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Definition of Metaphor
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor can be stated explicitly, as... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other. The comparison in a metaphor... read full definition
A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two different things by saying that one thing is the other... read full definition
Act 3, scene 3
Explanation and Analysis—Words as Poison:
The repeated comparison of words to poison and illness forms an extended metaphor throughout the play that emphasizes the dangers and infectiousness of language. In one of Iago’s asides, when he is reflecting on how his deceit is already proving effective on Othello, he remarks:
Unlock with LitCharts A+The Moor already changes with my poison;
Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—The Green-Eyed Monster:
Shakespeare’s “green-eyed monster” metaphor is one of the most evocative images in Othello. The idea of jealousy as a monster that preys and feeds upon its victims is a vivid one that hooks the audience’s imagination. In Act 3, Scene 3, the most pivotal scene in Iago’s manipulation of Othello, Iago cautions:
Unlock with LitCharts A+O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Sexual Appetite:
Metaphors of consumption are repeatedly used in the play to denote the dangers of sexual attraction and over-satiation, specifically in regard to women.
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Act 3, scene 4
Explanation and Analysis—The Green-Eyed Monster:
Shakespeare’s “green-eyed monster” metaphor is one of the most evocative images in Othello. The idea of jealousy as a monster that preys and feeds upon its victims is a vivid one that hooks the audience’s imagination. In Act 3, Scene 3, the most pivotal scene in Iago’s manipulation of Othello, Iago cautions:
Unlock with LitCharts A+O, beware, my lord, of jealousy!
It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock
The meat it feeds on.
Related Themes:
Explanation and Analysis—Sexual Appetite:
Metaphors of consumption are repeatedly used in the play to denote the dangers of sexual attraction and over-satiation, specifically in regard to women.
Unlock with LitCharts A+
Related Themes:
