Othello - Act 1 - memorise quotes

Question 1

1:1 Roderigo would have rather be his killer

Answer 1

“By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.”
- jealousy: would rather kill than serve Othello.; R’s line contrasts Iago’s ref to being his ‘ancient’

Question 2

Iago imagery of poison and flies

Answer 2

“Call up her father”
“poison his delight”
“Plague him with flies”
- Iago uses imperatives, perhaps controlling R.
- Iago is meddling in Othello’s relationship by alerting Desdemona’s father to the marriage.

Question 3

Alludes to the fact that Iago has been taking money from Roderigo, we do not yet know that this was supposed to be used to ‘woo’ Desdemona but of course it never serves this purpose, Iago essentially robs him in broad daylight.

Answer 3

“hast had my purse as if the strings were thine” - Roderigo

Question 4

iago jealous

Answer 4

“I know my price, I am worth no worse a place” - Iago

Question 5

cassio beat up by women

Answer 5

“A fellow almost damned by a fair wife” - Iago

Question 6

iago duplicity

Answer 6

“I follow him to serve my turn upon him - Iago

Question 7

brabs loss emphasises by iago

Answer 7

“Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul” - Iago

Question 8

alludes to god and moses

Answer 8

“I am not what I am” - Iago

Question 9

racist sexist imagery from iago

Answer 9

An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” - Iago

Question 10

brab sees iago’s true character

Answer 10

“Thou art a villain” - Brabantio

Question 11

ironic comment from brab about venice

Answer 11

“This is Venice” - Brabantio
- Context: ironic suggestion that Venice is safe as, despite its culture, it had a corrupt underbelly.

Question 12

Roderigo chimes in convincing Brabantio

Answer 12

“To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor–”
- Desdemona seems passive.
- shakespeare reflects the Renaissance stereotype of black men as sexual predators.

Question 13

iago hates othello

Answer 13

“Though I do hate him as I hate hell pains” - Iago

Question 14

brab thinks o used magic on d

Answer 14

abused, stolen from me and corrupted by spells and medicines

Question 15

iago excuses his crimes

Answer 15

heaven is my judge - Iago

Question 16

iago emphasises d has been stolen

Answer 16

thieves, thieves, thieves

Question 17

sex described with animal imagery

Answer 17

making the beast with two backs

Question 18

racist, sexually driven othello

Answer 18

gross clasps of the lascivious Moor

Question 19

reference to Iago’s role as flagbearer

Answer 19

“I must show out a flag and sign of love”

Question 20

gross betrayal on D’s part : roderigo

Answer 20

“Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,
I say again, hath made a gross revolt”, “tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes”
- The patriarchal view is that Desdemona has wronged her father by choosing her own husband and eloping
- Othello is portrayed as a vagrant and unstable, without sound roots.

Question 21

Brabantio’s language showing his upset

Answer 21

“—Oh, she deceives me
Past thought!—What said she to you?—Get more tapers”
- Questions suggest distress: Brabantio will be shamed if his daughter has eloped.
- quetions and dashes suggest distress

Question 22

O cocky that his role is gonna guarentee his freedom

Answer 22

“My parts, my title and my perfect soul
Shall manifest me rightly.”

Question 23

Brabantio’s rhyme which suggests toward an unnatural marriage

Answer 23

“For if such actions may have passage free,
Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be.”
- In the final couplet, Brabantio suggests a union between Othello and Desdemona is unnatural, turning the natural order upside down.
- acobeans would have recognised this subversion as a warning of trouble ahead.

Question 24

O makes snidey comment about swords

Answer 24

“Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.”

Question 25

he loves her

Answer 25

“I love the gentle Desdemona”

Question 26

iago talks of two faced god in responce to

Answer 26

“My parts, my title and my perfect soul
Shall manifest me rightly”
“By Janus, I think no.”

Question 27

O proud of history

Answer 27

I fetch my life and being From men of royal siege

Question 28

o calm and measured

Answer 28

let him do his spite

Question 29

meanwhile duke have been desperately looking for O - needs to go to venice

Answer 29

three several quests to search you out

Question 30

o used magic on D: brabantia

Answer 30

“enchanted her … in chains of magic” “foul charms” “abused her”
“theif”

Question 31

gives height to Othello

Answer 31

“the valient Moor”

Question 32

b is being dramatic about losing d to O

Answer 32

“my particular grief … engluts and swallows other sorrows”
- monster; internal rhyme

Question 33

Othello expresses regret at his job?

Answer 33

“some nine moons wasted”
“little of this great world can I speak “ than “feats of broil and battle”
- suggests regret; lack of choice

Question 34

othello repetition of of… emphaises his role

Answer 34

“Of moving accidents by flood and field,
“Of” “of”
- worked way up

Question 35

o respected as a soldier - tryna win over his audience

Answer 35

“battles, sieges, fortunes”

Question 36

o reminds us of slavery past

Answer 36

“sold to slavery”

Question 37

brab: not natural for black and white to be together

Answer 37

“against all rules of nature”

Question 38

o is talking about how d loves to hear his stories

Answer 38

“and with a greedy ear devour up my discourse”
“a world of sighs”
“‘twas strange, ‘twas passing strange,
‘Twas pitiful, ‘twas wondrous pitiful”
- emotion; reaction intensified

Question 39

Brab disowns Desdemona

Answer 39

“God be with you, I have done.”
“I had rather to adopt a child than get it.”
“jewel”

Question 40

d establishes she chooses O

Answer 40

“you are Lord of all my duty”
“so much duty as my mother showed
To you, preferring you before her father”

Question 41

rhyming couplet - brab warns O

Answer 41

“She has deceived her father and may decieve thee”

Question 42

1:3 D wants to go with O to war

Answer 42

“to his honour and his valiant parts”
“A moth of peace”
“Let me go with him.”
- dedicated to him

Question 43

o trusts desdemona

Answer 43

“my life upon her faith’

Question 44

he is not honest

Answer 44

honest iago

Question 45

roderigo being dramatic about d

Answer 45

“I will incontinently drown myself”

Question 46

‘The Moor is of a…’ Iago acknowledges Othello’s good qualities and so how he will use them against him.

Answer 46

“free and open nature”

Question 47

iago is going to feed O some bs

Answer 47

“abuse Othello’s ear”

Question 48

keeps repeating this cuz hes money hungry

Answer 48

“money in thy purse”

Question 49

Roderigo puppet - listens to his money requests

Answer 49

“I am changed. I’ll go sell all my land.”
- manipulated

Question 50

Thinks O slept with Emelia but don’t matter if he’s not sure

Answer 50

“He’s done my office. I know not if’t be true,
But I for mere suspicion in that kind
Will do as if for surety.”

Question 51

moor is of a/ monstrous birth - end of Act 1

Answer 51

“free and open nature”
“bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.”
- final rhyming couplet: structural to highlight significance of end of act