Favourite quote in Othello

Act 1 Scene 1 (Lines 62-6)

"For when my outward action doth demonstrate

The native act and figure of my heart

In complement extern, 'tis not long after

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

For daws to peck at."

I like this quote as it exemplifies Iago's cryptic and elliptical manner of speaking, which is also a vital element that Shakespeare has constructed in order to contributing to the extreme dramatic irony of the play.

Favourite Othello quote.

Act 3 Scene 3.
(Iago to Othello)
"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on."

This is my favourite quote in the play as not only does it show Iago's awareness of the emotion that he can use to toy with in Othello, but it also enables us to see his status as we realise that he is the one to unleash this "monster" in the end.
We can see the personification of jealousy as a "green-eyed monster", and I think that this represents the sheer power of this emotion that begins to eat Othello up in Act 3 Scene 3. Jealousy is a key theme in the play, as it is one of the key reasons behind Othello's downfall at the end.

Favourite quote

"whereof I take this, that you call love, to be a sect or scion"

I love how shakespeare experiments with this idea of love being a sect or scion.
Such as how he uses the napkin to portray love being passed from hand to hand, or how he uses the strawberry inscriptions on the napkin to further emphasize the symbolism.
I also enjoy the analogy of emotions being similar to florals, herbs, and plants; mentioned just before this quote. How a person would have to nurture undistinguishable seeds, only to find some were weeds, and nettles that are difficult to destroy once they've grown. I think this idea can be manipulated in many different ways, presenting many different oppurtunities.

Julia's Favourite Quote From Othello

" 'Twill out, 'twill out: I peace!
No, I will speak as liberal as the north:
Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,
All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak. "

This is my favourite quote in Shakespeare's Othello because Emilia has finally pushed to expose the truth instead of making conclusions in her own head, like Othello, or fabricating evidence, like Iago. Emilia, the character Shakespeare protrayed throughout the play previously to be so quiet and compliant, is now shown to have snapped, as if the truth is a force that cannot be contained forever.

favourite quote from Shakespeare's Othello

Act I, Sc. I
I am not what I am. (line 65) - Iago

This quote highlights the very nature of Iago; a manipulative and deceptive character. this quotation is important because Iago himself admits this, foreboding the events that are about to unfold.

'A liberal hand!'

In Act 3 Scene 4, Othello’s speech about Desdemona’s hand is extremely important because it shows his shift from the ‘noble’ man he has always been described as, to a more primitive, barbaric character. Through the vulgar imagery that Shakespeare uses, Othello conveys his self-loathing and also insinuates Desdemona’s lack of loyalty. An example of this is when he describes himself as a ‘young and sweating devil’, the vulgar imagery conveying that he believes himself to be consumed by sexual feelings and seems to hint at Desdemona’s sexuality as well. The reference to the devil connotes evil, suggesting that Othello cannot see any goodness within himself anymore.
Othello describes Desdemona’s hand as ‘moist’, ‘liberal’ and ‘frank’, showing his suspicions of her betrayal and his base feelings about her, as if she is now merely a sexual toy now that she has no virtue in his eyes. There is a strong dramatic irony in his speech because Desdemona is completely innocent and ignorant of the hinted accusations that Othello is making, while Othello believes she is aware and so becomes more incensed by her apparent dishonesty throughout the scene.
Through Othello’s phrase ‘The hearts of old gave hands; but our new heraldry is hands, not hearts’, the audience can see that he has lost his faith in the honour of love, since Desdemona gave her hand in marriage but perhaps not her heart. He is also implying that he can discern her disloyalty through the use of the word ‘heraldry’, as if Desdemona’s hands confess her betrayal because of their ‘moist’ quality.
This speech shows that Othello has begun to speak like Iago because of its continual sexual references, showing the audience his descent from the nobility and honour he began with. The speech also shows that he is overcome with anger and so will use any evidence, even the quality of Desdemona’s hand to accuse her of her disloyalty because he already believes he has been betrayed.

Act III Scene 4; and its significance.

