“To my unfolding lend your gracious ear,
And let me find a charter in your voice
To assist my simpleness.”
(Othello, act 1, sc. 3)
Comments. You know all the practical reasons for asking for a raise in salary, but these lines make for a sensible introduction. This of course implies that your boss or employer may have a literary bent or at least not be totally alien to literature. As for what comes after the introduction you are in the best position to assess your situation – how you can demonstrate your worth to your employer, tact and skill in not crossing the line of overbearingness, etc. Engage your counterpart and make sure that your conversation is not a procession of one. And just in case you are asked, “What does ‘find a charter in your voice’ means?” It means, “allow me the privilege of being assisted etc.” ‘Charter’ comes from the old French ‘chartre’ meaning letter, document, covenant, something official. The first line “To my unfolding lend your precious ear.” works equally well as a beginning of a presentation.
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In the Play. Desdemona pleads with the Duke of Venice that she may be allowed to accompany Othello to Cyprus, where he has been assigned.
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