Othello Quote Log: Act 5, Scene 2

"Nobody. I myself. Farewell. / Commend me to my kind lord. Oh, farewell!" (5.2. 152-153)

Desdemona is killed by Othello and Emilia watches her die. Emilia asks Desdemona "who hath done this deed?"(5.2. 151) and Desdemona claims no one committed this treachery against her. Even in death, Desdemona is not willing to betray Othello. After all that Othello had put her through, her love for him was far stronger than any hate he had for her. She also refers to Othello as "kind", which at the beginning of the play would have been true; however, at this point, Othello is unreasonable and anything but kind.

Othello Quote Log: Act 4, Scene 3 / Act 5, Scene 1

"Yes, a dozen, and as many to th' vantage as would  / store the world they played for. / But I do think it is their husbands' faults / If wives do fall. Say that they slack their duties / And pour our treasures into foreign laps, / Or else break out in peevish jealousies, / Throwing restraint upon us. Or say they strike us,

Or scant our former having in despite. / Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace, / Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know / Their wives have sense like them. They see and smell

And have their palates both for sweet and sour, / As husbands have. What is it that they do / When they change us for others? Is it sport? / I think it is. And doth affection breed it? / I think it doth. Is ’t frailty that thus errs? / It is so too. And have not we affections, / Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have? / Then let them use us well, else let them know, / The ills we do, their ills instruct us so" (4.3. 95-115).

 

Desdemona and Emilia greatly disagree on what is proper for a wife to do in terms of cheating. Desdemona, no matter how angry and rude Othello has been, still does not want to harm Othello in anyway; she still loves him. When Emilia raises the question if Desdemona would ever consider cheating on her husband, she quickly replied no. Emilia however,  mentions that she could easily cheat if the right circumstances were met: the world being at stake is what they discuss. Here, Emilia describes herself as more assertive when it comes to relationships, where as Desdemona is clearly passive. Emilia feels that wives should always make their presence known and that husbands should treat them like humans. Emilia believes that mean cheat out of lust and do it for fun. She then tells Desdemona that women also have very similar desires. Emilia says that men should either treat their wives well or suffer the consequences derived from a lesson learned from their husbands: cheating.

Othello Quote Log: Act 4, Scene 2

"A halter pardon him and hell gnaw his bones! / Why should he call her 'whore'? Who keeps her company? / What place? What time? What form? What likelihood? / The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave, / Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow. / O heaven, that such companions thou’dst unfold, / And put in every honest hand a whip / To lash the rascals naked through the world / Even from the east to th' west!" (4.2. 159-169).

Emilia has begun to realize that Othello's abrupt change in behavior is being caused by someone on the outside pulling the strings. She wishes that man to be hanged and to burn and hell. She also calls him a a knave, or a deceitful person. However, Emilia does not know that this man pulling the strings is actually Iago. This is a great example of dramatic irony. Emilia has no clue that her husband is the knave that she speaks of. The reader might begin to wonder what Emilia would do if she were to discover this awful truth. Emilia also brings logic to the argument: she asks how Desdemona could find time or a place to sleep with anyone and that these accusations are simply illogical. Emilia knows Othello to be a smart and headstrong man. This leads her to believe that it is impossible that Othello could have come up with this theory on his own and that some "knave" must be behind it.

Othello Quote Log: Act 4, Scene 1

"Ay, you did wish that I would make her turn. / Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on, / And turn again. And she can weep, sir, weep. / And she’s obedient, as you say, obedient. / Very obedient.—Proceed you in your tears.— / Concerning this, sir—Oh, well-painted passion!— / I am commanded home.—Get you away, / I’ll send for you anon.—Sir, I obey the mandate / And will return to Venice.—Hence, avaunt!" (4.1. 284-292).

 

Othello doesn't believe Desdemona whatsoever. He actually causes her to cry after he slaps her. He then doesn't believe that Desdemona is truly upset. He tells Lodovico that she is lying and that she can turn on him like she did to Othello. Even though Lodovico believes that Desdemona is obedient, Othello laughs at this fact, as he believes that she is completely unfaithful. He also seems to be glad that he has been called away because he wouldn't have to deal with Desdemona. He seems angry that he must accept his order, but does anyway. He is also glad at the same time because he can get away from Desdemona. These actions will lead to trouble because Othello's calmness will never be exhibited again. Lodovico and others will have a hard time trusting Othello and his judgment. 

Character Description: O'Brien (1984)

Peter Sanfacon

Mr. George

World Lit Honors

13 October 2010

Character Description: O’Brien

            O’Brien is one of the head party members who ultimately convinces Winston to love Big Brother after he lies and deceives him.

            O’Brien coaxes Winston to his flat when he tells him to come take a look at the new edition of the Newspeak dictionary. At the meeting, it is revealed that the Brotherhood exists and that O’Brien was everything that Winston hoped him to be. However, after the Thoughtpolice captures Winston, it turns out that O’Brien is actually working with the Thoughtpolice and that he had been playing Winston from the very beginning. O’Brien sold him out by telling him where to hide, then giving away his position to the Thoughtpolice. He then tortures Winston mercilessly. Winston is helpless as O’Brien explains in every conceivable way that he is wrong and that Winston will never be able to overcome Big Brother. After completely wiping away his memory, O’Brien replaces it with what he wants: love for Big Brother.

