Role Of The Tragic Handkerchief In Shakespeare's Othello

Role of the Tragic Handkerchief
In the book Othello by William Shakespeare, the story revolves around marriage and as a sign of loyalty and faithfulness a handkerchief was passed down throughout the family. The play starts of in Venice, and then takes place in Cyprus. Othello’s love for Desdemona manifested after giving her the handkerchief as a indication of his love. Although the handkerchief symbolizes love, loyalty and faithfulness, Othello believes that the handkerchief holds supernatural powers that brings both negative and positive powers depending on who holds it and what its used for. Throughout the book the handkerchief portrays different roles in every character’s life. It shows how much a single event can lead to a massive tragedy. …show more content…
The handkerchief is a symbolization towards a ring like figure. The handkerchief was very valuable to him because if Desdemona were to keep it at all times it would have meant that she was very chaste. But if she were to lose it then she would lose her chastity. He had told her that the strawberries were hand stitched with thread that has been dyed with blood by virgin blood. Although there is really nothing about the handkerchief that made it so special to us, unlike a wedding ring, it is very special to them. In this play, the handkerchief symbolizes Desdemona’s loyalty. The handkerchief is special to Othello, because he receives it as a gift from his mother, and when he receives it Othello says, “ ‘Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love, but if she lost it Or made of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt After new fancies.” This passage explains how valuable the handkerchief is to Othello. This passage tells the readers how if the handkerchief is lost, Othello will receive …show more content…
One example of this is with Othello and Desdemona. After receiving the gift from Othello, Desdemona misplaces the handkerchief. This handkerchief is later found by Emilia, Iago’s wife who gives it to Iago. Iago convinces his wife to steal the handkerchief from Desdemona since he knows that it is very valuable to Othello, but Iago’s wife had a second thought of giving it back to Desdemona. Instead, she didn’t go with her heart she went with what makes her husband happy which is stealing the handkerchief to make him proud. Once Iago receives the handkerchief, Iago then takes it to Cassio’s chamber secretively. Before this happens, problems have already took place, so this eventually causes more problems to arise. Once the handkerchief appears at Cassio’s chamber, Cassio gives it to his girlfriend Bianca to copy the handkerchief since he finds the design intriguing, although he does not know whose it is nor how it got there. Bianca questions Cassio on how he received it, but Cassio wonders the same thing. Cassio says to Bianca, “ I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber. I like the work well: ere it be demanded-- As like enough it will--I’ld have it copied: Take it, and do’t; and leave me for this time.” Othello wants to find out if Cassio has an affair with Desdemona, so he tells Iago to talk to Cassio about it while he hides. At this point in time,