"Othello" - Shakespeare - Dramatic Suspense (Q4)

"She give it to Cassio! No, alas, I found it, And I did give 't my husband." (V.ii.229-230) Much of the story's suspense is developed through dramatic irony. The audience can see the entire picture, while the characters only know bits and pieces. For example, Othello was convinced that Desdemona had given Cassio his handkerchief. When the topic comes up around Emilia, who was the one who found the handkerchief, the reader stiffens as they feel like they are Iago. We know that and awkward and truth-revealing event is about to occur. Another example is when Desdemona and Othello begin talking. We know that Othello is planning to kill her, yet she doesn't. We are waiting in suspense to see what her reaction will be and if Othello will follow through with his plot. The effect of this dramatic contrast is profound and keeps the reader inaudibly screaming at the various characters as they traverse the storyline.