Question

How does Desdemona lose her handkerchief?

1) Bianca steals it.
2) Iago steals it.
3) She gives it to Cassio.
4) None of the above

Answer 1

Desdemona's handkerchief is taken by Emilia and given to Iago, so the correct answer is 'None of the above'. The handkerchief's loss and subsequent use as false evidence of infidelity are pivotal to the tragedy in Shakespeare's Othello.

Step-by-step explanation:

Desdemona loses her handkerchief because it is taken by Emilia, who then gives it to Iago. Option 4, "None of the above," is the correct answer to the question of how Desdemona's handkerchief is lost in Shakespeare's play, Othello.

In the play, Emilia, Iago's wife, finds the handkerchief and, aware of its importance to Othello as the first gift he gave to Desdemona, she gives it to Iago, hoping to please him. This act unknowingly contributes to the tragic events which unfold as Iago uses the handkerchief to manipulate Othello and to provide 'evidence' of Desdemona's infidelity, leading to catastrophic consequences for all major characters involved.