            O’Brien is like the executioner, taking pride and pleasure when his duty is fulfilled. Even though his job seems to be cruel, he takes to it with enthusiasm as if he were a mental patient. It’s almost too easy for him to seem menacing, yet convincing. He exerts minimal effort when exhibiting his intellectual prowess. O’Brien is the harbinger of inevitability and hopelessness.

            O’Brien is similar to Benjamin Linus from the TV show Lost: Ben delights in knowing more than others about the governing power, which in O’Brien’s case is Big Brother.

Othello Quote Log: Act 3, Scene 4

"That’s a fault. That handkerchief / Did an Egyptian to my mother give, / She was a charmer and could almost read / The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it,  / 'Twould make her amiable and subdue my father  / Entirely to her love, but if she lost it  / Or made gift of it, my father’s eye  / Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt  / After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me  / And bid me, when my fate would have me wived,  / To give it her. I did so; and take heed on ’t,  / Make it a darling like your precious eye.  / To lose ’t or give ’t away were such perdition / As nothing else could match" (3.4. 65-79)

 

Othello wants Desdemona to be as nervous as he is, this is why he tells her that the handkerchief was made by a 200 year old witch and that it's magical. He probably doesn't believe this himself, but his jealousy is causing him to greatly stretch the truth. He is basically saying that by losing the handkerchief, Desdemona will bring on Othello's hatred and he will no longer love her. He wants to scare her into caring more and to admit any wrong doings she may have committed. He wants to know how angry he is and how much more he will become if Desdemona has lost the handkerchief.

Othello Quote Log: Act 3, Scene 3

"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! / It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on. That cuckold lives in bliss / Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger, / But O, what damned minutes tells he o'er / Who dotes, yet doubts— suspects, yet strongly loves!" (3.3 195-200)

Iago is telling Othello that jealousy will torment him if he isn't careful. If Othello never knows who his wife is actually cheating with, he could still possibly find happiness. Iago is implying that if it is Cassio, Othello won't be able to let that go. He will be blinded with rage and jealousy. At this point, Iago has not yet mentioned Cassio as a suspected cheat. He is trying to get Othello to believe it before he throws Cassio's name into the situation. If he mentioned Cassio then explained what Othello should do, Othello would most likely pick up on Iago's lie. Iago is warning Othello about trusting Desdemona, while planting the seed of jealousy.

Othello Quote Log: Act 2, Scene 3 (to End)

"And what’s he then that says I play the villain, / When this advice is free I give and honest, / Probal to thinking and indeed the course / To win the Moor again? For ’tis most easy / Th' inclining Desdemona to subdue / In any honest suit. She’s framed as fruitful / As the free elements. And then for her / To win the Moor, were 't to renounce his baptism, / All seals and symbols of redeemèd sin, / His soul is so enfettered to her love, / That she may make, unmake, do what she list, / Even as her appetite shall play the god / With his weak function. How am I then a villain / To counsel Cassio to this parallel course, / Directly to his good? Divinity of hell! / When devils will the blackest sins put on / They do suggest at first with heavenly shows / As I do now. For whiles this honest fool / Plies Desdemona to repair his fortune /

And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor, / I’ll pour this pestilence into his ear: / That she repeals him for her body’s lust. / And by how much she strives to do him good / She shall undo her credit with the Moor. / So will I turn her virtue into pitch / And out of her own goodness make the net / That shall enmesh them all" (2.3 356-382).

By giving Cassio good advice, Iago believes that he has eliminated the possibility of being believed as evil. He wasn't lying to Cassio when he gave him advice about Othello. It is the right way to get back on good terms with Othello; Cassio will try to get on good terms with Desdemona first. Since Othello is so blindly in love with Desdemona, Iago says, Othello will do anything Desdemona says. This specifically refers to reinstating Cassio. Iago's plan is to get Othello to the side while Cassio and Desdemona speak, so that Othello can see them together, thus planting the seed of jealousy. He wants Othello to believe that the reason she will take Cassio's side is because she loves him, which is not true: Iago tells Cassio that because Desdemona is a caring person, she will side with Cassio. Iago wants to reverse this and trick Othello into jealousy. He has turned his attention away from Cassio and now onto Othello.

Othello Quote Log: Act 2, Scene 2/3 (to 171)

"If I can fasten but one cup upon him, / With that which he hath drunk tonight already, / He’ll be as full of quarrel and offense / As my young mistress' dog. Now my sick fool Roderigo, / Whom love hath turned almost the wrong side out, / To Desdemona hath tonight caroused / Potations pottle-deep, and he’s to watch. / Three lads of Cyprus, noble swelling spirits / That hold their honors in a wary distance, / The very elements of this warlike isle, / Have I tonight flustered with flowing cups, / And they watch too. Now ’mongst this flock of drunkards / Am I to put our Cassio in some action / That may offend the isle. But here they come. / If consequence do but approve my dream / My boat sails freely, both with wind and stream" (2.3 49-66).

Iago is trying to sabotage Cassio by making him look bad. Cassio admits that he is not a heavy drinker and that he is already drunk from watered down wine. Iago realizes that if he can get Cassio to drink just a little bit more, he will be so drunk that he will be prone to violence. He wants him to fight another drunk guard so the people of Cyprus can see how much of an unstable person Cassio is. Iago has already gotten Roderigo to drink a lot by toasting Desdemona because he loves her so much. He has successfully gained further control of Roderigo.