Act 4 Quotes

• "Is't possible? Confess! Handkerchief! O Devil! (He falls into a trance)" Act 4 Scene 1 - Othello

  • Iago lets Othello wind himself up
  • Iago is incredibly smart
  • Speaks in prose whilst he is having a fit
• "work on, my Medicine, work!" Act 4 Scene 1 - Iago

  • Irony as it is poisonous - makes him ill
  • his plan is working, a lot is left unsaid
  • laughing
• "As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad. And his unbookish jealousy must construe Poor Cassio's smiles, gestures and light behaviour quite in the wrong" Act 4 Scene 1 - Iago

  • Iago's plan to play manipulator here
  • Deceptive, not what it seems like
  • Iago becomes increasingly confident
• "This is some minx's token" Act 4 Scene 1 - Bianca

  • Not what Iago was expecting
  • She is direct and communicates well
  • She believes Cassio is cheating on her, the duplicity is everywhere; in both ranks of society
• "A fine woman, a fair woman, a sweet woman" Act 4 Scene 1 - Othello

  • He is outraged by Cassio and enraged by his actions
  • Yet he is positive about Desdemona, still loves her
• "Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live" Act 4 Scene 1 - Othello

  • The jealous monster is working
  • Anger from Othello
• "I will chop her into messes - cuckold me?" Act 4 Scene 1 - Othello

  • Venetian fear and embarrassment of being a cuckold
  • humiliation
  • Othello is proud of his military position, does this threaten his position, doesn't want people to know he had been made a cuckold.
  • Chop her - violence
• "Fire and brimstone" Act 4 Scene 1 - Othello

  • Hell reference
  • The first time he sees Desdemona since he says he is going to kill her
  • Infuriated with anger
• "Devil! [he strikes her]" Act 4 Scene 1 - Othello

  • Public display of violence from Desdemona
  • Use of physical violence, conforming to Venetian standards
  • Green-eyed monster in action, Iago's plan is finally conforming into action.
• "I will not stay to offend you" Act 4 Scene 1 - Desdemona

  • She is confused
  • Embarrassed that her husband has treated her like this in front of so many people
  • She still remains calm and does not fight back
• "To whom, my lord? With whom? How am I false?" Act 4 Scene 2 - Desdemona

  • He confronts her about the affair
  • She swears on heaven and is truly confused
  • Opposites in dealing with this
  • He wants to know the truth as he doesn't want to be a cuckold
• "Impudent strumpet" Act 4 Scene 2 - Othello

  • another example of sexist comments about his wife.
• "Lay on my bed my wedding sheets - remember and call thy husband hither" Act 4 Scene 2 - Desdemona

  • Attempt to rebuild their marriage
  • Traditional Venetian to hang bedsheets out when they have consummated their marriage
  • The blood will show the purity of Desdemona as she has been converted from virgin to whore in Othello's mind.
• "my lord hath so bewhored her, Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her" Act 4 Scene 2 - Emilia

  • confronts Iago about why Desdemona is being accused about having an affair
  • Iago acts confused and unaware of the situation 'honest Iago' is coming into play here
  • Emilia believes her husband
• "I will be hanged, if some eternal villain, Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, Have not devised this slander" Act 4 Scene 2 - Emilia

  • Almost as if she has outsmarted her husband here - she knows why somebody would have made this up
  • She indirectly insults her own husband and has put the pieces together about this mystery unlike everyone else
• "his unkindness may defeat my life But never taint my love" Act 4 Scene 2 - Desdemona

  • Not worth living if Othello doesn't love her
  • Slight element of foreshadowing about her life
  • Desdemona looks to Iago for help and completely ignores Emilia - she is the clever one here, stupidity from Desdemona.
  • She will always love Othello.
• "I cannot say whore: It does abhor me now I speak the word" Act 4 Scene 2 - Desdemona

  • Ashamed of being labelled a whore
  • Such an extreme use of a word
• "If I do die before thee prithee, shroud me in one of those same sheets" Act 4 Scene 3 - Desdemona

  • references her wedding sheets
  • again foreshadows her death
  • Loyalty until her last breath, shrouded in the wedding sheets of her love.
• "she had a song of 'willow'" Act 4 Scene 3 - Desdemona

  • The willow song came from a maid she had heard singing
  • Willow trees were often associated with misfortune, superstition and death
  • Contemporary view that the willow song equates to Desdemona's death
• "That there be women do abuse their husbands in such gross kind?"

  • Desdemona is naive
  • Emilia is more mature and less innocent, more pragmatic. Contrast between Desdemona and Emilia.
  • Questions whether women actually have affairs or whether it is just men? Venetian society only shows men
  • Proves Desdemona's innocence incredulously.
  • Slight change in Desdemona; always puts Othello first yet defiant when marrying him but shows extension of her loyalty.