Blog Post # 11 Othello

• Why does Othello tell Desdemona this origin story about the handkerchief?
• Othello was turning the handkerchief as a symbol of himself. He talked about the potential consequences of his mother losing the handkerchief or giving it away to another man. If the handkerchief was not valued or born in mind, she would turn Othello's father's love to hatred.
• In Desdemona's case, if she lost the handkerchief or gave it away, she was not respecting Othello himself and his love. "Perdition" would come upon her as a punishment.
• The Handkerchief was a physical symbol of Desdemona's attitude towards Othello, which only showed how insecure Othello was and how fragile his relationship with Desdemona was.
• The magic part of the handkerchief served as a justification for Desdemona's punishment - it was her fault if she lost it, and she deserved the "perdition".
• Although the handkerchief first appeared as a symbol of the love between Othello and Desdemona, it now occurred to me more as handcuffs with which Othello hoped to constraint his wife and her heart
• My question for Act 4 and 5:
• After Othello had the idea of killing Desdemona, he constantly talked to himself of how perfect Desdemona was, and how unwilling he was to destroy her. Was him saying so, a sign of considering himself as not equivalent to his wife? Did he feel insecure and inferior in this relationship? Have his perception of himself changed, after he "learned" that his wife favored his lieutenant over him? Or, the desperate but hearty praise of his wife objectified Desdemona, showing that she was an appendage of him, an appendage that boosts his self-esteem and public image?