Blog Post 11 Othello

How exactly does Othello say the handkerchief was made? Who made it and with what materials?

Othello states the handkerchief was made by an Egyptian sorceress and it was said that the handkerchief had powers to help the holder subdue who they wanted, in this case, the holder being Othello's mother and she used it to subdue Othello's father. The main problem with it is if the holder either gifted or lost the handkerchief the holder would become loathed by who they want to subdue. It was said to be made from silk and dyed in mummy (which is said to have medicinal or magic power) or maiden hearts.

My main question from Act 4 or 5 is, was it Shakespeare's purpose to make the characters Othello and Iago act as immaturely and almost innately as they do? For Othello's sake, he's driven mainly by jealousy over his wife that he never seemed to truly want to marry or be with until it was speculated that she was sleeping with Cassio, these actions or feelings drove him to the brink of insanity ultimately causing him to take his Desdemona's life then his own. His decent into madness almost reminded me of a middle schooler or just someone in an immature state, driven by feelings rather than logic. Othello also has an egotistical personality, I see this mainly in the final scene when Othello is being carried out and wants Lodovico and the other Venetians to remember him for the good he has done in battle and his success rather than the state he is in before he takes his own life, almost oblivious to the state he has been driven to. Iago on the other hand also drove through jealousy through Othello appointing Cassio to the post of Lieutenant rather than Iago. Iago then creates a plan not only to get what he wants through ruining Othello but also at the same time driving himself mad and in the end killing his own wife, and ruining the life of a once-great Othello. The actions of immaturity complement the main themes of jealousy in this play immensely.