Act 1

• Act 1 Scene 1-

  Iago

  "An old black ram tupping your white ewe."
• Explanation:

  Iago uses crude, animalistic imagery to infuriate Brabantio, and contrasts the races and ages of the two lovers to highlight Desdemona's purity and innocence, compared to Othello, who seems like a lascivious old man. The verb tupping almost seems violent, and so is perhaps used to give the audience a prejudiced view of Othello before they have even seen him on stage.
• Act 1 Scene 1

  Iago-

  "I am not what I am."
• Explanation:

  This quote reveals Iago's duplicitous nature and foreshadows his deceit. It is a declaration of his intent to disguise his true self and manipulate others. It sets the tone for his manipulative behaviour throughout the play.
• Act 1 Scene 2

  Othello-

  "But I love the gentle Desdemona."
• Explanation:

  Othello's soft language contrasts with his image painted by the other characters. He juxtaposes love with war to highlight the two different parts of his life: battle and his wife. As he describes Desdemona as 'gentle' this could be Shakespeare presenting Othello as aware of their many differences.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Othello-

  "Rude am I in my speech, and little blessed with the soft phrase of peace."
• Explanation-

  Othello downplays his eloquence, portraying himself as a soldier unskilled in the ways of polite Venetian society. His humility contrasts with his actual articulate nature and reveals his insecurity as an outsider.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Othello

  "She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them"
• Explanation:

  Othello explains the basis of his relationship with Desdemona. Their love stems from her admiration for his heroic stories and his appreciation of her empathy, establishing their bond as based on mutual respect and affection.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Desdemona

  "I do perceive here a divided duty"
• Explanation:

  Her 'duty' shows the position of women at the time: obedient towards their fathers and husbands. Therefore because Othello has not been approved by her father, her duty has been 'divided' and as she loves both of them, she is presented as unsure how to please both of them.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Desdemona-

  "That I did love the Moor to live with him"
• Explanation:

  She standing up to her father and the court, Shakespeare is presenting her as a strong character who has stood up o the patriarchal society. As she speaks in iambic pentameter, this suggests that she is eloquent and well educated, contrasting her with the other women of the play. However, even though she is well educated, she isn't knowledgeable about the world and is presented as naive when it comes to knowledge of life.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Desdemona-

  "I saw Othello's visage in his mind"
• Explanation

  Shows Othello's lack of self-confidence, and could be used to suggest that the blackness of Othello's face is deceptive, and to truly know him, as Desdemona does, one needs to look inside him. However it could also be argued that Desdemona doesn't truly know him, as in the end he kills her and she can't believe he would be able to do such a thing.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Desdemona-

  "Moth of peace"
• Explanation:

  She portrays herself as useless while Othello's at war, as she is connected with peace. However, moths were also seen as destructive creatures, and so this could be seen as ironic foreshadowing of how she unknowingly destroys her marriage and ultimately gets killed.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Othello-

  "Let her have your voice"
• Explanation:

  Shakespeare presents Othello as thinking differently to the society at the time, by seeing Desdemona as his equal, and trying to make sure she has a 'voice' of her own.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Duke

  "Your son in law is far more fair than black."
• Explanation:

  Fair here could mean morally right, unlike Brabantio thinks, as he thinks Othello has only married Desdemona by using witchcraft or black magic. This suggests that even though his skin is black, his conscience is fair.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Brabantio

  "Look to her Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee."
• Explanation:

  Here, Brabantio is warning Othello, which shows that since his daughter has fallen in love with him he doesn't trust her. However, Othello does trust her here, which is foreshadowing of the end because is perceived to have been unfaithful and so he no longer trusts her, leading to her death. The rhyming couplet emphasises the ominous feeling of the warning.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Iago-

  "I hate the Moor."
• Explanation:

  Repeated by Iago throughout the play, showing his strong feelings for Othello
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Iago-

  "I hate the Moor, and it is thought abroad that ’twixt my sheets he has done my office." 
• Explanation: 

  Iago reveals one of his motivations for hating Othello – the rumour that Othello has been intimate with his wife, Emilia. Whether true or not, this gives Iago personal reasons to destroy Othello.
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Iago-

  "The Moor is of a free and open nature, that thinks men honest that but seem to be so." 
• Act 1 Scene 3

  Iago-

  "Put money in thy purse."
• Explanation: 

  Iago repeatedly tells Roderigo to finance his schemes, knowing that Roderigo is hopelessly in love with Desdemona. This demonstrates Iago’s manipulation of others for personal gain, and Roderigo’s gullibility.