Othello quotes Flashcards
who says “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind” and in what scene does it occur?
Desdemona, Act one, Scene three
Analyse “I saw Othello’s visage in his mind” - Four points
- Desdemona does lots to build the audiences understanding of Othello as a valiant general to improve his reputation.
- The past tense verb shows us what Desdemona fell in love with,
- This is emphasised by the personal pronoun which shows her naivety as she believes Othello’s past is a reason to love him.
- The abstract noun ‘visage” also shows how she fell in love with an image depicted by Othello rather than Othello himself.
“Commend me to my kind lord- O, farewell!” - what scene and who said it?
Desdemona, Act 5, Scene 2
Analyse - “Commend me to my kind lord- O, farewell!” ( 3 points)
- Desdemona’s love for Othello is pure and long-lasting as she sees it through to the end, despite Othello’s accusations.
- Here Desdemona is blaming herself and is still suggesting that her love is given to Othello, who she still characterises as “kind”, this connotes her innocence and naivety as she struggles to paint Othello in a negative light. This is typical of Elizabethan women as she exhibits a classic symptom of “battered women syndrome.”
- The use of the interjection and pause of ‘O’ it shows how she is lost for words as the thought of being alone without Othello for protection.
“let me go with him” – What scene, Who said?
Desdemona, Act 1, Scene 3
“let me go with him” – Analyse (2 points)
- this suggests how she would be miserable being away from her husband as she relies on him (typical of an Elizabethan women),
- it also shows how she is adventurous and demanding.
“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” - What Scene, Who said it?
Iago, Act 1, Scene 1
“An old black ram is tupping your white ewe” ( 4 points)
- vulgar language reflects Iago’s harsh manipulative personality, playing on the xenophobic nature of Brabantio.
- The metaphor clearly shows the racial barrier between the two as “old black ram” suggests Othello is won and unworthy.
- The verb “tupping” plays upon Elizabethan notions that black men have an animal-like hyper sexuality.
- The juxtaposition between the black and white is significant as black portrays violence and darkness, this could imply their secret marriage, while white is delicate and innocent which is ironic when this sexual action is being expressed. Black is the more dominant colour which shows the role of women at the time as they were possessions of men.
“I am not what I am”- What Scene, Who said it?
Iago, Act 1, Scene 1
“I am not what i am” - Analyse (2 points)
- Iago has devil like qualities, shown through the religious connotations
- This foreshadows his further manipulation as he tries to gain the other characters trust from the beginning.
“It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock”- What Scene and who said it?
Iago, Act 3, Scene 3.
“It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock”- Analyse
- personifying Jealousy as a monster gives it more power and presents it as something to fear
- This quote connotes disruption and destruction which foreshadows the role of Jealously further on in the play and shows Iago’s manipulation and his planned attack as he warns Othello not the let it bother him.
“She gave me for my pains a world of sighs”- Who, What Scene?
Othello, Act 1, Scene 3
“She gave me for my pains a world of sighs”- Analyse ( 2 points)
- this shows Othello was enchanted by Desdemona’s sympathetic response
- The metaphor ‘World of sighs’ is hyperbolic and suggests that Othello had so little that despite the verb ‘sighs’ having negative connotations he took an optimistic approach, hoping that Desdemona could be his ‘world’.
“I will kill thee, and love the after” - Who said it, What Scene?
Othello, Act 5, Scene 2
