Othello (16 page)
Authors: William Shakespeare
EMILIA
Come, come, you
talk
26
.
DESDEMONA
My mother had a maid called
Barbary
27
:
She was in love, and he she loved proved
mad
28
And did forsake her. She had a song of ‘
willow
29
’,
An old thing ’twas, but it expressed her fortune,
And she died singing it: that song tonight
Will not go from my mind: I have much to do
But to go hang my head all at one side
And sing it like poor Barbary. Prithee dispatch.
EMILIA
Shall I go fetch your nightgown?
DESDEMONA
No, unpin me here.
This Lodovico is a
proper
37
man.
EMILIA
A very handsome man.
DESDEMONA
He speaks well.
EMILIA
I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot to
Palestine for a touch of his
nether
41
lip.
DESDEMONA
The poor soul sat singing by a
sycamore
42
tree,
Sings
Sing all a green willow:
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmured her moans,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
Her salt tears fell from her, and softened the stones,
Sing willow—
Lay by these
50
—
To Emilia
Willow, willow—
Sings
Prithee,
hie thee
52
: he’ll come anon—
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Sings
Let nobody blame him, his scorn I approve—
Nay, that’s not next.— Hark, who is’t that knocks?
EMILIA
It’s the wind.
DESDEMONA
I called my love false love, but what said he then?
Sings
Sing willow, willow, willow:
If I court more women, you’ll
couch
59
with more men!—
So, get thee gone, goodnight. Mine eyes do itch:
Doth that
bode
61
weeping?
EMILIA
’Tis neither here nor there.
DESDEMONA
I have heard it said so. O, these men, these men!
Dost thou in conscience think — tell me, Emilia —
That there be women do
abuse
65
their husbands
In such
gross kind
66
?
EMILIA
There be some such, no question.
DESDEMONA
Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?
EMILIA
Why, would not you?
DESDEMONA
No, by this heavenly light!
EMILIA
Nor I neither by this heavenly light:
I might do’t as well i’th’dark.
DESDEMONA
Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?
EMILIA
The world’s a huge thing: it is a great
price
74
For a small vice.
DESDEMONA
In troth, I think thou wouldst not.
EMILIA
In troth, I think I should, and undo’t when I had
done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a
joint-ring
78
, nor
for measures of
lawn
79
, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor caps,
nor any petty
exhibition
80
: but for all the whole world, why,
who would not make her husband a cuckold to make him a
monarch? I should
venture
82
purgatory for’t.
DESDEMONA
Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong
For the whole world.
EMILIA
Why, the wrong is but a wrong i’th’world, and
having the world for your labour, ’tis a wrong in your own
world, and you might quickly make it right.
DESDEMONA
I do not think there is any such woman.
EMILIA
Yes, a dozen, and as many
to th’vantage
89
as
Would
store
90
the world they played for.
But I do think it is their husbands’ faults
If wives do
fall
92
. Say that they slack their duties
And pour
our treasures into foreign laps
93
,
Or else break out in
peevish
94
jealousies,
Throwing restraint upon us, or say they strike us,
Or
scant
96
our former having in despite:
Why, we
have galls
97
, and though we have some grace,
Yet have we some
revenge
98
. Let husbands know
Their wives have sense like them: they see and smell
And have their palates both for sweet and sour,
As husbands have. What is it that they do
When they
change
102
us for others? Is it sport?
I think it is. And doth
affection
103
breed it?
I think it doth. Is’t frailty that thus errs?
It is so too. And have not we affections?
Desires for sport? And frailty, as men have?
Then let them
use
107
us well: else let them know,
The ills we do, their ills instruct us so.
DESDEMONA
Goodnight, goodnight: heaven me such
uses
109
send
Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend
110
!
Exeunt
running scene 10
Location: Cyprus (a street)
Enter Iago and Rodorigo
IAGO
Here, stand behind this
bulk
1
: straight will he come.
Wear thy good rapier
bare
2
, and put it home.
Quick, quick, fear nothing; I’ll be at thy elbow.
It makes us or it
mars
4
us: think on that,
And fix most firm thy resolution.
RODORIGO
Be near at hand: I may
miscarry
6
in’t.
IAGO
Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.
