“Seventeenth-century writers were fascinated by the emotional turmoil that jealousy provoked, and their jealous characters feel darker and more psychologically realistic than earlier representations” (Olson 3). The author discusses how the characters become “jealous” of losing their personal possessions or property, including the possession of a wife to another man. Iago’s jealous possessiveness toward Desdemona is demonstrated in this article. Iago convinces his wife to steal it from Desdemona because Othello gives it to Desdemona as a first gift, the handkerchief resembles as a token of his love, which Desdemona appreciates. “To marry someone like Desdemona-who is, as the early scenes involving Brabanzio make clear, socially valuable-was
