"Duke of Milan: 
 Let me speak like yourself, and lay a sentence... 
 When remedies are past, the griefs are ended 
 By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended. 
 To mourn a mischief that is past and gone 
 Is the next way to draw new mischief on. 
 What cannot be preserved when fortune takes 
 Patience her injury a mockery makes. 
 The robb'd that smiles steals something from the thief; 
 He robs himself that spends a bootless grief." - Act I, scene 3 
 "Iago: 
 O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; 
 It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock 
 The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss 
 Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; 
 But, O, what damned minutes tells he o'er 
 Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves!" Act III, scene 3 
 Though I rate this 3 out of 5 it is a stronger 3 than I give Macbeth. 
 This play is a very interesting mix of renaissance-era racism, sexism, and one guy who really is a bad read of other people's characters and a bad read of his own feelings (but I will get to that later). This being a standard Shakespeare tragedy there has to be a Machiavellian Ubermensch and Iago rises to the challenge which much ease. Though he is not as diabolical as Edmund of King Lear, he at least has a "better?" excuse of hearing rumors that "twixt my [bed]sheets [Othello] has done my office." He has NO evidence to speak on about this and it becomes clear during the course of the play that the "black ram" getting ahead in life is the true cause. Get use to allusions to race because this play is going head to head with The Merchant of Venice on singling out the ethnic "other" from the general European population. As I stated in my King Lear review, I am often amused at how much the universe of Shakespeare bends to your will when you are the designated villain and this play is no exception. I was a bit disappointed though with how easy it was for Iago, he barely has to work to get what he wants and it leaves the whole plot wanting in that regard. 
 Another aspect of this play that I picked-up on and felt acutely aware of was the role of women in this play. Now Shakespeare plays have always shown that they can have strong female characters, but this play seems to, for me, comment on the lack of power or independence that they have. The women are keenly aware of this, despite what the men want to believe about them as Emilia explains: "They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us." Desdemona, naturally, suffers the most from this way of life as she is used as an object throughout the whole play, she is a trophy for her father and Othello, and Rodrigo, and a very apt pawn for Iago. The exploitation is very cold and One never really sees Desdemona find her "voice", though Emilia often speaks up for women in this play even though she was also unwittingly used by her husband Iago. In the end Desdemona was, as Gail Simone might say, aptly led to be stuffed in Othello's refrigerator. 
 The last thing I want to shortly comment on is Othello's bad judgment. Having a noble character led astray by one character flaw is a well known Shakespearean trope and Othello sees it in perfect form. He puts his trust in the wrong person and persecutes the right person. What is unique in Othello's case...well this line:"I think my wife be honest and think she is not; I think that thou art just and think thou art not." Othello's lack of trust in his own feelings and judgment make it that much easier for Iago's scheming to come together. This is the true human tragedy of the piece beneath the racism and sexism, Othello's lack of trust in himself. 
 So this is a good story, not as many quotable quotes, not really complex, but it is straight-forward and a very classical type of tragic play. 
 "Othello: Soft you; a word or two before you go. 
 I have done the state some service, and they know't. 
 No more of that. I pray you, in your letters, 
 When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, 
 Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, 
 Nor set down aught in malice: then must you speak 
 Of one that loved not wisely but too well; 
 Of one not easily jealous, but being wrought 
 Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand, 
 Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away 
 Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes, 
 Albeit unused to the melting mood, 
 Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees 
 Their medicinal gum." - Act V, scene 2