Everything happening in Act III scene 4 serves the purpose of making Iago’s plan better and more believable. In Act III scene 3, he vouched to tear her all to pieces however is stopped by Iago. Iago states that there was not enough proof that Desdemona was being unfaithful then proceeds to inquire about the strawberry-spotted handkerchief in which he claimed that he saw Cassio using. This enraged Othello and he proceeds to demand it from Desdemona. Being unable to produce the missing handkerchief as it was in Iago’s possession, Shakespeare depicts Desdemona’s doom as the lost of the handkerchief acts as a confirmation to all Othello’s suspicions which consequently lead to Act IV, scene 1 which is when Othello determines the way in which Desdemona is to die. In this scene, the plot against Desdemona unfolds. Shakespeare denotes the similarity between the character of Desdemona and Othello. Because they are both strong headed, they don’t give in to each other easily. Determined to get what they want off each other (Othello demands Desdemona to produce the handkerchief he gave her and Desdemona wants Othello to reinstate Cassio), their argument led to no clear conclusion; the more they pushed each other, the more adamant they both became, which further infuriates Othello. The fact that Desdemona could not produce the handkerchief that Othello has asked for confirms her infidelity. However, because she does not know of Othello’s suspicion, she decides that Othello is just trying to get her sidetracked from her mission.

The significance of the handkerchief is also explored in this scene. The handkerchief acts as a symbol of Desdemona’s fidelity. Shakespeare, through Iago had suggested that the handkerchief was not the only thing she was giving away; Othello in this scene highlights how special and magically significant the handkerchief is in itself by explaining the source of its alleged power, that how losing it or giving it away is tantamount to ending their love. This is important as it reminds the audience of the alleged claims that Brabantio made in the opening scenes of the play that Othello had used charms and witchcraft to win Desdemona’s love.

Act III, Scene IV. Of Hands and Handekerchiefs.

In the scene prior to Act III, Scene IV (Act III, Scene III), Othello condemns both Desdemona and Cassio, vowing that nothing at all will sway his thoughts towards his wife, and ordering Iago to kill Cassio. As we have previously witnessed, Othello’s character and mentality has completely changed, and for the first time in the entire play, in Act III Scene IV the audience sees an argument develop between Othello and Desdemona.

This is the point in the play where other people (i.e. Desdemona and Emilia) notice how Othello has changed his demeanour. Before, Othello’s turmoil was only shown in front of Iago, but here we have Othello, in public, quarrelling with his wife – and more importantly, completely losing his confidence and calm. Due to his constant demands for Desdemona to find the handkerchief, Othello works himself into a state of hysteria – losing his “regal” and “noble” bearing. This scene marks the first direct effect of Iago’s machinations on someone other than Othello (Desdemona).

An important point to note about Othello’s behaviour is his abruptness with his wife, which is not unlike Act III Scene III when Iago speaks to Emilia. Iago just makes demands of Emilia, like Othello’s demands to Desdemona to fetch the handkerchief. And then there is Othello’s references to Desdemona’s “moist” hand which could mean that she is being unfaithful. He implies that Desdemona is liberal in her affection, much like Iago commenting to Emilia that she is a “common thing”, i.e. also liberal with her affections.

This scene is also important because it highlights the foolishness and fickleness of men. Firstly this is done through Shakespeare’s use of the clown character, who makes a comment that men are only capable of doing menial things. Then Emilia highlights their fickle mindedness with her speech where she likens men’s affection for women to a satisfaction of someone’s appetite. On the surface, it is as if Emilia is speaking her true thoughts of Iago’s treatment of her, but on looking deeper one could see this as a reference to Othello’s sudden change of heart. As he now casts Desdemona aside, like a chicken bone after devouring all its meat. Thirdly through Bianca and Cassio’s exchange, where Bianca is resigned to accept her lot as a woman, accepting Cassio’s coarseness in his attitude, and his quick dismissal of her, as if there is no other possible outcome to being a woman.

It is interesting to compare this scene with the scene from Act I where the audience is first introduced to Othello – an Othello who can eloquently diffuse the violence about to erupt in a particular situation. In this scene however, we get the sense that Othello’s anger is just building and building, until finally when it seems as if he is about to explode with rage, he flees the scene instead of standing his ground. This exit of Othello’s is important, because it leaves Desdemona in such a state of shock and confusion that she does not go after him, but instead bids Iago to go to him, giving Iago leave to further manipulate Othello in a vulnerable state.

The final most important point in the scene is the very brief exchange between Cassio and Bianca, where he gives here Desdemona’s handkerchief that he has found. The audience does not know at this point how and why he has Desdemona’s handkerchief (though one can probably guess that Iago had something to do with it). Shakespeare has chosen to end the scene with a cliffhanger. We have already seen that Othello is a different person, and suffering inside, and Iago finally has position of lieutenant, so at this point there is no rational reason why his plans need to continue. We know that nothing good can come of Cassio giving the handkerchief to Bianca, and much like the end of Act III Scene III, the audience is again left feeling extremely tense, because we cannot foresee what Iago intends to do next with his plans.

Shakespeare's Grand Handkerchief

In Act 3 Scene 4, Shakespeare attempts to explain the context of the play through the symbolic use of a spotted handkerchief designed with red strawberries. This first suggestion is seen through Othello’s from line 53 – 65, where he states that the handkerchief is symbolic of their love and it is the true magic that ‘subdues’ Othello. The fact that Desdemona has lost such an item, could be implying that the love and connection between the two, is also lost.
Shakespeare has also choosen very carefully to include strawberries on the designs of the handkerchief. In Greek times, strawberries where seen as a symbol for purity and love, due to its vibrant colors and refined taste, Shakespeare’s use of this idea portray Othello’s corrupted belief, of how the handkerchief represent not only Desdemona’s purity but also the love for her. Hence the lost of this simply item,did not imply a lost of an insignificant item but the lost of Desdemona’s innocence and love.
Another interpretation of Shakespeare’s handkerchief, is of Iago’s shallow crude ideas of love. His reference and imagery of love shown in Act 1 Scene 3 line 315 – 329. He refers to love as a scion or graft, a plant that can be grow from the stolen stems of another. This is exactly how strawberries are grown.
Shakespeare further plays with this idea when Emilia steals Desdemona’s handkerchief ,hence stealing her love, in order to satisfy her longing for love, planting that graft in Iago. This imagery of Emilia cutting a scion from Desdemona’s heart and giving it to Iago, elevates Emilia’s simple crime of stealing a mere handkerchief.
The last imagery that Shakespeare choose to use with the handkerchief is the reality of the handkerchief itself. The purpose of the item is to relieve simple irritations and annoyances. It is almost insignificant. Evenso, when such an item is not present to relieve small annoyances, these insignificant issues, grows.

Act 3 Scene 4 - Desdemona's handkerchief.

In this scene, Shakespeare highlights the significance of Desdemona's lost handkerchief to the audience, as we can clearly see that this is what the whole play hinges on. The handkerchief was given to Othello's mother by an Egyptian, and lines 52-63 in the scene enable us to see the charm around it. The handkerchief seemed to enable Othello's mother to "subdue [his] father entirely to her love", revealing the spell and power that it had. The fact that it was given to his mother by an Egyptian highlights the exotic background that Othello comes from as well as subtly reminding the audience of Iago's accusation that Othello had charmed Desdemona.

The hankerchief, being white, also represented Desdemona's purity and chastity. Thus losing it would mean that she has lost her purity in Othello's eyes and if she has given it to someone else then this would mean that she has given herself away.

Othello states clearly that the hankerchief was of great importance to him, and implies that their whole relationship hinges upon whether it has been "lost" or not. He retells the story of how "if [his mother] lost it or made a gift of it, [his] father's eye should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt after new fancies." (line 54). This also foreshadows the loathing that he will feel towards Desdemona, seeing as the audience clearly knows that she no longer has the hankerchief.

Othello is seen to have convinced himself that Desdemona has lost her virtue and honesty with the handkerchief, and this scene reveals the beginning of the events that lead to him killing her in their wedding bed.

Act 3 Scene 4

The significance of Act 3 Scene 4 in the context of the whole play Othello

Act 3 Scene 4 occurs after Act 3 Scene 3, the longest and most significant scene in the play where Othello is shown to fall directly into Iago’s cunning trap and is so quickly influenced that he begins to doubt the loyal Cassio and his beloved Desdemona.

