O! now, for ever
Farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content!
Farewell the plumed troop and the big wars
That make ambition virtue! O, farewell!
Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,
The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,
The royal banner, and all quality,
Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war!
– William Shakespeare
Othello, Act 3, Scene 3. As Othello loses all hope of happiness with Desdemona and plunges into depression, he appears on the brink of madness. Irrational and driven by insane jealousy, he laments the loss of his reputation as a military man and wounding of his soldierly pride. Because he mistakingly believes that Desdemona has cheated on him, he no longer feels manly and thinks he cannot be a soldier or lead men in battle anymore. His speech, recalling his glory days in wars and conflict, echoes Cassio’s earlier speech about his good reputation being destroyed.