Chapter 10- A Misplaced Valuable
Desdemona is with Emilia. She sees the clown and asks him if he has seen Cassio. The clown is being wise and does not directly state where Cassio is. The clown then leaves. Desdemona is worried about the lost of her handkerchief. Her anxiety increases when Othello enters and asks her for her handkerchief.
"Desdemona, my wife, how are you?"
"Very good, my dear husband."
Othello then takes her hand.
"Your hand is wet, my love."
"You hand, this hand is a good one, the best."
"Why would it not be? For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart. Enough of this. Your promise," stated Desdemona.
"What promise are you talking of?"
"The one where you would talk to Cassio."
"I have a tear in my eye. Let me borrow your handkerchief."
"Here my dear husband."
"The one that I gave you."
"I don't have it with me."
"You don't."
"No I don't, Othello."
"My god. This is a fault. That handkerchief was one that an Egyptian gave to my mother. Before she died, she gave it to me. And when I had a wife I would it to her. I did. I gave it to you Desdemona. And now you can't find it? This is not good."
"My dear Othello, I am terribly sorry."
"Go get the handkerchief!"
"I can't. I do not know where it is."
Cassio now approaches Desdemona, but she must now, because of Othello's anger, postpone her efforts on his behalf. As he waits, Bianca, his lover, appears. Cassio has found Desdemona's handkerchief in his room (which was placed there by Iago) and he asks Bianca to copy the embroidery work for him. Bianca thinks that the handkerchief is from another lover.
Bianca says to herself, 'but who….'