In Act 3 Scene 4, Othello approaches Desdemona, seeking evidence, and is pulled into a heated argument where he becomes even more angered due to Desdemona’s persistence for Cassio’s sake. This is significant as it reveals their deteriorating marital relationship as a result of Iago’s manipulation. Othello does not directly ask her about Cassio and misconstrues her words, showing that his character is quick to jump to conclusions, for example when Desdemona cries ‘I’faith, you are to blame.’ (line 93), Othello swears and exits, perhaps indicating that he thinks she is saying that he is to blame for her being with Cassio. Furthermore, he also assumes that she is with Cassio because she continues to talk about him. This deterioration carves the path leading to the destruction of both Desdemona and Othello later on in the play.

Another significant element of this scene is the symbolism of the handkerchief that Desdemona has supposedly ‘lost’. The handkerchief could represent three different things, firstly Othello’s exotic heritage, secondly the love shared between Othello and Desdemona and finally Desdemona’s chastity in Othello’s eyes. By ‘losing’ the handkerchief, the love has diminished between them and Desdemona is no longer pure in Othello’s eyes. However, the audience knows that it has not been lost, but taken away. The audience realises that everything is slowly and flawlessly falling into place, and Shakespeare confirms this when Iago is brought in and he says ‘Is my lord angry?’ (line 126), indicating that this is exactly what Iago wanted to happen.

The relationship between Emilia and Iago is also revealed. Emilia tells Desdemona that she does not know where the handkerchief was, when in fact she gave it to her husband. This shows a certain degree of loyalty to her husband. Additionally, it appears that she may know more than we think, when in line 149 she says to Desdemona, ‘Pray heaven it be state matters, as you think, and no conception nor no jealous toy concerning you.’

Act 3 Scene 4 reveals to the audience the loss of control in the relationship between Desdemona and Othello, as well as how this aids Iago with his ultimate plan. It is as if the characters are now digging their own graves by pulling themselves closer and closer into Iago’s trap.

The Significance of Act 3, Scene 4 In The Context Of The Whole Play

Act 3 Scene 4 is significant in the context of the whole play because it contains the turning point of Desdemona and Othello's relationship and also highlights Desdemona's tragic flaw of being too naive.

From the moment it is introduced into the plot, the handkerchief given to Desdemona by Othello becomes the play's most important symbol. Act 3, Scene 4 assumes the bizarre shape of a perverted trial. From the moment Othello enters, he plays the role of a prosecutor, demanding that Desdemona produce the handkerchief and accusing her of being a whore. Shakespeare's integration of the significance of the handkerchief only in this scene helps to contribute to the dramatic ironies in the play, as Othello did not tell Desdemona the meaning of the handkerchief when he gave it to her in the first place, but only in such a circumstance that he believes she has lost it. Instead of defending herself against her husband's accusations, Desdemona's response by advocating Cassio’s case. The result is a shouting match, wherein husband and wife completely fail to communicate, Othello repeatedly screaming “The handkerchief!” while Desdemona enumerates Cassio’s noble qualities, all of which Othello takes as testimony against her. Shakespeare's chosen diction "zounds" as Othello's final word before his exit highlights Iago's absolute influence upon Othello, as Iago is the only character in the play who uses this strong swearing word. In addition, the fact that he swears directly to his wife and then exits conveys the poor state of their relationship.

Throughout the play, Desdemona is presented by Shakespeare as a naive character who has a pure heart, Act 3 Scene 4 exemplifies this characteristic of hers as being a major tragic flaw. In this scene, she tells the clown to deliver a message to Cassio without hesitating if the content of message would be twisted. Then, when Othello accuses her of infidelity, she does not pick up the clues in his lines and indeed, goes on to plead for Cassio. Later on in the scene, when she talks to Iago - she eventually persists him to find out what "hath puddled his clear spirit" as she believes it is concerning state affairs, not aware of the fact that Iago could further inject poison in Othello's ears of her unfaithfulness. In Shakespeare's construction of Desdemona's statement towards Iago, "men's nature wrangle with inferior things", he has emphasized the dramatic irony as we, the audience, know that Othello is wrestling an inferior thing, his own emotions; yet, Desdemona only believes Othello's "great ones" are to do with the states and does not realise that his emotion for her is an "inferior thing".

