Othello - Oth. quotes Flashcards
“She loved me for the dangers I had passed,
And I loved her that she did pity them” (1.3)
-Explaining how Des. fell in love with.
-Whilst other venetians shocked she could love a man from a different race & background, his explanation shows he and Des. fell in love out of mutual admiration & respect.
-Also reveals Oth. is charismatic & impressively articulate individual who can charm someone with power of his words.
“I know, Iago
Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter” (2.3)
-Speaks to Iago after he explained to Oth. about Cassio’s involvement in a drunken brawl.
-Ironically Oth. assumes Iago is being tactful & trying not to blame Cassio for what happened.
-Iago as actually engineered the entire situation in order to get Cassio in trouble.
-Reveals Oth. blind spot where Iago is concerned & sets stage for how Oth. belief in Iago’s integrity & honesty will lead to disaster.
“I prithee speak to me as to thy thinkings.” (3.3)
-Says to Iago after starting to become suspicious of what might be happening between Des. & Cassio.
-Master manipulator Iago plants seed of suspicion but seemingly hesitates to make any distinct accusations.
-As a result Oth. actually has to beg Iago to reveal the very suspicions that Iago is eager to pass along.
-Shows that once Oth. has begun to think about the possibility of his wife being unfaithful, he is unable to leave the idea alone.
“No, Iago, I’ll see before I doubt”
-Asserts his faith in Des. and refusal to be suspicious about her without due cause.
-Shows Oth. does love her & does not want to think ill of her.
-His faith in Des. also opens door for Iago to give Oth. seeming “proof” of Des. infidelity.
-Because Oth is resistant to believing in her guilt, Iago has more fuel to persuade him.
“I saw’t not, thought it not, it harmed not me” (3.3)
-Says as he rages about the torment he is experiencing now that he is suspicious of his wife’s fidelity.
-Oth. recalls the time when he was blissfully unaware of her alleged betrayal, and as a result he lived in happy ignorance.
-Now that Iago has awakened jealousy & suspicion in him, he cannot think about anything else.
“Even so my bloody thoughts with violent pane
Shall ne’er look back, ne’er ebb to humble love” (3.3)
-Finally convinced of Des. betrayal, he vows revenge against her & Cassio.
-Shows how fully Oth. feelings towards her have changed: he now hates her as passionately as he previously loved her.
-Darkly foreshadows how Oth. will be unmoved by Des. insistence on her innocence & pleas for her life to be spared.
“Therefore be double damned: Swear thou art honest” (4.2)
-Prepares to kill Des - believes her soul is damned because of her adultery & the more she protests her innocence the more enraged he becomes.
-Shows terrible bind Des. is trapped in: her attempts to speak the truth & tell her husband she is chaste only makes him more angry as he believes she is lying.
“Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well” (5.2)
-At very end of play once he realises he has been tricked & deceived.
-All he can do is try to explain how he would like his story to be told.
-He specifies that he sees his downfall as his passion for Des since it ultimately made him succumb to jealousy.
-Had he been less in love with her, he would not have become as jealous.
