Othello Quotes

“Hell and night must bring monstrous birth to light” Iago, end of Act 1, religious and dark/light imagery
“Divinity of hell” Iago, Act 2 Scene 3, paradox, hell imagery
“perdition catch my soul but I do love thee. And when I love thee not. Chaos is come again” Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, religious devotion, intentisty of love/emotion, foreshadow
“excellent wretch” Othello, Act3 Scene 3, paradox, confliction, naivety towards love
“I am bound to thee for ever” Othello to Iago, Act 3 Scene 3, blindness, intensity of emotion,
“As Dian’s Visage is now begrimmed and black” Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, the gods, change in Othello visible
“the hand is moist…here’s a young and sweating devil” Othello, Act3 Scene 4, first derrogatory language against D, hellish imagery, holding her hand on stage
“what ignornant sin have I committed?” Desdemona, Act 4 Scene 2, blindness
“Heaven truly knows thou are false as hell” Othello, Act 4 Scene 2, religious imagery, “why do you weep” – emotionally distraught, not as accusative as first appears”
“She’s a liar gone to burning hell” Othello, Act 5 Scene 2, feels no regret over his actions, agnorisi only when it is revealed he is wrong, religious imagery
“I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak” Emilia, Act 5 Scene 2, Urge for revenge and justice; female power and avengement
“Demand me nothing…I will never speak a word” Iago, Act 5 Scene 2, Motives remain unclear, power of his silence, mysterious
“Of one that loved not wisely, but too well” Othello, Act 5 Scene 2, overwheling love, blindness, final speech
“threw away a pearl” Othello, Act 5 Scene 2, objectifying Desdemona, anagnorisis
“Look on the tragic loading of this bed: this is thy work” Lodovico, Act 5 Scene 5, blame on Iago, tableau of death, conclude tragedy
“an old black ram is tupping your white ewe” Iago, Act 1 Scene 1, black/white dichotomy shown throughout the play; ideas about ‘worth’ in society and in love; animalistic imagery
“She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them” Othello, Act 1, Scene 3, love, naivety
“’twas strange, ’twas passing strange, ‘Twas pitiful, ’twas wondrous pitiful” Othello, Act 1 Scene 3, naivety towards love
“She has deceived her father, and may thee” Brabantio, Act 1 Scene 3, deception, verse, foreshadowing
“I hate the Moor” Iago, Act 1, Scene 3, deceptive nature, motivations, villiany
“Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.” Cassio, Act 2 Scene 3, the importance of reputation in society, masculinity
“this advice I give is free and honest” Iago, Act 2 Scene 3, villian, deceptive and manipulative nature
“I’ll pour pestilence into his ear” Iago, Act 2 Scene 3, poison imagery, power of language, manipulation and lies, soliloquy
“virtue into pitch” Iago, Act 2 Scene 3, manipulative nature, role as the villian
“And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all” Iago, Act 2 Scene 3, animal imagery, villian, dominance, Desdemona’s innocence used against her – cause tragic outcome
“Men should be what they seem;Or those that be not, would they might seem none!” Iago, Act 3 Scene 3, dramatic irony, deceptive nature
O beware, my lord, of jealousy: It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on.” Iago, Act 3 Scene 3, jealousy, dramatically ironic
“farewell the tranquil mind; farewell content!” Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, turning point, state of mind corrupted, overwhelmed with emotion
“ocular proof” Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, symbol of the handkerchief, trivilaity, ironic
“Put out the light, and then put out the light” Othello, Act 5 Scene 2, light’dark imagery, symbolise Desdemona/his love/happiness, bring darkness (tragedy)
“Killing myself, to die upon a kiss” Othello, Act 5 Scene 5, tragedy brought about by love
“Work my medicine work” Iago, Act 4 Scene 1, Othello lost control physically, domination of villian, poison imagery, power of language
September 13, 2019