| “That I did love the Moor to live with him / My downright violence and storm of fortunes / May trumpet to the world. My heart’s subdued / Even to the very quality of my lord.” | • Desdemona is speaking to the Duke• Desdemona doesn’t want to remain behind while her husband goes to Cyprus to fight against the Turks. She loves Othello and wants to be with him, but she also wants to be apart of the war. • ” When I fell in love with Othello I made up my mind that I wanted to live with him. You can see how much I wanted to be with him by how violently I threw away my old life. I feel like I am a part of him now, and that means I’m part of a soldier.” |
| “If it were now to die, / ‘Twere now to be most happy, for I fear / My soul hath her content so absolute / That not another comfort like to this / Succeeds in unknown fate.” | • Othello is speaking to Desdemona • Othello’s identity and happiness is all based on Desdemona. He has just returned from the battle and is greeting her. She then answers expressing her love back • ” If I died right now Id be completely happy, since Ill probably never have to be as happy as this again in my life.” |
| “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.” | • Emilia is speaking to Desdemona • Here Emilia is addressing Othello’s jealously. Claiming that he will always be jealous no matter what- it’s just his personality. However, Desdemona doesn’t agree with Emilia. She thinks that Othello isn’t jealous at all. • “But jealous people don’t think like that. They’re never jealous for a reason; they’re just jealous. It’s like a monster that just grows and grows, out of nothing.” |
| “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. / From this time forth I never will speak a word.” | • Iago is talking to Othello• Othello is asking Iago why he wanted to destroy him. Iago stays silent and refuses to explain his actions, leaving everyone wondering what his true motives were.• “Don’t ask me anything. You know what you know. From this moment on, I’ll never say another word.” |
| “Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate, / Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak / Of one that loved not wisely, but to well; / Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought, / Perplexed in the extreme” | • Othello to Lodovico• This is when Othello transformed from being a nice loving husband to a jealous, irrational killer. This is after he murdered Desdemona, but he doesn’t want to be remembered as a jealous man. He is speaking about how he loved Desdemona but doesn’t understand the implications of love. He then stabs himself – “When you record these sad events in your letters, please describe me exactly as I am. Don’t tone things down or exaggerate them out of hostility. If you’re being fair, you’ll have to describe me as someone who loved too much, but who wasn’t wise about it. I was not easily made jealous, but once I was tricked and manipulated…” |
othello
July 23, 2019