| O, beware, my lord…it is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on. | Speaker: IagoSpoken to Othello Analysis: Cassio and Des have just left the room and uses this opportunity to accuse Cassio of cheating and Othello starts to doubt Cassio. Iago uses a metaphor to compare jealousy and a monster, a monster is destructive and powerful like jealousy, develops Iago’s manipulativeness |
| Do it not with poison. Strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated. | Speaker: IagoSpeaking to Othello Analysis: when the final straw breaks and he decides to kill Des. Othello tells Iago to get poison but Iago says to not do it with poison but to strangle her instead. Othello agrees and it is fitting to strangle her in bed because she “tricked or betrayed” him on the bed bc she slept with other men. |
| Like to the Pontic sea, whose icy current and compulsive course ne’er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on to the Propontic and the Hellespont, even so my bloody thoughts with violent pace shall ne’er look back…Now, by yond marble heaven, in due reverence of a sacred vow I here engage my words. | Speaker: Othello Speaking to Iago Analysis: after he finds out about the handkerchief. Othello’s personality starts to change and he gets really violent. He compares himself to how big the ocean is and its nature. His violence will surge forward and he has to do what he has to do, like the ocean. |
| I am black and have not those soft parts of conversation that chamberers have, or for I am declined into the vale of years -yet that’s not much- she’s gone. I am abused and my relief must be to loathe her….I had rather be a toad and live upon the vapor of a dungeon than keep a corner in the thing I love for others’ uses. Yet ’tis the plague of great ones. | Othello is talking to himself. Analysis: his trust in Iago increases, and he 100% trusts in Iago now. This shows us Othello’s downfall or fault because he says that his love is blinding him. Elevated him by justifying his actions also he begins to actually think that her cheating on him makes sense. |
| If I have any grace or power to move you, his present reconciliation take; For if he be not one that truly loves you, that errs in ignorance, and not in cunning, I have no judgment in an honest face. | Speaker: Desdemona Speaking to OthelloAnalysis: – “begging” him to hire back Cassio b/c he is loyal to him-Goes along with Iago’s plan to make it seem that Des is crazy about Cassio |
| Then you must speak of one that loved not wisely, but too well…of one whose hand, like the base Judean, threw a pearl away richer than his tribe. | Speaker: Othello Speaking to the crowd that gathered in his room Analysis: after the death of Desdemona & Emilia-It is his last speech, filled with regret & remorse -Although he made mistakes, he doesn’t want to be remembered as a villain, but someone who loved too hard -everything that was done was out of love-TRAGIC HERO SPEECH |
| Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse of sun and moon, and that th’affrighted globe should yawn at alteration. | Speaker: OthelloSpeaking to himself Analysis: after he kills Desdemona. Emilia is at the door and he is composing himself. He thinks that something must be wrong on earth for something so beautiful got killed today. He also needs/wants a sign that he is doing something right→ something to justify he’s reasoning. |
| I will be hanged if some eternal villain…have not devised this slander. | Speaker: EmiliaAnalysis: No way that this is real– someone is tricking Othello into believing Des is cheating |
| If any such there be, heaven pardon him! | Speaker: DesdemonaAnalysis: Heaven forgive Othello |
| A halter pardon him! And hell gnaw his bones! | Speaker: EmiliaAnaylsis: Let a noose pardon him, go to hell |
| But I do think it is their husband’s faults if wives do fall…Let their husbands know their wives have sense like them. They see, and smell, and have their palates both for sweet and sour, as husbands have…The ills we do, their ills instruct us so. | Speaker: EmiliaSpeaking to DesdemonaAnalysis: Emilia is trying to explain to Desdemona that there’s no difference between husbands and wives. They see, smell, and taste sweet and sour too. If the husbands can cheat and not treat their wives well, then the wives will do the same. Wives will do what they learn from their husbands. |
| Think every bearded fellow that’s but yoked may draw with you. There’s millions now alive that nightly lie in those unproper beds which they dare swear peculiar: your case is better. | Speaker: Iago Speaking to OthelloAnalysis: He tells him to think that every man is cheated on. Many husbands are mistaken that their wives couldn’t do anything, but still cheat. Iago is telling Othello that his case unusual and better because at least he knows that his wife is cheating on him. |
| …whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend. To the felt absence now I feel cause. Is’t come to this? | Speaker: Bianca Speaking to CassioAnalysis: She questions him about where he got the handkerchief from. Bianco thinks it’s from another girl. She understands why he has not been with her lately. |
| Who wounds and/or kills whom? | Wounded: Cassio by Rod & Iago, Iago by OthelloDead: Roderigo by Iago, Desdemona by Othello, Emilia by Iago, Othello by Othello |
| Examples of jealousy | Iago→ Cassio (position/power) and that Othello appointed Cassio a high positionRoderigo → Othello (love for Desdemona)Othello → Desdemona (planted by Iago b/c he thinks she’s cheating)Brabantio → Othello for stealing his daughter from him |
| Explain the dream that Iago says Cassio had | – Iago lies about hearing Cassio in his sleep about Des. & their secret love-like they had other relations and is recalling it from his memory- Says that Cassio would kiss him as if he were Desdemona |
| Significance of the handkerchief | – Othello gave Desdemona the handkerchief- Desdemona dropped it and Emilia picked it up and gave it to Iago not knowing what he wanted to do with it- Then Iago placed it in Cassio’s room so Othello could see that he had Desdemona’s handkerchief |
| Difference between Desdemona & Emilia | – Emilia- experienced in the real world, middle class (work for what she wants) – Desdemona- thinks everyone is honest and kind, naive, higher class (everything is handed to her) |
| Some Key actions | 1. Cassio goes to talk to Desdemona after telling Iago 2. Once Othello comes to Desdemona, she is talking with Cassio, Cassio leaves bc it’s awkward for him after he embarrassed himself 3. Desdemona tries to sweet talk Othello into giving Cassio his job back 4. Iago casts doubt on Cassio’s honesty and inserts jealousy in Othello 5. Othello believes Iago 6. Iago gets Desdemona’s handkerchief and plants in Cassio’s room7. Desdemona realizes she lost her handkerchief8. Othello asks for her handkerchief but she keeps trying to gas up Cassio9. Cassio and Bianca have an interaction- Bianca is in love but she’s Cassio’s one night stand10. Iago goes and talks to Cassio about Bianca while Othello is hiding and listening in thinking it is about Desdemona11. Othello plans to kill Desdemona12. Othello suffocates Desdemona, Iago stabs Emilio, Roderigo is killed, Cassio is injured and Othello kills himself |
| Why isn’t Iago executed on stage? | Iago isn’t executed on because he wasn’t the tragic hero. |
Othello Acts 3/4/5
August 1, 2019