Othello Quotes for the Jealous Heart

These Othello quotes bring the life of a story written centuries ago to modern life, as many of the virtues in this old play are still valid today.

Othello, a play written by William Shakespeare around 1603 was based on an even older story—that of Un Capitano Moro, which was first published in 1565.

The play tells the complicated story of the characters Othello and Iago.

The plot widely discusses the jealousy of the human heart, as Othello is convinced that his wife should be blamed for adultery.

What is there to be said about jealousy?

Jealousy is a natural human emotion, but it’s important not to let it overcome us.

Struggling with jealousy is one of the toughest things about being human, as we see through Othello’s character.

These Othello quotes will outline jealousy and other emotions, allowing you to understand them on a grander scale.

Don’t forget to also read these jealousy quotes on how to deal with envy.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Check out more inspirational quotes on our motivational quotes category page.

Othello Quotes About Humans and Monsters

1. “O, beware, my lord, or jealousy; It is the greed ey’d monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on.” – Othello

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2. “Men in rage strike those that wish them best.” – Othello

3. “The robb’d that smiles, steals something from the thief; He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.” – Othello

4. “Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving.” – Othello

5. “Who steals my purse steals trash; ‘tis something, nothing; ‘twas mine, ‘tis his, and has been slave to thousands; But he that filches from me my good name Robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.” – Othello

6. “I would not put a thief in my mouth to steal my brains.” – Othello

7. “How poor are they that have no patience! What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” – Othello

8. “Thou weigh’st thy words before thou givest them breath.” – Othello

9. “And what’s he then that says I play the villain?” – Othello

10. “‘You are a villain!’ ‘You are a senator!’” – Othello

11. “But jealous souls will not be answered so. They are not ever jealous for the cause, but jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster begot upon itself, born on itself.” – Othello

Othello Quotes About Love and Other People

12. “For she had eyes and chose me.” – Othello

13. “Good name in man and woman, dear my lord, is the immediate jewel of their souls.” – Othello

14. “But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at: I am not what I am.” – Othello

15. “Men should be what they seem.” – Othello

16. “She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d and I lov’d her that she did pity them.” – Othello

17. “Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger.” – Othello

18. “And his unkindess may defeat my life, but never taint my love.” – Othello

19. “She loved me for the dangers I had passed, and I loved her that she did pity them. This only is the witchcraft I have used.” – Othello

20. “So will I turn her virtue into pitch, and out of her own goodness make the net that shall enmesh them all.” – Othello

21. “She gave me for my pains a world of sighs.” – Othello

22. “They met so near with their lips that their breaths embraced together.” – Othello

23. “So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep. But they are cruel tears. This sorrow’s heavenly; it strikes where it doth love.” – Othello

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Wise Othello Quotes

24. “Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens to the which our wills are gardeners.” – Othello

25. “Trifles light as air are to the jealous confirmations strong as proofs of holy writ.” – Othello

26. “What cannot be saved when fate takes, patience her injury a mockery makes.” – Othello

27. “Virtue? A fig!” – Othello

28. “To mourn a mischief that is past and gone is the next way to draw new mischief on.” – Othello

29. “I never yet did hear, that the bruis’d heart was pierced through the ear.” – Othello

30. “Poor and content is rich, and rich enough; But riches fineless is as poor as winter to him that ever fears he shall be poor;—good heaven, the souls of all my tribe defend from jealousy!” – Othello

31. “Demand me nothing: what you know, you know.” – Othello

32. “Have not we affections and desires for sport, and fraility, as men have?” – Othello

33. “There is magic in the web.” – Othello

34. “There are many events in the womb of time which will be delivered.” – Othello

35. “Jealous souls need no evidence. They aren’t jealous because of a reason, but merely because they are jealous people.” – Othello

Othello Quotes About the Self

36. “Rude am I in my speech, and little blessed with the soft phrase of peace.” – Othello

37. “This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven.” – Othello

38. “Reputation, reputation, reputation! Oh, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and what remains is bestial.” – Othello

39. “Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, but seeming so, for my peculiar end: for when my outward action doth demonstrate the native act and figure of my heart in compliment extern, ‘tis not long after but I will wear my heart upon my sleeve for daws to peck at: I am not what I am.” – Othello

40. “I can again thy former light restore, should I repent me: but once put out thy light, thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat that can thy light relume.” – Othello

41. “As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily sound. There is more sense in that than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition, oft got without merit and lost without deserving.” – Othello

42. “No, my heart is turn’d to stone: I strike it, and it hurts my hand.” – Othello

43. “When devils do the worst sins, they first put on the pretense of goodness and innocence, as I am doing now.” – Othello

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Othello Quotes About Life and Death

44. “It is silliness to live when to live is torment, and then have we a prescription to die when death is our physician.” – Othello

45. “I kissed thee ere I killed thee. No way but this, killing myself, to die upon a kiss.” – Othello

46. “If after every tempest come such calms, may the winds blow till they have waken’d death!” – Othello

47. “Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies.” – Othello

48. “Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul but I do love thee! And when I love thee not, chaos come again.” – Othello

49. “If we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up tine, supply it with one gender of herbs, or distract it with many, either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry, why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills.” – Othello

50. “If it were now to die, ‘twere now to be most happy, for I fear my soul hath her content so absolute that no other comfort, like to this succeeds in unknown fate.” – Othello

More Othello quotes

51. “Though in the trade of war I have slain men, yet I do hold it very stuff o’ the conscience to do no contrived murder: I lack iniquity sometimes to do me service: nine or ten times I had thought to have yerk’d him here under the ribs.” – Othello

52. “Men’s natures wrangle with inferior things, Though great ones are their object.” – William Shakespeare, Othello

53. “It is the very error of the moon. She comes more nearer earth than she was wont. And makes men mad.” – William Shakespeare, Othello

54. “Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.” – William Shakespeare, Othello

Thought Provoking Othello Quotes

55. “I will not charm my tongue: I am bound to speak.” ― William Shakespeare, Othello

56. “Her father loved me; often invited me; Still questioned me the story of my life,…” ― Othello

57. “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee.” ― William Shakespeare

58. “Thou hast not half that power to do me harm / As I have to be hurt.” ― William Shakespeare, Othello

59. “All my fond love thus I blow to heaven. ‘Tis gone. Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!” ― William Shakespeare

60. “O, now, forever Farewell the tranquil mind; farewell content.” ― Othello

61. “Then must you speak, Of one that lov’d not wisely, but too well.” ― William Shakespeare, Othello

62. “Let heaven and men and devils, let them all, All, all, cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak.” ― William Shakespeare

63. “She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished That heaven had made her such a man.” ― Othello

64. “Though I do hate him as I do hell pains, Yet, for the necessity of present life, I must show out a flag and sign of love— Which is indeed but a sign.” ― William Shakespeare

What did you learn from these Othello quotes?

Jealousy is one of the most powerful human emotions, and the most prominent that we see in these memorable Othello quotes.

Othello follows the story of an African general named Othello who is serving in the Venetian Army.

He is tricked into believing that his wife has committed adultery while he was away serving. 

While this story is centuries old, Othello still has important things to say about the human state—in particular, jealousy.

What can we take away about jealousy as an emotion from the very human story of Othello?

The truth is, while jealousy is only natural, it is important to not allow it to control you.

There are other powerful emotions and experiences in life—ensure that jealousy isn’t one that overtakes you.

What’s your biggest takeaway from these Othello quotes?

Do you have any other favorite quotes to add?

Let us know in the comment section below.