William Shakespeare Quotes

Othello, Act 1, Scene 3. Othello’s answer to Brabantio’s warning that Desdemona may deceive him is filled with irony and double meaning. Swearing his complete trust in Desdemona, he says he would bet his life upon her faith. But it is Othello’s own faith in Desdemona that is later questionable, when he believes the lies about her infidelity drip-fed to him by the duplicitous deceiver Iago. It is Othello’s lack of faith that prompts him to kill Desdemona. When Othello realizes that she has been faithful all along, he kills himself, literally giving his life for what he believes was her lack of faith. Othello’s statement also draws attention to the duplicity of language and of character in the play, the greatest example of this being Iago. There is also foreshadowing in Othello’s words, which turn out to be strangely and tragically prophetic.