By the end of this scene, the plot unfolds without any further assistance from Iago, although he is still involved in manipulating it in some way. He has thus far been so careful to inform the audience of his every plan that it seems like he must have anticipated every turn in the road. As with the characters onstage, Iago’s power with the audience lies in his ability to make them believe he knows more than he does.

Cassio and Iago.

In Othello, Shakespeare crafts Cassio and Iago to be two contrasting characters, and this is evident from the way that they speak to and about women in the play. Iago does not treat his own wife nicely as seen from Act 2 Scene 1 thus Shakespeare may have wanted to show us that Iago had no respect for any woman, not even his wife.

Iago sees women in a physical way, and makes sexual references towards them when speaking about women and Desdemona in the play. He says "thou shalt enjoy her" (on line 310 page 26) to Roderigo, referring to him merely using her to please him and then that is all she is worth. He refers to "housewives in your bed" and how he would "drown [himself] for the love of a guniea-hen" which shows that he seems to be thinking in primitive and rude ways about women.
Iago also refers to his scheme with references to the "womb", "If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport. There are many events in the womb of time which will be delivered." (line 360 page 27). Not only does he refer to "wombs" but also cuckolding, disrespecting the women's choice as if they want to be cuckolded or not.

Cassio on the other hand refers to women, and Desdemona in particular (to Iago's delight), as "The riches of the ship" (line 82 page 33). She is likened to treasure and as soon as she enters he says "Hail to thee, lady!", clearly elevating her status even more. The first thing we hear Cassio say about Desdemona is that Othello is lucky to have her. He admires the two of them, and clearly sees Desdemona as something "divine" rather than a mere object belonging to Othello who he admires.

The way in which Iago and Cassio refer to women enables the audience to see their upbringing at the time and Shakespeare enables us to also understand what it was like for women at the time. It seemed as though the men were a lot more dominant, and although people of education and higher status like Cassio elevated their status, Iago shows us that women were under the rule of men and less trusted.

An effect that this has on the audience, especially the female audience at the time, is that it may make them dislike Iago even more to highlight his bad personality. It may have shocked some women to hear him refer to them in that way, thus enabling them to like Cassio, who is a clear gentelman, a lot more than him. Shakespeare may have done this to highlight the tragedy of the play, seeing as it is the character who is evil and not liked that triumphs over and poisons all the others.

Iago and Cassio

Shakespeare develops the character of Cassio in this scene by using extravagant language, showing him to be a gallant gentleman via the way he treats women with great respect even if they are on a same or lower class. On the other hand, Iago is crafted as a man who criticizes his wife incessantly (100-1 when she lets Cassio kisses her) and makes ugly comments about women in general. Shakespeare explicitly describes Iago’s view of women through lines 108-11, in which he believes that women are play-minded creatures who appear to be all nice and quite when out in public, are just silent images, or just “pictures out of doors” but when all they do at home is whining and talking like “bells” and “wild-cats”. By having Cassio serves as a foil to Iago in terms of relationship between men and women, I think Shakespeare has built a background of the society in which the play is set in, enabling the audience to gain a better knowledge of the characteristics of the expected role of women and men – how men are able to treat women, it is their choice and that women, at the time, are considered to have high status and are respected by others. More importantly, this contrasting portrayal of men-women relationship helps to raise dramatic tension as we gain an understanding of Desdemona being an independent girl who could directly speak to men – thus maybe she will have the power to stop Othello’s blindness in being tricked into the Iago’s scheme.

Iago’s and Cassio’s contrasting view toward women

Posted by Brian

Cassio regards women as figures of perfection1. When Desdemonda enters the ship, he acts as a humble man introducing a great goddess, shown through his use of language. By continuously mentioning the ideas of “hailing” 2 and “heaven” 2 he elevates her to divine beauty. He compares her to a flourish white swam3, which gives an imagery of purity and splendor. One of the most defining characteristics that Shakespeare gives Cassio is his incredible humbleness towards women. And eventhough he is second in command, he uses proper courtesy of asking a for a lady’s hand from Iago 4 . Shakespeare’s decision to include Cassio’s humble courtesy towards the women, in contrast with Iago’s, could have been done to show how it is one of Cassio’s weakness and how Iago uses this to his advantage.

