Othello Key Quotes

Act One, Scene One Jealousy – Iago “A fellow almost damned in a fair wife”Destruction – Iago “I follow himself to serve my turn upon him” sinisterA mask “trimmed in forms and visages of duty”Selfish “In following him, I follow but myself””not I for love and duty, / But seeming so for my peculiar end””I am not what I am”Brabantio’s lost Desdemona “sir, you’re robbed… you have lost half your soul”Race/lust “an old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe” vulgar zoomorphismHis daughter is his property “My daughter is not for thee”, “O that you had her” regrets not giving her to RoderigoCrude imagery “now making the beast with two backs”Paternal protectiveness “raise the special officers of night”Race – ‘moor’ = someone from North Africa”Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you” – the devil was portrayed as black”you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary / horse”Trapped imagery/stolen – “How got she out””O treason of the blood”
Act One, Scene Two Manipulating “but he prated, / And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms / Against your honour” saying Roderigo was bad mouthing him and he had to restrain him “I did full hard forbear him”Othello’s first speech- “My services which I have done the signiory / Shall out-tongue his complaints” done no wrong “I shall provulgate” he shan’t hide”I love the gentle Desdemona” clear emotions”Nor I; I must be found” not going to hide”My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / shall manifest me rightly” high opinion of himself, confident that people see him like this tooObjectification, Iago- “Faith, he tonight hath boarded a land carrack / If it prove lawful prize” extended metaphor – Desdemona is a prize and stolenBrabantio’s accusations – “O thou foul thief””Where hast thou stowed my daughter?””thou hast enchanted her””If she in chains of magic not bound””Of such a thing as thou – to fear, not to delight””That thou hast practiced on her with foul charms, / Abused her her delicate youth with drugs or minerals” using magic to capture her”a practicer / Of arts inhibited””abuser of the world” – corruptedRace – Brabantio – “the sooty bosom / Of such a thing as thou” dehumanising”so tender, fair and happy” Brabantio – perfect”So opposite of marriage that she shunned / The wealthy curled darlings of our nations” – stereotyping Venice people, Othello is opposite”Run from her guardage” possessive, she escaped”What if I do obey” Othello to Brabantio, servant to master
Act One, Scene Three Supremacy, everyone calls him ‘the valiant Moor’ ‘Valiant Othello’ vs Brabantio ‘thing’Othello addresses everyone with respect “Most potent, grave, reverend signors””Rude am I in speech” language barrier, cunning “A maiden never bold” Barbantio – shy, obedientRacial “To fall in love with what she feared to look on?”Innocence “Blushed at herself””Of years of country, credit, everything” she has everything she wants so why disobey “Against all ruled of nature” unnatural for interracial relationships Lust “That with some mixtures powerful o’er blood”Othello won her naturally “Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms… For such proceedings I am charged with / I won his daughter” Othello’s first proper speech – “Her father loved me, oft invited me, /Still questioned me the story of my life””Sold to slavery””This to neat / Would Desdemona seriously incline; / But still the house affairs would draw her thence”Animalistic imagery ‘greedy ear’ ‘devour’ “beguile of her tears””if I had a friend that loved her, / I should but teach him how to tell my story / And that would woo her””She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she did pity them” sympathy Desdemona “My noble father” – respect “To you I am bound for life and education””You are lord of all my duty””And so much duty my mother showed / To you, preferring you before her father” Brabantio instantly rejects her “Good bu’y! I have done!”Throughout NTL he has his back to everyone showing embarrassmentThe Duke tries calming Brabantio down by saying Desdemona will realise her mistakes “Patience her injury a mockery makes”Brabantio begrudgingly gives consent “with all my heart / I would keep from thee””For your sake, jewel””To hang clogs on them” he’s learnt his lesson to be more protective NTL- B raises his hand to speakD- “that I did love the Moor to live with him””My downright violence and storm fortunes / May trumpet to the world” she knows her love isn’t accepted – metaphor”I saw Othello’s visage in his mind” doesn’t care for his race”And to his honours and his valiant parts””I be left behind / A moth of peace” metaphor- wouldn’t know what to do with herselfLust – O -“I will be serious and great business scant” he won’t get distracted, furthermore, the Duke “Be it as you shall privately determine, / Either for her story or going. Th’ affair cries haste” the war is more importantBrabantio – “look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: / She had deceived