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Detailed Othello Quotes with Analysis
- Module
- Aspects of Tragedy
- Institution
- AQA
A very detailed and in depth analysis of multiple key quotes from each act. there are 14 A3 pages worth of highly detailed quotes.
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Act 1 , Scene 1In the quiet night streets of Venice, Iago tells Roderigo of his hatred for Othello, who has given Cassio the lieutenancy that Iag
At Iago's suggestion, he and Roderigo, a former suitor to Desdemona, awaken Desdemona's father to tell him that Desdemona
Quote Analysis
“That thou, Iago, who hadst my purse as if the This is the very opening of the play and we can immediately see that Iago is
strings were thine.” of ‘thou’ also establishes the presence of a social hierarchy that will play a k
(Roderigo) superior class to Iago.
“‘Sblood, but you will not hear me…” (Iago) Iago’s first lines in the play are him swearing the truth. This means his hone
play’s onset. ‘Sblood’ is a very strong but common oath, with reference to th
crafts the scene so that, as an audience, we question Iago’s honesty from the
Iago tells Roderigo that he would never dream of controlling Roderigo or hi
that is exactly what he is doing.
“Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy Iago has already voiced his hatred for Othello at the beginning of the play, b
hate.” (Roderigo) plot. Shakespeare immediately builds mystery about Othello for the audienc
person so strongly.
By referencing this person as ‘him’ and ‘he’ Shakespeare builds a sense of s
person is. From Iago and Roderigo’s perceptions, we assume them to be ver
“By the faith of man I know my place, I am Here we learn why Iago is angry, he wasn’t given a place he deserved. He k
worth no worse a place.” (Iago) his duty. This establishes a key theme in the play - professional hierarchy, w
jealousy, greed and male thirst for power.
There's irony in Iago's assertion of self-worth, given his true motives and de
victim of circumstance, Iago is actually driven by jealousy, greed, and a thir
masks his true intentions and manipulative tendencies.
The alliteration of ‘w’ makes this feel mellow, as if we are in a dazed state, s
infatuated with himself.
Through his dialogue, Shakespeare reveals Iago's cunning and deceitful natu
and betrayal that will unfold throughout the play.
Iago's statement foreshadows the role he will play in orchestrating the tragic
and his willingness to manipulate others to achieve his goals foreshadow the
Othello and those around him.
“Nor the division of battle knows more than a Iago here is talking about how little Cassio knows as a supposed lieutenant o
spinster - unless the bookish theoric, wherein the who have never been to war, know more than him. Cassio only knows ‘book
toged consuls can propose as masterly as he.” Iago thinks that politicians - who have never fought, would know more than
(Iago) This scene is scripted by Shakespeare to help establish the motive behind Ia
plagues him.
“I follow him to serve my turn upon him. We Iago is deceitful, he extends a classic master-servant paradox in literature, w
cannot all be masters, nor all masters can be truly enough to beat their master. This paradox of traditional identity runs through
followed.” (Iago) notably in Iago’s pledge of loyalty to Othello in order to destroy him. Emilia
hoping it will raise Iago’s opinion and treatment of her. All these relationshi
and subtle forms.
Iago’s suggestion of this at the beginning conveys how he is not an honest a
something much more sinister. Very malevolent feeling from Iago.
The tone in ‘I serve my turn upon him’ depicts Iago’s desperation for power
downfall of others. Whilst it does appear Iago is admitting to serving Othell
pronoun in ‘my turn’ adds a sinister and ominous tone. This could’ve been c
lack of power - in losing out on a lieutenantry - has turned him sour and he i
the patriarchal society.
“Whip me such honest knaves!” (Iago) Oxymoron prefigures “Honest Iago” and connotes him as a knave/ villain. T
villain.
This is also the first use of the word ‘honest’ which becomes a key element
people who are honest.
“Trimmed in forms and visages of duty.” (Iago) ‘Visages’ means two-faced, as an audience we learn that Iago is pretending
construct his downfall.
