Othello quotes

• Act I Scene I. Iago says this to Roderigo when he is telling Roderigo about how he does not really love Othello, he just had to pretend that he does. Shows that Iago is not truthworthy


  "For when my outward action doth demonstrate /The native act and figure of my heart / In complement extern, 'tis not long after/ But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve/ For daws to peck at: I am not what I am."
• Act III. Scene III. Iago says this to Othello when he is planting the idea of Desdemona's affair with Cassio in Othello's head. Iago is "trying to convince him to slow down on his judgements of the two until he has concrete proof." Reverse Psychology.

  "Patience, I say, your mind perhaps may change."
• Act V Scene II. Othello says this to himself when he is in Desdemona's room as she in sleeping and he is thinking about killing her. He is saying that is it for justice, and not revenge, that he has to kill her.

  "It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul!/ Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars,/ It is the cause."
• Act V Scene II. These are a few of Othello's last words from his speech he makes before he stabs himself. He is putting himself down, saying that he has been fooled and is a dog who deserves to die.


  " I took by th' throat the circumcised dog/ And smote him -- thus!"
• Act III Scene III. Desdemona says this to Cassio when she is promising him that she will try to work on making Othello give him his position back.This shows her innocent intentions as compared to Iago's later accusations of her affair.


  "If I do vow a friendship I'll perform it/ to the last article."
• Act III Scene III. Iago says this to Othello when he is telling him to watch out for jealousy because it will make a fool of him. Reverse Psychology and foreshadowing

  "O beware, my lord, of jealousy!/ It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock / The meat it feeds on."
• Act IV Scene II. Desdemona says this to Iago about her husband and her loyalty to him

  "Unkindness may do much, / And his unkindness may defeat my life/ But never taint my love."
• Act II Scene I. Desdemona says this to Iago to stop him from being mean to Emilia. She is saying that she is not as happy as she seems, because she is scared for Othello's safety, but she wants to know what Iago would say about her

  "I am not merry; but I do beguile/ The thing I am by seeming otherwise. -- / Come, how wouldst thou praise me?"
• Act II Scene III. Cassio says this to Iago when he is complaining about how he got fired by Othello. He says that the "immortal part of him" (his reputation) is gone and all that is left is "bestial" (raw and not worthy of anything).


  "I have lost the immortal part of myself—and what remains is bestial."
• Act II Scene III. Here Othello says this to Montano, Iago, and Cassio after Cassio drunkenly attacks Montano. He says that he is losing his temper and wants them to tell him what happened. This quote shows where his emotions can get in the way of his work, as they do with Desdemona later on.

  "Now, by heaven,/ My blood begins my safer guides to rule/ And passion, having my best judgment collied,/ Assays to lead the way."
• Act III Scene IV. Emilia says this to Desdemona about Othello and how she thinks that he is jealous. Desdemona says that he has nothing to be jealous of, so Emilia says this. Foreshadows that Othello will be jealous of Cassio and Desdemona even though nothing is going on there.


  "But jealous souls will not be answered so:/ They are not ever jealous for the cause./ But jealous for they're jealous. It is a monster/ Begot upon itself, born on itself."
• Act III Scene III. Iago says this to himself/the audience when Emilia gives him the handkerchief that Desdemona got from Othello. He plans on giving the handkerchief to Cassio so that Othello's jealous fears will be confirmed.


  "Trifles light as air/ Are to the jealous confirmations strong/ As proofs if holy writ."
• Act V Scene II. Desdemona says this to Othello when she realizes that Cassio has been killed by her husband's orders.


  "Alas he is betrayed, and I undone."
• Act III Scene III. Emilia says this to herself when she finds Desdemona's handkerchief. She is wondering what Iago will say to her when she gives it to him, but she doesn't know because all she ever does is try to please him but he only pushes her away


  "Heaven knows, not I,/ I nothing, but to please his fantasy."
• Act II Scene III Cassio says this to Iago when he is talking about his regrest in stabbing Montano. He means that it is a fault of men that they mouth off and get themselves in trouble because they don't use their brain.


  "O God, that men should put an enemy in their mouths, to steal away their brains!"
• Act I scene III (?)Othello says this to Iago about Desdemona. He is basically saying that he would bet his life on her loyalty—becomes ironic later when he thinks that she cheated on him. Shows his open and honest personality that Iago eventually takes advantage of


  "My life upon her faith."
• Act V Scene II Emilia says this to Othello after he kills Desdemona. Emilia is trying to profess Desdemona's innocence and condemn Othello


  "O, the more angel she,/ And you the blacker devil."
• Act V Scene I. Rodergio says this to Iago when he realizes that he's been manipulated the whole time


  "O inhuman dog!"
• Act I Scene III (?) Othello says this to Iago when Iago tells him that he should leave before Brabantio finds him. Shows how Othello thinks that honesty is the key

  "Not I; I must be found./ My parts, my title, and my perfect soul/ Shall manifest me rightly."
• Act I Scene III Brabantio says this to Othello and the rest of the court. He is saying that Desdemona must have been bewitched to marry Othello because no one in their right mind would "marry what they could not bear to look at"

  "It is a judgement maimed and most imperfect/ That will confess perfection so could err/ Against all rules of nature"
• Act I Scene III The duke says this to Brabantio and the rest of the court. He means that when you focus on a wrong that has already been done then you are just inviting more wrongs to come along.


