# Bianca — Othello character guide

> Bianca in Othello by William Shakespeare.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Sweet Bianca

**First appearance:** 0013-act-iii-scene-iv

## Snapshot

A Cypriot courtesan who loves Cassio without illusion, and whose longing for a handkerchief turns her into an unwitting witness.

## Who they are

Bianca lives on the margins of Cypriot society, loving Cassio with a frankness he never quite returns. When he asks her to copy Desdemona's handkerchief, her jealousy flares, yet she pursues him anyway, caught between desire and the knowledge that she is kept at arm's length. Her presence exposes the double standard that governs the play's women, and her unwitting possession of the handkerchief makes her a pawn in Iago's design.

## In the story

### [Scene IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/othello_se/chapters/act-iii-scene-iv)

Confronts Cassio about his absence and becomes jealous upon receiving the handkerchief.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/othello_se/chapters/act-iv-scene-i)

Confronts Cassio about the handkerchief, unwittingly providing evidence for Iago's plot.

### [Scene I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/othello_se/chapters/act-v-scene-i)

Arrives and is accused by Iago of being involved in the attack.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/othello_se/characters/bianca
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/othello_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/othello_se/characters