"She swore, in faith, 'twas strange, 'twas passing strange,
'Twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful.
She wish'd she had not heard it; yet she wish'd
That heaven had made her such a man.
In this passage, Othello is comparing Desdemona's reaction to hearing about his adventures to a wish. He says that she swore it was strange and pitiful, but that she also wished that she could be a man like him. This comparison shows that Othello sees Desdemona as a kind of ideal woman, someone who is both strong and compassionate.