Othello

by William Shakespeare

  me,

  And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,

  I should but teach him how to tell my story,

  And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake.

  She loved me for the dangers I had passed,

  And I loved her that she did pity them.

  This only is the witchcraft I have used.

  Here comes the lady. Let her witness it.

  Enter Desdemona, Iago, Attendants.

  DUKE

  I think this tale would win my daughter too.

  Good Brabantio,

  Take up this mangled matter at the best.

  Men do their broken weapons rather use

  Than their bare hands. 151 pliant convenient 153 dilate expand upon 154 by parcels in bits and pieces 155 intentively i.e., with her full attention 166 hint opportunity (as at l. 142)

  BRABANTIO I pray you hear her speak.

  If she confess that she was half the wooer,

  Destruction on my head if my bad blame

  Light on the man! Come hither, gentle mistress.

  Do you perceive in all this noble company

  Where most you owe obedience?

  DESDEMONA My noble father,

  I do perceive here a divided duty.

  To you I am bound for life and education.

  My life and education both do learn me

  How to respect you: you are the lord of duty;

  I am hitherto your daughter. But here's my husband;

  And so much duty as my mother showed

  To you, preferring you before her father,

  So much I challenge that I may profess

  Due to the Moor my lord.

  BRABANTIO God be with you! I have done.

  Please it your grace, on to the state affairs.

  I had rather to adopt a child than get it.

  Come hither, Moor.

  I here do give thee that with all my heart

  Which, but thou hast already, with all my heart

  I would keep from thee. For your sake, jewel,

  I am glad at soul I have no other child,

  For thy escape would teach me tyranny,

  To hang clogs on them. I have done, my lord.

  DUKE

  Let me speak like yourself and lay a sentence

  Which, as a grece or step, may help these lovers 182 education rearing 188 challenge assert the right 191 get beget 194 but thou hast already if you didn't have it already 195 For your sake thanks to you 197 escape transgression, escapade 198 clogs weights (of the kind attached to prisoners; in the seventeenth century they were made of blocks of wood) 199 like yourself as you should; sentence brief sermon or maxim (i.e., the following rhymed couplets of advice) 200 grece stairstep

  Into your favor.

  When remedies are past, the griefs are ended

  By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.

  To mourn a mischief that is past and gone

  Is the next way to draw new mischief on.

  What cannot be preserved when fortune takes,

  Patience her injury a mock'ry makes.

  The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief;

  He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.

  BRABANTIO

  So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile:

  We lose it not so long as we can smile.

  He bears the sentence well that nothing bears

  But the free comfort which from thence he hears;

  But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow

  That to pay grief must of poor patience borrow.

  These sentences, to sugar, or to gall,

  Being strong on both sides, are equivocal.

  But words are words. I never yet did hear

  That the bruised heart was pierced through the ear.

  I humbly beseech you proceed to th' affairs of state.

  DUKE The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude of the place is best known to you; and though we have there a substitute of most allowed sufficiency, yet opinion, a more sovereign 202-3 When remedies . . . depended i.e., disappointment is best mended by facing the unhappy outcome that you feared 206-7 What cannot . . . mock'ry makes to show patience when one is unfortunate is to ridicule and thus show superiority to fortune 209 spends a bootless grief indulges in worthless lamentation 210 So in that case; of Cyprus us beguile cheat us out of possession of Cyprus 212-15 He bears . . . borrow i.e., he who can simply take the advice and forget the injury is lucky, but he who is still sorrowful (who has to borrow from patience to pay a debt to grief ) has to put up with the lecture and the misery 219 pierced (some editors emend to "pieced" - i.e., "mended") 222 fortitude defensive strength, fortification 223 substitute governor or deputy (another instance of replacement in the play) 224 allowed acknowledged; opinion reputation 224-25 more sovereign mistress of effects better predictor of outcomes

  mistress of effects, throws a more safer voice on you. You must therefore be content to slubber the gloss of your new fortunes with this more stubborn and boist'rous expedition.

  OTHELLO

  The tyrant custom, most grave senators,

  Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war

  My thrice-driven bed of down. I do agnize

  A natural and prompt alacrity

  I find in hardness; and do undertake

  This present wars against the Ottomites.

  Most humbly, therefore, bending to your state,

  I crave fit disposition for my wife,

  Due reference of place, and exhibition,

  With such accommodation and besort

  As levels with her breeding.

  DUKE

  Why, at her father's.

  BRABANTIO I will not have it so.

  OTHELLO

  Nor I.

  DESDEMONA Nor would I there reside,

  To put my father in impatient thoughts

  By being in his eye. Most gracious duke,

  To my unfolding lend your prosperous ear,

  And let me find a charter in your voice,

  T' assist my simpleness.

  DUKE

  What would you, Desdemona? 226 slubber stain or darken 227 stubborn untamable 231 thrice-driven bed of down feather bed winnowed three times to make it supersoft 231-33 agnize . . . hardness i.e., recognize in myself a taste (alacrity) for hardship or challenge 235 bending to your state i.e., bowing to your position 236 fit disposition appropriate arrangements 237 reference of place assignment of residence; exhibition allowance 238 besort companions 239 levels with matches 244 prosperous favorable 245 a charter license, authority 246 simpleness inexperience

  DESDEMONA

  That I did love the Moor to live with him,

  My downright violence, and storm of fortunes,

  May trumpet to the world. My heart's subdued

  Even to the very quality of my lord.

