Handkerchief To Othello example essay topic

Look closely at the handkerchief. What does it mean to Othello, Desdemona, Emilia, Iago, Cassio, Bianca? In the play Othello by William Shakespeare, the handkerchief plays a huge part, if not the most significant reason in the unfolding of the tragedy of Othello, provides a perfect opportunity for Iago to manipulate Othello's mind and turn him over the edge from an in control leader, to a passionate beast which brings about the murder of Desdemona. The handkerchief has great meaning to Othello. It was his mothers handkerchief who received it from an Egyptian with the words "Would make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but if she lost it Or made a gift of it, my father's eye Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt After new fantasies". ( iv ll 55, 9) This clearly shows that the handkerchief is a sacred heirloom in his family, so the handkerchief to Othello is a symbol of trust and love, for he gives up this treasured item to give to Desdemona expressing his undying love for her.

Othello continues to tell Desdemona about this handkerchiefs history attempting to make her feel guilty, for Desdemona had dropped it, and Othello knows she does not have it. "She, dying, gave it to me, And bid me, when my fate would have me wive, To give it her. I did so"; ( iv ll 59, 61) This shows us that Othello gave the handkerchief to the one he loved due to an order of his mother on her deathbed which gives the handkerchief even more symbolic power of love and trust in Othello's eyes. The handkerchief to Othello symbolises his love for Desdemona, and when she loses it, and Othello is influenced to think she gave it away, the cauldron overflows within him, and he turns into a passionate beast, driven by anger to murder his love. Othello is deeply affected by the thought that his handkerchief which was given to Desdemona in an act of intimacy. ."..

Pish! Noses, ears and lips! Is't possible? - Confess? Handkerchief! O devil!" (IV I ll 41, 3) Othello is so distraught buy the fact his symbol for his love was given away, he falls into a seizure.

What's interesting is at the end of that passage he says "O devil!" . This is interesting for Iago is compared to the Devil by many critics (not Bradley) and it is quite a fascinating choice of words for the closing of a statement just before he falls into a seizure. Interesting... Iago views the handkerchief as completely the opposite to Othello. Unlike respecting it for its tradition and symbolic power of love and trust, Iago uses it to manipulate Othello's mind. Emilia at first picks up the handkerchief and Iago pounces at the opportunity to use Emilia na " ive personality to involve her in the scheme to over throw Othello.

"A good wench! Give it me" "What will you do with't, that you have been so earnest To have me filch it?" ( ll 311, 12) Iago snatches it Iago sees the handkerchief as an opportunity to drive Othello over the edge and tip the scale of passion versus reason towards the uncontrollable passionate rage, and send him flying into anger. "Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief Spotted with strawberries in your wife's hand? ... did I today See Cassio wipe his beard with". ( ll 432,436) This is Iago putting images into Othello's mind about the two, Cassio and Desdemona, getting close and the possibility of having relations behind Othello's back. This suggestion using the handkerchief as false backup easily influences Othello's sense of reason and tips those inevitable scales towards the beast within.

"If that be, or any that was hers, It speaks against her with the other proofs". ( ll 437, 8) Once again this is Iago using the handkerchief image as a powerful medium to turn Othello's mind over, saying this along with the other minor proofs is enough for you to turn on Desdemona and question her loyalty. The handkerchief to Iago is a powerful object in which he uses to manipulate Othello just by suggesting that Desdemona gave it to Cassio, which concludes for us that it is a powerful symbol of love and trust, and if someone loses it, utter chaos will emerge. To Desdemona the handkerchief is a symbol of Othello's love for her, and means a lot to her just to have it within arms reach. When Othello continuously demands the handkerchief and eventually retires Desdemona acts with the most sincere innocence. "Sure, there's some wonder I this handkerchief: I am most unhappy in the loss of it". ( iv ll 93, 4) Desdemona sees the handkerchief as a symbol of love for her and respects it... unluckily for her she accidentally misplaces it and Iago weaves his ideas around it and she ends up dead.

Hate to be her. Cassio also is one who is affected by the powerful symbolic nature of the handkerchief but cannot do much about it for it was out of his control. His name was used in Iago's affair fantasy leading to Othello's seizure and yet Cassio is oblivious to the whole thing. To him, the handkerchief symbolises his end funnily enough. The handkerchief plays a key role in the text. Othello becomes more and more savage because of its powerful imagery for love.

Iago uses this powerful symbolism for love to tip Othello from reason to passion controlling his mind, and Desdemona is the little innocent one and loses it by chance and regrets it, not knowing her slip up causes this turmoil. Frankly without the handkerchief as the main "proof" in Iago's case of the so called affair, he would have found it extremely to manipulate Othello's mind, for Othello would have of known the trust between the two was there for she still holds is family heirloom for love. The handkerchief influenced the outcome of this play... I wipe my nose on it.