the handkerchief Flashcards
1
Q
Rymer being right about the handkerchief, ‘so remote a trifle’
A
- flimsy piece of fabric is overloaded with meaning
- its use as “ocular proof” stretches credibility
- but perhaps this is the very point: Iago’s linguistc influence is so great that all he needs is an insignificant piece of fabric to precipitate Othello’s downfall
- Shakespeare draws our attention to the power of innate malevolence fuelled by racism, misogyny and jealousy.
2
Q
Smith on the handkerchief
A
‘a portable version or extension of Othello’ - based on the mystical air surrounding the handkerchief, also challenges the generally accepted idea that the handkerchief is white and spotted with red strawberries by highlighting that it is “dyed in mummy”, a black substance associated with early-modern medicine in Egypt.
