| Even now, now, very now, an old black ram/Is tupping your white yew | Iago to BrabantioCharacterization: Iago’s racism by his words and Brabantio’s through his reaction to them.Themes of prejudice and jealousy (Iago’s jealousy of Othello’s position). |
| Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them | Othello to Brabantio’s mobCharacterization: Shows Othello’s initial eloquence, Jesus-ness, and stud-ness.Theme: Christian fabric of the play |
| Rude am I in speech,/ And little blessed with the soft phrase of peace;/ For since these arms of mine had seven years’ pith/ Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used/ Their dearest action in the tented field | Othello to the assembled SenatorsCharacterization: Insecurity in Othello but also eloquence before Iago’s corruption.Theme: Maybe honesty – more a characterizing than thematic quote |
| Which ever as she could with haste dispatch,/ She’d come again, and with a greedy ear/ Devour my discourse. | Othello about DesdemonaCharacterization: Desdemona’s initiation of the relationshipTheme: Love – O & D’s initial love for one another |
| To mourn a mischief that is past and gone/ is the next way to draw new mischief on. | The Duke to Othello, Brabantio, and DesdemonaTheme: Love – The Duke seems to tell Brabantio “what is past help should be past tears” |
| Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see;/ She has deceived her father, and may thee | Brabantio to OthelloTheme: Jealousy and honesty – This is the first seed of doubt in Othello about Desdemona’s honesty but will also help to make him a more jealous lover |
| I know my price; I am worth no worse a place. | Iago to RoderigoCharacterization: Iago’s hatred of OthelloTheme: Jealousy – Iago sees himself as slighted out of Cassio’s position |
| She is abused, stol’n from me, and corrupted. | Brabantio about DesdemonaCharacterization: Brabantio’s prejudice towards Othello (“Desdemona never would have chosen him if not for some arcane art”)Theme: Prejudice – Brabantio cannot stand O & D because Othello is a moor |
| I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband. | Desdemona to Brabantio about OthelloCharacterization: Desdemona as a strong character content in her own wants.Theme: Love – O & D needing to overcome prejudice in order to be together |
| I will incontinently drown myself. | Roderigo to IagoCharacterization: Roderigo as a completely malleable and weak character |
| You are pictures out of doors,/ Bells in your parlors, wildcats in your kitchens,/ Saints in your injuries, devils being offended,/ Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. | Iago to EmiliaCharacterization: Iago as an extremely misogynistic characterTheme: Prejudice – Men and women |
| Do not doubt, Cassio,/ But I will have my lord and you again/ As friendly as you were | Desdemona to CassioCharacterization: Desdemona’s kindness and virtueTheme: Honesty and Jealousy – Desdemona is completely honest with Cassio (+ irony because what Desdemona promises will never come true) but these are the only two not jealous characters |
| Men should be what they seem;/ Or those that be not, would they might seem none! | Iago to OthelloTheme: Honest – Iago is the most dishonest character and vouches for honesty in men (see also: irony). |
| But jealous souls will not be answered so;/ They are not ever jealous for the cause,/ But jealous for they’re jealous. ‘Tis a monster/ Begot upon itself, born on itself. | Emilia about jealousyCharacterization: Emilia as the wisest character in the playTheme: Jealousy – Personified as a monster that drives away reason |
| Remove your thought; it doth abuse your bosom./ If any wretch have put this in your head,/ Let heaven requite it with a serpent’s curse! | Emilia to Othello about DesdemonaCharacterization: The women are the only ones that know what’s going on, Emilia here vouches for Desdemona’s innocence and fidelityTheme: Honesty – Desdemona’s fidelity is the most honest truth Emilia knows, as is her love for Othello |
| This is a subtle wh0re,/ A closet lock and key of villainous secrets;/ And she’ll kneel and pray; I have seen her do’t. | Othello about either Emilia or DesdemonaCharacterization: The mighty fall of Othello and the eclipse of Iago’s hold over the manTheme: Jealousy and Prejudice – Othello’s jealousy driving away reason and his prejudice against women keeping him from ever asking Desdemona about alleged infidelity |
| Faith, I have heard too much; for your words and performances are no kin together. | Rogerigo to IagoCharacterization: Iago as a dishonest person (also ironic that Roderigo the comic relief should see it)Theme: Honesty – Again Iago’s dishonesty is cited |
| This is the night/ that either makes me or fordoes me quite. | IagoCharacterization: First time we see any sort of worry in the antagonist |
| O, the more angel she,/ And you the blacker devil! | Emilia to OthelloTheme: Christian fabric of play and prejudice – Light/dark symbols are used to characterize O & D, Othello’s skin again comes into the play |
| I look down towards his feet – but that’s a fable./ If thou be’st a devil, I cannot kill thee. | Othello to IagoCharacterization: Othello returns to his previous eloquenceTheme: Christian fabric of play – an opportunity for Shakespeare to make this a vice (‘that’s but a fable’) or the devil (‘I cannot kill thee’) |
| O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood! Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters’ minds by what you see them act. Are there not drugs by which the purity of girls’ youth may be abused? | BrabantioThemes: Prejudice – both against women (Brabantio doesn’t trust his daughter’s judgement) and against Othello (again, ‘he could only have won her with drugs’) |
| If virtue no delighted beauty lack, Your son-in-law is far more fair than black. | The Duke to BrabantioThemes: Love and Prejudice – The Duke rebukes Brabantio’s prejudice against Othello with Othello’s goodness, shows Desdemona and Othello’s obstacles to being together |
| O villainous! I have looked upon the world for four times seven years; and I never found man that knew how to love himself. | Iago to RoderigoCharacterization: Iago only loves himself (irony in that he has never know a man to do such a thing) |
| Our general’s wife is now the general: confess yourself freely to her. Importune her help to put you in your place again. | Iago to CassioTheme: Honesty – Iago plays on the virtuous honesty of both Cassio and Desdemona to further his plot against Othello |
| ‘Tis not a year or two shows us a man. They are all but stomachs, and we all but food. They eat us hungrily, and when they are full, they belch us. | Emilia about menCharacterization: Audience sees how Emilia is the wisest characterTheme: Prejudice – men/women |
| Let the devil and his dam haunt you! What did you mean by that same handkerchief you gave me even now? | Bianca to CassioTheme: Jealousy – Bianca’s jealousy towards whatever ‘hobby-horse’ gave the handkerchief to Cassio |
| I am no strumpet, but of life as honest/ As you that thus abuse me. | Bianca to EmiliaTheme: Honesty – Iago has made Bianca dishonest through suggestion, masking his own guilt in Cassio’s injury |
| But I do think it is their husbands’ faults/ If the wives do fall | Emilia to DesdemonaCharacterization: Wisdom of EmiliaTheme: Prejudice – Men and women are held to different (unfair) standards |
Othello Quotes
September 10, 2019