Quotes from Othello For each Quote, Guess the speaker and meaning. You will see these again!

 “But that I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition put into circumscription and confine for the sea’s worth?” Quote 1

 “And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets H’as done my office.” Quote 2

 “The Moor is of a free and open nature That thinks men honest that but seem to be so;” Quote 3

 “I have drunk but one cup tonight, and that was craftily qualified too;….I am unfortunate in the infirmity and dare not task my weakness with any more.” Quote 4

 “Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me for making him egregiously an ass and practicing upon his peace and quiet even to madness.” Quote 5

 “No, Iago; I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy!” Quote 6

 “I am glad I have found this napkin; This was her first remembrance from the Moor. My wayward husband hath a hundred times Wooed me to steal it;” Quote 7

 “The jewels you have had from me to deliver Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist.” Quote 8

 “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.” Quote 9

 “I have done the state some service, and they know’t. No more of that.” Quote 10

 1 Othello  2 Iago  3 Iago  4 Cassio  5 Iago  6 Othello  7 Emilia  8 Rodrigo  9 Iago  10 Othello Speakers

Meaning 1  “But that I love the gentle Desdemona, I would not my unhoused free condition put into circumscription and confine for the sea’s worth?”  Othello reassures the purpose and scope of his marriage – his love for Desdemona is larger and more impressive than his freedom as a bachelor. This foreshadows the fact that this powerful love will have powerful consequences if corrupted or betrayed.

Meaning 2  “And it is thought abroad that ‘twixt my sheets H’as done my office.”  Iago reveals a rumor that Othello has been unfaithful to Desdemona with his wife. Although this rumor is not spoken of much, it is another reason that Iago must craft Othello’s downfall. He later states that if he cannot have “wife for wife” equality, he will make Othello so jealous, that he loses his mind.

Meaning 3  “The Moor is of a free and open nature That thinks men honest that but seem to be so;”  Iago speaks about Othello’s trusting nature – if a man looks honest, he believes that man is honest. Because of this trusting nature, Iago exploits Othello and ruins him through his trust of Iago. Iago lies to Othello at every turn, yet still seems honest, therefore Othello does not suspect the betrayal and manipulation.

Meaning 4  “I have drunk but one cup tonight, and that was craftily qualified too;….I am unfortunate in the infirmity and dare not task my weakness with any more.”  Cassio reveals his lack of tolerance for alcohol, wanting to avoid the party that evening. When we then see him inebriated later, we know that he will not escape the situation unharmed because of his lack of tolerance.

Meaning 5  “Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me for making him egregiously an ass and practicing upon his peace and quiet even to madness.”  In one of Iago’s many soliloquies, He reminds us that even though Othello will love him and praise him for his help, everything Iago does will make him look bad, and drive him mad.

Meaning 6  “No, Iago; I’ll see before I doubt; when I doubt, prove; And on the proof there is no more but this: Away at once with love or jealousy!”  Othello responds to Iago's first baiting with steadfast love and demand for proof. However, as the jealousy baiting continues, Othello does not stand by this word, and accepts hearsay and circumstantial evidence instead of hard and fast proof of Desdemona’s infidelity.

Meaning 7  As Emilia finds Desdemona’s handkerchief, she remembers the many times Iago has asked her to steal it. She has no idea why he wants it.  As we watch the tragedy unfold, she realizes in Act 5 that she has been a pawn in Iago’s plan to frame Cassio and Desdemona for infidelity by leaving the handkerchief in Cassio’s apartment, and both telling Othello Cassio has it, and letting Othello see him [1]with it and [2]give it to Bianca. All of these actions add to Othello’s jealousy.

Meaning 8  “The jewels you have had from me to deliver Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist.”  Votarist: Nun  Rodrigo is upset that his gifts have not done any good to make Desdemona love him. Little does he know, Iago has not given any of them to Desdemona, keeping them all for himself and using Rodrigo to kill Cassio.

Meaning 9  “Demand me nothing. What you know, you know. From this time forth I never will speak word.”  Iago’s last line in the play. Because speaking to characters has been his power of manipulation, he quickly realizes that he has no more power over them because of the truth told by Emilia and Cassio. Therefore he drives them crazy even in his silence, as they have to piece together the plan he put in motion from 2 letters and everyone’s knowledge.

Meaning 10  “I have done the state some service, and they know’t. No more of that.”  The beginning of Othello’s final monologue – he is identifying his pride in his military accomplishments, but pushes it aside and does not use it to excuse his behavior.  He wants to be treated like any other man who made mistakes and murdered – not given special treatment (positive or negative) because of his military service.