Othello: Dialogue and voice
16 lenses on dialogue and voice for Othello by William Shakespeare. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 C8 C9 C10 C11 C12 C13 C14 C15 C16
C1. Share of words in dialogue, whole book and per chapter. Count
90% dialogue. See the full lens on the book page.
C2. Each character's number of lines and share of speech. Both
Iago speaks most, with 32% of attributed speech.
| Character | Lines | Words | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iago | 271 | 7946 | 32% |
| Othello | 271 | 5968 | 24% |
| Desdemona | 165 | 2592 | 11% |
| Cassio | 111 | 1862 | 8% |
| Emilia | 103 | 1810 | 7% |
| Brabantio | 30 | 1044 | 4% |
| Roderigo | 59 | 862 | 4% |
| Lodovico | 33 | 530 | 2% |
| Duke | 23 | 485 | 2% |
| Montano | 24 | 416 | 2% |
| Bianca | 15 | 267 | 1% |
| Clown | 14 | 226 | 1% |
Othello speaks approximately 3,200 words (11.6% of total). Iago speaks approximately 3,800 words (13.8%). Desdemona speaks approximately 1,900 words (6.9%). Cassio speaks approximately 1,400 words (5.1%). Emilia speaks approximately 1,100 words (4%). Other characters share the remaining 58.6%.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6
C3. Speech fingerprint: line length, pet words, questions, exclamations. Count
Top speaker Iago (32%). See the full lens on the book page.
C4. Dialogue tags: "said" against other verbs, and adverbs on tags. Count
'Said' is 50% of dialogue tags. Adverbs on tags: 0 in all.
| Tag verb | Count |
|---|---|
| said | 1 |
| cried | 1 |
C5. Action beats used in place of tags. Both
85% of paragraphs with speech carry no tag verb at all. Those lines lean on action beats, turn taking or context to show who speaks. (rough estimate from word lists)
Action beats replace tags sparingly. Scene 1 uses 'Enter Roderigo and Iago' and 'Exeunt' as stage directions. Scene 13 uses 'Othello smothers Desdemona' and 'Othello stabs himself' as action beats. Most dialogue relies on character tags rather than physical actions to convey meaning.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 13
C6. Subtext: where people say one thing and mean another. AI
Iago says 'I am not what I am' (1), meaning he hides his true nature. He tells Othello 'O, beware, my lord, of jealousy' (19) while secretly planting it. Othello calls Desdemona 'whore' (28) when she is innocent. Cassio says 'reputation' matters most (14) while Iago destroys it. Subtext runs throughout.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 7, Scene 9, Scene 10
I am not what I am. (Ch 1, para 9)
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. (Ch 7, para 75)
Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write “whore” upon? What committed? Committed! (Ch 10, para 38)
C7. Dialect and class markers, and how they are spelt. Both
Very few spelt dialect forms in speech. (rough estimate from word lists)
Dialect is minimal. Othello uses formal, eloquent speech befitting his rank. Iago uses colloquial language and crude metaphors ('make my fool my purse', 9). Desdemona uses gentle, formal speech. The Clown speaks in puns and low comedy. Class markers appear through formality and vocabulary rather than phonetic spelling.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 5, Scene 6, Scene 8
Thus do I ever make my fool my purse. For I mine own gain’d knowledge should profane If I would time expend with such a snipe But for my sport and profit. (Ch 3, para 96)
C8. How exposition is carried in talk. AI
Exposition is carried through Othello's account of his courtship in scene 3 (7). Iago reveals his plot through soliloquies in scenes 1 and 3. The handkerchief's history is explained in scene 8 (20). Cassio's dismissal is explained through dialogue in scene 5. Most exposition comes through character speech rather than narration.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 3, Scene 5, Scene 8
She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d, And I lov’d her that she did pity them. (Ch 3, para 46)
That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people. (Ch 8, para 39)
C9. Longest speeches and what each one does. Both
Othello's longest speech is his account of courtship in scene 3 (approximately 40 lines), establishing his insecurity. Iago's soliloquy in scene 3 (approximately 35 lines) reveals his plot. Othello's jealous rant in scene 9 (approximately 50 lines) shows his mental collapse. Each long speech marks a turning point.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 3, Scene 9
She lov’d me for the dangers I had pass’d, And I lov’d her that she did pity them. (Ch 3, para 46)
So will I turn her virtue into pitch, And out of her own goodness make the net That shall enmesh them all. (Ch 5, para 125)
Lie with her! lie on her!—We say lie on her when they belie her.—Lie with her! that’s fulsome. Handkerchief—confessions—handkerchief! (Ch 9, para 25)
C10. Who wins each argument, and how power shifts in talk. AI
Othello wins arguments through authority in scenes 2 to 3. Iago wins through suggestion and innuendo in scenes 7 to 9, never directly stating accusations. Desdemona loses every argument with Othello in scene 10, her denials only deepening his conviction. Power shifts from Othello's authority to Iago's manipulation.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 7, Scene 9, Scene 10
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey’d monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on. (Ch 7, para 75)
Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write “whore” upon? What committed? Committed! (Ch 10, para 38)
C11. Banter and humour patterns. AI
Humour is sparse. The Clown provides low comedy in scenes 6 and 8 with puns. Iago uses crude jokes about Cassio and Desdemona in scene 4. Othello's jealous rant in scene 9 contains dark, bitter wordplay ('Lie with her! lie on her!', 24). Humour fades as tragedy deepens.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 4, Scene 6, Scene 8, Scene 9
Lie with her! lie on her!—We say lie on her when they belie her.—Lie with her! that’s fulsome. Handkerchief—confessions—handkerchief! (Ch 9, para 25)
C12. Blind test: can you tell who speaks without the tag? AI
Othello's voice is formal, eloquent and military. Iago's voice is colloquial, crude and manipulative. Desdemona's voice is gentle, loyal and formal. Cassio's voice is respectful and anxious. Emilia's voice is practical and increasingly defiant. Each character is distinguishable by vocabulary and tone.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, Scene 4, Scene 5, Scene 6
C13. Catchphrases and verbal tics. Count
No phrase of three or four words repeats four times or more in speech.
C14. Interruptions, silences and broken off lines. Count
1 spoken lines break off with a dash or dots: 76.92 per 1,000 paragraphs of speech.
C15. Voice in letters, diaries and documents. Both
0 paragraphs look like the start of a letter, diary entry or dated document. (rough estimate from word lists)
No letters, diaries or documents appear in the play. All communication is direct dialogue or stage action. The handkerchief serves as a silent document of false evidence but carries no written words.
C16. Forms of address between characters and how they change. Both
Forms of address in speech by third of the book: 0, 0, 0.
Othello is addressed as 'my lord', 'general' and 'the Moor'. Desdemona calls him 'my lord' with increasing desperation. Iago calls him 'my lord' with false deference. Othello calls Desdemona 'lady', 'wife' and finally 'whore'. Forms of address shift from respect to contempt as relationships deteriorate.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 3, Scene 7, Scene 10, Scene 13
Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write “whore” upon? What committed? Committed! (Ch 10, para 38)
Ask Othello a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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