Efpatridis 1
C. Efpatridis
R. Efpatridis
ENG 1DP
28 September 2014
Desdemona’s Helping Hand
In Act 3 of William Shakespeare’s Othello, Desdemona, one of the central characters,
states to Cassio, “I’ll intermingle everything he does/With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry,
Cassio;/Thy solicitor shall rather die/Than give thy cause away” (Shakespeare 3.3. 25-28). This
quotation is relevant to not only the scene but to the play overall as it provides significant insight
about several aspects. For one, the short passage provides characterization for Othello’s wife.
Desdemona reveals that she is both compassionate and helpful because she agrees to assist
Cassio who recently lost his title as Othello’s lieutenant due to a brawl in the streets that brings
dishonour to the Moor and himself. Since Cassio broods about his predicament, Desdemona
offers to speak to her husband on Cassio’s behalf to get him reinstated. Therefore, when
Desdemona decides to intercede on behalf of the young man, it reveals her good will and good
nature as Cassio’s advocate. The short passage spoken by Desdemona also develops several
significant themes. The friendship that Desdemona extends to Cassio forms a bond that remains
strong throughout the play, and it is also this bond that unfortunately leads to Othello’s jealousy
since he misinterprets his wife’s alliance with Cassio for her infidelity. Clearly, as the play
progresses, Desdemona’s relationship with Cassio develops the theme of innocence since
Desdemona blindly falls right into a trap that Iago has set to take down her husband, and also
leads to her demise. Finally, the short speech also advances the plot. It is Iago that suggests to
Cassio that he go to Desdemona, so that she can plead his case to her husband. This significantly
contributes to Iago’s multiple and devious plans to gain revenge on Othello for not naming him
as Othello’s ensign. Iago’s anger and revenge develops all the conflicts and main plot of the
play as he destroys anyone as a means to get even with the Moor. Overall, the passage is
dramatically significant to the play as it reveals several positive character traits about
Desdemona, develops many themes that are central to the play, and lastly, leads to one of the
main conflicts in the play that is pivotal to the plot. Desdemona’s good intentions to offer Cassio
a helping hand in his time of need is extremely significant in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy.