The Oxford Shakespeare: The Complete Works

by William Shakespeare

  Othello, a great success in Shakespeare’s time, was one of the first plays to be acted after the reopening of the theatres in 1660, and since that time has remained one of the most popular plays on the English stage.

  THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY

  OTHELLO, the Moor of Venice

  DESDEMONA, his wife

  Michael CASSIO, his lieutenant

  BIANCA, a courtesan, in love with Cassio

  IAGO, the Moor’s ensign

  EMILIA, Iago’s wife

  A CLOWN, a servant of Othello

  The DUKE of Venice

  BRABANZIO, Desdemona’s father, a Senator of Venice

  GRAZIANO, Brabanzio’s brother

  LODOVICO, kinsman of Brabanzio

  SENATORS of Venice

  RODERIGO, a Venetian gentleman, in love with Desdemona

  MONTANO, Governor of Cyprus

  A HERALD

  A MESSENGER

  Attendants, officers, sailors, gentlemen of Cyprus, musicians

  The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice

  1.1 Enter Iago and Roderigo

  RODERIGO

  Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly

  That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse

  As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.

  IAGO ’Sblood, but you’ll not hear me!

  If ever I did dream of such a matter, abhor me.

  RODERIGO

  Thou told’st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.

  IAGO Despise me

  If I do not. Three great ones of the city,

  In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,

  Off-capped to him; and by the faith of man

  I know my price, I am worth no worse a place.

  But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,

  Evades them with a bombast circumstance

  Horribly stuffed with epithets of war,

  Nonsuits my mediators; for ‘Certes,’ says he,

  ‘I have already chose my officer.’

  And what was he?

  Forsooth, a great arithmetician,

  One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,

  A fellow almost damned in a fair wife,

  That never set a squadron in the field

  Nor the division of a battle knows

  More than a spinster—unless the bookish theoric,

  Wherein the togaed consuls can propose

  As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice

  Is all his soldiership; but he, sir, had th’election,

  And I—of whom his eyes had seen the proof

  At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds

  Christened and heathen—must be beleed and calmed

  By debitor and creditor. This counter-caster,

  He in good time must his lieutenant be,

  And I—God bless the mark!—his Moorship’s ensign.

  RODERIGO

  By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.

  IAGO

  Why, there’s no remedy. ’Tis the curse of service.

  Preferment goes by letter and affection,

  And not by old gradation, where each second

  Stood heir to th’ first. Now, sir, be judge yourself

  Whether I in any just term am affined

  To love the Moor.

  RODERIGO I would not follow him then.

  IAGO O sir, content you.

  I follow him to serve my turn upon him.

  We cannot all be masters, nor all masters

  Cannot be truly followed. You shall mark

  Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave

  That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,

  Wears out his time much like his master’s ass

  For naught but provender, and when he’s old,

  cashiered.

  Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are

  Who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty,

  Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,

  And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,

  Do well thrive by ‘em, and when they have lined their

  coats,

  Do themselves homage. These fellows have some soul,

  And such a one do I profess myself—for, sir,

  It is as sure as you are Roderigo,

  Were I the Moor I would not be Iago.

  In following him I follow but myself.

  Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,

  But seeming so for my peculiar end.

  For when my outward action doth demonstrate

  The native act and figure of my heart

  In compliment extern, ’tis not long after

  But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

  For daws to peck at. I am not what I am.

  RODERIGO

  What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe

  If he can carry’t thus!

  IAGO

  Call up her father,

  Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight,

  Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,

  And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,

  Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy,

  Yet throw such chances of vexation on’t

  As it may lose some colour.

  RODERIGO

  Here is her father’s house. I’ll call aloud.

  IAGO

  Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell

  As when, by night and negligence, the fire

  Is spied in populous cities.

  RODERIGO (calling)

  What ho, Brabanzio, Signor Brabanzio, ho!

  IAGO (calling)

  Awake, what ho, Brabanzio, thieves, thieves, thieves!

  Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags.

  Thieves, thieves!

  Enter Brabanzio in his nightgown at a window above

  BRABANZIO

  What is the reason of this terrible summons?

