Othello Quotes

1. 1. 35 Preferment goes by letter and affection, and not by old gradation… Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: RoderigoPeople get places in life they don’t deserve because their boss likes them and those who have been their longer, expecting to get a raise, get screwed.
1. 1. 35: O sir I content you; I follow him to serve my term upon hi…. Do weel thrive by them, and when they have lined their coats, do themselves homage… I am not who I am Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: RoderigoMeaning: Not everyone all be masters and not all are loyal to their masters. Some kiss ass their whole life for little pay, others steal. If I were him, I wouldn’t want Iago as a Senior. “I am not what I am” is an allusion to scripture “I am who I am.”
1. 1. 115: That comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: BrabantioMeaning: Shows racism of the time. “Beast with two backs” means the devil child.
1. 1. 170 Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters’ minds but what you see them act. Is there not charms by which the property of youth and maidhood may be abused. Spoken By: BrabantioSpoken To: RoderigoMeaning: Women are crazy and cannot be trusted. Shows sexism at the time. Woman’s nature can be manipulated by charms easily.
1. 2. 65-80: Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her… Thou has practiced her with foul charms…. If he do resist, subdue him at his peril. Spoken By: BrabantioSpoken To: Othello Meaning: Accusing Othello that he must have used dark arts to get his daughter. Shows how racist the people are at the time, since he is black, the only for him to win a fair lady would be from magic. Even wants to kill Othello, shows how emotional of a man he is.
1. 3. 75-90: Most potent. grave, and revered signors… It is true I have married her… Rude I am in speech… Their dearest action in the tented field… I won his daughter. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: The CounselMeaning: He knows he is a black man, pretends to be of lower status. Remains calm and collected. Reminds the counsel of the battles he won for them. I won his daughter fairly.
1. 3. 165-170: She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them. This is only the witchcraft I have used. Here comes the lady. Let her witness. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: The CounselMeaning: He must play the victim and she the hero for the marriage to to work and for them to stay in love. Othello is very emotionally immature as this is basically his first girlfriend. Also, shows he trusts her by inviting into court, nontraditional at the time.
1. 3. 292; Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see: She has deceived her father, and may thee. Spoken By: BrabantioSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Foreshadowing of what will come. It is a rhyme to end the scene and a cue for the stage members.
1. 3. 310-330: I have never found a man that knew how to love himself… Our bodies are gardeners, to the which our wills are the gardeners… I take this that you call love to be a sect or a scion. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: RoderigoMeaning: He attacks people at their weak spots. No one truly loves themselves. That is the devil talking. Metaphor: the body is the garden and the gardener is our free will. The only bad that can happen to the garden (us) is caused by a person abusing their free will. Not always true, especially with accidents.
1. 3. 390-395: Was done my office… he holds me well; the better shall my purpose work on him.. Hell and night must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s alight. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: The AudienceMeaning: Iago drops his mask for the first time and tells us his true intentions. The devil character talks about the birth of an anti-Christ. Dramatic irony as the audience have no power to stop Iago. Without much proof, he accuses Othello of sleeping with Emilia and wants revenge, contrasting at the beginning when he said he would do it because of Michael Cassio’s appointment.
2. 1. 110: Come on! You are pictures out of doors. Bells in your parlors… devils being offended, players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: Emilia, Desdomona, CassioMeaning: Women are loud, crazy about their kitchen, its fine when you injure someone but when it happens to you, you become devils. Housewives in bed: just going through the motions in bed without passion. Parallel structure.
2. 1. 115 Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk: You rise to play, and go to bed to work. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: Emilia, Desdemona, CassioMeaning: Calls his wife a *****. Goes along with his belief that Othello slept with her.
2. 1. 130: If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit, The one’s for use, the other useth it. If she be black, and thereto have wit, she find a white that shall her blackness fit. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: Emilia, Desdemona, CassioMeaning: Speaking about women. If she is beautiful and wise, she will use that to her advantage to get what she wants. If she is brunette, she will find a husband to sleep with. Sendtaintao. All women are the same.
2. 1. 135: She never yet was foolish that was fair, For even her foolishness helped her to an heir. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: Emilia, Desdemona, CassioMeaning: Emilia asks about a fair but dumb person. Showing her lack of self-esteem. He says there is no one who is fair and dumb, for even if she was she would still find a husband. Sentantia. All women are the same.