her father and may thee”, she’s untrustworthy and Othello replies “My life upon her faith” – ironicOthello – “honest Iago” – dramatic irony as he’s backstabbing Desdemona is a ‘guinea hen’- tartRoderigo confesses his love “I confess it is my shame to be so fond”I – “Our / bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners” an extended metaphor – controlling themselves, especially lust but Iago plants seeds of doubt into Othello’s mindI – “We have reason to cool our raging motions” – love is weakness in Iago’s eyesI – “It cannot be that Desdemona should / long continue her love to the Moor – put money in thy / purse” – R should pick up the pieces. Foreshadowing “These Moors are changeable in their wills” “The food that to him now is as luscious as loctus / Shall be to him shortly as acerb as the coloquintida” she’ll become sour, foreshadowing his plan, metaphor objectifies her”She / must change for youth”Lust – “when she is sated with his body, she / will find the error of her choice” she’ll get bored”Put money in thy purse” she can be boughtIago’s Soliloquy- “He holds me well”Roderigo is a ‘snipe’ and ‘sport and profit'”I hate the Moor” dramatic irony, two-faced Rumours Othello had slept with Emilia “He’s done my office””to abuse Othello’s ear / That he is too familiar with his wife””Thus do I ever make my fool my purse” R belongs to I and he uses him for money”The Moor is of free and open nature””And will as tenderly be led to the nose / As asses are” – zoomorphism
Act Two, Scene One Pathetic fallacy “it is a high-wrought flood”Cassio – “he hath achieved a maid / That paragons description and wild fame; / One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens / And in th’essential vesture of creation / Does tire the ingener” C thinks highly of her plays to I’s plan”The divine Desdemona” – godess”let her have your knees” worshipCassio – Emelia “Good acient, you are welcome. [To Emelia] Welcome, mistress” opposite to D”[He kisses Emelia]” to wind up II – “Sir, would she give you so much of her lips / As of her tongue she of bestows on me” lust – doesn’t stop talking when she is kissing him”You would have enough””Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, bells in / your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchen” – extended metaphor for being quiet in public but not at home”players in your house wifery, and / housewives in your beds” – deceitful Iago’s Aside-“With as little web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio” animalistic imagery- prey vs predator ‘as little’ shows his confidence in his power”not kissed your three fingers so oft” vulgar imageryO- “O, my fair warrior!” reunited with D – not typicalD- “My dear Othello” unrequited?O- “O, my soul’s joy””May the winds below till they have weakened death” metaphor for growing love”But that our loves and comforts should increase, / Even as our days do grow!”Iago’s second aside-“O, you are well tuned now!” ironic”But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music, / As honest as I am” Irony, shows they’re genuinely in love and he’s going to ruin itIago and Roderigo about Desdemona-“Mark me / with what violence she first loved the Moor but for bragging and / telling her fantastical lies” the stories were fake”Her eye must be fed” lust, desperate, a game”what delight shall she have to look on the devil?” she’ll enjoy it for the time being till she sees past”loveliness in / favour, sympathy in years, manners and beauties: all which the / Moor is defective in” when the lust is over, she won’t want him -ugly, old, ill-mannered”her delicate tenderness will find itself abused” Race “Very nature will instruct / her in it, and compel her to some second choice” un-natural “If she had been the blest she would never have loved the Moor”First accusation of Cassio and Desdemona being affectionate “Didst thou not see her paddle with the palm of his / hand?”They met so near with their lips / that their breaths embraced together – villainous thoughts, / Roderigo” obvious they’re being unfaithfulIago representing Cassio-“a slipper and a subtle knave” – sly”green minds look after” foolish of Othello to hire R – “I cannot believe that in her: she’s full of most blest / condition” holy, innocent, blessedI – “The wine she drinks is made from grapes” – nothing special “Lechary, by this hand: an index and obscure prologue to the / history of lust and foul thoughts”Iago’s plan-For R to provoke C “Sir, he’s rash and very sudden in choler… provoke him””may strike at you””displanting of Cassio”Iago’s soliloquy-“That Cassio loves her, I do well believe’t; / That she loves him””The Moor, howbeit that I endure him not, / Is of a constant loving nature””And I dare think he’ll prove to Desdemona / A most dear husband” – ‘lusty Moor'”Now I do love her too” I loves D – jealousy “Not out of lust… But partly led to diet my revenge””For that I do suspect the lust Moor / Hath leaped into my seat” slept with Emilia Jealousy – “the though where of / Doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw inwards””yet that I put the Moor / At least into jealousy so strong / That judgement cannot cure””For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too” jealous that everyone is with E”Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me”
