scene 3

“worst of thoughts … worst of words” - Othello

• repetition of “worst” creates a superlative structure

• semantic pairing of “thoughts” and “words” - thoughts represent Othello’s internal imagination, whereas words represents Iago’s linguistic manipulation

“he that filches from me my good name / Robs me of that which not enriches him / And makes me poor indeed” - Iago

• Iago presents reputation as form of personal wealth through lexical field of theft

“the green-eyed monster which doth mock / The meat it feeds on” - Iago

• metaphor “green-eyed monster” personifies jealousy as an autonomous creature, a predatory force that takes control of its victim

• relative clause “which doth mock” gives jealousy an active, almost sadistic agency

• metaphor of consumption makes jealousy appear parasitic

• animalistic, carnivorous imagery demonstrates how Othello’s jealousy preys on his rationality

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