Othello Quotes

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"I am not what I am"
Iago - Admits that he is deceptive/Shakespeare does not conceal his true nature.
1 of 63
"Plague him with flies."
Iago - Likes the idea of distressing Brabantio like a plague.
2 of 63
"an old black ram is tupping your white ewe."
Iago - Ideas of evil and Satan, animalistic sex, purity and youth being disrupted.
3 of 63
"Is there not charms..."
Brabantio - Cannot understand as to why Desdemona loves Othello.
4 of 63
"My parts, my title, my perfect soul shall manifest me rightly."
Othello - His Hubris.
5 of 63
"to fall in love with what she feared to look on?"
Brabantio - Emphasises Desdemona's delicacy and almost highlights Othello's monstrosity.
6 of 63
"Send for the lady."
Othello - Has confidence in Desdemona that she will declare their relationship.
7 of 63
"He's done my office/He's twixt my sheets."
Iago - His only motive is the possibility that Othello is sleeping with his wife, Emilia.
8 of 63
"She loved me for the dangers I had passed/And I loved her that she did pity them."
Othello - The dynamic in their relationship, selfish love motives.
9 of 63
"Rude am I in my speech."
Othello - Has false modesty.
10 of 63
"Valiant Othello"
Duke - Views Othello positively
11 of 63
"Thou hast enchanted her"
Brabantio - Cannot conceive the thought that Desdemona truly loves Othello.
12 of 63
"making the beasts with two backs"
Iago - Sexual reference, crude, vulgar and carnal.
13 of 63
"constant, loving, noble nature"
Iago - Knows Othello is a good person but he still plans to corrupt him.
14 of 63
"divine Desdemona"
Cassio - Accentuates the tragedy of her death as she was heavenly pure.
15 of 63
"warlike Moor Othello"
Shows the aggressive and violent nature of Othello.
16 of 63
"Warlike isle"
Cassio - Shows the general views of Cyprus as an uncivilised society.
17 of 63
"Our great captain's captain"
Cassio - Desdemona is in control of Othello completely. exaggerates tragedy as she held a delicate part in Othello's heart.
18 of 63
"She has no speech"
Desdemona - foreshadows the death of all the women who are silenced; reference to wider society.
19 of 63
"honest Iago"
Othello - Irony as he is anything but honest, shows how Iago has deceived people from his true nature.
20 of 63
"Now my sick fool Roderigo."
Iago - Manipulative behaviour, does not really care abotu Roderigo
21 of 63
"Reputation, reputation, reputation"
Cassio - Shows his character and upbringing valuing his presentation and perception above all.
22 of 63
"a most exquisite lady"
Cassio - Plays the role of a courtly lover, he respects woman vs Iago
23 of 63
"She is sport for jove"
Iago - See's Desdemona as a tool for sex
24 of 63
"Iago is most honest"
Othello - Shows the misplaced trust Othello has in Iago.
25 of 63
"Othello...our noble and valiant nature"
Herald - Demonstrates Othello's grand nature.
26 of 63
"If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself, ill not believe it"
Othello - Wishes it to be a lie, evidence for his true love for her
27 of 63
"I never knew a Florentine more kind and honest"
Cassio - Shows the extent of Iago's deception on all the characters.
28 of 63
"my good lord"
Iago - feigning respect for Othello; maintaining his positive reputation even once his plan is in progression.
29 of 63
"an honest fellow"
Desdemona - Ironic as Iago is the opposite of honesty; Shakespeare uses irony to reinforce the tragedy of the play.
30 of 63
"my lord, you know I love you"
Iago - an almost moral and biblical display of love and friendship; repulsive to the Elizabethan audience.
31 of 63
"But jealous for they're jealous"
Emilia - Men are jealous because that is who they are.
32 of 63
"Keep that monster from Othello's mind"
Desdemona - Irony as she is praying for Othello's safety, in reality her life is on the line.
33 of 63
"But my noble moor is true of mind"
Desdemona - Too trusting of Othello, naivety to trust is her undoing.
34 of 63
"I'll tear her all to pieces"
Othello - Convinced that Desdemona is having an affair with Cassio, allusion to Othello's physical character.
35 of 63
"I think my wife be honest, and think she is not. I think thou are just, and think thou are not"
Othello - mental conflict.
36 of 63
"A good wench"