  What is the matter there?

  RODERIGO

  Signor, is all your family within?

  IAGO

  Are your doors locked?

  BRABANZIO

  Why, wherefore ask you this?

  IAGO

  ’Swounds, sir, you’re robbed. For shame, put on your

  gown.

  Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul.

  Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

  Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!

  Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,

  Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you.

  Arise, I say.

  BRABANZIO What, have you lost your wits?

  RODERIGO

  Most reverend signor, do you know my voice?

  BRABANZIO Not I. What are you?

  RODERIGO My name is Roderigo.

  BRABANZIO The worser welcome.

  I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors.

  In honest plainness thou hast heard me say

  My daughter is not for thee, and now in madness,

  Being full of supper and distempering draughts,

  Upon malicious bravery dost thou come

  To start my quiet.

  RODERIGO Sir, sir, sir.

  BRABANZIO But thou must needs be sure

  My spirits and my place have in their power

  To make this bitter to thee.

  RODERIGO

  Patience, good sir.

  BRABANZIO

  What tell’st thou me of robbing? This is Venice.

  My house is not a grange.

  RODERIGO Most grave Brabanzio,

  In simple and pure soul I come to you.

  IAGO (to Brabanzio) ’Swounds, sir, you are one of those that will not serve God if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse, you’ll have your nephews neigh to you, you’ll have coursers for cousins and jennets
for germans.

  BRABANZIO What profane wretch art thou?

  IAGO I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

  BRABANZIO

  Thou art a villain.

  IAGO

  You are a senator.

  BRABANZIO

  This thou shalt answer. I know thee, Roderigo.

  RODERIGO

  Sir, I will answer anything. But I beseech you,

  If’t be your pleasure and most wise consent—

  As partly I find it is—that your fair daughter,

  At this odd-even and dull watch o’th’ night,

  Transported with no worse nor better guard

  But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,

  To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor—

  If this be known to you, and your allowance,

  We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs.

  But if you know not this, my manners tell me

  We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe

  That, from the sense of all civility,

  I thus would play and trifle with your reverence.

  Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,

  I say again hath made a gross revolt,

  Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes

  In an extravagant and wheeling stranger

  Of here and everywhere. Straight satisfy yourself.

  If she be in her chamber or your house,

  Let loose on me the justice of the state

  For thus deluding you.

  BRABANZIO (calling)

  Strike on the tinder, ho!

  Give me a taper, call up all my people.

  This accident is not unlike my dream;

  Belief of it oppresses me already.

  Light, I say, light!

  Exit

  IAGO Farewell,

  for I must leave you.

  It seems not meet nor wholesome to my place

  To be producted—as, if I stay, I shall—

  Against the Moor, for I do know the state,

  However this may gall him with some check,

  Cannot with safety cast him, for he’s embarked

  With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,

  Which even now stands in act, that, for their souls,

  Another of his fathom they have none

  To lead their business, in which regard—

  Though I do hate him as I do hell pains—

  Yet for necessity of present life

  I must show out a flag and sign of love,

  Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find

  him,

  Lead to the Sagittary the raised search,

  And there will I be with him. So farewell. Exit

  Enter below Brabanzio in his nightgown, and

  servants with torches

  BRABANZIO

  It is too true an evil. Gone she is,

  And what’s to come of my despised time

  Is naught but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,

  Where didst thou see her?—O unhappy girl!—

  With the Moor, sayst thou?—Who would be a

  father?—

  How didst thou know ’twas she?—O, she deceives me

  Past thought!—What said she to you? (To servants)

  Get more tapers,

  Raise all my kindred.

  ⌈Exit one or more⌉

  (To Roderigo) Are they married, think you?

  RODERIGO Truly, I think they are.

  BRABANZIO

  O heaven, how got she out? O, treason of the blood!

  Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters’ minds

  By what you see them act. Is there not charms

  By which the property of youth and maidhood

  May be abused? Have you not read, Roderigo,

  Of some such thing?

  RODERIGO

  Yes, sir, I have indeed.

