Act 4

• Summary


  ●Feigning supportiveness, Iago continues to talk to Othello about Cassio and Desdemona. He stages a conversation between himself and Cassio for Othello to overhear; he asksCassio about his lover Bianca, but tells Othello that they are discussing Desdemona.● Othello’smental stateworsens and he determines to kill Desdemona that evening.● Desdemona defends Cassio once again and Othellohitsher.● Emilia helps Desdemona prepare for bed and is concerned about Othello’s behaviour, but Desdemona stays loyal to her husband.● Emilia delivers a speech in which sheblames menfor not understanding that women have feelings just as men do.
• Key Quotes & Analysis

  Act IV Scene I:“Lie with her! lie on her! We say lie on her, when / they belie her. Lie with her! that's fulsome. / --Handkerchief--confessions--handkerchief!--[...] Pish!Noses, ears, and lips. / --Is't possible?--Confess--handkerchief!--O devil!--”We saw Othello’s language begin to break down in Act III, but now it breaks down into severalshort exclamationsandclauses. His speech is reflective of his mental state: he is struggling to think clearly and see past his jealousy. This is a clearcontrastto Othello’scomposurethat we witnessed at the beginning of the play, where he spokefluently and poetically. His repetition of “handkerchief” also indicates hisobsessive fixation- this apparent evidence of Desdemona’s affair is what his decision to murder her hangs on.
• Key Quotes & Analysis

  Act IV Scene I:“Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even / the bed she hath contaminated.”Iago draws attention to themarriage bed, which Desdemona ironically has not“contaminated”. She is as good and innocent as the day she married Othello, and this is symbolised when she makes up the bed with her wedding sheets again.
• Key Quotes & Analysis

  Act IV Scene II:“his unkindness may defeat my life, / But never taint my love. I cannot say 'whore:' / It does abhor me now I speak the word;”Desdemona’s speech in this Act strongly contrasts Othello’s. Sheretains her composure, even with the creeping knowledge of herimminent death, and this is indicated in hercalmandpoetic language. She draws attention to her owngoodnessandpurity: she will not allow herself to be“taint[ed]”, and cannot bring herself to even say the word“whore”. This directly contrasts Othello who, earlier in this scene, called her a“whore”and an“Impudent strumpet!”. By this stage in the play, Shakespeare draws our attention to Othello and Desdemona as opposites: Othello asdark and evil, and Desdemona aswhite and pure.