Desdemona’s handkerchief

E786318

Desdemona’s handkerchief is the symbolic token of love in Shakespeare’s *Othello* whose loss and misplacement fuel Othello’s jealousy and the tragedy’s central misunderstanding.

All labels observed (3)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional object ⓘ
plot device ⓘ
symbolic object ⓘ
appearsInWork Othello ⓘ
linked to: Othello (play)

The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice ⓘ
linked to: Othello (play)
associatedWithCharacter Cassio ⓘ
linked to: Cassio (character)

Desdemona ⓘ
Emilia ⓘ
Iago ⓘ
Othello ⓘ
linked to: Othello (character)
causes Othello’s jealousy to intensify ⓘ
Othello’s suspicion of Desdemona ⓘ
centralTo plot of Othello ⓘ
createdByAuthor William Shakespeare ⓘ
describedAs spotted with strawberries ⓘ
white cloth with red spots ⓘ
firstAppearsInAct Act 3 of Othello ⓘ
linked to: Othello (play)
functionInNarrative catalyst for the tragedy ⓘ
physical proof for Othello’s delusion ⓘ
genreContext Elizabethan tragedy ⓘ
givenByCharacter Othello ⓘ
linked to: Othello (character)
givenToCharacter Desdemona ⓘ
interpretedAs extension of Desdemona’s body and honor ⓘ
token of marital contract ⓘ
keyScene Act 3, Scene 3 of Othello ⓘ
Act 3, Scene 4 of Othello ⓘ
languageOfWork Early Modern English ⓘ
lostByCharacter Desdemona ⓘ
manipulatedByCharacter Iago ⓘ
materialDetail dyed with mummy and virgins’ blood (as claimed by Othello) ⓘ
medium stage drama ⓘ
misunderstoodByCharacter Othello ⓘ
linked to: Othello (character)
originStory Othello claims it was woven by a sibyl ⓘ
Othello says it was given to his mother by an Egyptian charmer ⓘ
ownedByCharacter Desdemona ⓘ
plantedWithCharacter Cassio ⓘ
linked to: Cassio (character)
stolenByCharacter Emilia ⓘ
symbolizes Othello and Desdemona’s love ⓘ
Othello’s jealousy ⓘ
chastity ⓘ
marital fidelity ⓘ
misinterpretation ⓘ
the fragility of trust ⓘ
trust ⓘ
themeLinkedTo appearance versus reality ⓘ
gender and power ⓘ
jealousy ⓘ
manipulation ⓘ
usedAs evidence of infidelity ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Bianca (Othello) → notablePropAssociated → Desdemona’s handkerchief ⓘ
subject linked to: Bianca
Desdemona’s handkerchief → originStory → Othello says it was given to his mother by an Egyptian charmer ⓘ
linked to: Desdemona’s handkerchief
Desdemona’s handkerchief → originStory → Othello claims it was woven by a sibyl ⓘ
linked to: Desdemona’s handkerchief