The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

  Set on thy wife to observe. Leave me, Iago.

  IAGO My lord, I take my leave.

  OTHELLO Why did I marry?

  245

  This honest creature doubtless

  Sees and knows more – much more – than he unfolds.

  IAGO My lord, I would I might entreat your honour

  To scan this thing no farther. Leave it to time;

  Although ’tis fit that Cassio have his place,

  250

  For sure he fills it up with great ability,

  Yet if you please to hold him off a while

  You shall by that perceive him, and his means:

  Note if your lady strain his entertainment

  With any strong or vehement importunity,

  255

  Much will be seen in that. In the meantime

  Let me be thought too busy in my fears

  – As worthy cause I have to fear I am –

  And hold her free, I do beseech your honour.

  OTHELLO Fear not my government.

  260

  IAGO I once more take my leave. Exit.

  OTHELLO

  This fellow’s of exceeding honesty

  And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,

  Of human dealings. If I do prove her haggard,

  Though that her jesses were my dear heart-strings,

  265

  I’d whistle her off and let her down the wind

  To prey at fortune. Haply for I am black

  And have not those soft parts of conversation

  That chamberers have, or for I am declined

  Into the vale of years – yet that’s not much –

  270

  She’s gone, I am abused, and my relief

  Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage

  That we can call these delicate creatures ours

  And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad

  And live upon the vapour of a dungeon

  275

  Than keep a corner in the thing I love

  For others’ uses. Yet ’tis the plague of great ones,

  Prerogatived are they less than the base;

  ’Tis destiny unshunnable, like death –

  Even then this forked plague is fated to us

  280

  When we do quicken.

  Enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA.

  Look where she comes:

  If she be false, O then heaven mocks itself,

  I’ll not believe’t.

  DESDEMONA How now, my dear Othello?

  Your dinner, and the generous islanders

  By you invited, do attend your presence.

  285

  OTHELLO I am to blame.

  DESDEMONA Why do you speak so faintly?

  Are you not well?

  OTHELLO I have a pain upon my forehead, here.

  DESDEMONA

  Faith, that’s with watching, ’twill away again.

  Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

  290

  It will be well.

  OTHELLO Your napkin is too little.

  [She drops her handkerchief.]

  Let it alone. Come, I’ll go in with you.

  DESDEMONA

  I am very sorry that you are not well.

  Exeunt Othello and Desdemona.

  EMILIA

  I am glad I have found this napkin,

  This was her first remembrance from the Moor.

  295

  My wayward husband hath a hundred times

  Wooed me to steal it, but she so loves the token

  – For he conjured her she should ever keep it –

  That she reserves it evermore about her

  To kiss and talk to. I’ll have the work ta’en out

  300

  And give’t Iago: what he will do with it

  Heaven knows, not I,

  I nothing, but to please his fantasy.

  Enter IAGO.

  IAGO How now! What do you here alone?

  EMILIA Do not you chide, I have a thing for you –

  305

  IAGO You have a thing for me? it is a common thing –

  EMILIA Ha?

  IAGO To have a foolish wife.

  EMILIA O, is that all? What will you give me now

  For that same handkerchief?

  IAGO What handkerchief?

  310

  EMILIA What handkerchief?

  Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona,

  That which so often you did bid me steal.

  IAGO Hast stolen it from her?

  EMILIA No, faith, she let it drop by negligence

  315

  And, to th’advantage, I being here, took’t up.

  Look, here it is.

  IAGO A good wench, give it me.

  EMILIA

  What will you do with’t, that you have been so

  earnest

  To have me filch it?

  IAGO [snatching it] Why, what’s that to you?

  EMILIA If it be not for some purpose of import

  320

  Give’t me again. Poor lady, she’ll run mad

  When she shall lack it.

  IAGO Be not acknown on’t,

  I have use for it. Go, leave me. Exit Emilia.

  I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin

  And let him find it. Trifles light as air

  325

  Are to the jealous confirmations strong

  As proofs of holy writ. This may do something.

  The Moor already changes with my poison:

  Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons

  Which at the first are scarce found to distaste

  330

  But with a little art upon the blood

  Burn like the mines of sulphur.

  Enter OTHELLO.

  I did say so:

  Look where he comes. Not poppy nor mandragora

  Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world

  Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep

  335

  Which thou owedst yesterday.

  OTHELLO Ha! Ha! false to me?

  IAGO Why, how now, general? No more of that.

  OTHELLO

  Avaunt, be gone, thou hast set me on the rack!

  I swear ’tis better to be much abused

  Than but to know’t a little.

  IAGO How now, my lord?

  340

  OTHELLO

  What sense had I of her stolen hours of lust?

