Othello Quotes

• “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them.” (Othello - Act 1)

  • Desdemona loved Othello for his stories - she loved the idea of him
  • Was it true love or hero-worship?
• “Virtue! A fig! ‘Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners.”

  Act 1, Scene 3 - Iago after Roderigo has expressed his love for Desdemona
• “Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains is bestial.”

  Act 2, Scene 3 - Cassio after getting in a drunken fight and Othello demotes him.
• “But jealous souls will not be answered so; they are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for they are jealous: ‘tis a monster begot upon itself, born on itself.”

  Act 3, Scene 4 - Emilia to Desdemona about men
• “In following him I follow but myself…I am not what I am.”

  (Iago, Act 1 Sc 1)
• “I am hithero your daughter. But here’s my husband.”

  (Desdemona, Act 1 Sc 3)
• “My noble father, I do perceive here a divided duty.”

  (Desdemona, Act 1 Sc 3)
• “Look to your house, your daughter and your bags.“ - Iago

  Shows the objectification of women.
• “You’ll have an old black ram tupping your white ewe.” (Iago - Act 1)

  • bold and vivid imagery
  • barbaric connotations of Othello– dangerous
  • “Tupping” - vivid imagery for sex
  • ”Yew” - submissive, passive and weak
  • ”white“ is representative of her skins colour and her innocence / purity
• “You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse.” (Iago - Act 1)

  • referring to Othello’s African roots
  • referring to the idea of a horse being uncontrollable and that Othello is like an animal
  • “Covered” refers to the dominance of men
• “Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.” (Iago - Act 1)

  • referring to how Desdemona and Othello having sex is barbaric, repulsive and animalistic
  • subverts the facade of civility
• ”she, in spite of nature [fell] in love with what she feared to look on!” (Brabantio- Act 1)

  • Doesn’t want to believe his daughter has eloped with a black man
  • Believes she has turned against nature - it is not right
• “Rude I am in my speech.” (Othello - Act 1)

  • Othello has no confidence - he is insecure
  • relates to the later quote talking about how because is black he has “not those soft parts of conversation.”
• “She’d come again and with a greedy ear devour my discourse.”

  • suggests that Desdemona is the leader in the relationship - subverts typicalities
  • semantic field of food
• “I do here perceive a divided duty.” (Desdemona - Act 1)

  • Venetian attitudes of women were subverted as Desdemona speaks up against the men - this perhaps shows how passionate she feels.
  • Reference to the patriarchy that the female is bound to the father and passed on to husband.
• “You are lord of all my duty. But here’s my husband.” (Desdemona - Act 1)

  • shows oppression of women in society
  • committing herself to Othello
  • This would have been perceived differently for a contemporary and modern audience.
• “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind.” (Desdemona - Act 1)

  • she is looking beyond his skin colour to his mind, stories and intellect
  • hero-worhsip?
• “Let me go with him.” (Desdemona - Act 1)

  • speaking up for herself while also asking for permission from her father - complex
  • demonstrating her commitment to Othello
• “Our great captain’s captain.” (Cassio - Act 2)

  • suggests she has more power than we thought within the relationship
• “My fair warrior.” (Othello - Act 2)

  • connotations of braveness, strength and confidence
  • paradox / contrast
• “If i were now to die twere now to be most happy.” (Othello - Act 2)

  • suggesting that the hero has peaked (tragedy genre)
• “For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl. He that stirs next to carve for his own rage holds his soul light, he dies upon his motion.” (Othello - Act 2)

  • turning point in Othello’s emotions - perhaps due to shift in setting. Starting to get angry.
• “Reputation! Reputation! Reputation! O, I have lost my reputation. I have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains of me is bestial.” (Cassio - Act 2)

  • Cassio is obsessed with his reputation / his image / how people perceive him
• “Her eye must be fed and what delight shall she have to look on the devil.” (Iago - Act 2)

  • bold in calling Othello the devil - relation to Briggs (AO5)
  • not happy about this relationship
  • suggesting that Desdemona will not be satisfied being with Othello - he is not enough for her
• “She first loved the moor but for bragging and telling fantastical lies. If she had been blessed she would have never loved the moor.” (Iago - Act 2)
• “It is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets. He’s done my office.” (Iago - Act 2)

  • Referencing the rumour that Emilia had an affair with Othello
  • Idea that Iago is jealous of Othello because he has slept with his wife - all about revenge
  • appearance vs reality - makes Iago look bad
• “His soul is so enfetter’d to her love.” (Iago - Act 2)
• "Out of her own goodness, make the net that shall enmesh them all." (Iago - Act 2)

  • suggests that Iago is using the goodness of Desdemona to destroy everything
• "I'll intermingle everything he does with Cassio's suit." (Desdemona - Act 3)

  • Desdemona has confidence that she can change Othello's mind - she has power over him
• "I will deny thee nothing." (Othello - Act 3)

  • supports the notion that Desdemona has power within the relationship because of love
• "If thou dost love me, show me thy thought." (Othello - Act 3)

  • wants to know what Iago is thinking - the start of his scheming
• "I am your own forever." (Iago - Act 3)

  • Committing to each other
  • homosexual undertones
• "She had eyes and chose me." (Othello - Act 3)

  • wasn't an arranged agreement or for status - she chose him for who he really was.
• "I do not think but Desdemona's honest." (Othello - Act 3)

  • putting up a fight against what Iago is saying
  • the double negative suggests that there are doubts in his mind about it
• "Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on." (Iago - Act 3)
• "I do love thee and when I love thee not chaos is come again." (Othello - Act 3)

  • Othello mutters to himself when Desdemona has exited
  • once the love and trust is gone, it is going to turn into something else - while it is the best kind of love it may become the worst kind of anger
  • however, could show how much he loves her that he will only stop loving her when the world ends
•  "Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore, be sure of it, give me the ocular proof" (Othello - Act 3)

  • repetition
  • demanding proof - not taking his word for it, which may suggest that he doesn't fully trust Iago
• "Damn her lewd minx. Damn her! Damn her!" (Othello - Act 3)

  • complete contrast with the loving words said to Desdemona previously
• "If thou hast eyes to see she has deceived her father and may thee." (Iago - Act 1)
• "I think my wife be honest and think she is not, I think that thou are just and think thou art not." (Othello - Act 3)

  • Othello cannot decide whether he should believe Iago or Desdemona