Othello Blog 3- Symbolism

Who knew that such a simple thing as a handkerchief could hold so much importance. In Act III of Shakespeare's Othello, the Moor of Venice, a handkerchief comes into the story for the first time. By the end of the act, it is a major symbol. Signifying many things, the handkerchief is thought by each character to mean something different. Iago sees the kerchief as a means of destroying both Cassio and Othello. "I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin." (III. iii. 322). To Othello, the kerchief represents his wife's possible infidelity and deception, but to Cassio, it is simply a lost object that almost got him in trouble with Bianca. Desdemona, for the time being, only sees it as one of the reasons that Othello has been acting up lately. With so many different meanings for so many different characters, the only thing that the audience can tell for certain is that it is portentous. When the handkerchief shows up again, bad things are bound to happen.