  BRABANZIO (to servants)

  Call up my brother. (To Roderigo) O, would you had

  had her.

  (To servants) Some one way, some another.

  ⌈Exit one or more⌉

  (To Roderigo) Do you know

  Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

  RODERIGO

  I think I can discover him, if you please

  To get good guard and go along with me.

  BRABANZIO

  Pray you lead on. At every house I’ll call;

  I may command at most. (Calling) Get weapons, ho,

  And raise some special officers of night.

  On, good Roderigo. I will deserve your pains. Exeunt

  1.2 Enter Othello, Iago, and attendants with torches

  IAGO

  Though in the trade of war I have slain men,

  Yet do I hold it very stuff o’th’ conscience

  To do no contrived murder. I lack iniquity,

  Sometime, to do me service. Nine or ten times

  I had thought to’ve yerked him here, under the ribs.

  OTHELLO

  ’Tis better as it is.

  IAGO

  Nay, but he prated,

  And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms

  Against your honour

  That, with the little godliness I have,

  I did full hard forbear him. But I pray you, sir,

  Are you fast married? Be assured of this:

  That the magnifico is much beloved,

  And hath in his effect a voice potential

  As double as the Duke’s. He will divorce you,

  Or put upon you what restraint or grievance

  The law, with all his might to enforce it on,

  Will give him cable.

  OTHELLO

  Let him do his spite.

  My services which I have done the signory

  Shall out-tongue his complaints. ’Tis yet to know—

  Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,

  I shall promu]gate—I fetch my life and being

  From men of royal siege, and my demerits

  May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune

  As this that I have reached. For know, Iago,

  But that I love the gentle Desdemona

  I would not my unhousèd free condition

  Put into circumscription and confine

  For the seas’ worth.

  Enter Cassio and officers, with torches

  But look, what lights come yond?

  IAGO

  Those are the raised father and his friends.

  You were best go in.

  OTHELLO Not I. I must be found.

  My parts, my title, and my perfect soul

  Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?

  IAGO By Janus, I think no.

  OTHELLO

  The servants of the Duke, and my lieutenant!

  The goodness of the night upon you, friends.

  What is the news?

  CASSIO

  The Duke does greet you, general,

  And he requires your haste-post-haste appearance

  Even on the instant.

  OTHELLO

  What is the matter, think you?

  CASSIO

  Something from Cyprus, as I may divine;

  It is a business of some heat. The galleys

  Have sent a dozen sequent messengers

  This very night at one another’s heels,

  And many of the consuls, raised and met,

  Are at the Duke’s already. You have been hotly called

  for,

  When, being not at your lodging to be found,

  The senate sent about three several quests

  To search you out.

  OTHELLO

  ’Tis well I am found by you.

  I will but spend a word here in the house

  And go with you. Exit

  CASSIO

  Ensign, what makes he here?

  IAGO

  Faith, he tonight hath boar
ded a land-carrack.

  If it prove lawful prize, he’s made for ever.

  CASSIO

  I do not understand.

  IAGO

  He’s married.

  CASSIO

  To who?

  Enter Brabanzio, Roderigo, and officers, with lights

  and weapons

  IAGO

  Marry, to—

  Enter Othello

  (To Othello) Come, captain, will you go?

  OTHELLO Have with you.

  CASSIO

  Here comes another troop to seek for you.

  IAGO

  It is Brabanzio. General, be advised.

  He comes to bad intent.

  OTHELLO

  Holla, stand, there!

  RODERIGO (to Brabanzio)

  Signor, it is the Moor.

  BRABANZIO

  Down with him, thief!

  IAGO (drawing his sword)

  You, Roderigo? Come, sir, I am for you.

  OTHELLO

  Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust ’em.

  (To Brabanzio) Good signor, you shall more command

  with years

  Than with your weapons.

  BRABANZIO

  O thou foul thief, where hast thou stowed my

  daughter?

  Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her,

  For I’ll refer me to all things of sense,

  If she in chains of magic were not bound,

  Whether a maid so tender, fair, and happy,

  So opposite to marriage that she shunned