Quotes

• Othello -"My parts, my title, and my perfect soul / Shall manifest me rightly." (Act 1, Scene 2)

  • Significance: Othello expresses confidence in his own worth and integrity. This quote highlights his initial sense of honor and pride in his achievements.
• Othello - "She loved me for the dangers I had passed, / And I loved her that she did pity them." (Act 1, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Othello explains the mutual love between him and Desdemona, rooted in his tales of adventure and her compassion. This quote reveals the depth of their connection and sets the stage for the tragedy of their relationship.
• Iago/Othello - "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on."(Act 3, Scene 3)

  • Significance: This is actually Iago speaking to Othello, warning him of jealousy in a manipulative way. It becomes prophetic as Othello’s jealousy consumes him, leading to the tragic events of the play.
• Othello - "I kissed thee ere I killed thee: no way but this, / Killing myself, to die upon a kiss." (Act 5, Scene 2)

  • Significance: Othello's final words as he realizes the enormity of his actions and takes his own life. The quote underscores the tragic end of his love for Desdemona and his deep remorse.
• Desdemona - "My noble father, / I do perceive here a divided duty." (Act 1, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Desdemona asserts her loyalty to both her father and her husband, showing her inner conflict but also her strong sense of duty and love for Othello.
• Desdemona - "I am not merry; but I do beguile / The thing I am, by seeming otherwise." (Act 2, Scene 1)

  • Significance: Desdemona hints at her unease and foreshadows the tragic events to come, though she hides her true feelings to maintain a facade of happiness.
• Desdemona - "His unkindness may defeat my life, / But never taint my love." (Act 4, Scene 2)

  • Significance: Even in the face of Othello’s growing cruelty, Desdemona’s love for him remains unwavering. This quote exemplifies her loyalty and tragic innocence.
• Desdemona -"Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell!" (Act 5, Scene 2)

  • Significance: These are Desdemona’s final words before she dies, showing her forgiveness and enduring love for Othello, even after he has killed her.
• Iago - "I am not what I am." (Act 1, Scene 1)

  • Significance: Iago’s declaration reveals his duplicitous nature, indicating that he is not what he appears to be. This sets the tone for his role as the manipulative villain.
• Iago - "The Moor is of a free and open nature, / That thinks men honest that but seem to be so." (Act 1, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Iago recognizes Othello’s trusting nature, which he plans to exploit. This quote foreshadows how Iago will manipulate Othello’s honesty to bring about his downfall.
• Iago - "And what's he then that says I play the villain? / When this advice is free I give and honest." (Act 2, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Iago cynically justifies his actions, pretending that his deceitful advice is actually honest and helpful. This quote highlights his ability to manipulate others while maintaining a facade of honesty.
• Iago -"Demand me nothing: what you know, you know: / From this time forth I never will speak word." (Act 5, Scene 2)

  • Significance: Iago’s refusal to explain his motives even after being exposed adds to his enigmatic and sinister character. His silence leaves the audience with unresolved questions about his true reasons for causing such destruction.
• Emilia - "I do think it is their husbands' faults / If wives do fall." (Act 4, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Emilia reflects on the inequality between men and women, suggesting that men are often to blame for the wrongs of their wives. This quote highlights her growing awareness of the injustices women face.
• Emilia - "But I do think it is their husbands' faults / If wives do fall." (Act 4, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Emilia speaks out against the double standards imposed on women and hints at the mistreatment Desdemona suffers at Othello’s hands. This quote demonstrates Emilia's emerging sense of justice and equality.
• Emilia - "The world’s a huge thing: it is a great price / For a small vice." (Act 3, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Emilia suggests that women, like men, have desires and can be unfaithful, challenging the prevailing notion of female chastity. This foreshadows her later defiance of Iago.
• Emilia - "I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak." (Act 5, Scene 2)

  • Significance: Emilia’s courage shines through as she decides to speak the truth about Iago’s treachery, despite the danger it poses to her. This marks a critical moment in the play where she exposes Iago’s villainy.
• Cassio - "Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation!" (Act 2, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Cassio laments the loss of his honor after being manipulated by Iago. This quote shows how much Cassio values his reputation and foreshadows his struggle to restore it.
• Cassio -"I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking." (Act 2, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Cassio admits his weakness for alcohol, which Iago exploits to provoke a brawl. This quote illustrates Cassio’s vulnerability and foreshadows his downfall.
• Cassio - "I never knew / A Florentine more kind and honest." (Act 3, Scene 1)

  • Significance: Cassio’s trust in Iago, whom he believes to be honest and kind, highlights the tragic irony of the play, as Iago is anything but. This quote underscores Iago’s successful deception.
• Rodrigo -"I will incontinently drown myself." (Act 1, Scene 3)

  • Significance: Roderigo’s despair over losing Desdemona to Othello drives him to extreme thoughts, making him an easy pawn in Iago’s schemes. This quote shows his vulnerability and emotional instability.
• Roderigo -"I have no great devotion to the deed; / And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons." (Act 5, Scene 1)

  • Significance: Roderigo reluctantly agrees to Iago’s plan to kill Cassio, despite his doubts. This quote reveals his internal conflict and foreshadows his ultimate betrayal by Iago.