Responsive Writing: Othello Act 3Only a Handkerchief, But...

Responsive Writing: Othello Act 3
Only a Handkerchief, But...

In The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice, a small and seemingly unimportant detail leads to Othello's eventual demise. Desdemona's handkerchief is lost and Othello sees it in Cassio's hands. Over the centuries, many small details and trivialities have altered major events. During the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century at the battle of Waterloo, a strong unit of cavalry was misdirected into a pit where they were scattered and killed.
The handkerchief is the symbol of Othello's love for Desdemona. It is the first gift that he gave her when they were courting and he sees it as something very important. The story of the origin of the handkerchief is very important because Othello claims that it has “magic in the web of it” (3.4.71). Othello also claims that it was his mother's and that she used it to capture his father's love. It seems that this is the first time that Desdemona has heard this and sh...