  I saw’t not, thought it not, it harmed not me,

  I slept the next night well, fed well, was free and

  merry;

  I found not Cassio’s kisses on her lips;

  He that is robbed, not wanting what is stolen,

  345

  Let him not know’t, and he’s not robbed at all.

  IAGO I am sorry to hear this.

  OTHELLO I had been happy if the general camp,

  Pioneers and all, had tasted her sweet body,

  So I had nothing known. O now for ever

  350

  Farewell the tranquil mind, farewell content!

  Farewell the plumed troops and the big wars

  That makes ambition virtue! O farewell,

  Farewell the neighing steed and the shrill trump,

  The spirit-stirring drum, th’ear-piercing fife,

  355

  The royal banner, and all quality,

  Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!

  And, O you mortal engines whose rude throats

  Th’immortal Jove’s dread clamours counterfeit,

  Farewell: Othello’s occupation’s gone.

  360

  IAGO Is’t possible? my lord?

  OTHELLO Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore,

  Be sure of it, give me the ocular proof,

  [catching hold of him]

  Or by the worth of man’s eternal soul

  Thou hadst been better have been born a
dog

  365

  Than answer my waked wrath!

  IAGO Is’t come to this?

  OTHELLO Make me to see’t, or at the least so prove it

  That the probation bear no hinge nor loop

  To hang a doubt on, or woe upon thy life!

  IAGO My noble lord –

  370

  OTHELLO If thou dost slander her and torture me

  Never pray more, abandon all remorse;

  On horror’s head horrors accumulate,

  Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amazed,

  For nothing canst thou to damnation add

  375

  Greater than that!

  IAGO O grace! O heaven forgive me!

  Are you a man? have you a soul, or sense?

  God buy you, take mine office. O wretched fool

  That lov’st to make thine honesty a vice!

  O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O world,

  380

  To be direct and honest is not safe.

  I thank you for this profit, and from hence

  I’ll love no friend, sith love breeds such offence.

  OTHELLO Nay, stay, thou shouldst be honest.

  IAGO I should be wise, for honesty’s a fool

  385

  And loses that it works for.

  OTHELLO By the world,

  I think my wife be honest, and think she is not,

  I think that thou art just, and think thou art not.

  I’ll have some proof. Her name, that was as fresh

  As Dian’s visage, is now begrimed and black

  390

  As mine own face. If there be cords or knives,

  Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams,

  I’ll not endure it. Would I were satisfied!

  IAGO I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion.

  I do repent me that I put it to you.

  395

  You would be satisfied?

  OTHELLO Would? nay, and I will!

  IAGO And may – but how? how satisfied, my lord?

  Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on?

  Behold her topped?

  OTHELLO Death and damnation! O!

  IAGO It were a tedious difficulty, I think,

  400

  To bring them to that prospect. Damn them then

  If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster

  More than their own. What then? how then?

  What shall I say? where’s satisfaction?

  It is impossible you should see this

  405

  Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,

  As salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross

  As ignorance made drunk. But yet, I say,

  If imputation and strong circumstances

  Which lead directly to the door of truth

  410

  Will give you satisfaction, you may have’t.

  OTHELLO Give me a living reason she’s disloyal.

  IAGO I do not like the office.

  But sith I am entered in this cause so far,

  Pricked to’t by foolish honesty and love,

  415

  I will go on. I lay with Cassio lately

  And being troubled with a raging tooth

  I could not sleep. There are a kind of men

  So loose of soul that in their sleeps will mutter

  Their affairs – one of this kind is Cassio.

  420

  In sleep I heard him say ‘Sweet Desdemona,

  Let us be wary, let us hide our loves,’

  And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand,

  Cry ‘O sweet creature!’ and then kiss me hard

  As if he plucked up kisses by the roots

  425

  That grew upon my lips, lay his leg o’er my thigh,

  And sigh, and kiss, and then cry ‘Cursed fate

  That gave thee to the Moor!’

  OTHELLO O monstrous! monstrous!

  IAGO Nay, this was but his dream.

  OTHELLO But this denoted a foregone conclusion.

  430

  IAGO ’Tis a shrewd doubt, though it be but a dream,

  And this may help to thicken other proofs

  That do demonstrate thinly.

  OTHELLO I’ll tear her all to pieces!

  IAGO Nay, yet be wise, yet we see nothing done,

  435

  She may be honest yet. Tell me but this,

  Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief

  Spotted with strawberries, in your wife’s hand?

  OTHELLO I gave her such a one, ’twas my first gift.

  IAGO I know not that, but such a handkerchief,

  440

  I am sure it was your wife’s, did I today