Desdemona Quotes:

I understand a fury in your words But not your words.

- William Shakespeare

source: William Shakespeare (1757). “The Works: Of Shakespeare: in Eight Volumes. Collated with the Oldest Copies, and Corrected: with Notes, Explanatory, and Critical: by Mr. Theobald”, p.314

topic: Anger, Desdemona, Fury

And his unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love.

- William Shakespeare

source: 'Othello' (1602-4) act 4, sc. 2, l. 159

topic: May, Defeat, Desdemona, Unkindness, Unkind

So will I turn her virtue into pitch, And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all.

- William Shakespeare

source: 1603-4 Iago. Othello, act 2, sc.3, l.351-3.

topic: Virtue, Goodness, Desdemona

Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.

- William Shakespeare

source: 'Othello' (1602-4) act 3, sc. 3, l. 90

topic: Love, Soul, Chaos, Desdemona, Tragic Flaw

I am not merry, but I do beguile the thing I am by seeming otherwise.

- William Shakespeare

source: 'Othello' (1602-4) act 2, sc. 1, l. 122

topic: Memorable, Emotional, Feelings, Merriment, Desdemona

Space-ships and time machines are no escape from the human condition. Let Othello subject Desdemona to a lie-detector test; his jealousy will still blind him to the evidence. Let Oedipus triumph over gravity; he won't triumph over his fate.

- Arthur Koestler

topic: Lying, Fate, Technology, Time Machine, Desdemona

I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.

- William Shakespeare

source: 1603-4 Othello. Othello, act 5, sc.2, l.368-9.

topic: Kissing, Way, Killing, Killing Myself, Desdemona

Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's dead. Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief Shore his old thread in twain.

- William Shakespeare

source: Shane Barnes, Aidan Coleman, William Shakespeare (2011). “Othello”, p.193, Insight Publications

topic: Father, Grief, Poor, Desdemona

An old black ram is tupping your white ewe

- William Shakespeare

source: 'Othello' (1602-4) act 1, sc. 1, l. 88

topic: White, Black, Rams, Desdemona

When devils will the blackest sins put on They do suggest at first with heavenly shows

- William Shakespeare

source: William Shakespeare (1996). “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare”, p.833, Wordsworth Editions

topic: Devil, Firsts, Sin, Desdemona

If she be not honest, chaste, and true, there's no man happy.

- William Shakespeare

source: William Shakespeare (1996). “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare”, p.846, Wordsworth Editions

topic: Men, Honest, Wedlock, Desdemona, Not Honest

The word "jealousy" is often used as if it were synonymous with envy; but I think the distinction worth preserving. Jealousy is predominantly concerned with the fear of loss of something one possesses, envy with the wish to own something another possesses. Othello suffers from the fear that he has lost Desdemona's love. Iago suffers from envy of the position held by Cassio, to which he feels entitled.

- Anthony Storr

topic: Jealousy, Loss, Thinking, Desdemona

All's well that ends well.

- John Heywood

source: John Heywood (1867). “The proverbs and epigrams of John Heywood: with an app. of variations”, p.21

topic: Wisdom, Finishing, Ends, Life Wisdom, Spanish Proverb

Speak of me as I am. Nothing extenuate, nor set down aught in malice.

- William Shakespeare

source: 'Othello' (1602-4) act 5, sc. 2, l. 338

topic: Jealous, Justice, Speak, Love And Jealousy, Desdemona

All is well that ends well

- Emily Rodda

source: Emily Rodda (2008). “The Key to Rondo”, p.332, Scholastic Inc.

topic: Ends, Wells, Spanish Proverb, Meaning Well, Merchant Of Venice

You are my country, Desdemona. ... My Egypt. My hot, harrowing desert and my cool, verdant Nile, infinitely lovely and unfathomable and sustaining.

- Connie Brockway

source: Connie Brockway (2010). “As You Desire: A Loveswept Classic Romance”, p.117, Loveswept

topic: Country, Egypt, Romance, Desdemona, Nile

Othello' was my first Shakespearean discovery. I was obsessed with drama at school, and I studied the play for my English GCSE. Desdemona is the part that everyone wants, but Iago's wife Emilia is the one I've always been drawn to.

- Michelle Dockery

source: Biography/Personal Quotes, www.imdb.com.

topic: Drama, School, Play, Desdemona

We become lovers when we see Romeo and Juliet, and Hamlet makes us students. The blood of Duncan is upon our hands, with Timon werage against the world, and when Lear wanders out upon the heath the terror of madness touches us. Ours is the white sinlessness of Desdemona, and ours, also, the sin of Iago.

- Oscar Wilde

source: Oscar Wilde, Merlin Holland (2003). “Collins complete works of Oscar Wilde”, HarperCollins UK

topic: Blood, Hands, White, Duncan, Desdemona

Juliet singles out Romeo. Desdemona claims Othello. They have no doubts, the young, no fear, no pride.

- Agatha Christie

topic: Love, Pride, Doubt, Desdemona

There are no preconditions for jealousy. You don't have to be right, you don't have to be reasonable. Take Othello. He was neither right nor reasonable, and Desdemona ended up dead. I wouldn't mind Leanne ending up dead. I wouldn't mind exploding her into fireworks of peacock and pearl.

- Franny Billingsley

source: Franny Billingsley (2011). “Chime”, p.113, Penguin

topic: Mind, Pearls, Fireworks, Desdemona

IAGO: She that was ever fair and never proud, Had tongue at will and yet was never loud, Never lack'd gold and yet went never gay, Fled from her wish and yet said 'Now I may,' She that being anger'd, her revenge being nigh, Bade her wrong stay and her displeasure fly, She that in wisdom never was so frail To change the cod's head for the salmon's tail; She that could think and ne'er disclose her mind, See suitors following and not look behind, She was a wight, if ever such wight were,-- DESDEMONA: To do what? IAGO: To suckle fools and chronicle small beer.

- William Shakespeare

source: 'Othello' (1602-4) act 2, sc. 1, l. 148

topic: Revenge, Beer, Gay, Displeasure, Desdemona