How exactly does Othello say the handkerchief was made? Who made it and with what materials?
Othello says the handkerchief was made by a "charmer" in her "prophetic fury". At first glace, I didn't realize what a charmer was. I assumed it was a woman who could easily charm others. As I read closer, I found out that she is similar to a fortune teller because of the she "could almost read the thoughts of people" line. I also looked up the meaning of "sibyl" and unsurprisingly it means an ancient oracle.It makes sense if you see her as a fortune teller or oracle throughout the rest of Othello's story as she predicts what will happen if the woman owning the handkerchief loses it. Othello says she was in "prophetic fury" when she sewed it, which I took to mean she was in a divinely induced trance. The handkerchief was made of silk from hallowed worms and dyed with "maidens' hearts", which means it was dyed with the hearts of virgin women to symbolize purity. Othello's story holds a lot of symbolism and prophecy. Whether the story is actually true or not does not seem matter as much as what Othello is trying to make Desdemona think and feel. Either way, the story is meant to guilt Desdemona for any affairs she may or may not be having.
If the story about the handkerchief is true, is Othello another "star crossed lover" situation, like in "Romeo and Juliet"? Does Othello know if the story is actually true when he tells Desdemona? Did he accidentally and unknowingly find the truth, or is the trueness of the story completely irrelevant?
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