On the other hand, Iago attitude toward’s Desdemona and Emilia shows that he has no respect or value for women. Iago’s character is naturally dishonest, he creates a mask which he hides behind when he talks to Othello. Yet in this scene, you can see Iago’s clearly criticizing Desdemona and Emilia without hesitation, this shows how little little respect he has towards women. Iago goes as far as mentioning that women are of no use other than in bed5.

Unlike Cassio, rather than praising his own wife, he chooses to criticize her. He depicts her as “bothersome” 9, and “noisy” through the use of imagery, such as “Bells in your parlor” 6 and “wild-cats in your kitchen”6.The comparison he used on his wife, clearly shows that he no concern or care for her. Shakespeare might have added this aspect to show that Iago’s character has been foul and vile long before Othello’s decision to not promote him. The fact that Iago cannot be courteous to his wife in front of others shows how stubborn he truly is.

His descriptions of dark brunettes and fair ladies, further emphasizes his inconsideration of female emotions and his ignorant ideas that women are objects for men, with only the use of child bearing8 and for interactions7.

The main function that this scene creates, is to emphasize Iago’s inconsideration of people, to introduce how sensitive and courteous Cassio’s character is, As such that it could potentially be manipulated by the stubborn Iago. This contrast not only creates tension between these characters but also potentially heighten’s the audience’s hate for Iago now that they have learned he views women as a nuissance.


1: “That paragons description and wild fame”

2: “Ye men of Cyprus, let her have your knees Hail to thee, lady! and the grace of heaven,"

3: “One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens”

4: “Let it not gall your patience, good Iago That I extend my manners; 'tis my breeding That gives me this bold show of courtesy.”


6: “Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens”

5: “You rise to play and go to bed to work”

7: “If she be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that shall her blackness hit.”

8: “She never yet was foolish that was fair; For even her folly help'd her to an heir.”

9: “I find it still, when I have list to sleep …She puts her tongue a little in her heart, And chides with thinking.”

Cassio and Iago's Treatment of Women

Cassio speaks to women with great respect, using flowery language and almost exaggerated compliments to describe Desdemona and to greet Emilia. He describes Desdemona as ‘divine’ and calls her the ‘riches of Cyprus’, likening her to an angel and a treasure. This conveys Cassio’s admiration for her, showing that he believes that she is special and of a high status. Shakespeare made Cassio say these lines to give the dramatic effect of making the audience feel slightly worried that Iago’s plan to claim that Desdemona and Cassio have a relationship may work, because they seem so close. Even though the audience can see that Cassio’s behaviour stems merely from his sense of courtesy, they can also see that Othello, having spent less time learning the customs in society at the time, may believe that Cassio’s friendly banter is flirtatious instead. He greets Emilia with a kiss, explaining to Iago that ‘tis [his] breeding that gives [him] this bold show of courtesy’. This shows that audience that he was brought up to treat women with care and respect, so even though he does not know Emilia, he treats her as if she is special to him. As Cassio has a ‘person and a smooth dispose’, he must be a man with knowledge of the rules in society, showing that his behaviour towards women makes him more respectable and well liked.
Iago, on the other hand, is shown through his speech to believe that women are annoying and fickle, and have the duty of providing an heir to the family. He does not speak with the same respect as Cassio, but instead ridicules his wife, even if only lightly, by saying ‘you are pictures out of doors, bells in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens...’ This comment shows that he thinks women put on different facades in different places, depending on who is around to see them, making them deceitful. It also implies that though Emilia seems quiet outside, she annoys Iago in the house, being too loud, as is suggested by the metaphors of ‘bells’ and ‘wild-cats’. Iago sees women as child-givers, shown by the phrase ‘she never yet was foolish that was fair, for even her folly help’d her to an heir’. The phrase implies that as long as a woman can bear a child, it does not matter how foolish she is. Shakespeare uses Iago’s behaviour towards women to show the audience that he is a complete opposite to Cassio, who almost puts the women above him, and though it was expected for women to be submissive and stick to their duties, when Iago shows that these are his views, the audience is less likely to agree with them, simply because of his dislikeable character.

