Objects of Interpretation in Othello

Abstract

The disintegration of female power is central to the progression of Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello . Iago’s rapid ascent and control is facilitated by subjugation of the women in the play. The promise of female power is contained in a seemingly inconsequential wisp of linen, Desdemona’s strawberry-patterned handkerchief. The handkerchief is a tangible symbol of female autonomy, both independently and in marriage. The loss of Desdemona’s handkerchief coincides with a rapid upset of the power dynamic between men and women. This results in the silencing of all three women in the play: Desdemona, Emilia, and Bianca. The most powerful insults to women are in the form of men assigning interpretations to their bodies, particularly their blood, sweat and tears, ultimately stripping women of their bodily autonomy. A handkerchief’s everyday use is to heal or otherwise contain these physiological substances; thus, the removal of the handkerchief from Desdemona’s possession leaves her vulnerable to Othello’s violence, through misogynistic rhetoric, physical abuse and arbitrary interpretation of her body.