Symbolism / Imagery

Handkerchief

The most dominant symbol in the play is the handkerchief that circulates throughout the play. Because Othello gave it to Desdemona as a first gift, the handkerchief functions as a token of his love.

The Handkerchief is such a small object has such enormous weight in the play testifies to the sensitivity of jealous minds, and the way that small incidents can be magnified psychologically into "proofs" of love or betrayal.

Gardens

Iago is pretty fond of making references to gardens and other kinds of foliage. The most famous moment in the play is when Iago says:

Our bodies are our gardens, to the which
our wills are gardeners: so that if we will plant
nettles, or sow lettuce […] either to have it sterile
with idleness, or manured with industry, why,
the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. (1.3.5)

This is a rather elaborate analogy between gardening and exercising free will. Basically, Iago is reminding us that he's the ultimate master gardener, so to speak, because he has such great control over himself and his actions. We're also reminded that, part of what makes Iago such a brilliant manipulator of Othello is his ability to plant the seeds of doubt and jealousy in Othello's mind.

Candle

The candle that Othello blows out just before he strangles Desdemona symbolizes Desdemona's fragile life. Othello draws the comparison himself – as he stands over a sleeping Desdemona with a lit candle in his hand, he says he's going to "Put out the light, and then put out the light" (blow out the candle and then strangle Desdemona). He also muses that the difference between Desdemona's life and a candle's light is that he can put out and relight the candle over and over if he so chooses, but he can kill Desdemona only once