Explanations:

Not fierce Othello in so loud a starin

Roard for the handkerchief that caused his pain.

Answer: These remarkable lines have been exhibited in the Fifth canto of the famous heroi-comical poem “The Rape of the Lock” written by Alexander Pope. He is a dominant figure in eighteenth-century English literature. Here the poet has mockingly compared Belinda’s anger with that of Othello, the hero of Shakespeare’s great tragedy, Othello.

A beautiful and loving lock of Belinda’s hair has been cut by an eighteenth-century gallant, Lord Petre or the Baron. For this reason, Belinda becomes very furious. She begins fighting with the Baron in a very amusing manner. She angrily calls upon him to return her lock of hair. Her shout is echoed by the vaulted roofs of Hampton court. Her loud voice can be compared to Othello in this connection. We know that in William Shakespeare’s play, “Othello”, Othello becomes fierce with anger. Because when he is told by the villain Jago that the handkerchief which Othello has given as a token of love to his wife Desdemona has been passed on by her to her lover. This handkerchief is used by Jago as proof of her unfaithfulness. It is this love token that helps Jago in making Othello jealous. It is the cause of the pain he demands his handkerchief from Desdemona in so loud and angry a voice that Belinda demands her locks of hair from the Baron.

However, through these lines, a ridiculous situation is compared with a serious and tragic situation Othello’s demanding the handkerchief from his wife constitutes one of the most critical situations in drama. The comparison of Belinda’s anger with that of Othello, therefore, is a piece of mockery.