“And such a one do I profess myself” (Iago) This scene is significant because it is in the first scene in which Iago profess
, “I am not what I am.” (Iago) Iago’s famous and assertive statement is perhaps paradoxical, as he honestly
monosyllables and simplistic language, which contrast the complexity of the
preceding speech, contributes to a sense of sincerity, pride and acceptance. T
indicates that Iago is illustrated as being at ease with his dual nature, and tha
disposition.
Jacobean audiences may also have noted Shakespeare’s use of a Biblical allu
who I am”. Through Iago’s inversion of this statement, Shakespeare present
joyously embraces “hell and night”. The inversion, alludes to Lucifer and th
paradise, Iago is the snake in the new paradise of Othello and Desdemona’s
From the beginning of the play, the audience is aware of the dramatic irony
Iago, because we are aware of Iago’s villainy and determination to destroy O
outcome of the marriage is inevitable.
Yet, unlike plays such as Macbeth – in which the agents of darkness are sup
– in Othello, this sense of inescapable downfall is created by a human mind.
exploring the profound evil which might reside within each individual in a w
religion.
“The thicklips.” (Roderigo) This racial slur from Roderigo depicts how racism cannot be avoided, not ev
“Sir, you are robbed… even now, now, very now, This line encapsulates the racist and misogynistic context of the play. Found
an old black ram is tupping your white ewe!” helps to establish the oppressive culture which desdemona and othello defy,
(Iago) we see love and hope pitched against hate. Shakespear shows that the protag
over society’s biases. This line then undermines any attempt to break free fr
telling the audience that Othello and Desdemona have made a naive misjudg
This line had a lot of urgency within it. Through the repetition of the adverb
establishes Iago’s forceful and insistent tone - used to elicit a strong emotion
The animalistic imagery suggests that this act of passion is bestial and uncon
“tupping” Iago implies that Desdemona is a passive victim of brute force.
Whilst Othello is depicted as a “black raw”, connoting his violet, mercurial,
Desdemona’s illustration as a “white ewe”, symbolic of innocence, purity, h
Shakespeare presents Iago as misogynistic as well as racist.
This is compounded by the pronoun “your”, which reveals the patriarchal no
Shakespeare shows us that Desdemona is regarded as a possession who has
line is, therefore, a sense that the natural order of things has been overturned
Venetian society are being shaken.
The use of prose, the night-time setting, and the juxtaposition of the anarchy
house consolidate the idea that the marriage has triggered a descent into cha
Whilst Shakespeare uses this opening scene to establish the pressures which
also uses these lines to introduce Iago’s manipulative and opportunistic natu
An alternative interpretation is that Shakespeare is presenting Iago as enjoyi
using. Coleridge famously described Iago’s “motiveless malignity”, and her
relishes the act of destruction, and that this enjoyment is an end in itself. Aft
that mankind is fundamentally at war with itself, and that evil impulses are c
“Barbary horse.” (Iago) This is how Iago talks about Othello behind his back. The racists references
refers to him in an animalistic way.
This combined with ‘black ram’ and ‘thicklips’ helps to depict Othello as ‘o
“Your daughter and the Moor are now making This is another crude, sexual, animalistic metaphor from Iago. The remark r
the beast with two backs.” (Iago) Iago seeks to incite jealousy and doubt in Barbantio’s mind, ultimately mani
been seduced and stolen away.
Iago’s choice of words also plays into the racist stereotypes prevalent in the
man, is often subjected to derogatory and dehumanising language, and Iago
agenda.
The use of sexual imagery in Iago’s comment foreshadows the destructive p
drive the tragedy of the play.
“Thou art a villain!” (Brabantio) Brabantio immediately knows this person at his house is a liar and a tragic m
doesn’t know that it is him causing all this chaos.
Act 1, Scene 2
Iago meets with Othello and tells him that Brabantio knows about the marriage and spoke ill against him, Othello d
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