Othello key quotes Flashcards
‘ _ ____ the ______ Desdemona’ Act 1 Scene _
‘I love the gentle Desdemona’ Act 1 Scene 2
-Juxtaposes earlier hellish and bestial descriptions of Othello - he’s truly gentle (audience impact)
- This makes him vulnerable = is his love his tragic flaw
- Language of love
‘My _____, my _____ and __ ______ soul’ Act _ Scene 2
‘My parts my title and my perfect soul’ Act 1 Scene 2
- Tripartite list
- Othello is proud of his services - shows self confidence
- Shows a flaw in his character of arrogance and belief that men are judged on their actions and reputation
- Hubristic
‘__ __ were now to ___ ‘twere now __ __ most _____’ Act 2 Scene _
‘If it were now to die ‘twere now to be most happy’ Act 2 Scene 1
- Saying if he died now he would die at his happiest moment as he doesn’t believe he will ever be this happy again
- Passionate declaration shows his flaw in his devoted love for her
- Iambic pentameter (10 syllables per line and alternating stressed and unstressed syllables) and poetic language
‘_____ is ____ honest’ Act 2 Scene _
‘Iago is most honest’ Act 2 Scene 3
- Short simple sentence punctuates Othello’s myopia
- ‘Honest’ = epithet for Iago (name used constantly for someone)
- Dramatic irony for audience (sets up Othello’s myopia)
- Iago has gained power over Othello
‘But never ____ be ______ of mine’ Act 2 Scene _
‘But never more be officer of mine’ Act 2 Scene 3
- Othello firing Cassio as a result of his drunken brawl is a major plot point
- One of Iago’s aims is achieved
Othello’s brief and bold judgement is a show of authority by him which he believes demonstrates leadership and sound judgement but the audience can actually see he is quick to judgment in believing what he hears first and doesn’t see it’s actually Iago constructing all of this
- Emphasises effects of Iago’s manipulation
‘________ wretch! Perdition _____ __ ____ but I do ____ ____ and when I ____ ____ not _____ is come again’ Act _ Scene 3
‘Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul but i do love thee and when I love thee not chaos is come again’ Act 3 Scene 3
- ‘Excellent wretch’ = oxymoron (contradictory words with opposite meanings) captures chaos
- He shows the nature of his affection that he either loves her intensely and feels protective or else he feels scorned and succumbs to an emotional chaos
- He suggests losing his love would bring chaos which foreshadows the turmoil from Iago’s manipulation
‘And for _ ____ thou’rt full __ ____ and ______’ Act 3 Scene _
‘And for I know thou’rt full of love and honesty’ Act 3 Scene 3
- Myopic
- Dramatic irony as audience knows Iago isn’t honest
- Othello is so deceived that he believes Iago is incapable of lying
