Sunday, May 17, 2020
Desdemonaââ¬â¢s Handkerchief in Othello Essay - 891 Words
In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play Othello, one of the main characterââ¬â¢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 Othelloââ¬â¢s love and trust to Desdemona and Desdemonaââ¬â¢s marital fidelity to Othello. The first symbol of the handkerchief is Desdemonaââ¬â¢s marital fidelity. In the play, Iago gives the only description of the handkerchief when he says to Othello, Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief / Spotted with strawberries in your wifes hand (III.iii.434-435)? The handkerchief is white with a pattern of strawberries in theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Iago sees the handkerchief as a way of finally being able to get to Othello. Iago feels that the handkerchief is a symbol of Desdemonaââ¬â¢s faith to Othello. By obtaining this symbol of he r faith, he is able to deploy his plan of revenge against Othello. Othello discovers that the handkerchief is missing and becomes very angry with Desdemona. When Desdemona looses her handkerchief, Othello believes she is unfaithful. Othello sees Cassio with the handkerchief and accepts it as confirmation of Desdemonas infidelity. The handkerchief also represents Othelloââ¬â¢s love and trust in Desdemona. Othello has an obsession with the handkerchief because of its history. It carries a significant amount of meaning and is extremely important to him. He tells Desdemona about the history of the handkerchief and how his mother used it to keep his father faithful to her: That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it, Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love; but if she lost it Or made gift of it, my fatherââ¬â¢s eye Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me, And bid me, when my fate would have me wived; To give it her. I did so, and take heed on ââ¬â¢t; Make it aShow MoreRelatedOthello s Othello By William Shakespeare848 Words à |à 4 Pages Desdemonaââ¬â¢s Passivity [In the Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play ââ¬Å"Othelloâ⬠] Desdemona is a passive character in the Shakespeare play ââ¬Å"Othelloâ⬠. We can identify this as a fault in Desdemona, in various acts and scenes throughout the play. A critic had stated that ââ¬Å"Desdemona is passive, acted upon rather than acting.â⬠This is a valid statement which is noticeable in Desdemonaââ¬â¢s character. When Desdemona argues Cassioââ¬â¢s position that Othello stripped from him. We see from this that she could have actedRead MoreWhos Responsible for Desdemonas Death? Essay1036 Words à |à 5 PagesIs Othello responsible for Desdemonaââ¬â¢s death? Or is it Iago who planned to get revenge against the Moor? There are many people in the play who are responsible for Desdemonaââ¬â¢s death. However, one of the individuals in the play unwittingly helps contribute to her death by being naive. Emilia who is Desdemonaââ¬â¢s loyal friend fails to convince Othello that Desdemona is faithful. She is unwittingly responsible for her fr iendââ¬â¢s death because, she never mentions the handkerchief until Desdemona has beenRead MoreThe Significance of the Handkerchief in Othello by Shakespeare566 Words à |à 3 Pages The handkerchief is significant to the plot, mainly to Iagos manipulation of Othello and his convincing the latter of Desdemonas infidelity. Moreover, it sheds light over Iago, Desdemona, Othello and Emilias characters, and is thus important to characterisation. The symbolic significance attached to the handkerchief reveals Othellos social background, his treatment of Desdemona and the latters feelings towards her husband. Interestingly, Othello provides two sides of the story of how heRead MoreIs It Possible For A Small Piece Of Cloth?879 Words à |à 4 Pagesthe Shakespearean play ââ¬Å"Othelloâ⬠, it is very possible. There are many factors that lead up to these deaths, but the handkerchief is the most significant. It is the most significant because of all the chaos it causes. Nevertheless, the play depicts a story about Othello and Desdemona, a couple that deems unacceptable in Iagoââ¬â¢s eyes. Thus, Iago devises a plan in order to ruin their marriage. His plan includes stealing the handkerchief that was given to Desdemona from Othello. At this point it is clearRead MoreOthello By William Shakespeare s Othello Essay1230 Words à |à 5 Pages Previously, in Act 3.4, Othello begins to suspect Desdemonaââ¬â¢s loyalty, as he continuously asks Desdemona for the handkerchief, yet she keeps on changing the topic. In Act 4.1, Iago continues to convince Othello of Desdemonaââ¬â¢s faithful ness. In Act 3.4, Othello defended Desdemona when Iago accused her; but in Act 4.1, their position is switched. Othello becomes more aware of what Iago is saying and the anger that he has towards Iago has significantly reduced, while he begins to doubt Desdemona.Read MoreOthello Character Analysis905 Words à |à 4 Pages1. Throughout the drama, ââ¬Å"The Tragedy of Othelloâ⬠, Iago successfully manipulates Cassio various times. In the writing, Shakespeare creates Iagoââ¬â¢s plan to demote Cassio from being Othelloââ¬â¢s lieutenant, the role Iago dreamt of, by tricking Cassio to get drunk so that he will raise chaos and result in Cassio being demoted. This worked out for Iago when Cassio accepts Iagoââ¬â¢s encouraging words and began to drink heavily, this would result in Cassio ultimately fighting and stabbing Montano in a drunkenRead MoreThe Handkerchief Of Shakespeare s Othello1730 Words à |à 7 PagesHandkerchief Destruction Destruction caused by a single piece of cloth seems like a very farfetched idea. In William Shakespeareââ¬â¢s play Othello, he shows how a single handkerchief can cause mass devastation, and he shows how it can ruin many lives. The background of the handkerchief is what makes the handkerchief so important to Othello. The handkerchief was a family heirloom, and was handed down to him by his mother. The handkerchief is passed around to majority of the characters, and those whoRead MoreTo What Extent Is Desdemona Presented as a Tragic Victim in Othello?1489 Words à |à 6 PagesTo what extent is Desdemona presented as a tragic victim in the play ââ¬ËOthelloââ¬â¢? Desdemona, the daughter of Venetian senator Brabantio, is captivated by Othelloââ¬â¢s fables of bravery as a warrior and she falls in love with him. In view of the fact that Desdemona is a ââ¬Å"fairâ⬠woman and Othello is ââ¬Å"an old black ramâ⬠, commonly referred to as ââ¬Ëthe Moorââ¬â¢, their marriage indicates that her fate might be tragic. In ââ¬ËOthelloââ¬â¢, Desdemona is portrayed as a courageous young woman whose character is used againstRead MoreOthello, The Moor Of Venice Essay860 Words à |à 4 Pagesthat the hero possesses. In Shakespeareââ¬â¢s tragedy Othello, the Moor of Venice (rpt. In Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson, Perrineââ¬â¢s Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense, 10th ed. [Boston: Wadsworth, 2009], 1273-1366), there are several contributing factors in the tragic outcome of the play. Iago, the primary antagonist, targets Othello in various ways to obtain revenge and this contributes to the demise of beloved characters. Althoug h Iago and Othello contribute heavily to the final result of the tragedy:Read MoreTragedy is mostly seen in characters pure and innocent. The deaths of those whom are innocent have800 Words à |à 4 Pagesdeserve their unfortunate fates. Desdemona is the heart of Iagoââ¬â¢s plan and her loyalty to Othello eventually leads to her death bed. Emiliaââ¬â¢s husband is the villain she hates, but giving him the one item he needs dooms everyone. Othello falls into Iagoââ¬â¢s plan as soon as his fatal flaw of jealousy comes into play. In the tragic play Othello, by William Shakespeare, the innocent characters Desdemona, Emilia, and Othello are lead to their demise because they are manipulated into trusting Iago. Desdemona
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.