Act Two, Scene Three Iago’s and Cassio’s views on women, especially Desdemona – I – “he hath not yet made wanton the night with / her, and she is sport of Jove” – women are sexual objects for men – Jove is a sexual godC- “She’s a most exquisite lady” – she’s not an objectC “Indeed she is a most fresh and delicate creature” – he doesn’t talk about her sexualityC “She is indeed perfection” giving I the wrong ideaI “Well, happiness to their sheets”Reputation-C “Reputation, reputation, reputation!” repetition to emphasis C “O, I have loss my / reputation! I have lost the immoral part of myself, and what / remains is bestial” important, animalistic imageryI “I thought you had received some bodily wound. There is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving. You have lost no reputation at all unless you repute yourself such a loser.” – comforting Cassio? Physical health is more important and reputation is uselessIago’s trap- I “You or any man living may be drunk at a time, man. I tell you what you shall do. Our general’s wife is now the general… Confess yourself freely to her, importune her help to put you in your place again” gets Cassio close to Desdemona, works in his favour Cassio trusts Iago “You advise me well” deceit Iago’s Soliloquy-“And what’s he then that says I play the villain” manipulating the audience”His soul is so enfettered to her love, / that she may make, unmake, do what she list” Desdemona controls him, he’ll do anything for her”this honest fool / Plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes” helping Cassio “I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear: / That she repeals him for her body’s lust” Telling Othello that her lust wonders else where”She shall undo her credit with the Moor””I will turn her virtue into pitch, / And out of her own goodness make the net / that shall enmesh them all” ‘net’ predatory – spiders web. He’s using Desdemona’s kindness for revenge
Act Three, Scene Three Othello trusts Iago and wants his opinion “What dost thou say?”Iago pretends to be innocent “Nothing, my lord; or if – I know not what”I – “Cassio, my lord? No, sure I cannot think it / That he would steal away so guilty like, / seeing you coming” criminal imagery implying C is a criminal, something to hideDesdemona and Othello-D calls him back to bed “Good love, call him back”O brushes her off “Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time” showing love is a burdenD gives a speech and O gives in “Prithee no more. Let him come when he will; / I will deny thee nothing” – film is quite lustfulNTL- D is playful and seductive to get him to talk about Cassio Desdemona leaving- O “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul / But I do love thee; and when I love thee not, / Chaos come again” inevitable, nature of love is condemning – pessimistic, cynical. Love for D stabilises him I’s game plan- He warns O of jealousy “O beware, my lord, of jealousy: / It is the green-eyed monster that doth mock / The meat it feeds on” extended metaphor, predatory imagery, jealousy ‘mocks’ you”Poor and content is rich” if you have nothing, you have nothing to loseEffects on O-I “Did Michael Cassio, / When you wooed my lady, know of your love?” places O & D together in his mindO starts asking I a string of questions and repeats I’s “Indeed?” something significantI repeats O “Honest, my lord?” like a kid trying to hide the truth O “As if there were some monster in his thought / Too hideous to be should” I draws this monstrous thought of jealousy I “I dare be sworn I think that he is honest” I is playing mind games, making Cassio seem dishonest, dramatic ironyFilm – blood brothersHonesty- I “men should be what they seem” – A1 S1 “I am not what I am” dramatic irony O “give thy worst of thoughts / The worst of words” asking for deceitful thoughtsI acts suspicious and O keeps demanding answersI “Why, say they are vile and false?” makes O think something is wrong I “I confess it is my natures plague / To spy into abuses” irrisistable Ironic I “my good name / Robs me of that” said to C earlier reputation isn’t importantProof -O “I’ll see before I doubt” needs physical proof, rational not jealousO “And on the proof, there is no more but this: / Away at once with love or jealousy!” he’ll be over if proven, shows the nature of love is disposable, makes him out to be independent, above jealousy I “hold him off a while, You shall by that perceive him and his means” see how C & D act togetherDeceit -I “In Venice they do let God see the pranks / They dare not show their husbands” Sly, not concerned with mortality of infidelity if they hide I “She did deceive her father, marrying you” uses facts against him B “She has deceived her