Ecstasy Of The Handkerchief In Shakespeare's Othello

The story of the handkerchief can be true and it can also be false. Othello claims that it is true. In act 3 scene 4, Othello explained to Desdemona “’Tis true. There’s magic in the web of it. A sibyl that had numb’red in the world, the sun to course two hundred compasses, in her prophetic fury sewed the work.” The story is based on ancient history that is woven by a 200 year old sibyl or female prophet using silk from sacred worms and dye extracted from virgin’s heart. The importance of this handkerchief signifies a big part of Othello’s life. Whereas, this handkerchief belonged to his mother, this means a lot to Othello because it is part of his family’s history and was passed from his parents’ generation to him. This handkerchief greatly symbolizes the love of Othello and Desdemona that also became the burning argument which tested their marriage and ended it. In act 3 scene 4, Othello asks Desdemona to get the handkerchief, but she lied saying “I say it is not lost.” Othello starts to doubt their marriage and believes that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio. Though the story of the handkerchief at the same time may be false because there is no certain evidence of its past. Othello was just the one telling the story and he also believed that the handkerchief could create magic. The magic that it created was used as the manipulation of Iago, which he dictated who the handkerchief will …show more content…
The handkerchief is directing the motion of the play, leading the scenes and becoming the plot of the story that points to the play’s denouement. At the beginning, Shakespeare symbolizes the handkerchief as something good since it has been a sign of loyalty and love of both the marriages of Othello and Desdemona and also Othello’s parents. Though towards the end, the handkerchief became an object of something bad which changed every detail of the