Othello Black and White Quotes

Iago old black ram quote about Othello

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is tupping your white ewe.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 1, Scene 1. Shakespeare’s most notorious villains Iago is a manipulative, sinister and destructive character. He uses an inflammatory animal and racist metaphor to compare Othello to a "black ram," and another metaphor to describe Desdemona as a "white ewe." Iago is shouting this to Desdemona’s father Brabantio in order to incite his rage against Othello. He dehumanizes the black Othello and portrays the match between him and the white or pure Desdemona as something unnatural. “Tupping” is an old English slang word for having sex, and Iago uses it here to convey something dirty and vulgar. Iago also sees Desdemona as Brabantio’s property – "your white ewe" – which is in keeping with Iago’s sexism and low regard for women. Iago’s hatred of Othello is evident here.

Strike on the tinder, ho!
Give me a taper! call up all my people!
This accident is not unlike my dream:
Belief of it oppresses me already.
Light, I say! light!

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 1, Scene 1. Brabantio’s erupts into a fit of rage at Iago’s taunting about Desdemona and Othello having a sexual affair – "making the beast with two backs." Roused from his bed he requests light and for his people to gather together to form a search party to seek out Othello. The symbolism of light and dark is used to good effect, as Brabantio sets off into the night with lighted torches to uncover the truth.

O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow’d my daughter?
Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her!
For I’ll refer me to all things of sense,
If she in chains of magic were not bound,
Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy,
So opposite to marriage that she shunned
The wealthy curlèd darlings of our nation,
Would ever have, t’ incur a general mock,
Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom
Of such a thing as thou – to fear, not to delight!
Judge me the world, if ’tis not gross in sense
That thou hast practiced on her with foul charms,
Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals
That weakens motion.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 1, Scene 2. Brabantio, in his first encounter with Othello in the play, claims that Othello must have used witchcraft to manipulate Desdemona and get her to elope with him. In a metaphor, he likens Othello’s spell to chains used to enshare his daughter. Brabantio shows racial prejudice and hatred towards Othello. He remarks that a beautiful and fair-skinned virgin girl who shunned Venice’s wealthy handsome men would never risk her reputation to run to Othello’s "sooty bosom" unless he used "foul charms" on her. He dehumanizes Othello by calling him a "thing" rather than a person. Gender roles of the time are also reinforced, as Brabantio speaks of Desdemona as a possession, "stow’d" somewhere by the "foul thief" Othello.

If virtue no delighted beauty lack,
Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 1, Scene 3. In this rhyming couplet the Duke of Venice imparts these words of wisdom to Brabantio, using color imagery and a double pun. The word black has a double meaning here, it refers to Othello’s skin color and also means ugly. The Duke is telling Brabantio that if virtue can be beautiful, then Othello is "fair" or beautiful. This of course is a backhanded compliment loaded with racial prejudice. It implies that others of Othello’s race are not virtuous like him and he is the exception.

Hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 1, Scene 3. In the final lines of Iago’s soliloquy that ends Act 1, he revels in his evil plan to betray and destroy Othello. His sinister rhyming couplet uses metaphorical imagery of hell and monster, night and day, and childbirth, to describe bringing to life his nefarious plot. The passage is also an example of the animal imagery – "monstrous birth" – Shakespeare employs throughout the play.

Divinity of hell!
When devils will the blackest sins put on,
They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,
As I do now.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 2, Scene 3. The diabolical Iago metaphorically compares himself to the devil, but also sees the work of the devil as divine. He says that devils put on heavenly faces and appear to help people when they are about to commit the darkest sins. He is alluding to what he believes is good advice he gave to Cassio to win back Othello’s favor, when he is in fact setting Cassio up to bring him and Othello down.

So will I turn her virtue into pitch,
And out of her own goodness make the net
That shall enmesh them all.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 2, Scene 3. Iago in the final lines of his soliloquy uses metaphors of pitch and net to describe how he will bring about Othello’s downfall. He will turn Desdemona’s goodness in helping Cassio against her and ensnare them all in his diabolical revenge plan. The symbolism of light and dark appears here as Iago speaks of turning Desdemona’s shining virtue into pitch, or sticky black tar.

Not to affect many proposed matches
Of her own clime, complexion, and degree,
Whereto we see in all things nature tends –
Foh! one may smell in such a will most rank,
Foul disproportion thoughts unnatural.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. Iago questions Desdemona’s decision to marry a black foreigner like Othello as something unnatural. She went against her nature by rejecting young men of her own country, her skin color and status, he claims. Iago suggests that this is a sign of Desdemona’s dark and unnatural thoughts. Speaking to Othello, he is playing on his insecurities as a black Moor married to a white Italian woman.