  I saw Othello's visage in his mind,

  And to his honors and his valiant parts

  Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate.

  So that, dear lords, if I be left behind,

  A moth of peace, and he go to the war,

  The rites for why I love him are bereft me,

  And I a heavy interim shall support

  By his dear absence. Let me go with him.

  OTHELLO

  Let her have your voice.

  Vouch with me, heaven, I therefore beg it not

  To please the palate of my appetite,

  Nor to comply with heat - the young affects

  In me defunct - and proper satisfaction;

  But to be free and bounteous to her mind.

  And heaven defend your good souls that you think

  I will your serious and great business scant

  When she is with me. No, when light-winged toys

  Of feathered Cupid seel with wanton dullness

  My speculative and officed instruments,

  That my disports corrupt and tai
nt my business,

  Let housewives make a skillet of my helm,

  And all indign and base adversities 249 downright violence obvious unconventionality (violence against propriety); storm of fortunes i.e., the tempestuous results of that unconventionality 251 quality essential nature 252 I saw . . . his mind i.e., I looked within Othello, replacing his dark face (visage) with his mind 253 parts talents, gifts 257 rites ceremonies or perhaps also "rights," privileges of marriage 259 dear costly, grievous 263 comply with heat follow the dictates of passion; young affects youthful desires 268-69 light-winged toys . . . Cupid trivial sports of love 269-70 seel . . . instruments i.e., blind my vision (speculative and officed instruments) with the low desires of the body 271 That such that; disports i.e., sexual pleasures 273 indign shameful

  Make head against my estimation!

  DUKE

  Be it as you shall privately determine,

  Either for her stay or going. Th' affair cries haste,

  And speed must answer it.

  SENATOR

  You must away tonight.

  OTHELLO With all my heart.

  DUKE

  At nine i' th' morning here we'll meet again.

  Othello, leave some officer behind,

  And he shall our commission bring to you,

  And such things else of quality and respect

  As doth import you.

  OTHELLO So please your grace, my ancient;

  A man he is of honesty and trust.

  To his conveyance I assign my wife,

  With what else needful your good grace shall think

  To be sent after me.

  DUKE Let it be so.

  Good night to every one.

  [To Brabantio] And, noble signor,

  If virtue no delighted beauty lack,

  Your son-in-law is far more fair than black.

  SENATOR

  Adieu, brave Moor. Use Desdemona well.

  BRABANTIO

  Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see:

  She has deceived her father, and may thee.

  Exit [Duke, with Senators, Officers, etc.].

  OTHELLO

  My life upon her faith! - Honest Iago,

  My Desdemona must I leave to thee. 274 Make head mount an attack; estimation reputation 283 import concern 285 conveyance escorting 289 If virtue . . . lack if worthiness (virtue) has the power to be delightful (delighted) 294 faith fidelity, faithfulness

  I prithee let thy wife attend on her,

  And bring them after in the best advantage.

  Come, Desdemona. I have but an hour

  Of love, of worldly matters and direction,

  To spend with thee. We must obey the time.

  Exit [Othello with Desdemona].

  RODERIGO Iago -

  IAGO What say'st thou, noble heart?

  RODERIGO What will I do, think'st thou?

  IAGO Why, go to bed and sleep.

  RODERIGO I will incontinently drown myself.

  IAGO If thou dost, I shall never love thee after. Why, thou silly gentleman?

  RODERIGO It is silliness to live when to live is torment, and then have we a prescription to die when death is our physician.

  IAGO O villainous! I have looked upon the world for four times seven years, and since I could distinguish betwixt a benefit and an injury, I never found man that knew how to love himself. Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea hen, I would change my humanity with a baboon.

  RODERIGO What should I do? I confess it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it.

  IAGO Virtue? a fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners; so that if we will plant nettles or sow lettuce, set hyssop and weed up thyme, supply it with one gender of herbs or distract it with many - 297 in the best advantage at the most opportune time 299 direction overseeing business 305 incontinently immediately 309-10 have . . . physician ancient custom (prescription) leads us to kill ourselves if doing so will cure our ills 315 guinea hen bird (figuratively, slang term for a woman; cf. "chick") 318 virtue power, ability 321 wills desires (but the term is sexually loaded: in the period its specific sense of "erotic desire" was supplemented with numerous connotations, from "penis" to "vagina") 323 gender kind (cf. "genre"); distract divide

  either to have it sterile with idleness or manured with industry - why, the power and corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. If the beam of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most prepost'rous conclusions. But we have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings or unbitted lusts; whereof I take this that you call love to be a sect or scion.

  RODERIGO It cannot be.

