Lod. God save the worthy general!
Oth. With all my heart, sir.[6354]
Lod. The duke and senators of Venice greet you. 210
[Gives him a letter.[6355]
Oth. I kiss the instrument of their pleasures.
[Opens the letter, and reads.[6356]
Des. And what's the news, good cousin Lodovico?
Lod. I thank you. How does Lieutenant Cassio?[6359] 215
Iago. Lives, sir.
Des. Cousin, there's fall'n between him and my lord
An unkind breach: but you shall make all well.
Oth. Are you sure of that?
Oth. [Reads] 'This fail you not to do, as you will—'[6361]
Lod. He did not call; he's busy in the paper.
Is there division 'twixt my lord and Cassio?[6362]
Des. A most unhappy one: I would do much
To atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio.[6363] 225
Oth. Fire and brimstone!
Oth. Are you wise?
Des. What, is he angry?
Lod. May be the letter moved him;
For, as I think, they do command him home, 230
Deputing Cassio in his government.
Des. By my troth, I am glad on 't.[6364]
Oth. Indeed!
Oth. I am glad to see you mad.
Des. Why, sweet Othello?[6365]
Oth. Devil! [Striking her.[6366]
Des. I have not deserved this. 235
Lod. My lord, this would not be believed in Venice,
Though I should swear I saw 't: 'tis very much:
Make her amends; she weeps.
Oth. O devil, devil!
If that the earth could teem with woman's tears,[6367]
Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile. 240
Out of my sight!
Des. I will not stay to offend you. [Going.[6368]
Lod. Truly, an obedient lady:[6369]
I do beseech your lordship, call her back.
Oth. Mistress!
Des. My lord? 245
Oth. What would you with her, sir?
Lod. Who, I, my lord?
Oth. Ay; you did wish that I would make her turn:
Sir, she can turn and turn, and yet go on,
And turn again; and she can weep, sir, weep;
And she's obedient, as you say, obedient,[6370] 250
Very obedient. Proceed you in your tears.[6371]
Concerning this, sir,—O well-painted passion!—
I am commanded home. Get you away;[6372]
I'll send for you anon. Sir, I obey the mandate,
And will return to Venice. Hence, avaunt! 255
[Exit Desdemona.[6373]
Cassio shall have my place. And, sir, to-night,
I do entreat that we may sup together:
You are welcome, sir, to Cyprus. Goats and monkeys![6374]
[Exit.
Lod. Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate[6375]
Call all in all sufficient? This the nature[6376] 260
Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue[6377]
The shot of accident nor dart of chance[6378]
Could neither graze nor pierce?[6379]
Iago. He is much changed.
Lod. Are his wits safe? is he not light of brain?[6380]
Iago. He's that he is: I may not breathe my censure[6381][6382] 265
What he might be: if what he might he is not,[6382][6383]
I would to heaven he were!
Lod. What, strike his wife!
Iago. Faith, that was not so well; yet would I knew
That stroke would prove the worst!
Lod. Is it his use?[6384]
Or did the letters work upon his blood, 270
And new create this fault?[6385]
Iago. Alas, alas!
It is not honesty in me to speak
What I have seen and known. You shall observe him,[6386]
And his own courses will denote him so
That I may save my speech: do but go after,[6387] 275
And mark how he continues.
Lod. I am sorry that I am deceived in him. [Exeunt.[6388]
Scene II. A room in the castle.[6389]
Enter Othello and Emilia.
Emil. Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect.[6390]
Oth. Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together.[6390][6392]
Emil. But then I saw no harm, and then I heard
Each syllable that breath made up between them.[6393] 5
Oth. What, did they never whisper?
Emil. Never, my lord.
Oth. Nor send you out o' the way?[6394]
Oth. To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing?[6396]
Emil. Never, my lord. 10
Oth. That's strange.
Emil. I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest,
Lay down my soul at stake: if you think other,
Remove your thought; it doth abuse your bosom.
If any wretch have put this in your head,[6397] 15
Let heaven requite it with the serpent's curse![6398]
For if she be not honest, chaste and true,
There's no man happy; the purest of their wives[6399]
Is foul as slander.
Oth. Bid her come hither: go. [Exit Emilia.[6400]
She says enough: yet she's a simple bawd 20
That cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore,[6401]
A closet lock and key of villanous secrets:[6402]
And yet she'll kneel and pray; I have seen her do't.
Enter Desdemona with Emilia.[6403]
Des. My lord, what is your will?
Oth. Pray, chuck, come hither.[6404]
Des. What is your pleasure?
Des. What horrible fancy's this?
Oth. [To Emilia] Some of your function, mistress;[6406]
Leave procreants alone and shut the door;
Cough, or cry hem, if any body come:
Your mystery, your mystery: nay, dispatch. [Exit Emilia.[6407]30
Des. Upon my knees, what doth your speech import?[6408]
I understand a fury in your words,
But not the words.[6409][6410]
Oth. Why, what art thou?[6410]
Des. Your wife, my lord; your true and loyal wife.[6410] 35
Des. Heaven doth truly know it.