2. 1. 150-155: She that was ever fair , and never proud; had tongue at will.. never lacked gold… fled from her wish… bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly.. she that can think.. she was a wight. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: Emilia, Desdemona, CassioMeaning: Can speak well, not show off, not put her wish first, knows when he is upset, can think. Describing his ideal women with rhymed lines. Eventually says women are only good for children.
2. 1. 290-315: That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it; Now I do love her too; But partly led to diet my revenge.. Till I am evened with him, wife for wife… at least into jealousy so strong.. Make the Moor love me… Knavery’s plain face is never seen till used. Spoken By: Iago Spoken To: The AudienceMeaning: Thinks Othello will be a good husband. Loves Desdemona to feed his revenge on Othello. Wants to trade wife for wife to get even and make him so jealous, turn it on Cassio and have Othello reward him. 1. He hates Othello2. He wants to get revenge wife for wife3. Believes Othello slept with Emilia. and he could easily be lying to the audience.
2. 3. 10: Iago is most honest… Come, my dear love. The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue; that profit;s yet to come between me and you. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: Cassio and then DesdemonaMeaning: Calls Iago honest again, irony. Needs to consummate the marriage.
2. 3. 30: I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking: I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment. Spoken By: CassioSpoken To: IagoMeaning: Iago is trying to tempt and get Cassio drunk to enact his plan. Cassio says he can’t handle alcohol well. Foreshadowing.
2. 3. 255-275: Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit and lost without deserving… Sue to him again and he is yours. O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil! Dialogue between Cassio and IagoMeaning: Reputation is gained without merit and lost unfairly. Wants him to pursue Othello (looks like a wise friend)Cassio personifies wine into the devil.
2. 3. 330-355: And what’s he then that says I play the villain, when this advice is free and honest… How am I the villain to counsel Cassio to this parallel course… Divinity of hell. I’ll poor this pestilence into his ears… so I will turn her virtue into evil… and make the net that will catch them all. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: The AudienceMeaning: Will turn Desdemona’s virtue into evil and ruin the relationship with Othello. (undo her credit with the moor) Many references to heaven and hell
3. 3. 90: Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul but I do love thee! ad when I love thee not, chaos is to come. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: Its foreshadowing. When he stops loving her, chaos will come on his life.
3. 3. 115: Show me thy thought- My Lord you know I love you. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Allusion to Judas betraying Jesus. Iago acts as if something is wrong but wont tell Othello. Iago will use the power of suggestion.
3. 3. 125: Men should be what they seem; or those that be not, would they might seem none! Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: People should be honest, even when they aren’t. Irony. Says Cassio looks like an honest man, trying to use the power of suggestion to get Othello to doubt Cassio.
3. 3. 155-160: Who steals my purse steals trash; tis nothing… But he who that filches from me my good name robs me of what of that which not enriches him and makes me poor indeed. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Allusion to when he says reputation is lost unfairly and gained without merit. A bad reputation sticks to us forever, but losing money is worthless.
3. 3. 165-170: Beware of jealousy, the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss. Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger, But O what a damned minutes tells he o’er… Suspects, yet strongly loves! Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: The jealous person gets eaten alive by the jealousy. Iago picks an example of like this to suggest to Othello that this is happening to him. Iago begins making a dent on Othello’s mind.
3. 3. 175: Poor and content is rich, and rich enough; but riches fineless is as poor as winter to him that ever fears he shall be poor. good god the souls of all my tribe defend from jealousy. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: If you are poor and happy, you are rich. If you are rich and fear being poor, you are unhappy.
3. 3. 185-190: Where virtue is, there are more virtuous. Nor from mine own weak merits will I draw the smallest fear or doubt of her revolt, For she had eyes and chose me… Away at once with jealousy. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: She is so virtuous and chose me. She will not revolt, and I will only doubt when I have proof – Doubt has already crept into his mind now, so it is too late. Also, his hubris is shown as he says he cannot be made jealous.
3. 3. 200: I know our country disposition well: In Venice they do let see the pranks they dare not show their husbands; their best conscience is not leave’t undone, but kept unknown. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Says that he has no proof yet of Desdemona and Cassio, yet. In Venice, they sleep around and don’t let their husbands see. They only let God see them. Gets Othello paranoid.
3. 3. 205-210: She did deceive her father, marrying you; and when she seemed to shake and fear your looks, she loved them most. I humbly do beseech you of your pardon for too much loving you. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Allusion to when the father tells Othello she has deceived him and will do the same to you. She does love you.. go and see her?