  IAGO It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will. Come, be a man! Drown thyself? Drown cats and blind puppies! I have professed me thy friend, and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness. I could never better stead thee than now. Put money in thy purse. Follow thou the wars; defeat thy favor with an usurped beard. I say, put money in thy purse. It cannot be long that Desdemona should continue her love to the Moor - put money in thy purse - nor he his to her. It was a violent commencement in her, and thou shalt see an answerable sequestration - put but money in thy purse. These Moors are changeable in their wills - fill thy purse with money. The food that to him now is as luscious as locusts shall be to him shortly as bitter as coloquintida. She must change for youth: when she is sated with his body, she will find the errors of her choice. Therefore put money in thy purse. If thou wilt needs damn thyself, do it a 324-25 sterile . . . industry either unproductive or richly cultivated 325 corrigible authority power to correct 327 poise counterbalance 328 blood and baseness bestial instincts 330 motions impulses; unbitted uncontrolled, unbridled 331-32 a sect or scion an offshoot or a cutting 334 merely completely (i.e., nothing more than) 337-38 perdurable unbreakable 338 stead help 339-40 defeat thy favor undo your facial appearance (i.e., disguise yourself by putting on an usurped [counterfeit] beard) 344-45 answerable sequestration equivalent separation 347 locusts carobs, known for their sweet juice 348 coloquintida medicine made from the colocynth, a bitter apple

  more delicate way than drowning. Make all the money thou canst. If sanctimony and a frail vow betwixt an erring barbarian and supersubtle Venetian be not too hard for my wits and all the tribe of hell, thou shalt enjoy her. Therefore make money. A pox of drowning thyself! - it is clean out of the way. Seek thou rather to be hanged in compassing thy joy than to be drowned and go without her.

  RODERIGO Wilt thou be fast to my hopes, if I depend on the issue?

  IAGO Thou art sure of me. Go, make money. I have told thee often, and I retell thee again and again, I hate the Moor. My cause is hearted; thine hath no less reason. Let us be conjunctive in our revenge against him. If thou canst cuckold him, thou dost thyself a pleasure, me a sport. There are many events in the womb of time, which will be delivered. Traverse, go, provide thy money! We will have more of this tomorrow. Adieu.

  RODERIGO Where shall we meet i' th' morning?

  IAGO At my lodging.

  RODERIGO I'll be with thee betimes.

  IAGO Go to, farewell. - Do you hear, Roderigo?

  RODERIGO I'll sell all my land. Exit.

  IAGO

  Thus do I ever make my fool my purse;

  For I mine own gained knowledge should profane

  If I would time expend with such a snipe

  But for my sport and profit. I hate the Moor, 352 delicate pleasant; Make raise 353 sanctimony holiness (here false virtue or faithfulness?) 354 erring wandering 356 A pox of i.e., "a curse on," "to hell with" (pox=venereal disease) 357 clean out of the way i.e., out of the question 357-59 Seek thou . . . without her i.e., risk death in trying to win her rather than die and have no chance 360 fast faithful 360-61 depend on the issue i.e., wait to see the outcome 364 hearted i.e., lo
dged deep in my heart 365 conjunctive united 366 cuckold him commit adultery with his wife 368 Traverse i.e., get moving, onward 372 betimes early 373 Go to (conventional expression of impatience or agreement - "all right, then" or "you see") 377 snipe dupe, fool

  And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets

  H'as done my office. I know not if 't be true,

  But I, for mere suspicion in that kind,

  Will do as if for surety. He holds me well;

  The better shall my purpose work on him.

  Cassio's a proper man. Let me see now:

  To get his place, and to plume up my will

  In double knavery - How, how? - Let's see: -

  After some time, to abuse Othello's ears

  That he is too familiar with his wife.

  He hath a person and a smooth dispose

  To be suspected - framed to make women false.

  The Moor is of a free and open nature

  That thinks men honest that but seem to be so;

  And will as tenderly be led by th' nose

  As asses are.

  I have't! It is engendered! Hell and night

  Must bring this monstrous birth to the world's light.

  [Exit.]

  II.1 Enter Montano and two Gentlemen.

  MONTANO

  What from the cape can you discern at sea?

  FIRST GENTLEMAN

  Nothing at all: it is a high-wrought flood.

  I cannot 'twixt the heaven and the main

  Descry a sail. 380 office business (i.e., sexual) 382 holds me well thinks highly of me 384 proper (1) good-looking, (2) dutiful, responsible 385 place position, job; plume up my will i.e., pride myself on getting what I want (to plume is to show self-satisfaction, to preen) 389 dispose manner 391 free unreserved, unsuspicious

  II.1 Cyprus, near the harbor 2 high-wrought flood turbulent sea 3 main sea 4 Descry discern, make out

  MONTANO

  Methinks the wind hath spoke aloud at land;

  A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements.

  If it hath ruffianed so upon the sea,

  What ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them,

  Can hold the mortise? What shall we hear of this?

  SECOND [GENTLEMAN]

  A segregation of the Turkish fleet.

  For do but stand upon the foaming shore,

  The chidden billow seems to pelt the clouds;

  The wind-shaked surge, with high and monstrous

  mane,

  Seems to cast water on the burning Bear

  And quench the Guards of th' ever-fixed pole.

  I never did like molestation view

  On the enchafed flood.

  MONTANO If that the Turkish fleet