What is ironic about the handkerchief in Othello?

What is ironic about the handkerchief in Othello?

Situational irony is also employed here. Othello believes that Desdemona gave the handkerchief to Cassio when he actually is the one who pushes the handkerchief out of her hands as she is trying to soothe him. He is the one truly responsible for the handkerchief winding up in other characters’ hands.

What is so special about the handkerchief Desdemona drops?

What is so special about the handkerchief Desdemona drops? It was a gift from Othello that he received from an Egyptian woman. What happens to Desdemona’s handkerchief after she drops it? Emilia takes it because Iago has been begging her to steal it.

What does the handkerchief symbolize?

The handkerchief initially is a gift given to Desdemona by Othello as a love token. It is subsequently symbolically transformed into Desdemona’s bedsheets, which she uses to reveal her true innocence and fidelity to Othello; and finally, Desdemona requests that the bedsheets be used to cover her as a death shroud.

What is the history of the handkerchief is Othello telling the whole truth here what else might he be doing?

Othello says the handkerchief was a gift from an Egyptian to his mother. He says that should his mother give it away his father’s spirits would’ve hunted her down. He might not be telling the truth, he might be saying it because he thinks Desdemona gave it away because she’s cheating on him.

How is the handkerchief in Othello significant?

He tells Desdemona that it was woven by a 200 -year-old sibyl, or female prophet, using silk from sacred worms and dye extracted from the hearts of mummified virgins. Othello claims that his mother used it to keep his father faithful to her, so, to him, the handkerchief represents marital fidelity.

What does the handkerchief symbolize to Desdemona *?

The handkerchief, a gift to Desdemona from Othello, symbolizes so much more than a mere token of affection. To Othello, the handkerchief symbolizes fidelity and his giving it to Desdemona represents a promise that he will be true to her, and a request that she stay true to him.

What does it mean when a woman drops her handkerchief?

At a time when women were not allowed to talk to a stranger, handkerchiefs were literally a means of communication, as ladies would drop these precious pieces of lace on the sidewalk, whenever they wanted to attract the attention of a gentleman.

What is the same meaning of handkerchief?

kerchief
You can call a handkerchief a “hanky,” or just a kerchief, although this more often means “a square piece of cloth worn as a head covering.” This last part of handkerchief comes from the Old French couvrechief, literally meaning “cover head,” from couvrir, “cover,” and chief, “head.” So a handkerchief is a similar …

What is the effect of Emiles silence about the handkerchief?

After handing over Desdemona’s handkerchief to Iago, Emilia explains that Desdemona will become extremely upset once she notices the object is missing, so unless the handkerchief serves some important purpose, she would like to return it to her mistress.

Why is the handkerchief so important in number the stars?

The handkerchief in the packet is so important in Number the Stars because it helps to save the lives of Jewish refugees. It is coated with a special drug that deprives the dogs used by the Nazis of their sense of smell. This means that the Germans are unable to find anyone hidden aboard the boat.

Why did Emilia take the handkerchief?

Emilia gave the handkerchief to Iago for the simplest of reasons: she didn’t realize how important it was going to be, and he was her husband (and she wanted to please him). Iago convinces Othello that Cassio gave it to Bianca, which convinces him that Cassio and Desdemona are having an affair.

What does a dropped handkerchief mean?

: a game in which one player runs behind the other players as they stand in a circle and drops a handkerchief behind one of them who then must pick up the handkerchief and run around the circle after the first player and try to tag, catch, or kiss the first player before he or she gets to the vacant place in the circle …