star analysis tbh

Question 1

i will wear my heart upon my sleeve

Answer 1

Iago will become duplicitous in his quest for vengeance, never revealing his genuine feelings to the outer world. The irony of this comment is that he is admitting to his deception.

Question 2

i’ll tear her all to pieces

Answer 2

The calm and controlled aspect of the character is ignored, and the contrast in attitude before and during the pivotal incident is essential since it demonstrates his personality’s ability to alter quickly.

Question 3

your son in law is far more fair than black

Answer 3

“black” has many possible meanings in this quote. it alludes to othello’s race but also to an old idea that black means “ugly”. the duke is a kind person and labels othello as “fair” however this could come across as a backhanded compliment since the duke is implying than he is much more gentalmanly than other black people. race is a very prevalent theme in the play just as it was in venice due to the prejudice. othello is aware of the stereotypes that white veneitians have for this race and although he is seen as able to go beyond these preconceptions, he wont ever forget how others see him. connects to the themes of reputation race and setting.

Question 4

must you speak of one that loved not wisely but too well

Answer 4

in this part of the play following the murder of desdemona, othello turns to those who have witnessed this spiral of blood thirsty emotion and asks of them to remember him for the good he has done for venice, as an honurable and noble general who loved his wife so much. he does not want this crafted reputation to be dampened by his act of violence. his idea is that had he been any less in love with desdemona, he would not have been so bothered by her “affair” and as such would not have killed her in such a spree of jealous passion.

Question 5

i think my wife be honest and think she is not

Answer 5

othello would not have ever dreamed of seeing desdemona as dishonest or as a “strumpet”, but as iago exploited and lied to othello he quickly began to have doubts for her purity

Question 6

thy honesty and love doth mince this matter

Answer 6

othello makes the assumption that iago is just being a good person who does not want to put any blame on cassio, when in reality iago has actually constructed this entire setup of events so that cassio will get into trouble. this exposes just how naive othello is about iago’s nature and motives and sets the stage for how this exact naivity and inherent trust will result in destruction and heartbreak.

Question 7

i prithee speak to me as to thy thinkings

Answer 7

iago begins to plant his many seeds of deceptions at this point without ever letting on to othello that he has any motive other than having othello’s wellbeing at heart. iago says “i like not that” to stir up suspicion in othello but then acts hesistant to elaborate on the outburst. this leads to othello literally begging iago to tell him something that iago is desperate to let him know because he is so concerned about what his wife may be doing behind closed doors

Question 8

my bloody thoughts with violent pace shall ne’er look back

Answer 8

othello eventually decides that he has been betrayed by desdemona, and vows his revenge to both her and cassio. this enforces just how severely othello went from love to anger due to the jealousy. this darkly foreshadows his unwavered murderous drive as he ignores desdemonas cries of innocence as he kills her

Question 9

i do perceive here a divided duty

Answer 9

shows how desdemona is keen to live up to the expectations that she will be loyal to othello. this is a loyalty that will endanger her down the line because she will not challenge othello’s demand over her

Question 10

beshrew me if i would do such a wrong

Answer 10

desdemona insisting to emilia that she wouldnt dream of being disloyal to othello, and made the assumption that everyone around her no matter how jealous would see her in the same pure light as she does herself. despite her consistent honesty to othello, he is unable to see through his own selfish jealousy to get through to her, which ulitmately leads to him killing her from anger

Question 11

i follow himi to serve my turn upon him

Answer 11

everyone, othello too, sees iago as a loyal and devoted ensign. iago uses this strategic advantage presented by the friendship to bring about othellos downfall. this is one of the few moments where he is honest about his plans to another character rather than aside to the audience

Question 12

it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets / He’s done my office

Answer 12

one of the rare times where iago revealed a motivation for wanting to have revenge on othello, since he believes othello to be sleeping with his wife emilia.

Question 13

strangle her in bed, even the bed she hath contaminated

Answer 13

further supports the notion of iagos utter control over othello, since othello makes no hesitation to agree to the plan

Question 14

i have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking

Answer 14

iago uses this information against cassio, and is able to get him so drunk that he becomes involved in a fight that ultimately leads to him being fired

Question 15

oh i have lost my reputation i have lost the immortal part of myself and what remains is bestial

Answer 15

reveals the amount of value and pride cassio had for his reputation, something he would never do anything that would risk destroying it. othello shares this sentiment because the supposed affair besmirches the reputation he worked so very hard to form. both him and cassio see a man as no more than “bestial” without a good rep.

