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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 4 page essay that discusses the significance of the handkerchief in Shakespeare's Othello. In the history of the theater, the argument can easily be made that there has never been a prop as instrumental to the substance of a play as Desdemona's handkerchief is to the action of Shakespeare's Othello. This prop becomes symbolic to Othello of Desdemona's supposed infidelity, which is precisely what Iago intends. Iago's manipulation of the handkerchief provides Othello's military mind with his supposed "proof" of Desdemona's betrayal and precipitates Othello's tragic subsequent actions. Examination of the play demonstrates the pivotal importance of this prop and how the action and the thematic substance hinge on this one image. No other sources cited.
Page Count:
4 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khhankie.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
handkerchief is to the action of Shakespeares Othello. This prop becomes symbolic to Othello of Desdemonas supposed infidelity, which is precisely what Iago intends. Iagos manipulation of the handkerchief provides
Othellos military mind with his supposed "proof" of Desdemonas betrayal and precipitates Othellos tragic subsequent actions. Examination of the play demonstrates the pivotal importance of this prop and how the
action and the thematic substance hinge on this one image. The handkerchief is first seen in Act III, scene III, when Othello complains of being unwell. Desdemona takes out this
keepsake to sooth his brow and it is Othello who lets it carelessly drop to the floor, which allows Emilia, Iagos wife and Desdemonas servant, to find it and give
it to her husband. Emilia comments, first of all, on how much this token means to her mistress, but also on that fact that her husband has been pestering her
to steal it. With this prop as ammunition, Iago now has a piece of physical evidence that he can use to implicate Desdemona as having an illicit affair with Cassio.
When Othello questions Desdemona about the whereabouts of the handkerchief, she perceives it as a tactic to sidetrack her from her purpose of representing Cassio to Othello as a
good man, whom he has treated unjustly. Desdemona has, of course, been persuaded by Iago to defend Cassio, as he knows that this will make her appear even guiltier in
Othellos eyes. Within the course of this argument, Othello describes the handkerchiefs significance. He says that the handkerchief was given to his mother by an Egyptian who told her
that "while she kept it/Twould make her amiable and subdue my father/Entirely to her love, but if she lost it/Or made a gift of it, my fathers eye/Should hold her
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