Act II, Scene I

Cassio throughout this scene exerts himself to be the ideal and perfect courteous gentlemen. In this scene, his appreciation for feminine beauty is highlighted as he speaks with much enthusiasm about Desdemona’s beauty (more than what most men would speak of when talking about another man’s wife). His romantic character is developed through his description of Desdemona. In lines 62 to 64, he portrays Desdemona as a woman that “paragons description and wild fame”, “excels the quirks of blazoning pens” and is an “essential vesture of creation”. The use of extravagant courtly diction depicts Desdemona’s beauty to be overwhelming; as if it is beyond the ability of humans and their words to describe her thus suggesting that her beauty is divine. This idea is further reinforced when Cassio boldly claims that jagged rocks and sandbanks “as having sense of beauty do omit/ their moral natures, letting go safely by/ the divine Desdemona” (lines 71 – 73). This implies that Desdemona’s beauty is so overpowering that her ship manage to escape the dangers of the storm, rocks and sands because of it.

Being the gentlemen that Cassio is, upon the arrival of Desdemona on his ship he alerts the men on board the ship that “the riches of the ship is come on shore!” (line 83) and insists that the men of Cyprus greet her by “[letting] her have [their] knees” (line 84). This depicts Desdemona as something precious, like treasure and is the fact that the men are kneeling before her is akin to welcoming a goddess or an angel, which is a slightly excessive gesture as they are in the middle of a storm, where everything is wet and muddy. He also extends his welcome to Emilia, Iago’s wife by giving her a kiss to which he explains that “’tis [his] breeding/ that gives [him] this bold show of courtesy” (lines 98/99). This suggests that he was brought up in a well-mannered environment. This in turn emphasizes how charming Cassio is and at this point, the audience feels a little bit worried as they can see clearly how Cassio would fit perfectly into Iago’s evil scheme. This additionally serves as a foreshadow of the manifestation of Iago’s plan as it unfolds throughout the course of the play.

Iago’s disdain for women can be seen in this scene through the pessimistic way in which he speaks about them. This is apparent when he compares women in the quote to insignificant objects;

“you are pictures out of doors, bells
In your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchen, saints in
Your injuries, devils being offended, players in your
housewifery, and housewives in your beds.” (lines 108 – 111)

“Pictures out of doors” suggests that they only pretend to be well-behaved when they are out in public but reveal their true nature at home. “Bells in you parlours” suggests that they are as noisy and annoying as the sound of bells while “saints in your injuries, devils being offended” implies that they are religious in their dedication for revenge but are devil-like when someone faults them. “Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds” indicates that they only pretend to be housewives and that they use sexual favours to get what they want, which is further emphasized when he says that women “rise to play and go to bed to work”. What he meant by saying this is that women only really earn their living in bed. Therefore, through the horrible things that Iago says, it is not at all surprising that Iago thinks of women as low and inferior as he compares them to animals and devils.

Furthermore, Iago also describes his idea of a perfect woman in this scene.

‘She that was ever fair, and never proud,
Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud;
Never lack'd gold, and yet went never gay;
Fled from her wish, and yet said "Now I may";
She that being anger'd, her revenge being nigh,
Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly;
She that in wisdom never was so frail
To change the cod's head for the salmon's tail;
She that could think and ne'er disclose her mind,
See suitors following and not look behind;
She was a wight, if ever such wight were – ‘ (lines 145 – 155)

Iago’s response highlights the point that a woman should be fair, but not overly stuck up; who was well-spoken but knows when to hold back (knows what her limit is); who had gold but did not overdress just because she had the money; who had self-control; who could control her desire to seek revenge for slights; who had enough sense to distinguish head from tail; who could think without expressing her every thought and who could avoid being distracted by others’ reactions.

He then pauses significantly before concluding his speech with “to suckle fools and chronicle small beer” (line 157) with the intention of winding Desdemona up. The last sentence of his speech suggests that a woman, even if she is perfect is good for nothing more than nursing babies and to keep household accounts of insignificant items such as beer.