Haply, for I am black
And have not those soft parts of conversation
That chamberers have.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. Othello’s feelings of insecurity about being a black man married to a white woman are evident here. He admits that he doesn’t have the conversational skills of men who are comfortable in the chambers of ladies. He seems to think that the racial differences between Desdemona and himself could cause a rift in their relationship. This self-doubt comes after Iago raises Othello’s suspicions about his wife’s fidelity.

All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven.
‘Tis gone.
Arise, black vengeance, from thy hollow cell!
Yield up, O love, thy crown and hearted throne
To tyrannous hate! Swell, bosom, with thy fraught,
For ’tis of aspics’ tongues!

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. Othello says that his love for Desdemona is completely gone after Iago convinces him that she is having an affair with Cassio. Appealing for help with his revenge, Othello appears to associate himself with darkness and hell. He uses personification to describe his hatred of Desdemona as "tyrannous," while love is personified as surrendering its place in his heart to hate. In a metaphor, Othello likens his jealous heart to a heart filled with venonous snakes. The motif of black and white appears in this passage with vengeance given the color of black, the color of Othello’s skin.

Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, mistress?
Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.
Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:
Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 5, Scene 1. Iago says this about Bianca, who has just arrived at the scene of Cassio’s stabbing. He is trying to manipulate Gratiano and Lodovico into thinking that Bianca was involved in the crime – ironically committed by Iago. Guilt is personified here by being given the human ability to speak. Iago points to how Bianca looks so pale and whitefaced as evidence of her guilt and dishonesty. However, it is Iago who is being dishonest.

Yet I’ll not shed her blood;
Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,
And smooth as monumental alabaster.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. In the play’s final scene, Othello is trying to bring himself to kill Desdemona. He acknowledges the irreversible nature of the terrible deed he is about to commit. Using a metaphor and simile he compares Desdemona’s perfect and unblemished skin to white snow and monumental alabaster. White symbolizes Desdemona’s purity and goodness. Othello seems to momentarily have second thoughts about killing his wife, saying that he won’t stain her perfect white skin with her red blood. He doesn’t wish to disfigure her or spoil her beauty.

Put out the light, and then put out the light:
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me: but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat.
That can thy light relume.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. In the play’s final startling and tragic scene, dark eclipses light as Othello goes over completely to the dark side with his decision to murder the innocent Desdemona. Using pun and metaphor, he speaks of putting out the room light, then extinguishing the life of his wife, who is asleep in her bedroom. Again using light as a metaphor, he compares her to a candle – "flaming minister" – which if he puts out he can light again if he changes his mind. But once he puts out Desdemona’s light he knows that there is no miraculous fire to restore her life. This quote shows a seeming reluctance on the part of Othello to kill Desdemona.

It is the very error of the moon;
She comes more nearer earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. A self-justifying Othello deflects responsibility from himself for Desdemona’s murder by blaming it on madness caused by the full moon. The moon is personified as feminine and is seen here as symbolizing women. Their changing minds and seductive ways as they orbit around a man with their beautiful white light can drive him to a dark insanity. This is in keeping with the patriarchal idea of men being the center of power with women and their lives revolving around them.

OTHELLO: She’s, like a liar, gone to burning hell:
‘Twas I that kill’d her.
EMILIA: O, the more angel she,
And you the blacker devil!

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. Othello tries to justify his murder of Desdemona. His blindness causes him to see her as a cheat and liar now burning in hell for her sin, when she is the very opposite. Emilia the loyal handmaid of Desdemona is horrified. She immediately springs to the defense of her innocent mistress and bravely challenges Othello. Using contrasting metaphors, she compares Desdemona to an angel and brands Othello a black devil. She believes that Othello’s sense of right and wrong is reversed, seeing black and evil as good, and white and goodness as bad.

O ill-starr’d wench!
Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!
Even like thy chastity.

– William Shakespeare

Othello, Act 5, Scene 2. When Iago’s treachery is exposed, Othello looks at the body of his wife on the bed and makes this speech. He uses a simile to describe Desdemona as white as her nightgown. Realizing his terrible error, he says that when they meet on Judgment Day her look will hurl his soul out of heaven and into hell. When he speaks about her body being cold, like her chastity, he is not referring to his wife being frigid or some kind of ice maiden. But rather Othello is saying that Desdemona died pure and chaste, she stayed true to him and was never unfaithful. Cold means dead here, it also signifies Desdemona’s purity, being the opposite of hot and lustful. It has been argued by some that Desdemona actually died a virgin and Othello never consummated his marriage to her.
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