Learner Resource 4
A tabulated speech – Iago, Act 1, Scene 1
Extracting words from their syntactical and metrical contexts can make it easier to focus on a
writer’s lexical choices. The following table contains all the words that make up what is only
Iago’s second extended speech in the whole play. Try looking for:
- the use of particular word classes
- particular semantic fields
- the repetition of words
- patterns of monosyllables/polysyllables
- phonological patterns.
A constructive way of approaching a tabulated speech is to read down the columns first, to
pick out the use of particular word classes, and/or categories within those classes; and then
to read across the rows, which will give you a sense of the lexical structuring of the speech.
OPEN CLASS
Nouns
Verbs
CLOSED CLASS
Adverbs
Adjectives
Prepositions, conjunctions,
determiners,
pronouns, interjections
1
sir
content
O, you
2
turn
Follow, to
serve
I, him, my, upon, him
3
masters,
masters
cannot . . . be
We, all, nor, all
4
Version 1
Othello
Cannot be,
followed, shall
mark
truly
You
1
Copyright © OCR 2015
5
knave
6
bondage
doting
7
time,
master[‘s],
ass
Wears [out]
much
8
nought,
provender
‘s, cashiered
when
old,
For, but, and, he
9
knaves
Whip, are
such
honest
me, Others, there
10
forms,
visages, duty
trimmed
11
hearts
Keep,
attending
12
shows,
service, lords
throwing
13
coats
Do . . . thrive,
have lined
14
homage,
fellows, soul
Do, have
themselves, These, some
do, profess
And, such, a, on, I, myself
15
16
sir
17
Roderigo
is, are
18
Moor, Iago
Were, would .
. . be
19
Many,
duteous,
knee-crooking
a, and
obsequious
That, on, his, own
his, like, his
Who, in, and, of
yet
their, on, themselves
And, but, of, on, their
well
by, them, and, when, they, their
For
sure
not
It, as, as, you
I, the, I
following,
follow
In, him, I, but, myself
20
Heaven,
judge, love,
duty
is
21
end
seeming
peculiar
But, so, for, my
22
action
doth
demonstrate
outward
For, when, my
Version 1
Othello
not
my, I, for, and
2
Copyright © OCR 2015
23
act, figure,
heart
24
complement
[‘t]is
25
heart, sleeve
will wear
26
daws
to peck, am,
am
not, long
native
The, and, of, my
extern
In, after
But, I, my, upon, my,
not
For, at, I, what, I
When you have analysed Shakespeare’s lexical choices in this speech, think about how you
would interpret your discoveries in context. In other words, why do you think the playwright
gave Iago these words at this point in the play?
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Version 1
Othello
3
Copyright © OCR 2015