Act 3 Scene 4 Flashcards
Scene 4 Summary
- Othello inquires about the whereabouts of the handkerchief to Desdemona
- Desdemona pretends she still has it when it is lost
- Desdemona wonders why Othello is so angry
- The handkerchief is planted with Cassio and Bianca
‘My noble Moor is true of mind’
Desdemona - She sees the good in him despite this being the complete opposite of the truth
‘Give me your hand, this hand is moist my lady’/’Sweating devil’
Othello - To Desdemona, he is more forceful with her now than he was once previously, he believes her sweat is a sign of anxiety because she is lying to him
‘The handkerchief did an Egyptian to my mother give’
Othello - This is the only token of love he has ever seen as if his mother were to lose it she should lose the love of his father
‘There’s magic in the web of it’
Othello - Contrasts the idea that he didn’t use an ounce of magic to make Desdemona fall in love with him but his madness creates him into a negative stereotype
‘It is not lost but what if it were’
Desdemona - She begins to panic as she blames herself for losing the handkerchief and wants to know the consequences of this as Othello is already distressed
‘Pray you’ll let Cassio be received again you’ll never meet a more sufficient man’
Desdemona - Tries to deflect from the issue and help Cassio but is naive and doesn’t realise he is part of the problem so Othello angers more
‘They are all but stomachs and we all but food’
Emilia - Takes a more active voice and opposes the greed of men
‘Is my lord angry?’
Iago - Careful to keep up appearances in front of everyone
‘Oh Cassio whence came this?’/’I know not neither, I found it in my chamber’
Bianca/Cassio - The only woman to survive is the prostitute, Cassio’s attitudes show as he uses a found handkerchief as a gift to her and sleeps with her for fun not for love