3. 3. 240: Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Othello is starting to seal his fate asking why he even got married in the first place. Also, he feels that Iago is withholding information.
3. 3. 260-280: This fellow’s exceeding honesty, and knows all qualities, with a learned spirit of human dealings… yet tis the plague of great ones; prerogatived are they less than the base. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: Extended metaphor. He would rather be a toad than have a woman who sleeps around behind his back. Uses animal imagery and starts to sound like Iago.
3. 3. 290-295: My wayward husband hath a hundred times wooed me to steal it… I nothing but to please his fantasy. Spoken By: Emilia Spoken To: AudienceMeaning: Reveals Iago has had this plan in his mind for a very long time. Also, Iago’s own wife knows nothing of his true intentions or nature. Very insecure of her.
3. 3. 325: I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin and let him find it. Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ… Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: AudienceMeaning: Something so meaningless can be made to look important to a jealous person such as the handkerchief.
3. 3. 335: Thou hast set me on the rack. I swear ’tis better to be much abused than but to know’t a little. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: Better to not know about being abused than to only know a little about it.
3. 3. 340: He that is robbed, not wanting what is stol’n, let him not know’t, and he’s not robbed at all. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: If someone robs you and you are unaware or do not care, then you are not really robbed at all.
3. 3. 350-355: So I had nothing known. O, now for ever farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content… Farewell! Othello’s occupation gone! Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: My life is over, I do not want to be alive anymore. Turning into drama queen.
3. 3. 375: O heaven forgive me. Are you a man? Have you a soul or sense — God be with you! take mine office. That liv’st to make thine honesty a vice… Oh world, to be direct and honest is not safe. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Iago out-does the drama-queen. Irony: Iago blames himself for being so direct and honest to Othello, when he is really lying.
3. 3. 380: I should be wise; for honesty’s a fool and loses that it works for. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: You are a fool to love someone and the truth.
3. 3. 385: Her name, that was as fresh as Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black as my own face. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Parallel structure follows. Internalized oppression of Othello.
3. 3. 420: There are a kind of men so loose of soul that in their sleeps will mutter their affairs. One of this kind is Cassio… (detail of fake sex dream) ‘Cursed faith that gave thee to the Moor.’ Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Iago pretends to provide proof to the distraught Othello by presumably making up a dream about Cassio wanting to sleep with Desdemona. If he is telling the truth, why does he go in so much detail. Iago gets a high off of provoking. Is he straight? Homo-erotic dream may show Iago wants to kill those he is in love with and cannot have.
3. 3. 350: All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven. tis gone. Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow of hell! Yield up, o love, thy crown and hearted thrown to tyrannous hate! Swell, bosom, with thy fraught, Fo Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: Othello starts to make the fatal decision in the tragedy to get revenge on his wife. He asks for evil and starts making his vow to Satan.
3.3. 455: Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace, shall never look back, never ebb to humble love, till that capable and wide revenge swallow them up. (kneeling) Now, by yond marble heaven, in the here reverence of a sacred vow I here engage my words. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: IagoMeaning: Othello makes his vow to destroy Desdemona while renouncing his marriage vows. He makes his vow to the devil himself, Iago.
3.3. 465: Witness that here Iago doth give up the execution of his wit, hands, heart to wronged Othello’s service! Let him command, and to obey shall be remorse, what bloody business ever. Spoken By: IagoSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Iago marries Othello in evil. Perverts the commandments by making the Great commandment of evil.
3. 4. 25: I had rather lost my purse full of crusadoes; and but my noble moor is true of mind, and made of no such baseness as jealous creatures, it were enough to put him to ill thinking. Spoken By: DesdemonaSpoken To: EmiliaMeaning: She finds out from Emilia that Othello is upset over the handkerchief being lost. Even though he isn’t one who gets jealous, he will still get angry about it.
3. 4. 105: They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; they eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us. Spoken By: EmiliaSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: Men use women for sex, and when they are done, they get rid of the women. This reveals her marriage with Iago has gone dry.
3. 4. 125: My avocation is not now in tune. My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him, were he in favor as in humor altered. Spoken By: DesdemonaSpoken To: CassioMeaning: Desdemona says that she no longer knows or understands Othello.
3. 4. 160: but jealous souls will not be answered so; they are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for they are jealous. ‘Tis a monster begot upon itself. born on itself. D: Heaven keep that monster from Othello’s mind. Spoken By: EmiliaSpoken To: Desdemona/CassioMeaning: Allusion to the green-eyed monster. The monster has already taken control of his mind because of Iago.
