Othello - Iago quotes Flashcards
“I follow him to serve my turn upon him” (1.1)
-To Rod. explains he secretly hates Oth. & is plotting against him.
-Everyone including Oth. believes him to be loyal & devoted, Iago understands strategic advantage false friendship gives him - as a trusted confidante he is able to sway Oth. opinion & manipulate him more effectively.
-Shows from moment action begins, Iago is already looking for ways to bring about Oth. downfall.
“If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport” (1.3)
-Explains how Rod. can help him - he knows Rod. lusts after Des. and is angry to learn she is married to Oth.
-Encourages Rod. to believe tat by participating in Iago’s plot, he might have chance to have affair wit Des.
“It is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets
He’s done my office” (1.3)
-One of few moments where Iago explains his motivation for being obsessed with destroying Oth.
-He claims there are rumours Oth. has ad an affair with Emilia - plausible reason for wanting to destroy Oth. trust in his own wife.
-Iago only mentions his motivation briefly, does not seem to fully explain the depth of his hatred toward Oth.
“She did deceive her father marrying you” (3.3)
-Makes comment to Oth. as way of refuting Oth. insistence that Des. is honest & would not lie to him.
-He points out that Des. demonstrably has the capacity to lie & keep secrets since she hid her courtship with Oth. from her disapproving father.
-Shows Iago’s skill at psychological manipulation: he subtly plants a seed of doubt in Oth. mind, using couple’s own love as a weapon to increase the distrust between them.
“Strangle her in bed, even the bed she hath contaminated” (4.1)
-Orchestrates even the way in which Des. will be killed.
-Shows Iago’s desire to control every aspect of how his plan will unfold & his sinister sense of poetic justice.
-He argues that since Des. had committed her crimes in bed, by sleeping with other men, she should also die in bed.
-Also reinforces the fact that Iago has complete control over Oth. at this point, since Oth. immediately agrees to the gruesome plan