  "To mourn a mischief that is past and gone/ Is the next way to draw new mischief on."
• Act II Scene III. Iago says this in his aside. He is hinting about himself by saying that even devils who commit the worst sins have angelic appearances

  "Divinity of hell!/ When devils will the blackest sins put on/ They do suggest at first with heavenly shows"
• Act II Scene III (?) Othello says this to Desdemona after he arrives in Cyprus after she does. It is in this part of the play that Othello is the most happy—ironic statement because, in Sheppard's words, "if you had to pick the happiest place for Othello to die, this would be it."


  "If it were now to die/ T'were now to be most happy,"
• Act III Scene III. Othello says this to Iago about Desdemona. He says that, unfortunately, he still loves her, and the day that he stops loving her is when chaos will hit.


  "Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul/ But I do love thee! And when I love thee not/ Chaos is come again."
• Act III Scene III. Here, Iago admits to Othello that he tends to be jealous of things that do not exist.


  "As I confess it is my nature's plague/ To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy/ shapes faults that are not."
• Act III Scene III. Here Othello says to Iago that when he sees actual evidence that Desdemona is cheating on him he will not love her anymore


  "I'll see before I doubt, when I doubt, prove,/ And on the proof is no more but this: / Away at once with love or jealousy!"
• Act III Scene IV Emilia says this to Desdemona about men. She is bitter about Iago's lack of love for her. She also says it in relation to Othello and his odd behavior around Desdemona.


  "They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;/ They eat us hungrily, and when they are full,/ they belch us."
• Act IV scene II Desdemona says this to Iago and Emilia. She says that if there is a man who is evil enough to try to turn Othello against Desdemona, then heaven help him


  "If any such there be, heaven pardon him."
• Act III Scene III Othello says this to Iago to display how angry he is at Desdemona and Cassio


  "Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell,/ Yield up, O love, they crown and hearted throne/ To tyrannous hate!"
• Act IV scene I. This is another or Iago's asides in which he professes his evil thoughts and deeds


  "Work on,/ My med'cine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught,/ And many worthy and chaste dames even thus,/ All gutiltless, meet reproach."
• Act Iv Scene II Emilia says this to Iago and Desdemona when they are putting together the pieces abou Rodergio's death, Cassio's wound, and Othello's undoing.


  "I will be hanged if some eternal villain/ some busy and insinuating rouge,/ some cogging cozening slave, to get some office, /Have not devised this slander, I'll be hanged else!"
• a. Act V scene II Cassio says this with Othello dies. He means that he knew that Othello may kill himself, but he thought he was too nice to have a weapon.


  "This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon,/ For he was great of heart."
• Act V scene II Cassio says this to Othello after Othello admits that he ordered to have Cassio killed. It is here that he realizes that Cassio did not cheat with his wife

  33. "Dear general, I never gave you cause."
• Act V scene II Iago says this to Othello/every one else in 5.2. He professes that he will never speak another word about the whole situation—what they know is all they will ever know.


  34. "Demand me nothing. What you know, you know."
• Act I Scene III . Brabantio says this to Othello after they go to the courts and work out the issue of Othello and Desdemona's marriage. He is warning Othello that she could deceive him just as easily as she deceived her father. Irony and foreshadowing


  "Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:/She has deceived her father, and may thee."
• Act III scene III Iago says this to Othello when Othello is trying to get Iago to tell him that Cassio and Desdemona are cheaters.


  "But he that filches from me my good name/ Robs me of that which not enriches him / and makes me poor indeed."
• Act II scene III Iago says this to himself/audience about Desdemona


  "So will I turn her virtue into pitch/ and out of her own goodness make the net/ That shall enmesh them all."
• Act I Scene III. Iago says this to himself/the audience when he has his first soliloquoy at the end of Act I. He basically says that he has no motive other than he will have fun with it and he will profit in positioning.


  "For I mine own gained knowledge should profane/ If I would time expend with such a snipe/ But for my sport and profit."
• Act I Scene I. Iago says this when he is yelling at Brabantio in the first scene of the play. He is yelling at him to look for his daughter, because she is gone with a "black ram" who has stolen her from him. Starts the beginning of the conflict


  "...thieves, thieves, thieves!/ Look to your house, your daughter and your bags! Thieves, thieves!"
• Act Iv Scene III. Emilia says this to Desdemona about men and how their faults spur on women's faults.


  'The ills we do, their ills do instruct us so."