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Metaphor: Trifles light as air Are to the jealous confirmations strong As proofs of holy writ. (3.3.323-325)

Meaning of key words and tenor and vehicle:
Trifles light as air- Small things (referring to the handkerchief)
Are to the jealous confirmations strong- Iago is saying that the handkerchief although meaningless, to a jealous man (Othello) it has strong meaning.
As proofs of holy writ- . A confirmation of absolute proof.

Tenor- A jealous man will be inflicted by small meaningless things.
Vehicle- Are to the jealous confirmations strong.

What is the meaning of this metaphor?
Iago is using Desdemona’s handkerchief to trick Othello and make him exceeding jealous. Iago plans to turn Othello against Cassio, one unfairly succumbed to the poison of Iago.

What does this tell us about Iago’s character?
This act of trickery/deceit shows how greedy Iago is to get his way, through lies and hidden unfaithfulness Iago infects Othello with more of his poisonous suggestions.

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The devil will make a grandsire of you. (1.1.91)

Address keyword meaning/ tenor and vehicle.
Tenor: ‘Othello.’ Vehicle: devil.  Tenor: grandfather. Vehicle: grandsire.

What is the meaning of this metaphor?
When Iago uses ‘devil’ to refer to Othello he is insinuating that he (Othello) is a bad man.  Due to Othello’s darker skin he is associated with the supposed judgment that he is a horrible person. Often referred also as ‘black ram,’ ‘thick-lips’ and the ‘moor,’ these names also are a slur leading to misjudgement of Othello because of skin colour. (Racism.)

Grandfather. Iago states to Brabantio that Othello is going to ‘make a grandfather’ of him. Proposing the accusation that Brabantio’s daughter will possibly have a darker skinned child. Due to Desdemona’s love for Othello, Brabantio is very unhappy as Desdemona chose a ‘black man’ over a man which was white.

What does this tell us about Iago’s character?
Iago is an extremely racist excuse for a man. With the only ‘deception’ he finds in Othello is the fact being that he has darker skin shows the mistreatment purely because of colour.

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Metaphor : Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. (1.1.114)

Address the meaning of key words and find the tenor and vehicle.

'Your daughter and the Moor' - the subjects of the line.
‘making the beast with two backs’ - Having intercourse.

The tenor of this line that is described is people having intercourse and the vehicle of the tenor is the last half ‘making the beast with two backs’.

What is the meaning of this metaphor?

The meaning of this metaphor is for someone to say that two people are fucking.

What does this tell us about Iago’s character?

It says how Iago wont blatantly say that two people are fucking but will still inform the father of the daughter that someone is fucking her.

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Metaphor: An old black ram / Is tupping your white ewe. (1.1.88-89)

Address the meaning of the key words and find the tenor and vehicle.

Tupping - meaning having sex bus as animals (sheep)

Vehicle:  1) old black ram – “black” referring to his race, “ram” demoting him as a beast
2) your white ewe – “your”  meaning the order of man over women (and women as objects or property) in the society. “white” the race of her. “ewe” - also “ewe,” interpretation as “you” meaning that Othello is damaging Brabantio's "white" or spotless reputation

Tenor:    1) Othello

2) Desdemona

What is the meaning of this metaphor?

The meaning of this metaphor is about Iago telling Brabantio that his daughter is in a passionate loving relationship by characterising Othello as a mindless lascivious animal who has taken the purity and innocence of Desdemona with his lust.

What does this tell us about Iago character?

This demonstrates that Iago will do anything that even if its out of his way to get revenge, if things don’t go his way.

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I hate the Moor: And it is thought abroad, that ‘twixt my sheets He has done my office. (1.3.361-364)

Meaning of key words and tenor and vehicle

He has done my office- Iago is suggesting that the moor has slept with his wife

‘Twixt my sheets- between my sheets

Tenor-  Othello slept with Iago’s wife

Vehicle- He had done my office

What is the meaning of this metaphor?

Iago is using his hate of the moor to blame him for something that is just a rumour, that Othello has slept with Iago’s wife. Iago is using this to paint Othello as a liar and a cheat.

What does this tell us about Iago’s character?

This shows how desperate Iago is to find meaningful reasons to plot against the moor, believing what is said to be a rumour. He is believing any evidence he hears.

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Quote: Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him: if thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport.

Conjunctive= team up
Cuckold= A sexual relationship with someone else’s wife
Pleasure= fun
A sport= someone who behaves in a good way to a situation.

Meaning: Let’s team up and get revenge on Othello. If you have a sexual relationship with his wife it’ll be fun for both of us.

Connotations: Iago is trying to get Roderigo to team up with him so they can both get revenge on Othello; For Roderigo because he loves Desdemona, and for Iago because Othello gave position of lieutenant to Cassio. If Roderigo can get Desdemona to have a sexual relationship with him and cheat on Othello it would be fun for him and Iago.

What it tells us about Iago is that he finds it amusing to ruin people’s lives.

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I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion

Address the meaning of key words and find the tenor and vehicle:
-Vehicle: eaten up
-Tenor: overwhelmed
-Vehicle: passion
-Tenor: emotion

What is the meaning of this metaphor?
-The meaning of this metaphor is that Othello is going to be overwhelmed with emotions.

What does this tell us about Iago’s character?
-It shows that Iago is good at pretending to care for other, such as Othello.

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Connor

My metaphor from Othello: I’ll have Michael Cassio on the hip, Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb— For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too— (2.1.281-284)

Key Words:

.Michael Cassio- The character.

