One of the most intriguing aspects of Shakespeare’s play, Othello, is the vast use of symbolism throughout the play; it gives great value to seemingly insignificant things. Desdemona's handkerchief may seem to be just a piece of cloth, whereas in reality, it has an immense amount of sentimental value to Othello. The handkerchief belonged to his mother, who used it to make herself desirable and to help her "subdue" her husband. It is a symbol of Othello's parents' love and a symbol of the purity of Desdemona's love for Othello. Therefore, it is not just a mere piece of cloth anymore; it has now become sacred and later in the play, it will be responsible for Othello’s demise. Many of the characters in Othello are also symbolic such as Iago who has been characterized as Shakespeare's perfect villai
One of the other things that strike the reader’s attention throughout the play is the extreme use of irony used throughout the entire story. Othello's most glaring irony is in the description of Iago as "honest," when in fact, Iago is the play's most dishonest character. The word "honest" repeats itself many times throughout the play, the majority of the instances referring to Iago. Another example of irony is in Brabantio's last words to Othello. He warns Othello that "She has deceiv'd her father, and may thee" (I, iii, 333-334). Desdemona never actually deceives Othello, but Iago convinces him of this later in the play. Othello's reply to Brabantio, "my life upon her faith!" (I, iii, 335) is also ironic because he eventually does take his life due to his belief that Desdemona has not been fai
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