father and may thee”I “Long live she show, and long live you think so” thinking is better than realityI “Of her own clime, complexion, and degree, / Whereto we see in all things nature tend” D should have gone with her own race and status, O is unnatural I playing on O’s insecurities ‘rank, / foul’ ‘unnatural’O “And yet how nature erring from itself” I interrupts “Ay, there’s the point” agreeing with O that it’s all about natureO starts to regret his decision “Why did I marry” quick to believe as there’s no ‘proof'”As Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black /As mine own face. If there be cords or knives, /Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams, /I’ll not endure it. Would I were satisfied!”Othello’s Soliloquy -“This fellow’s of exceeding honesty / And knows all qualities” believes I, dramatic irony as he isn’t”If I do prove her haggard” animalistic imagery “Though her jesses were my dear heart-strings” straps ties around a trained haw’s leg metaphor”Haply for I am black” blames his race “She’s gone, I am abused, and my relief / Must be loathe her””O curse marriage, / That we can call these delicate creatures ours / And not their appetites” ownership but can’t stop from them being unfaithful – views of womenWhen D & E enter “If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself; / I’ll not believe it” the sight of D makes him reject his suspicions I and E -E finds D’s handkerchief “I am glad I have found this napkin” and she brings it to I “A good wench, give it me.”I’s plan- “I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin / And let him find it””Trifles light as air / Are to the jealous confirmations strong / As proofs of holy wit” “The Moor already changed with my poison”Othello’s speech – “What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust?” convinced she’s cheating now”I saw’t not, thought it not, it harmed me not” would rather not know “I slept the next night well, fed well, was free and merry. / I found not Cassio’s kisses on her lips.” jealousy is taking over”I had been happy if the general camp, / Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body, / So I had nothing known.””Oh, now forever / Farewell the tranquil mind! Farewell content! / Farewell! Othello’s occupation’s gone.” 3rd person, lost his mind”Villain, be sure thou prove my love a w-h-o-r-e” contrasts ‘my fair warrior'”Give me the ocular proof” visual definitive proof”Death and damnation! O!” wants everyone dead, I and jealousy has completely changed OI’s proof – “I lay with Cassio lately, / And being troubles with a raging tooth / I could not sleep””In sleep I heard him say, ‘Sweet Desdemona, / Let us be wary, let us hide our loves.” / And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand, / Cry “O sweet creature!” and then kiss me hard” objectifying”lay his leg / Over my thigh, and sigh, and kiss, and then / Cry “Cursed fate that gave thee to the Moor!” emotional affair as well as physical O’s reaction – “O monstrous, monstrous” unnatural, devil “But this denoted a foregone conclusion.” not ocular proof”I’ll tear her all to pieces!” violent imagery, doesn’t need ocular proofThe handkerchief proof – “Tell me but this, / Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief / Spotted with strawberries in your wife’s hand?”O’s reaction “If it be that” unsure”O that the slave had forty thousand lives! / One is too poor, too weak for my revenge” race, physically affecting him like the headache “All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven; / ‘Tis gone” biblical language showing all his love for D is gone”Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell” race metaphor “O, blood, blood, blood!” violentI “Patience I say: your mind perhaps may change” ironicPhysically affected ‘he kneels’ NTL he throws up, showing that the thought of D being unfaithful is disgustingThe revenge plan -O “I greet thy love / Not with vain thanks but with acceptance bounteous, / And will upon the instant put thee to ‘t. / Within these three days let me hear thee say / That Cassio’s not alive.” changed his view points because of II “My friend is dead; / ‘Tis done at your request. But let her live” ‘friend’, agreeing to kill C, showing his ’emotions’O “Damn her, lewd minx! Oh, damn her, damn her!” repetition, changed his mindO promotes I “Now art thou my lieutenant” trust. Film – blood brothersI “I am your own forever” twofaced
