Answer:
In <em>Othello</em>, a Venetian army general (Othello) is betrayed by a man who pretends to be his friend (Iago).
There are many miscommunications in the play, majority of which are a result of Iago's plot. For instance, in <em>Act I, Scene I,</em> Iago tells Brabantio (Desdemona's father) about her marriage to Othello. Iago describes Othello as a barbarous man, which makes Brabantio both angry and concerned with his daughter's future. This leads to a miscommunication between Brabantio and Othello in <em>Scene II</em>, where Brabantio accuses him of bewitching his daughter so as to fall in love with him. Othello suggests that his father-in-law just first hear his part of the story and then form an opinion.
Another instance of miscommunication happens after Emilia gives Desdemona's handkerchief to Iago, who plants it in Michael Cassio's room, as a sign of her infidelity. As a result, in <em>Act III, Scene IV</em>, Othello asks Desdemona for the handkerchief, but she switches to a different topic and does not attach particular importance to his question. She does not know what Othello is thinking and what he is up to, but Othello gets even more angry because she ignores his question, and interprets it as a sign of her adultery.
