Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Faith, that was not so well, yet would I knew

That stroke would prove the worst!

-Iago

Othello                    Act IV, Scene i, Line 273

Iago is working his evil magic on Lodovico, an uncle of Desdemona. They’ve witnessed Othello slap his wife and then storm off. Lodivico is now questioning the suitability of Othello to be the military leader. What, strike his wife!, he says, and Iago replies with today’s Totally Random line.

I was reading other parts of this scene to get some better context and I came across another line worth looking at. Lodovico remarks to Othello that Desdemona is weeping. He replies,

If that the earth could teem with woman’s tears,

Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile.

I didn’t know that Will was responsible for the term crocodile tears. Did you?

Well, I'm glad I saw that line, because it makes sense. There's no way this eye is going to be crying any tears.