Student Question
In Othello, why is Bianca's use of the handkerchief to accuse Cassio ironic?
Quick answer:
Bianca's use of the handkerchief to accuse Cassio is ironic because it inadvertently confirms Othello's suspicions of an affair between Cassio and Desdemona. In Act IV, scene i, Bianca confronts Cassio about the handkerchief, believing it to be a token from another woman, which Othello overhears. The irony lies in the fact that the audience knows Iago planted the handkerchief, not Desdemona, yet it solidifies Othello's misguided jealousy.
It is ironic because her entrance into a scene that Iago has set up for Othello to overhear him discuss with Cassio his "mistress" (meaning Desdemona) is the icing on the cake that sells Othello on the idea that Cassio is having an affair with is wife.
In this scene, Act IV, scene i, Bianca comes in on this by accident, much to Iago's ironic luck, and says to Cassio:
..what did you mean by that same handerchief you gave me even now? I was a fine fool to take it. . . .This is some minx's token. . . .There! Give it the hobby-horse, wheresoever you had it. . .
And so, Bianca seems to confirm Othello's suspicions about Cassio and Desdemona by alluding to the "minx" that Cassio supposedly got the handkerchief from.
And for some added dramatic irony, the audience is fully aware that Iago gave the handkerchief to Cassio, not Desdemona.
Get Ahead with eNotes
Start your 48-hour free trial to access everything you need to rise to the top of the class. Enjoy expert answers and study guides ad-free and take your learning to the next level.
Already a member? Log in here.