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A Level English Literature > Othello Key Quotes: Iago > Flashcards

Othello Key Quotes: Iago Flashcards

1
Q

“I follow him to serve my turn upon him.”

A
  • Iago only follows Othello as he intends to ultimately succeed and betray him.
  • Iago’s deceitful nature emerges, alluding to his role as the tragic villian later in the play.
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2
Q

‘I am not what I am,’

A
  • Opposes Biblical statement: ‘I am who I am.’ Iago alligns himself with hell and the devil.
  • Reinforces deceitful, two-faced nature. Iago is not to be trusted.
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3
Q

‘Pour this pestilence into his ear’

A
  • Imagery of death. -> Cataphoric reference.
  • Poison in the ear.
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4
Q

‘I like not that!’

A
  • Dialogue which plants the seed of doubt in Othello’s mind, poisoning his image of the ‘Divine Desdemona’.
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5
Q

‘O beware jealously […] it is the green-eyed monster that doth mock the meat it feeds on,’

A
  • Metaphor.
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6
Q

‘Honest Iago,’

(About Iago)

A
  • Dramatic Irony
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7
Q

‘Despise me if I do not: three great ones of the city, In personal suit to make me his lieutenant.’

A
  • Iago is frustrated that Othello chose to promote Cassio over him despite the fact that Iago was reccomended by three great officers in Venice.
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8
Q

‘Were I the Moor, I would no be Iago; In following him, I follow but myself.’

A
  • Cryptic manner of speech which reveals as much as it obscures Iago’s true motivations.
  • Iago is not following the Moor out of love but instead to betray him.
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9
Q

‘Call up her father: Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the street…’

A
  • Imperatives; Demonstration of control and power.
  • Poison imagery
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10
Q

‘Plague him with flies,’

A
  • Poison/sickness imagery
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11
Q

‘an old black ram Is tupping your white ewe.’

A
  • Racist language
  • Animal imagery; dehumanising Othello.
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12
Q

‘Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you.’

A
  • Fixation on sex life.
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13
Q

‘you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse.’

A
  • ‘Barbary horse’ –> North African breed of horse.
  • Racist dialogue.
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14
Q

‘coursers for cousins,’

A
  • coursers are racehorse
  • cousins are relatives
  • Brabantio will have horse for relatives if he does not do something about Othello and Desdemona.
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15
Q

‘Jennets for germans,’

A
  • Jennets are a small spanish breed of horse
  • Germans are relatives.
  • Brabantio will have horse for relatives if he does not do something about Othello and Desdemona.
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16
Q

‘I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.’

A
  • Fixation on O and D’s sex life.
  • Coarse language, unpleasant imagery that purposefully antagonises Brabantio.
  • Relevant context: Chain of Being, Racist Attitudes in the Elizabethan/Jacobean eras.
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17
Q

‘My ancient: A man he is of honesty and trust.’

(About Iago)

A
  • Dramatic Irony
  • Ancient connotes wiseness and honesty which the audience are aware that Iago is anything but.
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18
Q

‘Our bodies are gardens, to which our wills are gardeners.’

A
  • Natural imagery
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19
Q

‘Come, be a man. Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies.’

A
  • Unpleasant imagery
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20
Q

‘These Moors are changeable in their wills,’

A
  • Stereotype that Black people are less assured and thus more likely to change their mind than a white person.
  • Iago intends to exploit Othello’s weaknesses, e.g. his skin colour and otherness.
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21
Q

‘Put money in thy purse.’

A
  • Iago urges Roderigo to pay him.
22
Q

‘Thus do I ever make my fool my purse;’

A
  • Iago revels in Roderigo’s stupidity.
  • Iago positioned as the master puppeter of the action of the play.
23
Q

‘I hate the Moor, And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets He’s done my office.I know not if’t be true.’

A
  • Iago suspects that Othello has slept with his wife, Emilia. Thus, he plans his revenge.
  • Iago is unsure if Othello has actually slept with Emilia.
24
Q

‘to abuse Othello’s ear,’

A
  • Intends to manipulate Othello.
25
Q

‘The Moor is of a free and open nature, That thinks men honest that but seem to be so.’

A
  • Iago is aware of Othello’s trusting nature and intends to exploits it.
  • Mocking how Othello easily trusts those around him.
26
Q

‘Hell and night Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.’

A
  • Personification of night and birth, Iago is calling upon the darkness to aid him in his plot.
  • Contrasting light and dark imagery.
  • Emphasises Iago’s wickedness.
27
Q

‘You rise to play and go to bed to work.’

A
  • Sexist language
  • Iago believes women are lazy at everything but sex.
28
Q

‘With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio.’

A
  • Metaphor
  • Iago sees his chance for revenge in the behaviour of Cassio. Even though, he is acting according to the etiquette of Venitian polite society, Iago manipulates the action, creating a more sinister and lavicious side to his actions.
  • Web Imagery; Iago paints himself as the dangerous spider who plans to trap his prey in an invisible trap.
29
Q

‘O, you are well tuned now, But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music, As honest as I am.’

