Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve.
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 4, Scene 3. In Desdemona’s song, she sings about her garland being "a green willow." This is a reminder of the "green-eyed monster" of Othello’s jealousy that has destroyed the loving relationship between him and Desdemona. She misremembers the second line of the song, which foreshadows her dying words in Act 5, in which she exonerates Othello for her murder and instead takes the blame herself. Asked by Emilia who has killed her, she will say: "Nobody; I myself." The willow tree is traditionally assocated with sadness and mourning.