Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Othello, The Moor of Venice

OTHELLO
< >< >I cannot speak enough of this content.
< >< >It stops me here; it is too much of joy.
(They kiss)
< >< >And this, and this, the greatest discords be
< >< >That e'er our hearts shall make!

My trainor looked at the book I held and asked me, "You're a romantic aren't you?"

I had to confess, and I did so with a slight nod. "Uh-huh"

I am a hopeless romantic. I know it's going to prove my ruin someday. But for now, it brings me the sweet delight in reading The Tragedy of Othello. It brought me some of the most powerful poetic professions of love I've ever read. And with them, the powerful insinuations, implications of pure abhorrence.

Shakespeare was a good writer and I suppose this isn't news to many. But this was the first Shakespeare I ever read, and I was delighted in my own discovery of the jewel that is Shakespeare's writing.

The play was about the general, Othello and his ultimate ruin brought by the cunning of his ancient Iago. Iago is resentful because Othello has declared the more refined and educated Cassio as his lieutenant. Because of this, Iago connives with Roderigo to have Cassio demoted. Roderigo helps Iago thinking Iago will help advance his interest in Desdemona, Othello's wife.

When Iago does get the lieutenancy, which happens early on in the play, Iago goes on to ruin Desdemona and Othello's marriage. He lies to Othello, saying Desdemona has been laying with Cassio. Ultimately, Cassio kills Desdemona. When he learns of Iago's deceit, he kills himself.

QUOTES:

IAGO: Virtue? A fig! Tis in our selves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to which our wills are gardeners...

CASSIO: Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.

IAGO: As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound. There is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving. You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser.

CASSIO: O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by, let us call thee devil!

IAGO:
< >When devils will the blackest sin put on,
< >They do suggest at first whith heavenly shows,
< >As I do now.

IAGO:
< >How poor are they that have not patience!
< >What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

IAGO:
< >O beware, my lord, of jealousy!
< >It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
< >The meat it feeds on.

IAGO:
< >Poor and content is rich, and rich enough;
< >But riches fineless is as poor as winter
< >To him that ever fears he shall be poor.

IAGO:
< >Trifles light as air
< >Are to the jealous confirmations strong
< >As proofs of holy writ.