O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak’st of
I found by fortune and did give my husband;
For often, with a solemn earnestness,
More than indeed belong’d to such a trifle,
He begg’d of me to steal it.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. The game is up for murderer Othello and manipulator Iago as Emilia shouts out the truth about Desdemona’s handkerchief. Seen in the possession of Cassio, Othello took this as proof of his wife’s infidelity. Emilia castigates Othello for his stupidity and bravely stands up to husband Iago. She reveals that she found the handkerchief by chance and handed it to Iago, who had begged her to steal it. Showing incredible strength and courage, Emilia exposes Iago as a liar and deceiver.