Act Three, Scene Four Desdemona and Emilia talk about the handkerchief -“Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse / Full of crusadoes. And but my noble Moor / Is true of mind and made of no such baseness / As jealous creatures are, it were enough / To put him to ill thinking.” D is aware of jealousy, referred to him as his race for the first time ‘noble Moor’The story of the handkerchief -O “Did an Egyptian to my mother give, / She was a charmer and could almost read / The thoughts of people” magic, what B accuses him of”Twould make her amiable and subdue my father / Entirely to her love, but if she lost it / Or made gift of it, my father’s eye / Should hold her loathèd and his spirits should hunt / After new fancies.” The magic kept her father loving her, and now that D doesn’t have it, O doesn’t love her anymore. Possibly twisting the story to be more personalGuilt trip “She, dying, gave it me”D keeps trying to get him to talk to C instead of the handkerchief, adding to O’s suspicions “Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now… Pray you, let Cassio be received again”E’s views on men -“‘Tis not a year or two shows us a man. / They are all but stomachs, and we all but food. / To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, / They belch us” extended metaphor, men aren’t complicated, greedy for lust, men only want to feed their appetites consuming womenCassio and Bianca – B greets C “Save you, friend Cassio” biblical, they’re loversC “my most fair Bianca” B is clingy, C tells her that he has to travel “What! Keep a week away? Seven days and seven nights?”B “This is some taken from a newer friend” jumps to conclusions, jealousy, no trust C reassures B “No, by my faith, Bianca”NTL they’re all over each other
Act Four, Scene One Religious language O “It is hypocrisy against the devil”O “Lie with her? Lie on her?” Struggles peaking, repetition shows he’s losing his mindI plans to make O think they’re talking about D “Now will I question Cassio of Bianca, / A housewife that by selling her desires /Buys herself bread and clothes” lust, prostitution, can get to OO over-hears C and I speak about Bianca but O thinks it’s about D “Ply Desdemona well and you are sure on’t”C “Alas, poor rogue, I think indeed she loves me.”C “I marry her! What? A customer? I prithee, bear some / charity to my wit” a slut, O thinks it’s D, give him some credit, she’s a prizeI “Faith, the cry goes that you shall marry her”O’s emotions are clouded and he’s not listening – jealousy “I would have him nine years a-killing. A fine woman! A fair woman! A sweet woman!”O “Handkerchief – / Confessions – handkerchief!” Shakespeare usually writes in verses but this is a prose, showing O’s instability – “Rude I am in speech””My medicine, work!” I poisoned himI putting thoughts in O’s head “To kiss in private?” O – “An unauthorised kiss!”I “Or to be naked with her friend in bed / An hour or more, not meaning any harm?” ironic as he’s trying to get O to believe himO “Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm? / It is hypocrisy against the devil. / They that mean virtuously and yet do so, / The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven” curse them I’s views on Bianca “a creature / That dotes on Cassio” zoomorphism, women are playthings”tis the strumpet’s plague / To beguile many and beguiled by one” promiscuous, to charm/enchant. Women can seduce men easilyI keeping O on trackMaking him more angry “Did you perceive how he laughed at his vice?” “And did you see the handkerchief?” “And to see how he prizes the foolish woman / Your wife: she gave it to him, and he hath given it his w-h-o-r-e””Nay, you must forget that” even if D is a ‘fine woman’, ‘fair’ ‘sweet’, he still reminds O what D has done, O replies with “Ay, leather, rot and perish””I would have him nine years a killing. A fine woman, a fair / Woman, a sweet human” O is conflicted and undecidedO “I will chop her into messes” grotesque imagery I “Do it not with poison; strangle her in her bed, even the bed she / Hath contaminated” personal vengeance, violent, aggressiveO responds with “The justice of it pleases”Orders from Venice-To go back to Venice and C be governor “Deputing Cassio in his government” D’s response “By my troth, I am glad on’t” C is taking his wife and job giving O motivation to kill himO’s treatment of D-“[He strikes her]” lost control and doesn’t show remorse “Hence, avaunt”Lodovico “My lord, this would not be believed in Venice” out of character L “Make her amends; she weeps”O replies with “O devil, devil! / If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears, / Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile” fakeI says to L “You shall observe him, / And his own courses will denote him so” jealousy will ‘denote’ himO’s description of D – “Hang her! I do but say what she is. So delicate with her needle, / an admirable musician- O, she will sing the savageness out of a / bear – of so high and plenteous wit and invention!” stereotypical female, perfect housewife ‘a maiden never bold’L view on O -“Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate / Call all in all sufficient? Is this the nature / Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue / The shot of accident nor dart of chance / Could neither graze nor pierce?” out of character I replies “He is much changed” showing he is aware jealousy is changing him, being successful
