scene 2

“O my love, my wife / O my wife, my wife!” - Othello

• repetition of “my wife” conveys Othello’s emotional attachment to Desdemona and his realisation that she has remained faithful

• possessive pronoun “my” suggest intimacy and devotion, but also the possessive nature of Othello’s conception of love

“Had she been true, / If heaven would make me such another world / Of one entire and perfect chrysolite, / I’d not have sold her for it” - Othello

• conditional “had she been true” demonstrates how Othello appraises those he loves through their loyalty to him

• semantic field of religion “heaven” elevates their relationship beyond earthly

• hyperbolic imagery of “entire and perfect chrysolite” suggests Desdemona’s immense material value but also shows how Othello views her as a product

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