A
  • Musical imagery, Metaphor + Simile
  • Iago compares Othello and Desdemona to a piece of music which describes their rhythm and harmony when in each others company.
  • However, Iago plans to set down the pegs’, effectively suggesting that he will interfere and disrupt this harmony within their relationship.
  • The phrase ‘As honest as I am,’ suggests he will be interfering for his own purposes of revenge.
30
Q

‘For that I do suspect the lusty Moor Hath leaped into my seat, the thought whereof Doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards;’

A
  • Poison imagery
  • Iago uses imagery to describe the effect the thought of his wife’s affair with Othello has on him.
  • He compares the feeling to a ‘poisonous mineral’ working his insides.
  • Iago is clearly jealous of Othello for a multitude of reasons and uses this rumour as justification for his actions.
  • Iago intends to destroy Desdemona as well, refering to settling things ‘wife for wife’ suggesting that he fully intends to use Desdemona to destroy Othello.
31
Q

‘Nothing can or shall content my soul Till I am evened with himm, wife for wife.’

A
  • Iago will not be satisifed until he enacts his revenge on Othello.
32
Q

‘For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too,’

A
  • Paranoia
  • Iago also feels threatened by Cassio.
33
Q

‘Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me , For making him egregiously an ass.’

A
  • Animal imagery
  • Iago thrives off of chaos
  • Plans to lead Othello to madness through his jealous and have him thank him for it.
34
Q

‘she is sport for Jove,’

A
  • provocative, sexist language
35
Q

‘And I’ll warrant her full game.’

A
  • Procative language
  • Iago attempts to goad Cassio into admitting he holds any lust for Desdemona but he remains virtuous.
36
Q

‘Honest Iago, that looks dead with grieving,’

A
  • Iago has power over Othello as he is percieved as honest making Othello blindly trust him.
37
Q

‘Our general’s wife is now the general,’

A
  • Iago is very aware of the influence Desdemona has over Othello and intends to manipulate it to his favour.
38
Q

‘But for a satisfaction of my thought; No further harm.’

A
  • Planted the seed of doubt.
  • Othello’s curiousity thus will undo him.
39
Q

‘Men should be what they seem,’

A
  • Opposes ‘I am not what I am,’
40
Q

‘She did deceive her father, marrying you; And when she seemed to shake and fear your looks She loved them most.’

A
  • Echoes Brabantio ‘look to her Moor if thou hast eyes to see, she decieved her father and may thee.’
41
Q

‘This honest creature doubtless Sees and knows more , much more, than he unfolds.’

About Iago

A
  • Othello marvels at how Iago seems to know all and takes his knowledge as being credible and true.
42
Q

‘This fellow’s of exceeding honesty,’

A
  • Dramatic Irony
43
Q

‘The Moor already changes with my poison,’

-

A
  • Poison imagery
44
Q

‘Burn like the mines of sulphur. I did say so.’

A
  • Hell imagery
45
Q

‘Not poppy nor mandragora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou owed’st yesterday.’

A
  • Iago will corrupt Othello so deeply that no medicine or antidote will be able to cure him.
46
Q

‘Would you, the supervisor , grossly gape on Behold her topped.’

A
  • Crude language
  • Antagonises Othello
47
Q

‘sir, he would gripe and wring my hand, Cry ‘O sweet creature!’ and then kiss me hard […] laid his leg Over my thigh, and sighed, and kissed, and then cried’ Cursed fate that gave thee to the Moor.’

A
  • Iago lies to Othello about Cassio.
  • Iago claims that, in his sleep, Cassio kissed him and then straddled him, believing he was Desdemona.
48
Q

‘Knocking out his brains,’

A
  • Prose.
  • Iago skilfully switches between the verse and prose.
  • Iago uses prose to give the impression of informal talk (sincerity and relatability) as he talks to others in his confidence, whereas his soliloquies are in verse.
49
Q

‘This is the night That either makes me, or fordoes me quite.’

A
  • Iago’s plan is approaching its climax which will either succeed or ruin him.
50
Q

‘Even as her appetite shall play the god with his weak function.’

A
  • Desdemona’s alleged affair will drive Othello mad.
51
Q

‘So will I turn her virtue into pitch.’

A
  • Iago will poison Desdemona’s virtuous nature and innocent so that Othello can no longer trust her.
  • Desdemona’s willingness to assist Cassio will be misconstrued.
52
Q

‘Look to your wife; observe her well with Cassio; Wear your eyes thus: not jealous nor secure.’

A
  • Crucial suggestion to Iago’s plan.
  • Having instructed Cassio to appeal to Desdemona’s good nature previously, Iago will give Othell countless oppotunities to see them together.
  • Desdemona’s appeals on behalf of Cassio will also take on a new meaning in the eyes of Othello.
  • Iago’s control of this conversation ha been total. Thus, he can now openly suggest the idea of Cassio and Desdemona, knowing that Othello has come up with it himself. Iago now has control of Othello’s actions.

A Level English Literature (81 decks)

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