Othello's Last Words

Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well,
Of one not easily jealous but, being wrought,
Perplexed 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 medicinable gum. Set you down this,
And say besides that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by th’ throat the circumcised dog
And smote him thus. (V.ii.352–365)

Othello's Final address is a brilliantly complicated passage. With these final words, Othello takes his life, reaffirming his position as a figure estranged from Venetian society, yet bound by it and the social expectations thrust upon him. His speech is both eloquent and troubled; confused and strangely resolute. Again, we see Othello's mastery of story-telling and ability to take his listeners away from the present moment, presenting images of 'Arabian trees' and 'turbaned Turks[s]'.
In this light, we are presented with an illustration of his love, longing, and loss of Desdemona - a figure whom he refers to as a 'pearl' thrown away. His regret for part actions, as well as self-loathing are more than evident here. He reflects on his military status and reminds the audience of his troubled past and similarly difficult climb up the rungs of a society that sees him as a lesser man.
The final image is both vivid and pitiful as he calls himself a circumcised dog before stabbing himself in the chest.

Dan Gaita