| “An old black ram is tupping your white ewe”. | (1)Iago to Barbantio.(2) Animal imagery, black vs white, beastiality. Iago is reducing Othello to an animal. (3)Humiliating/belittling Othello to get him mad over time. |
| “you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbery horse”. | (1)Iago to Barbantio.(2) Beastiality and reape imagery(3) Danger and violence will come to Desdemona (foreshadow) |
| “Moor are now making the beast with two backs”. | (1)Iago to Barbantio.(2) More reputation destroying language about Othello(3) Barbantio upset about the elope due to Iago’s insults. |
| “O foul thief”. | (1)Barbantio to Othello.(2)Barbantio’s opinion has changed drastically thanks to Iago. (Othello must be using witchcraft/drugs)(3) He believes that Othello has stolen his daughter and hates him from then on. |
| “She loved me for the dangers I had pass’d, and I loved her that she did pity them”. | (1)Othello to Duke.(2) Othello explaining how he and Desdemona fell in love. (3) Their love is the most pure and true; famous for it. |
| “I do perceive here a divided duty”. | (1)Desdemona to Barbantio.(2) She feels torn between her father and her husband; she wants to please and honour both.(3) She has to choose her new family (Othello) therefore leaving her father for him. |
| “If virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black”. | (1)Duke to Barbantio.(2) He disapproves Barbantio’s anger and commends the couple’s love as true.(3) Huge moment of public redemption for Othello.(Black and white dichotomy; making a pun on “black”) |
| “O, you are well tuned now!” | (1)Iago to himself.(2) Music reference/puppet master. (3) He’s telling O and D to enjoy happiness before he destroys it |
| “Iago is most honest”. | (1)Othello to Cassio(2) Dramatic irony(3) entertain audience |
| “I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial”. | (1)Cassio to Iago(2) He lost his reputation and he feels like a beast (animal imagery)(3) Lost his humanity really advancing he plan |
| “When Devils will the blackest sins put on, They do suggest at first with heavenly shows”. | (1)Iago to Cassio(2) Iago can appear angelic while committing devilish deeds (3) Making a mockery of all. |
| “I never knew A Florentine more kind and honest”. | (1)Cassio to himself (after Iago leaves)(2) C thanks Iago for his honesty, advice, and friendship. (3) This is when they make the plan to get C’s job back. |
| “Good madam, do. I warrant it grieves my husband As if the cause were his”. | (1)Emilia to Desdemona(2) Irony because it is his fault that Cassio lost his job and rep(3) Emilia takes notice and is important later |
| “Ha! I like not that”. | (1)Iago to Othello (himself)(2) First seed of doubt and makes Othello question(3) possibly the most pivotal moment in the play |
| “When I love thee not, Chaos is come again”. | (1)Othello to Iago(2) Foreshadow. O can’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t love D and if so it would be chaos. (3) Shows audience how much he loves D (awful love) |
| “It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock The meat it feeds on”. | (1)Iago to Othello(2) Iago (3) Never before has jealousy been green and Iago is foreshadowing Othello as a monster. |
| “give me the ocular proof”. | (1)Othello to Iago(2) Wants more proof of D’s unfaithfulness (see it with his eyes)(3) When he does get it he goes bananas |
| “I think the sun where he was born Drew all such humours from him”. | (1)Desdemona to Emilia(2) Dramatic irony because D is defending O without knowing how he feels(3) Alludes to his past, skin colour (exotic land) |
| “They are all but stomachs, and we are all but food; They eat us hungrily, and when they are full, They belch us”. | (1)Emilia to Desdemona(2) Emilia’s husband is like this (she is liberal) she also welcomes her to the club basically (3) Emilia might be subconsciously helping Iago because she is jealous of D’s marriage. |
| “There’s many a beast then in a populous city, And many a civil monster”. | (1)Iago to Othello(2) Dramatic Irony because Iago is a “civil monster” (monstrosity(3) Perception of honesty and Animal imagery are the big themes |
| “I am sorry that I am deceived in him”. | (1)Lodovico to Iago(2) Othello just slapped Desdemona and lost his reputation (now “black” racism) all in power will now question him. (3) The tipping point of the fall of Othello |
| “If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore”. | (1)Othello to sleeping Desdemona(2) light vs dark, believes that D will repent in afterlife.(3) O becomes the angel of death/mercy |
| “O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil”. | (1)Emilia to Othello(2) Angel vs devil and white vs black dichotomies. Ironic because it was Emilia’s doing that she was dead (handkerchief)(3) Tragic downfall complete |
| “Nothing will contempt with him until I am even wife for wife”. | (1)Iago to audience(2) Get rid of any guilt by blaming it on the rumour that isn’t true(3) Either has a conscious or is worried about the audiences perception of him |
Quote Log for Othello
September 1, 2019