The contrast in how different male characters portray female characters highlights the fact that men are dominant and hold more power in a relationship as they can easily promote or demote a woman’s status in the society, especially if they are of a high position in the army (for example, Cassio). This in turn emphasizes the inferiority of women and their position in the social hierarchy during the Elizabethan era.

Iago vs. Cassio

Act 2 Scene 1

In this scene, while waiting for the arrival of Othello in Cyprus, Iago and Cassio speak to and of women in contrasting manners. Cassio clearly shows more respect and consideration for women in society, while Iago, on the other hand, exhibits a lack of respect and appreciation, especially towards the woman he married, Emilia.

When Cassio speaks of Desdemona, Othello's wife, he describes her with the utmost respect without lapsing into insincerity;

Most fortunately: he hath achiev'd a maid

That paragons description and wild fame;

One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens

And in th'essential vesture of creation

Does tire the ingener.

Cassio says that Desdemona is so much more than what people describe her as, and that her beauty transcends imagination. By speaking of her in this way, Cassio instantly elevates her status through his inflated compliments, and this is highlighted when Cassio calls to his men 'You men of Cyprus, let her have your knees'. Cassio respects and admires Desdemona, even though she is just a friend and he is not romantically involved with her, indicating that Cassio is respectful towards women in general. He continues to compliment her throughout the scene, calling her 'the divine Desdemona' and 'the riches of the ship', comparing her to something so very rare and valuable.

Cassio also shows respect for Emilia, Iago's wife, when he greets her politely and chivalrously with a kiss. Cassio says 'tis my breeding that gives me this bold show of courtesy', suggesting that Cassio has been brought up in an environment where he was taught to respect women.

Iago, on the other hand, exhibits a very different and negative attitude towards women, to the point where he criticises and disparages his own wife. After Cassio kisses Emilia, Iago says;

Sir, would she give you so much of her lips

As of her tongue she oft bestows on me

You would have enough.

Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, bells

in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchen, saints in

your injuries, devils being offended, players in your

housewifery, and housewives in your beds.

Iago implies that women talk excessively, definitely more than they should, and of useless matters. He says that women are well behaved in public but in the home they are troublesome. In addition to this, Iago makes the vulgar statement, 'You rise to play and go to bed to work', indicating that he thinks women are good for nothing but sex.

In contrast to Cassio, who elevates the status of women, Iago greatly lowers their status, referring to them as objects and animals - pictures, bells, wild-cats, as if they are selfish creatures, and a burden to their husbands.

These contrasting ways in which women are spoken to and spoken of affects our understanding of male/female relationships in the sense that there are two different types of male/female relationships; empowered and constrained. The way that Cassio speaks to women in society is very respectful and courteous. He gives them a voice, an identity and status. However this is only outside of the home. We do not know how Cassio would treat a mistress or a wife. Iago and Emilia's relationship is constrained. Their relationship is an excellent example of power in gender roles in society, with Iago being the powerful masculine persona in the relationship, and Emilia being the weaker feminine persona. The idea that women are inferior to men is exemplified in their relationship, as Emilia is clearly of a lower status to Iago, and Iago constantly verbally abusing her.

Because of the opposing attitudes towards women, Cassio becomes the perfect scapegoat for Iago's plan. His respect for women, in particular Desdemona, makes him the perfect suspect as Iago intends to lure Othello into thinking Desdemona is having an affair with Desdemona, therefore bringing the both of them down. This could foreshadow a terrible ending later on in the play as the more we learn about Cassio and his charming characteristics, the more we realise that Iago's plan could be executed flawlessly. Iago's cruel manners towards his wife also indicates how heartless he is, emphasising his malicious characteristics.

IOP exams prepare now

Reminder:

IOPs will happen starting the first Monday back from the holidays. Make sure you have a clear topic based on a focused aspect of the text you are presenting. Look closely at the rubric again and make sure that you are aiming for 6/7 criteria. Make sure you have no more than 5 palm cards when presenting and that you are practicing aloud at home. You will be given times. You will need to make sure you present at these times as it is a formal IB exam.

Good luck with your preparation. Email me with any queries, questions : )