But, alas, to make me
A fixed figure for the time of scorn
To point his slow unmoving finger at!
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 4, Scene 2. Amid all the trials he has been through, Othello believes that there is nothing worse than being made an object of ridicule by an unfaithful wife. This shows how important Othello’s manhood and reputation is to him. Personification is used to emphasize his anguish, as public opinion – "time of scorn" – is given the human ability to point a scornful finger at the shamed Othello.