Question 16

if any wretch have put this in your head / let heaven requite it with the serpent’s curse

Answer 16

she isnt wrong that othello’s jealous and suspicion was a result of someone else’s deceptions, however she is completely unaware that this someone was her husband. this is something that links quite heavily to the theme of betrayal because even spouses may not truly understand the evi capabilities of their significant other

Question 17

i am not what i am

Answer 17

a moment very early on in the play that suggests iago is not all that he appears to be. this infamous line links forward to the mention of the two faced god Janus later in the play but also acts as a biblical allusion. in Exodus 3:14 God says “i am that i am”. iago has twisted the words of God into a much more negative sentiment, which further shows the depth of his diabolical nature.

Question 18

the moor is of a free and open nature and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are

Answer 18

another moemnt of truth between iago and the audience where he reveals his intentions to use othello’s inherent trust in people and the reality of their appearances in order to lead him like a trusting donkey to his own destruction

Question 19

beware my lord of jealousy / it is the green eyed monster

Answer 19

iago issues caution to othello (with a false concern) about being jealous. he anthropomorphizes jealousy as the green eyed monster to create a worrying image of beasts and destruction in order to make othellos concern even more severe. he describes jealousy as something that consumes the person who feels it.

Question 20

trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong

Answer 20

making the observation that otherwise trivial things are made important when they confirm a suspicion, iago predicts that the “light as air” handkerchief that in reality means nothing, will make othello incredibly concerned and jealous as he overestimates just how significant the item is.

Question 21

thus do i ever make my fool my purse

Answer 21

he is planning to use roderigo and trick him so much that he will act as a purse for iago to take money from. one of the very first confessions in the play that reveal his treacherous motives to the audience.

Question 22

so will i turn her virture into pitch and out of her goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all

Answer 22

more plot development against othello by iago as he uses two entirely different metaphors in one sentence, changing the image from a sticky “pitch” to a web to catch his enemies. discreet detailing to further enhance his treachery as he cannot even be loyal to a metaphor.

Question 23

prove my love a whore.. give me the ocular proof

Answer 23

he wants evidence that actually proves desdemonas innocence; evidence he can see with his eyes. the emphasis he places on being “sure of it” conveys his just nature.

Question 24

o perjured woman

Answer 24

he believes that desdemonas denials are lies under oath. just as in court you must vow to speak only the whole truth, so does othello believe that desdemona must, and as such because she denies having slept with cassio he believes she must be lying and therefore has committed perjury; something that ultimately has bad consequences for her and how othello ses her come the murder

Question 25

she must die, else she’ll betray more men

Answer 25

othello is beside himself, and as he tries to motivate himself to murder to love of his life, he reminds himself of just how final this act is. he loves her so, and although he intends to kill her, he does not want to mark her skin for fear of marring her beauty, this is becuase he wishes to maintain her pure soul, and is under the impression that if he kills her, she wont be able to betray anyone like she did to him

Question 26

o curse of marriage

Answer 26

shows how far gone othello is down the rabbit hole of jealousy as a result of iagos lies. he has gone from absolutely unmarred happiness and love to heartbreak and betrayal

Question 27

othellos suicide

Answer 27

acts as a trial because he has only one more foe left to conquer; himself.

Question 28

like the base indian threw away a pearl richer than all its tribe

Answer 28

he was so consumed and blinded by jealousy that he killed the most important thing in the world to him, his wife, which left him with nothing left to live for.

Question 29

she loved me for the dangers i had passed and i loved her that she did pity them

Answer 29

he was explaining how it was exactly that his love with desdemona came to be. shows he and her were in love becuase of their admiration and respect for each other, despite the racial prejudice in venice at that time. reveals that othello has a lot of charisma who is able to charm with words

Question 30

i sawt not, i thought i not, it harmed not me

Answer 30

he is upset about the torture that his suspicions are putting him in. he remembers when he was ignorant of desdemonas dishonesty and infidelity, in a state of bliss. but since iago set out to have revenge and deeive othello, he has not been able to take his mind off the matter.

Question 31

they are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for theyre jealous

Answer 31

emilia is describing the irrationality of jealousy to desdemona, because despire people saying there are reasons for their jealousy, jealousy has no cause or reason other than being jealous for being jealous. she also discusses how jealousy is like a monster, linking to iagos “green eyed monster” as well as the ouroboros, which is an ancient symbol of a snake swallowing its own tail in a self destructive loop.