Conceals himself
RODORIGO
I have no great devotion to the deed,
And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons.
’Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.
Draws
IAGO
I have rubbed this young
quat
11
almost to the sense,
Aside
And he grows
angry
12
. Now, whether he kill Cassio
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
Every way makes my gain.
Live Rodorigo
14
,
He calls me to a restitution large
Of gold and jewels that I
bobbed
16
from him
As
gifts
17
to Desdemona:
It must not be. If Cassio do remain,
He hath a daily beauty in his life
That makes me ugly: and besides, the Moor
May
unfold
21
me to him: there stand I in much peril.
No, he must die. But so: I heard him coming.
Enter Cassio
RODORIGO
I know his gait, ’tis he.— Villain, thou diest!
Makes a
sword thrust
CASSIO
That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
But that my
coat
25
is better than thou know’st:
I will make
proof
26
of thine.
Draws and wounds Rodorigo
RODORIGO
O, I am slain!
He falls; Iago comes forward and stabs Cassio on the leg
Exit Iago
CASSIO
I am maimed for ever. Help, ho! Murder, murder!
He falls
Enter Othello
OTHELLO
The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word.
RODORIGO
O, villain that I am!
OTHELLO
It is even so.
CASSIO
O, help, ho! Light! A surgeon!
OTHELLO
’Tis he. O
brave
33
Iago, honest and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong!
Thou teachest me.—
Minion
35
, your dear lies dead,
And your
unblest
36
fate hies. Strumpet, I come:
For
of
37
my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted,
Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood be spotted.
Exit Othello
Enter Lodovico and Gratiano
CASSIO
What, ho! No watch? No
passage
39
? Murder, murder!
GRATIANO
’Tis some mischance: the voice is very
direful
40
.
CASSIO
O, help!
LODOVICO
Hark!
RODORIGO
O wretched villain!
LODOVICO
Two or three groan. ’Tis
heavy
44
night;
These may be counterfeits: let’s think’t unsafe
To
come in to
46
the cry without more help.
RODORIGO
Nobody come: then shall I bleed to death.
Enter Iago
With a light and weapons
LODOVICO
Hark!
GRATIANO
Here’s one comes
in his shirt
49
, with light and
weapons.
IAGO
Who’s there? Whose noise is this that cries on
murder?
LODOVICO
We do not know.
IAGO
Do not you hear a cry?
CASSIO
Here, here! For heaven sake, help me!
IAGO
What’s the matter?
GRATIANO
This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it.
To Lodovico
LODOVICO
The same indeed: a very valiant fellow.
To Gratiano
IAGO
What are you here that cry so grievously?
CASSIO
Iago? O, I am
spoiled
58
, undone by villains!
Give me some help.
IAGO
O me, lieutenant! What villains have done this?
CASSIO
I think that one of them is hereabout,
And cannot make away.
IAGO
O treacherous villains!—
To Lodovico and Gratiano
What are you there? Come in, and give some help.
RODORIGO
O, help me there!
CASSIO
That’s one of them.
IAGO
O murd’rous slave! O villain!
Stabs Rodorigo
RODORIGO
O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!
IAGO
Kill men i’th’dark!— Where be these bloody
thieves?—
How silent is this town!— Ho! Murder, murder!—
What may you be? Are you of good or evil?
To Lodovico and Gratiano
LODOVICO
As you shall
prove
72
us, praise us.
IAGO
Signior Lodovico?
LODOVICO
He, sir.
IAGO
I cry you mercy. Here’s Cassio hurt by villains.
GRATIANO
Cassio?
IAGO
How is’t, brother?
To Cassio
CASSIO
My leg is cut in two.
IAGO
Marry, heaven forbid!—
Light, gentlemen. I’ll bind it with my shirt.
Enter Bianca
BIANCA
What is the matter, ho? Who is’t that cried?
IAGO
Who is’t that cried?
BIANCA
O my dear Cassio! My sweet Cassio! O Cassio,
Cassio, Cassio!
IAGO
O notable strumpet! Cassio,
may you suspect
85
Who they should be that have thus mangled you?
CASSIO
No.
GRATIANO
I am sorry to find you thus: I have been to seek you.
IAGO
Lend me a
garter
89
. So.— O, for a chair
To bear him easily hence!