4. 2. 245: (Othello strikes Desdemona and Lodovico sees and asks him to make amends) O devil, devil! If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears, each drop she falls would prove a crocodile. Out of my sight! Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: Lodovico/DesdemonaMeaning: Women cry fake and meaningless tears. She deserves it for cheating on me. Othello has clearly gone made with jealousy.
4. 2. 15: To wager she is honest, lay down my soul at stake. If you think other, remove your thought; it doth abuse your bosom. If any wretch have put this in your head, let heaven requite it with the serpent’s curse. Spoken By: EmiliaSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Allusion to the snake in the garden in Adam of Eve that tempts the two. Iago is the snake tempting Othello as he is planting weeds in his garden.
4. 2. 85: If to preserve this vessel for my lord from any other foul unlawful touch be not to be a strumpet, I am none. Spoken By: DesdemonaSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Desdemona tries to plead that she is a virgin.
4. 2. 90: That have the office opposite of Saint Peter and keep the gate of hell! Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: Othello is seething at Desdemona as he is convinced that she is so evil that she keeps the gate of hell. Ironic: he is the devil and she keeps the gate of hell.
4. 2. 155: O good Iago, what shall I do to win my lord again? Here I kneel… And his unkindness may defeat my life, but never taint my love. I cannot say ‘*****’… Spoken By: DesdemonaSpoken To: IagoMeaning: Desdemona makes the third vow of the play: she reaffirms her marriage vows. She will never stop loving him no matter how much he hurts her. Remakes wedding vow. Allusion to Othello and Iago pact to evil. Each vow, somebody kneels and makes a vow to heaven or hell. Uses parallel structure to contrast. Desdemona refers to greay commandment.
4. 3. 65: The world’s a huge thing; it is a great price for a small vice. Spoken By: EmiliaSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: The end justifies the means. She would sleep around in order to gain the world for her husband. Jesus allusion: what is the whole world if you lose your soul?
4. 3. 80: Why, the wrong is but a wrong in the world; and having the world for your labor, ’tis a wrong in your own world, and you might quickly make it right. Spoken By: EmiliaSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: If you are in power, you can declare the wrong you did into a right. Reflects machieveli belief at the time, allusion to King Henry VIII.
4. 3. 95: Why, we have galls; and though we have some grace, yet have we some revenges… What is it that they do when they change us for others. Is it sport? And have we not affections, desires for sport, and frailty, as men have? the ills we do, their ills instruct us so. Spoken By: EmiliaSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: Why the double standard? Emilia argues as an early feminist. When men do something, why is it sport, and when women do it they are whores. We learn how to do bad because they taught us how. Arguing for equality of women.
5. 2. 5-20: It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul. Let me not name it to you, chaste stars! Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light… Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, and love thee after. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: DesdemonaMeaning: Othello explains why he must kill Desdemona: for justice. Uses light dark imagery in the term of putting out the light, or killing her light that shines the world. Be like this, calm, when I kill you and I will love you forever. Strong love speeches proves he is still crazy for her. Allusion: Judas kiss and he will put out the light of the world.
5. 2. 45: That death’s unnatural that kills for loving… Some bloody passion shakes your frame. Spoken By: DesdemonaSpoken To: OthelloMeaning: Sententiae, to kill someone you love is not natural, there must be some other bloody passion behind it.
5. 2. 100: Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe should yawn at alteration. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: AudienceMeaning: The light has been eclipsed by the dark because of this act. There should be an earthquake about what just happened. Othello is responsible for his own action.
5. 2. 125: Nobody — I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord, O farewell! Spoken By: DesdemonaSpoken To: Othello/EmiliaMeaning: Loyal to Othello in death. Allusion: Jesus on the cross not blaming the people who persecuted him.
5. 2. 350: Speak of me as I am. Of one that loved not wisely, but too well… Where a malignant and turbaned Turk beat a Venetian and traduced the state, I took by the throat the circumcised dog and smote him — thus. Spoken By: OthelloSpoken To: Lodovico, Gratiano, Cassio, IagoMeaning: I did not love wisely, only loved too much that I became jealous. My hand, like Juidas, threw away a pearl and light of my world (Jesus). Executes justice because the state will not do so as he is too important. Parallel structure in the deaths.