Othello Passage Analysis
Personal Response- ID Passage: Othello
Part 1: Theme
The prevalent themes in this passage are jealousy and love. In the first couple of lines, Othello talks about how he must kill Desdemona before she seduces more men, demonstrating the jealousy he feels towards her since he believes she is cheating on him with Cassio. A second theme, love, begins to emerge as Othello continues to contemplate murdering Desdemona. His love for her causes him to grow reluctant to carry out his plan, and he even kisses her one last time because he cannot resist her beauty. Othello also says “I will kill thee/ And love thee after,” showing that he will continue to admire Desdemona in death. At this point, Othello begins to feel a conflict within him as his jealously clashes with the love he feels, causing him to weep over Desdemona.
Part 2: Literary Devices
One of the literary devices present in this passage is the metaphor and imagery of a rose. Othello compares Desdemona to a rose when he says “When I have plucked the rose / I cannot give it vital growth again; / It needs must wither, I’ll smell thee on the tree.” What Othello is trying to say is that similar to how a rose cannot be re-attached once it is off its branch, Desdemona cannot be revitalized once he kills her. Thus, he must enjoy her while she is still alive, culminating into the kiss that Othello gives her. Imagery is also contained in the lines Othello has, as his comparison of Desdemona with the rose appeals to the reader’s senses of sight and smell. His lines make the reader imagine a rose that is beautiful and fragrant, but once it is plucked, it shrivels and withers.
A second literary device in this passage is the metaphor comparing Othello’s love to God’s love. A religious tone is introduced when Othello says “This sorrow’s heavenly / It strikes where it doth love.” He is implying that the sadness he feels towards Desdemona is like the grief God feels
Part 1: Theme
The prevalent themes in this passage are jealousy and love. In the first couple of lines, Othello talks about how he must kill Desdemona before she seduces more men, demonstrating the jealousy he feels towards her since he believes she is cheating on him with Cassio. A second theme, love, begins to emerge as Othello continues to contemplate murdering Desdemona. His love for her causes him to grow reluctant to carry out his plan, and he even kisses her one last time because he cannot resist her beauty. Othello also says “I will kill thee/ And love thee after,” showing that he will continue to admire Desdemona in death. At this point, Othello begins to feel a conflict within him as his jealously clashes with the love he feels, causing him to weep over Desdemona.
Part 2: Literary Devices
One of the literary devices present in this passage is the metaphor and imagery of a rose. Othello compares Desdemona to a rose when he says “When I have plucked the rose / I cannot give it vital growth again; / It needs must wither, I’ll smell thee on the tree.” What Othello is trying to say is that similar to how a rose cannot be re-attached once it is off its branch, Desdemona cannot be revitalized once he kills her. Thus, he must enjoy her while she is still alive, culminating into the kiss that Othello gives her. Imagery is also contained in the lines Othello has, as his comparison of Desdemona with the rose appeals to the reader’s senses of sight and smell. His lines make the reader imagine a rose that is beautiful and fragrant, but once it is plucked, it shrivels and withers.
A second literary device in this passage is the metaphor comparing Othello’s love to God’s love. A religious tone is introduced when Othello says “This sorrow’s heavenly / It strikes where it doth love.” He is implying that the sadness he feels towards Desdemona is like the grief God feels