BIANCA
Alas, he faints! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!
IAGO
Gentlemen all, I do suspect this
trash
92
To be a party in this injury.—
Patience awhile, good Cassio.— Come, come;
Lend me a light.
Shines light on Rodorigo
Know we this face or no?
Alas, my friend and my dear countryman
Rodorigo? No. Yes, sure: yes, ’tis Rodorigo.
GRATIANO
What, of Venice?
IAGO
Even he, sir: did you know him?
GRATIANO
Know him? Ay.
IAGO
Signior Gratiano? I cry your gentle pardon:
These bloody
accidents
102
must excuse my manners
That so neglected you.
GRATIANO
I am glad to see you.
IAGO
How do you, Cassio?— O, a chair, a chair!
GRATIANO
Rodorigo?
IAGO
He, he ’tis he.—
O, that’s well
said
108
: the chair!
Attendants bring in a chair
Some good man bear him carefully from hence:
I’ll fetch the general’s surgeon.—
For
111
you, mistress,
To Bianca
Save you your labour
112
.— He that lies slain here, Cassio,
Was my dear friend: what malice was between you?
CASSIO
None in the world, nor do I know the man!
IAGO
What, look you pale?— O, bear him out o’th’air.
To Bianca
Stay you, good gentlemen.— Look you pale, mistress?—
Attendants bear off Cassio and Rodorigo
Do you perceive
the gastness of her eye
117
?—
Nay, if you
stare
118
, we shall hear more anon.—
Behold her well: I pray you look upon her:
Do you see, gentlemen? Nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.
[Enter Emilia]
EMILIA
Alas, what is the matter? What is the matter,
husband?
IAGO
Cassio hath here been set on in the dark
By Rodorigo and fellows that are scaped:
He’s almost slain, and Rodorigo quite dead.
EMILIA
Alas, good gentleman! Alas, good Cassio!
IAGO
This is the fruits of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,
Go know of Cassio where he supped tonight.—
To Bianca
What, do you shake at that?
BIANCA
He supped at my house, but I therefore shake not.
IAGO
O, did he so? I charge you go with me.
EMILIA
O, fie upon thee, strumpet!
BIANCA
I am no strumpet, but of life as
honest
133
As you that thus abuse me.
EMILIA
As I? Fie upon thee!
IAGO
Kind gentlemen, let’s go see poor
Cassio dressed
136
.—
Come, mistress, you must tell’s another tale.
Emilia, run you to the citadel
And tell my lord and lady what hath happed.—
Will you go on afore?— This is the night
Aside
That either makes me or
fordoes me quite
141
.
Exeunt
running scene 11
Location: Cyprus (citadel/governor’s bedroom)
Enter Othello and Desdemona in her bed
Othello with a light
OTHELLO
It is the
cause
1
, it is the cause, my soul:
Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars:
It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood,
Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,
And smooth as monumental
alabaster
5
:
Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.
Put out the light
7
, and then put out the light.
If I quench thee, thou
flaming minister
8
,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me: but once put out thy light,
Thou
cunning’st pattern
12
of excelling nature,
I know not where is that
Promethean
13
heat
That can thy light
relume
14
. When I have plucked thy rose,
I cannot give it
vital
15
growth again:
It needs must wither. I’ll smell thee on the tree.
Kisses her
O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade
Justice
17
to break her sword! One more, one more.
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee
And love thee after. One more, and that’s the last.
Kisses her
So sweet was ne’er so
fatal
20
. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears: this sorrow’s heavenly,
It
strikes
22
where it doth love. She wakes.
DESDEMONA
Who’s there? Othello?
OTHELLO
Ay, Desdemona.
DESDEMONA
Will you come to bed, my lord?
OTHELLO
Have you prayed tonight, Desdemon?
DESDEMONA
Ay
27
, my lord.
OTHELLO
If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit
30
for it straight.
DESDEMONA
Alack, my lord, what may you mean by that?
OTHELLO
Well, do it, and be brief: I will walk by
32
.
I would not kill thy unpreparèd spirit,
No, heavens
forfend
34
! I would not kill thy soul.
DESDEMONA
Talk you of killing?
OTHELLO
Ay, I do.