.Abuse- Treat someone cruelly. Speak against them in a harsh way.

.Moor- Othello.

.Rank- Where someone sits in a hierarchy.

.Fear- Afraid, scared.
Vehicle: night cape
Tenor: Cassio
The meaning: That Iago will have control of Cassio by talking to Othello about him in a bad way.

This tells us that Iago is a scheming man. He uses trust that has been misplaced in him, to overpower other people.

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“Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are our gardeners”

Tenor, vehicle, Key words and their definitions:
Tenor: Bodies, Vehicle: Gardens. Wills: self-control, Bodies: physical structure of a person or animal, Garden: a fertile and delightful spot, Gardener: a person that cares for these fertile areas.

Meaning behind the metaphor:
Gardens in the context of this phrase refers to our bodies as if they are precious and need tender-loving care. The gardener refers to our willpower which controls our temptation level and how easily we give into things, and gardeners do the same thing as they look after the garden. So in other words, our willpower takes care of our bodies.

What this tells us about Iago’s character:
This implies that Iago knows what he wants and won’t let his gardener wreck his garden which gives him a big advantage as he knows people that will fall to temptation.

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Quote: Hell and night / Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light.

Key Words and Meanings: ‘Hell’: the place or state of punishment of the wicked after death. ‘Night’: Period of ambient darkness. ‘Monstrous’: frightful or hideous. Birth: Although the literal definition refers to giving birth, in the context of the play it could be interpreted as the beginning or ‘birth’ of something, and ‘monstrous birth’ could mean the start of something evil. The worlds Light: in the context of the play this could be to make a comparison between what Iago is planning on bringing into the world and how the world already is (darkness vs light).

Vehicle and Tenor: The vehicle is darkness, hell and monsters. The tenor is the destruction that Iago plans on starting.

Meaning: The metaphor can be interpreted in many different ways. One way to read it is that Iago plans on making Othello’s (or even Cassio’s) life living “Hell”.

What does this tell us about Iago's character? Iago definitely seems to be an inherently evil and selfish person. This quote only highlights his selfish behaviour.

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Othello: If that thou be't a devil, I cannot kill thee. (Wounds Iago) Iago: I bleed, sir, but not killed.
Address the meaning of key words and find the tenor and vehicle.
The Tenor is Iago being described as the devil, and the Vehicle is devil.
What is the meaning of this metaphor?
The meaning of the metaphor, is Othello compares and describes Iago to be the devil, trying to figure out if he really is the devil. Iago then gets stabbed by Othello and admits to him bleeding yet not being killed. Almost confirming that he is half-devil.
What does this tell us about Iago’s character?
Not only do others compare Iago with the devil. Even Iago himself goes onto say he is is somewhat of a devil, and no longer has a mask over his horrid and cruel nature.

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You’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you. (1.1.110-111)

Address the meaning of key words and find the tenor and vehicle?

A barbary horse is a North African breed of horse. Nephews means grandsons. The tenor Brabantio’s family being ruined by Othello and the vehicle is Othello being compared to an African horse.

What is the meaning of this metaphor?

The meaning if that Othello is being compared to an animal and that Brabantio’s family line is going to be ruined.

What does this tell us about Iago’s character?

He thinks of Othello as a beast and is disgusted by Othello and Desdemona’s sexual relationship because of his race.

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"Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric"

Meaning of key words -
Spinster - Woman
Bookish theoric - knowledge from books
Tenor - He knows less than a woman
Vehicle - "Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster"
Meaning - Iago is saying that Cassio knows less about battles and war than a woman, unless you count what he has read in books.
This portrays Iago as a spiteful and sexist individual.

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If it hath ruffian'd so upon the sea,
what ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them,
Can hold the mortise?  (Act 2 scene 1)

Address the meaning of key words
Ruffian’d- Rough, Bullish, Harsh

Ribs Of Oak- Wooden ship/Boat (Ribs in context to the shape of the hull)

Mountains melt on them- Of mountainous proportion – when ice melts it turns to water (waves the size of mountains.

Hold the Mortise – Mortise = the fitment of the boat – Can the boat stay put together – what will happen as result of this storm.

Meaning - How can a ship made of wood remain together in such harsh, mountainous waves? What will be of result of the storm?

Vehicle- Wooden Boat – Mountainous Waves

Tenor – Weak prey – Overpowering control and impending doom

What does this tell us about Iago’s character? - Iago is so controlling, overpowering and manipulative that his weak prey have no chance of overcoming his certain might. How can something seemingly so weak and fragile survive the wrath of something that seems all but indestructible.

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And will as tenderly be led by the nose / As asses are. (1.3.377-378)

Address the meaning of key words and find the tenor and vehicle.
Vehicle: Asses = donkey; relation to mule (another phrase Iago calls Othello)
Tenor: ‘tenderly lead by the nose’ = a dominate/controlling action pulled from the nose by a ring. Performed on animals, especially donkeys, making them appear as stubborn/weak/dumb.
What is the meaning of this metaphor?
Othello is easily manipulated because his actions resemble as a donkey, easily oblivious to jealously and hate from others. This allows Iago to control Othello with his fake persona; which is ironic because Othello is positioned to be more powerful than Iago.
What does this tell us about Iago’s character?
That he demonstrates to have a deeper understanding of Othello’s true persona (which appears to be easily convinced/manipulative). In addition, he dislikes Othello and privately displays this by using decretory language in relation to Othello’s ethnical background using racial slurs and animal epithet (calling him an ass).