The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (1000 page)

Was a friend of mine. What argument was between you?

CASSIO

None in the world; nor do I know the man.

None in the world: I don’t even know him.

IAGO

[To BIANCA] What, look you pale? O, bear him out o' the air.

Why do you look so pale? O carry him away.

CASSIO and RODERIGO are borne off

Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, mistress?

Stay and look, good gentlemen. Are you pale, mistress?

Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?

Do you all see how afraid she looks?

Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.

If you watch her, we will hear more soon.

Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:

Watch her well, please, watch her well:

Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,

Do you see, men? Her guiltiness will speak

Though tongues were out of use.

Even if she is silent.

Enter EMILIA

EMILIA

'Las, what's the matter? what's the matter, husband?

Oh no, what is the matter? Husband, what is the matter?

IAGO

Cassio hath here been set on in the dark

Cassio has been attached in the dark

By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped:

By Roderigo and others who escaped.

He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead.

He is hurt badly, and Roderigo is dead.

EMILIA

Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio!

O my! Good gentlemen! O no, good Cassio!

IAGO

This is the fruit of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,

This is what happens when you visit whores. Please, Emilia,

Go know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night.

Go find out where Cassio had dinner tonight.

To BIANCA

What, do you shake at that?

Why are you shaking?

BIANCA

He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not.

He ate at my house, but I am not shaking.

IAGO

O, did he so? I charge you, go with me.

O he did? You must come with me.

EMILIA

Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet!

Curses on you, whore!

BIANCA

I am no strumpet; but of life as honest

I am no whore. I am as honest

As you that thus abuse me.

As all of you who curse me.

EMILIA

As I! foh! fie upon thee!

As me! No! Curses on you!

IAGO

Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd.

Gentlemen, let us visit Cassio as he is tended to.

Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.

Come mistress, you must tell your story.

Emilia run you to the citadel,

Emilia, run to the castle

And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.

And tell my lord and lady what happened.

Will you go on? I pray.

Will you go now? Please.

Aside

This is the night

Tonight

That either makes me or fordoes me quite.

Either makes my fortunes or ruins me.

Exeunt

Enter OTHELLO

OTHELLO

It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,--

I have good reason, I have good reason –

Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!--

I won’t say it to you, O pure stars! –

It is the cause. Yet I'll not shed her blood;

I have good reason. I won’t make her bleed

Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,

Nor will I scar her skin that is as white as snow,

And smooth as monumental alabaster.

And as smooth as alabaster stone.

Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.

Yet if she doesn’t die she will betray even more men.

Put out the light, and then put out the light:

I will put out the light of the candle, and then the light of her life.

If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,

If I put you out, you flaming candle,

I can again thy former light restore,

I can always light you again

Should I repent me: but once put out thy light,

If I feel sorry for it. But once I put out Desdemona’s light,

Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,

That beautiful, cunning woman,

I know not where is that Promethean heat

Then I do not know what heat

That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd the rose,

Can relit her life. When I have picked that rose,

I cannot give it vital growth again.

I cannot give it life again.

It must needs wither: I'll smell it on the tree.

It must wither. I will smell it once more while it is alive on the tree.

Kissing her

Ah balmy breath, that dost almost persuade

Sweet breath, you almost persuade me

Justice to break her sword! One more, one more.

Not to kill you and not to carry out the deserved justice. One more kiss.

Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,

If you look like this when you are dead, then I will kill you

And love thee after. One more, and this the last:

And I will love you afterwards. One more kiss, and this is the last one.

So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,

Something so sweet was never so fatal. I must cry,

But they are cruel tears: this sorrow's heavenly;

But I must be cruel as well. This is a Godly sorrow

It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.

Which punishes the one it loves. She is waking up.

DESDEMONA

Who's there? Othello?

Who is there? Othello?

OTHELLO

Ay. Desdemona.

Yes, Desdemona.

DESDEMONA

Will you come to bed, my lord?

Will you please come to bed, my lord?

OTHELLO

Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemona?

Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?

DESDEMONA

Ay, my lord.

yes, my lord.

OTHELLO

If you bethink yourself of any crime

If you can think of any crime

Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,

That you have not asked for forgiveness for,

Solicit for it straight.

Do that now.

DESDEMONA

Alas, my lord, what do you mean by that?

My lord, what do you mean?

OTHELLO

Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:

Do it, and be quick. I will wait,

I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;

For I will not kill someone who is not spiritually ready.

No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul.

No, by God I would not want your soul to go to hell.

DESDEMONA

Talk you of killing?

You are talking about killing?

OTHELLO

Ay, I do.

I am.

DESDEMONA

Then heaven

God

Have mercy on me!

Have mercy on me!

OTHELLO

Amen, with all my heart!

Amen to that!

DESDEMONA

If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.

Since you say so, I hope you will not kill me.

OTHELLO

Hum!

Hmm!

DESDEMONA

And yet I fear you; for you are fatal then

Yet I am afraid of you, for you are deadly and dangerous

When your eyes roll so: why I should fear I know not,

When your eyes are so red. I don’t know why I am afraid,

Since guiltiness I know not; but yet I feel I fear.

Since I am not guilty of anything, but I still feel fear.

OTHELLO

Think on thy sins.

Think about your sins.

DESDEMONA

They are loves I bear to you.

The only one is the love I have for you.

OTHELLO

Ay, and for that thou diest.

And that is why you will die.

DESDEMONA

That death's unnatural that kills for loving.

It isn’t right to kill someone for loving.

Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip?

O, why are you biting your lip?

Some bloody passion shakes your very frame:

A strong, evil emotion is shaking your body.

These are portents; but yet I hope, I hope,

This is some bad omen, but still I hope

They do not point on me.

That it does not bode poorly for me.

OTHELLO

Peace, and be still!

Be quiet and still!

DESDEMONA

I will so. What's the matter?

I will. What is the matter?

OTHELLO

That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee

The handkerchief that I loved and gave to you,

Thou gavest to Cassio.

You gave to Cassio.

DESDEMONA

No, by my life and soul!

I didn’t, I swear by my life and soul!

Send for the man, and ask him.

Send for him and ask him.

OTHELLO

Sweet soul, take heed,

Sweet soul, be careful,

Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy deathbed.

Be careful not to lie, for you are on your deathbed.

DESDEMONA

Ay, but not yet to die.

Yes, but I have not died yet.

OTHELLO

Yes, presently:

Soon,

Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;

So confess your sin openly:

For to deny each article with oath

It won’t help you to swear against each accusation,

Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception

That won’t remove the thought that makes me

That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.

Groan in pain. You are going to die.

DESDEMONA

Then Lord have mercy on me!

Lord have mercy on me!