tries to kill Desdemona, Emilia, Iago's wife, comes in to tell Othello the truth about Iago. Unfortunately it is too late. Othello had already suffocated her. When Othello

William Shakespeare, considered by many as one of the greatest writers of all history, has an aura of mystery surrounding his legacy. Shakespeare supposedly wrote 154 sonnets, 38 plays, two narrative poems and other works. Every great author knows how to inject mystery into his books, however, Shakespeare managed to not only include mystery in his wondrous works, but he has created a mystery for hundreds of years after his death. Intriguingly, the true authorship of his works continue to elude our knowledge. Three points of interest within this conspiracy, the suspects of writing under Shakespeare's name, how does the mystery stay unsolved, and why was it made a secret, will get discussed.

Iago is the manipulative villain in the play and cause Othello to be jealous. “I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets he has done my office. I know not if’t be true, But I, for mere suspicion in that kind, will do as if for surety” (1.3 430-433). Iago reveals his motivation to destroy Othello as there’s a rumor that Othello is sleeping with his wife, Emilia. This rumor caused only more hatred towards Othello. Later on, Iago had malicious plan which involved to create an illusion of Desdemona and Cassio sleeping with one another. Also, he used the handkerchief as a way to show affair of Desdemona and Cassio’s relationship. “Trifles light as air. Are to the jealous confirmations strong. As proofs of holy writ. This may do something” (3.3.370-372).Handkerchief symbolizes the love of Desdemona and Othello. It shows how much they care for one another. Iago realizes the significance of the handkerchief and takes advantage of it. Iago saying that the handkerchief is in Cassio’s possession shows that Desdemona is faithless. Losing the handkerchief was the push that drove Othello to become a violent and vengeful