| Your son-in-law is far more fair than black | Reflects liberal nature of Venice just like England. Tragic significance – Cyprus is extremely different. |
| I understand the fury in your words, but not the words | … |
| His unkindness may defeat my life, but never taint my love | Shows Desdemonda’s loyalty to Othello and the true tragedy that is foreshadowed. |
| Let me see your eyes | The eyes are the window to the soul |
| I will kill thee and love thee after | Othello will always love Desdemona, the true tragedy bring that he has been influenced and manipulated by Iago to drive him to murder her. |
| I’ll tear her all to pieces! | The degeneration of Othello’s language that becomes very similiar to Iago’s |
| This is the night that either makes me, or fordoes me quite | Shows his cunning plans and foreshadows tragedy. |
| The devil | Racial prejudice shown towards Othello |
| How nature erring from itself | Othello and Desdemona’s inter-racial marriage being forbidden by nature. Shows their determination to challenge the societal conventions. |
| Reputation is an idle and most false imposition | Contradicts Iago; he is wanting to gain ranking and reputation in soceity by becoming Othello’s leutenant. Self reputation is more important that socetial reputation. |
| The lusty moor | The idea that a black man is innappropriatrly lusty. Racial comment. |
| Though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings… Let her down the wind | Eventhough Othello suspects Desdemona’s infidelity he still respects her and wants the best for her. He describes her as a bird, vulnerable and who will be free when let go. |
| I am not what I am | Tragic – secrecy and deceit presented by Iago. |
| Men should be what they seem | Contradictory of Iago. He is aware of his wrong doings. |
| This hand is moist, my lady | Othello suspecting that Desmonda’s hand is damp due to her infidelity. |
| Put out the light, and then put out the light | Put out the light and then put out Desdemona’s light (murder her). |
| Unbookish jealousy must construe | Jealousy will always lead to tragedy. |
| The moor already changes with my poison | The poison is Iago’s lies and manipulation. |
| He strikes her | Othello publicly humiliates Desdmona after being manipulated by Iago and shows himself up, ultimately threatening his position in society. |
| Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, made to write ‘*****’ upon? | Desdemona is perceieved as being pure (fair paper) and is not meant to be a ‘*****’. A tragic insult. |
| Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio | Iago giving Othello a reason to distrust Desdemona. He is planting the suspicion and worry in his head, something he cannot allow to happen because to have a wife that is unfaithful would make Othello look bad. |
| As if there is some monster in his thought too hideous to be shown | Othello foreshadowing Iago’s true intentions. |
| Thy solicitor would rather die than give thy cause away | Desdemona helping Cassio, not helping herself in the situation. She wants Cassio to be asked back into thr military by Othello which Cassio asks Desdemona to do due to Iago. |
| Make the net that shall enmesh them all | The idea they are all easy to capture just like animals. |
| She’s framed as fruitful as the free elements | Highlights Desdemona’s true innocence that is heightened by the alliteration and use of thr fricatives. |
| Reputation, reputation, reputation! | … |
| For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too | Iago is a very paranoid person, fearing that Cassio has slept with Emilia, although it is likely he tells Othello this to make the other lie more believable while he tells others he fears Othello with Emilia. |
| And what delight shall she have to look upon the devil? | Racial comment, associating Othello with the devil. Links to “nature erring from itself”. |
| Wild-cats in your kitchens… Housewives in your beds | The objectification and mistreatment of women. Iago’s disrespect towards women, especially Emilia. |
| Hell and night must bring this monsterous birth to light | Imagery of hell and night, black and white is continually present. The idea that Othello’s true evil will be brought to life. |
| Our unbitted lusts | Furthers Iago’s views on women. He doesn’t believe in lovr, only lust. |
| Put money in thy purse | … |
| Honest Iago | Dramatic tragedy at its height. |
| Against all rules of nature | … |
| To fall in love with what she feared to look on | Another racial comment, implying that Desdemona and Othello do not belong together and that Desdemona should infact fear him. Brabantio has the wrong perception of his daughter. Is not as innocent as he thought. |
| Spirit so still and quiet that her motion blushed at herself | … |
| By Janus I think no | Janus the two faced God. |
| I lack iniquity | Iago tempting Othello to trust him. Dramatic tragedy due to him not lacking iniquity. He is in fact badly behaved. |
| Lie with her? Lie on her?… Lie with her! | Othello losing his mind and degenerating to Iago’s standard. |
| Prithee tonight lay on my bed my wedding sheets | Desdemona accepting death. Links with Lorenzo’s death in Lamia. People would ask to be wrapped in their sheets. Implies her passiveness as she accepts but does not do anything. |
| An old black ram tupping your white ewe | Black and white imagery, impure and pure and the idea that Othello is too old for Desdemona. |
| My wife! My wife! What wife? I have no wife | … |
| Cunning ***** of Venice that married Othello | … |
| Her name that was at fresh as Dian’s visage, is now black and begrimed as mine own face | Her reputation was pure as snow but is now dirty like his face |
| A guiltless death I die | … |
| It is too late | Height of dramatic tragedy. |
| Thy bed, lust stained, shall with lust’s blood be spotted | The same bed she had an affair in will be contaminated with her blood, a low point for Othello as he plans her death. |
| Strangle her in the bed, even the bed she hath contaminated | He will murder her in the bed that she slept with Cassio in. |
| She was too fond of her most filthy bargain | Racial insult from Emilia suggesting that Desdemona always loved him too much. |
| An odious damnéd lie | … |
| Iago stabs Emilia from behind | Implies his cowardice as he does it from behind. Embodies his betrayal throughout the play. |
| But why should honour outlive honesty? | There is nothing to live for without honour. His belief that he is worthless. |
| That’s he that was Othello | Loss of identity – key aspect of tragedy |
| Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body? | Othello’s loss of identity and personality. He figureatively belongs to Iago. |
| Like the base Indian threw a pearl away | Othello’s acceptance that he threw Desmonda away like a pearl (her worth). |
| Tragic loading of this bed | Ultimate tragedy. The death toll – Brabantio, Roderigo, Desdemona, Emilia and Othello. |
| For thou hast killed the sweetest innocent | … |
| O, O, O | … |
| O villany, villainy! | … |
| That handkerchief that I so loved and gave thee | … |
| O heavely Powers! | Emilia’s dread at her anagnorisis that she played a part in Iago’s plan. |
| Honest and just | The antithesis of Iago |
| It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock the meat it feeds on | Iago hoping the jealousy will kill Othello’s wife because it would fufill his plans. |
| Well-tuned | Desdemona and Othello for each other at the beginning of the play |
| Keep up your bright swords for the dew will rust them | Evidence of Othello’s nobility at the beginning of the play |
| Pour pestilence | Iago’s manipulating Othello and telling him lies |
| Ocular proof | The handerkerchief plot is the proof that Othello relies on |
| Why do you speak so startingly and rash? | Desdemona realising how Othello changes |
| When shall smile (Iago), shall (Othello) go mad | … |
| Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! And when I love thee not Chaos is come again | Foreshadowing quote thats shows as soon as Othello is given a reason not to love Desdemona anymore then the chaos will begin |
| Is not this man jealous? | … |
| They are all but stomaches, and we all but food | Highlights the objectification of women and their place in soceity. |
| Bauble | Further signs of objectification of women, that they are only to be looked at |
| Unprepared spirit | Contrasts Othello’s pure sense of honour as it is now corrupted honour and shows how Othello will not kill Desdemona until she has prayed and is prepared |
Othello key quotes
August 18, 2019