Iago - Oxymoron shows that even a compliment to his wife is always negative, Iago cannot separate women from the idea of innate promiscuity and deception, 17th century may have molded him into the person he is.
37 of 63
"my wayward husband"
Emilia - Significant that she knows her husbands true characteristics.
38 of 63
"I nothing but to please his fantasy"
Emilia - Seeks affirmation and love from Iago and will go to desperate lengths to receive it.
39 of 63
"I am a Christian"
Desdemona - Reinforces her innocence and purity, Othello was not born Christian, highlights their differences as the idea that ones birth nature is immovable.
40 of 63
"For the love I bear to Cassio"
Desdemona - Her choice of words are very significant, she appears romantic to enraged Othello but is actually of good nature, her naivety and faultless character heightens the tragedy.
41 of 63
"handkerchief confessions - handkerchief"
Othello - His obsession with the handkerchief, rising insanity with nonsensical comments.
42 of 63
"Work on, my medicine, work"
Iago - Idea of jealousy being a disease, all consuming.
43 of 63
"I will chop her into messes. Cuckold me!"
Othello - Hubris, even in insanity he doesn't lose his ego, becoming more viscous and savage and jealousy has completely overcome him.
44 of 63
"Fire and brimstone"
Othello - Nonsensical comments in front of everyone; highlights his insanity and rage. Hellish imagery
45 of 63
"Devil! [He strikes her]"
Othello - Shocking to the audience, he is overcome with jealousy and rage, foreshadows violence towards Desdemona.
46 of 63
"Purest of their wives"
Emilia - Describing Desdemona, heightens the tragedy even further.
47 of 63
"would thou hadst ne'er been born!"
Othello - Echoes Brabantio, has become victim to other's opinions and beliefs, weakened character, appears as if Desdemona was almost born for the tragedy (Fate).
48 of 63
"his unkindness may defeat my life, but never taint my love"
Desdemona - Her goodness and love for Othello has no boarders and is too good to be true.
49 of 63
"break out into peevish jealousies..strike us"
Emilia - Essentially describing the man Othello has become, men are sometimes deserving of being cuckolded.
50 of 63
"She had a song of Willow....And she died singing it"
Desdemona - Foreshadows her death like her mother, tragic as it seems as if it was fate."
51 of 63
"Sweet revenge"
Othello - Desdemona has been replaced with revenge, his yearn for revenge has taken over his love for Desdemona.
52 of 63
"O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!"
Rodrigo - Embodies him perfectly, significant that Othello is often described in an animalistic way but this is Roderigo's dying words about Iago.
53 of 63
"She must die, else she'll betray more men"
Othello - Giving religious reasons for her murder.
54 of 63
"a guiltless death I die."
Desdemona - Emphasizes her purity and morality, taking blame for a sin she has not committed.
55 of 63
"Commend me to my kind lord."
Desdemona - Defends her lover to the death, like Emilia she longs for love and affirmation from her husband.
56 of 63
"honest, honest Iago"
Othello - Ironic, adds to the tragedy of the play.
57 of 63
"I am not valiant either."
Othello - Returns to his original character, humble.
58 of 63
"Precious villian"
Othello - Intensifier, Iago is the worse villain of all.
59 of 63
"[He smothers her]"
Othello - Stifles Desdemona and shuts her up, reflection of stifling and domineering patriarchal society.
60 of 63
"She was as false as water."
Othello - Uses simile to dramatize the murder.
61 of 63
"an honorable murderer."
Othello - Attempts to justify his murderous actions, quite pompous.
62 of 63
"That's he that was Othello."
Othello - Saying that he is not the man he used to be, humility.
63 of 63

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Iago - Likes the idea of distressing Brabantio like a plague.

Back

"Plague him with flies."

Card 3

Front

Iago - Ideas of evil and Satan, animalistic sex, purity and youth being disrupted.

Back

Preview of the back of card 3

Card 4

Front

Brabantio - Cannot understand as to why Desdemona loves Othello.

Back

Preview of the back of card 4

Card 5

Front

Othello - His Hubris.

Back

Preview of the back of card 5
View more cards

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