Act Four, Scene Two Othello and Desdemona – Othello doesn’t listen to herDismissed E supposedly due to lust “Leave procreants alone and shut the door”D is loyal till the end “Your wife, my lord; your true and loyal wife”Religious connotations “Come, swear it, damn thyself. / Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves… Therefore be double damned,”O “Swear thou art honest!” D “Heaven doth truly know it” – links to E O “Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.” contradicts D’s answer, antithesis shows Othello’s conflict D is still caring although accused “Alas the heavy day, why do you weep? / Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?”O metaphor “O thou weed, / Who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet / That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne’er been born!” wished he’d never met her or that she never existed. She still isn’t aware of what she has supposedly doneO “to make me / The fixed figure for the time of scorn” ridiculed for being made a fool O repeats D’s “What committed” mocking her like she knows what she’s done O calls her ‘w-h-o-r-e’, ‘strumpet’, ‘ baway’, ‘public commoner’ O “Are you not a strumpet?” D “No, as I am a Christian.If to preserve this vessel for my lord” reversing herself for OO “What, not a w-h-o-r-e?”D “O, heaven forgive us!” NTL- hugs himO tricks her ” took you for that cunning w-h-o-r-e of Venice / That married with Othello”O and E E defends D “Good madam, what’s the matter with my lord?”E is loyal “Lay down my soul at stake” protecting DE ‘never’ – strong female figure in NTL she wears military uniform to show her strength I comforts D “Do not weep, do not weep”E “I will be hanged, if some eternal villain, / Some busy and insinuating rogue, / Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office” will bet her life that a villain made it up to get ‘some office’ – promotion – IIago and Desdemona – NTL – interactive, kissing her to comfort her, being there for her, fake”Good friend” “good Iago” she also trusts I ManipulativeDesdemona’s reaction to Othello-Not sure what she did “To whom, my lord? With whom? How am I false?”Still concerned about O “Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?”She thinks he’s angry about being called back to Venice “If haply you my father do suspect / An instrument of this your calling back / Lay not your blame on me”Iago and Roderigo-Brushes off R to wind him up ‘very well’I deceives him and R is aware “The jewels you have had from me to deliver Desdemona would half have corrupted a votaress. You have told me she hath received them and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintance, but I find none” ‘put money in thy purse’, selling the jewelsAsks him for the “removing of Cassio” but doesn’t reveal O will be killing D”O no, he goes into Mauritanio and takes away with him the / Fair Desdemona”Compliments R “Give me thy / hand, Roderigo…” “I / mean purpose, courage and valour”R sticks up for himself “I do not find that thou dealst justly with me”R challenges I “I will make myself known to Desdemona”Threats to exploit I “I will give over my / suit and repent my unlawful solicitations”I flatters R “now I see there’s mettle in thee”I tells him he will get D if not he can kill I “If thou the / next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this / world” dramatic irony because we know O will kill DKilling C, I “Oh, no, he goes into Mauritania and taketh away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered here by some accident” “knocking out his brains”I “you may take him at your pleasure. I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us.” ironic because he stabs R R will benefit from C death giving him motivation ” I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him”
Act Four, Scene Three Foreboding- Bedsheets D “If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me / In one of those same sheets” dramatic irony because she doesn’t know O’s planIrony “Lay on my bed, wedding sheets remember” happy moment turned awful, she also may think O will make love because it’s his plan. The bedsheets represent their love and marriageDismissing Emilia-D “He hath commanded me to go to bed / And bade me to dismiss you” controlling, no witnessBarbary’s story about the Willow song-“She was in love, and he she love proved mad” relates back to them “she died singing it” foreshadowing D has it stuck in her head “That song tonight / Will not go from my mind”Obedience “Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve” putting up with abusive behaviour ‘a maiden never bold'”I called my love false love, but what said he then?” questions love. The woman in the song echoes D crying over love and O’s behaviour had made her a stereotypical woman Weeping willow – sadness and heartbreakEmelia and Desdemona -D “tell me, Emilia – / That there be women who do abuse their husbands / In such a gross kind?” innocence, young. E replies “There be some such, no question” blunt D asks E if she would cheat, E asks her the same question “No, by this heavenly light!” E “Nor I neither, by this heavenly light. / I might do ‘t as well i’ th’ dark” privately, hidden links to A3 S3 I “In Venice they do let God see the pranks / They dare not show their husbands”E would cheat for material objects “But for the whole world”D disagrees “Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong for the whole / world”E is realistic compared to innocent D “Yes a dozen; and as many to th’ advantage as would store / The world they pay for”E’s speech – Accusing men for women cheating “But I think it is their husbands’ faults” D trying to own O’s forgiveness”Say they slack their duties” sexually”And pour our treasure into foreign laps” metaphor for giving away their belongings, infidelity “or else break out in peevish jealousies, / Throwing restraint upon us” controlling “or say they strike us” NTL looks at D”Why, we have gals, and though we have some grace, / Yet we have some revenge” women and men are equal “Their wives have senses like them… And have their palates clean for both sweet and sour” challenges stereotypes, women have sexual desires too “When they change us for others? It is sport?” Entertainment”And we have not affections / Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?” equality “The ills we do, their ills instruct us so” men influence womenDesdemona’s complete obedience – Follows O’s orders “Get you to bed on th’ instant. I will be returned forthwith. / Dismiss your attendant there” “We must not displease him” “my love doth approve him / That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns” loves him no matter what
Act Five, Scene One Iago’s aside -“I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense, / And he grows angry””Now whether he kill Cassio, / Or Cassio him, or do kill each other, / Everyway makes my gain” benefits from deaths”Live Roderigo, / He calls me to a restitution large” he’ll have to pay back jewels “If Cassio do remain, / He hath a daily beauty in his life / That makes me ugly; and besides, the Moor / May unfold me to him” will be exposed if R dies, he’s jealous himself The fight – “he lunges at Cassio” R goes for C”Iago wounds Cassio in the leg and exit” “Enter Othello”O “Iago keeps his word” believes I killed C “Exit Othello””Enter Lodovico and Grantio” “Enter Iago, with a light” pretends he has no clue”He stabs Roderigo” pretending he’s a villain “He faints” R diesI pretends he knows how stabbed R “O, heaven, Roderigo””Cassio is carried off; Roderigo’s body is removed”Iago’s Aside -“This is the night / That makes me or fordoes me quite”NTL – guns, O wasn’t there so he wouldn’t know if I kept his promise, R speaks before being shot
Act Five, Scene Two Othello’s soliloquyMorbid imagery about her death “Yet I’ll not shed her blood, / Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow””Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men” justifying it by looking out for othersHe kisses her in her sleep showing that he still loves her “He kisses her:”I will kill thee / And love thee after”O “Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?””If you bethink yourself of any crime / Unreconciled as yet to heaven grace, / Solicit for it straight””I would not kill thy unprepared spirit” telling her her will kill herD begs “O hope you will not kill me”Blames her for giving the handkerchief to C :The handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee, / Thou gav’st to Cassio”D “nver loved Cassio”Keeps calling her ‘strumpet'”He smothers her””What noise is this? Not dead?””My wife, my wife! What wife? I have no wife” realised what he has doneHe lets E inE “Cassio, my lord, hath killed a young Venetian / Called Roderigo”E “No, Cassio is not killed”E discovers D dying, her last dying breath protects her husband because she accepts what he has done “Nobody; I myself. Farewell. /Commend me to my kind lord. O farewell!”O admits he killed her “She’s like a liar gone to burning hell: / ‘Twas I that killed her”E racial comment “you the blacker devil!”E finds out I was the one feeding him lies “My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago”I “I told him what I thought, and no more”E “You told a lie, an odious damned lie”E “For thou hast killed the sweetest innocent / That e’er did lift up eye”O “O, she was foul!” Iago effectE argues against O and I “I will not” strong femaleI “draws his sword and threatens Emilia”E admits she found the handkerchief and gave it to I. I “Villainous w-h-o-r-e!”O “runs at Iago” “Precious villain!””Iago stabs Emilia from behind and exit” for backstabbing him and revealing the truthWeeping willow E “What did thy song bode, lady?” she starts singing the song, ironic. She diesO ‘wounds Iago’I “I bleed, sir, but not killed”O “Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?” Spiders webC admits to finding the handkerchief “I found it in my chamber”O ‘stabs himself’ “I kissed thee ere I killed thee: no way but this, / Killing myself, to die upon a kiss”Iago’s last words -“Demand me nothing; what you know, you know. / From this time forth I will never speak a word” ironic because that’s all he does