Imagery on Othello’s

Play

Name : - Neltza Sister

- Nur Havizzah Suana

Subject : Drama Analysis II

 What is Imagery?

Imagery means to use figurative

language to represent objects,
actions, and ideas in such a way
that it appeals to our physical
senses.
 Act I scene I
“But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am…..”
=> Iago explicitly informs Roderigo that he will
never show his true emotions openly (“wear my
heart upon my sleeve”). If he did so, “daws”
(i.e., jackdaws, proverbially foolish birds, and
thus symbols of human fools) would be able to
“peck at” his heart and emotions. He will never
make himself vulnerable in this way.
IAGO. ’Zounds, sir, you’re robb’d; for shame, put
on your gown;
Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
Is topping your white ewe.
=> This sentence refers to Desdemona and Othello,
 He refers to her as a white ewe, meaning pure and
young. And to Othello Iago refers to as an old black
ram. The difference between them is much more
obvious.
“you’ll have your daughter covered
with a Barbary horse.”
=> Iago tells Brabantio that Othello is
perverted, has no control over his
sexual urges, and is lustful, immoral
and selfish to take the virginity of
Desdemona.
RODERIGO. “Sir, I will answer any thing.
But, I beseech you, If’t be your pleasure
and most wise consent, As partly I find it is,
that your fair daughter, At this odd-even and
dull watch o’ the night,…”
=>this sentence represent the time. Time
between day and night, that is, around
midnight, when nobody is around.
 Act I scene III

“And, noble signior,

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

=> “Fair” means “white,” but also “beautiful”

and “good.” The Duke’s point is that
Brabantio would be much wiser to quit
focusing on Othello’s color and start
appreciating his virtue.
 Act II scene I

FIRST GENTLEMAN. Nothing at all: it is a

highwrought flood. I cannot, ’twixt the heaven and
the main, Descry a sail.

=>this sentence means he can’t see the difference

between heaven and hell.
 Act II Scene III

IAGO. Not this hour, lieutenant; ’tis not yet ten o’

the clock. Our general cast2 us thus early for the
love of his Desdemona; who let us not therefore
blame: he hath not yet made wanton the night with
her; and she is sport for Jove.

=> In this sentence Iago tells Casio that Desdemona

is "sport of jove". Jove was a mythical creature who
often took the form of various animals to have sex
with young beautiful females. This shows Iago’s
perversion and disinterest in love, and more
obsessions with lust and fantasy
 Act III Scene III

“O love, thy crown and hearted throne”

=> It means “The throne in my heart”, on which I

had Desdemona sit (she was the queen of his
heart)
 Act IV scene I

OTHELLO. O devil, devil!

If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears,
Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.
Out of my sight!

=> Desdemona is referred to as a crocodile because of her tears.

Crocodiles use fake tears to deceive their prey, and by Othello
saying this, he is implying that Desdemona’s tears were fake.
She is very pure and noble, and should never have been
compared to a crocodile. In this part of the play, Othello begins
to lose his sanity. By showing the contrast between characters,
through beast imagery, the play further develops and becomes
more powerful.
 Act IV scene II

OTHELLO. O, ay; as summer flies are in the

shambles, That quicken even with blowing. O thou
weed,Who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet
That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne’er
been born!

=>Flies represent of loyality, Flies are extremely

“loyal” to their meal, and will not leave it, but a light
breeze is enough to take them away. Othello is saying
that although she may mean good and was loyal to
him, her loyalty was easily manipulated to another
man.
 Act V scene I

RODERIGO. O damn’d Iago! O inhuman dog!

=> Roderigo represent the Iago's character is like a

dog, he has discovered Iago’s monstrous plans for
Desdemona and Cassio. And he calls him an inhuman
dog because of all the people that Iago betrayed.
Roderigo thinks that no human could ever do things
Iago had done. Calling him a dog was the worst thing
that Roderigo could have called him, and he knew
how powerful it would be.
 Act V scene II

LODOVICO. [To IAGO] O Spartan dog,

LODOVICO. Where is that viper? bring the villain
More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea!
Forth
=> Lodovico represent the Iago’s character as a
=> Lodovico represent one of Iago’s character as a
“spartan dog”,  which was well known for being
Viper, poisonous reptile
notoriously fierce.