Oth. Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.[6414] 40
Des. To whom, my lord? with whom? how am I false?[6415]
Oth. O Desdemona! Away! away! away![6416]
Des. Alas the heavy day! Why do you weep?[6417]
Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?[6418]
If haply you my father do suspect[6419] 45
An instrument of this your calling back,
Lay not your blame on me: if you have lost him,[6420][6421]
Why, I have lost him too.[6421]
Oth. Had it pleased heaven[6422]
To try me with affliction; had they rain'd[6423]
All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head,[6424] 50
Steep'd me in poverty to the very lips,
Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes,[6425]
I should have found in some place of my soul[6426]
A drop of patience: but, alas, to make me[6427]
A fixed figure for the time of scorn[6428] 55
To point his slow unmoving finger at![6428]
Yet could I bear that too; well, very well:
But there, where I have garner'd up my heart,
Where either I must live or bear no life,
The fountain from the which my current runs,[6429] 60
Or else dries up; to be discarded thence!
Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads[6430]
To knot and gender in! Turn thy complexion there,[6431][6432]
Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd cherubin,[6431][6433]
Ay, there, look grim as hell![6431][6434] 65
Des. I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.[6435]
Oth. O, ay; as summer flies are in the shambles,[6436]
That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed,[6437][6438]
Who art so lovely fair and smell'st so sweet[6437][6439]
That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been born![6437][6440] 70
Des. Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
Oth. Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,
Made to write 'whore' upon? What committed![6441]
Committed! O thou public commoner![6442]
I should make very forges of my cheeks,[6442][6443] 75
That would to cinders burn up modesty,[6442]
Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed![6442][6444]
Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks;
The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets,
Is hush'd within the hollow mine of earth,[6445] 80
And will not hear it. What committed![6446]
Impudent strumpet![6447]
Des. By heaven, you do me wrong.
Oth. Are not you a strumpet?
Des. No, as I am a Christian:
If to preserve this vessel for my lord
From any other foul unlawful touch[6448] 85
Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.
Oth. What, not a whore?
Des. No, as I shall be saved.
Oth. Is't possible?
Des. O, heaven forgive us!
Oth. I cry you mercy then:[6449]
I took you for that cunning whore of Venice 90
That married with Othello. [Raising his voice] You, mistress,[6450]
That have the office opposite to Saint Peter,
And keep the gate of hell!
Re-enter Emilia.
You, you, ay, you![6451]
We have done our course; there's money for your pains:[6452]
I pray you, turn the key, and keep our counsel. [Exit. 95
Emil. Alas, what does this gentleman conceive?
How do you, madam? how do you, my good lady?
Des. Faith, half asleep.
Emil. Good madam, what's the matter with my lord?[6453]
Emil. Why, with my lord, madam.[6455]
Des. Who is thy lord?
Emil. He that is yours, sweet lady.[6456]
Des. I have none: do not talk to me, Emilia;[6457]
I cannot weep, nor answer have I none[6458]
But what should go by water. Prithee, to-night[6459] 105
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember;[6460]
And call thy husband hither.
Emil. Here's a change indeed! [Exit.[6461]
Des. 'Tis meet I should be used so, very meet.[6462]
How have I been behaved, that he might stick
The small'st opinion on my least misuse? 110
Re-enter Emilia with Iago.[6463]
Iago. What is your pleasure, madam? How is't with you?[6464]
Des. I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes[6465]
Do it with gentle means and easy tasks:
He might have chid me so; for, in good faith,[6466]
I am a child to chiding.
Iago. What's the matter, lady?[6467] 115
Emil. Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her,
Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her,
As true hearts cannot bear.[6468]
Des. Am I that name, Iago?
Iago. What name, fair lady?
Des. Such as she says my lord did say I was.[6469] 120
Emil. He call'd her whore: a beggar in his drink
Could not have laid such terms upon his callat.[6470]
Iago. Why did he so?
Des. I do not know; I am sure I am none such.[6471]
Iago. Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day! 125
Emil. Hath she forsook so many noble matches,[6472]
Her father and her country and her friends,[6473]
To be call'd whore? would it not make one weep?
Des. It is my wretched fortune.
Des. Nay, heaven doth know. 130
Emil. I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,
Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,
Have not devised this slander; I'll be hang'd else.[6476]
Iago. Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible. 135
Des. If any such there be, heaven pardon him![6477]
Emil. A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones![6478]
Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company?[6478]
What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?[6478]
The Moor's abused by some most villanous knave,[6479] 140
Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.
O heaven, that such companions thou'ldst unfold,[6480]
And put in every honest hand a whip
To lash the rascals naked through the world[6481]
Even from the east to the west!
Iago. Speak within door.[6482] 145
Emil. O, fie upon them! Some such squire he was[6483]
That turn'd your wit the seamy side without,
And made you to suspect me with the Moor.
Iago. You are a fool; go to.
Des. O good Iago,[6484]
What shall I do to win my lord again? 150
Good friend, go to him; for, by this light of heaven,[6485]
I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:[6486][6487]
If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love[6487]
Either in discourse of thought or actual deed,[6487][6488]
Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense,[6487] 155
Delighted them in any other form,[6487][6489]
Or that I do not yet, and ever did,[6487]
And ever will, though he do shake me off[6487]
To beggarly divorcement, love him dearly,[6487]
Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do much;[6487][6490] 160
And his unkindness may defeat my life,[6487]
But never taint my love. I cannot say 'whore':[6487][6491]
It doth abhor me now I speak the word;[6487][6492]
To do the act that might the addition earn[6487]
Not the world's mass of vanity could make me.[6487] 165
Iago. I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humour:
The business of the state does him offence,
And he does chide with you.[6493]
Des. If 'twere no other,—
Iago. 'Tis but so, I warrant. [Trumpets within.[6494]
Hark, how these instruments summon to supper![6495] 170
The messengers of Venice stay the meat:[6496]
Go in, and weep not; all things shall be well.
[Exeunt Desdemona and Emilia.[6497]
Enter Roderigo.