The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 588
MACDUFF
Then yield thee, coward,
And live to be the show and gaze o' the time:
We'll have thee, as our rarer monsters are,
Painted on a pole, and underwrit,
'Here may you see the tyrant.'
Then give up, you coward,
and live to be a freak in a show
to be looked at all the time like
other monsters. We’ll post a likeness
of you on a pole with the words underneath:
‘You can see the tyrant here.’
MACBETH
I will not yield,
To kiss the ground before young Malcolm's feet,
And to be baited with the rabble's curse.
Though Birnam wood be come to Dunsinane,
And thou opposed, being of no woman born,
Yet I will try the last. Before my body
I throw my warlike shield. Lay on, Macduff,
And damn'd be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'
I will not yield to you, only to kiss
the ground at young Malcolm’s feet,
or tormented by the common people.
Yes, Birnam wood did come to Dunsinane,
and I am fighting a man not born of woman.
Still, I will fight to the end. I put up my shield
to battle you. Come on, Macduff, and damned
be the one who cries first ‘Stop, enough!’
Exeunt, fighting. Alarums
Retreat. Flourish. Enter, with drum and colours, MALCOLM, SIWARD, ROSS, the other Thanes, and Soldiers
MALCOLM
I would the friends we miss were safe arrived.
I wish the friends we miss could have survived.
SIWARD
Some must go off: and yet, by these I see,
So great a day as this is cheaply bought.
Some are lost in every battle, but by the ones
I see, this victory didn’t cost much in lives.
MALCOLM
Macduff is missing, and your noble son.
Macduff is missing, and your noble son.
ROSS
Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier's debt:
He only lived but till he was a man;
The which no sooner had his prowess confirm'd
In the unshrinking station where he fought,
But like a man he died.
Your son, my lord, has paid a soldier’s debt.
He only lived until he was a man, and no sooner
was his skill as a fighter obvious in the fearless
way he fought—he died like a man.
SIWARD
Then he is dead?
So he is dead?
ROSS
Ay, and brought off the field: your cause of sorrow
Must not be measured by his worth, for then
It hath no end.
Yes, and he has been brought off the field. Your grief
should not be measured by his worth, or it will never end.
SIWARD
Had he his hurts before?
Was he wounded on the front?
ROSS
Ay, on the front.
Yes, on the front.
SIWARD
Why then, God's soldier be he!
Had I as many sons as I have hairs,
I would not wish them to a fairer death:
And so, his knell is knoll'd.
Well then, he is God’s soldier!
If I had as many sons as I have hairs,
I would not wish them a better death.
So, his funeral bell shall be rung.
MALCOLM
He's worth more sorrow,
And that I'll spend for him.
He is worth more grief than that.
I will spend it for him.
SIWARD
He's worth no more
They say he parted well, and paid his score:
And so, God be with him! Here comes newer comfort.
He’s worth no more.
They say he went quickly, and settled his score.
So, God be with him! Here comes new comfort.
Re-enter MACDUFF, with MACBETH's head
MACDUFF
Hail, king! for so thou art: behold, where stands
The usurper's cursed head: the time is free:
I see thee compass'd with thy kingdom's pearl,
That speak my salutation in their minds;
Whose voices I desire aloud with mine:
Hail, King of Scotland!
Hail, king! That’s what you are now. Look,
here is the offender’s cursed head. We are free now.
I see you are surrounded by the kingdom’s best,
and they speak in my mind what I want to say.
I want them to join me in saying:
Hail, King of Scotland!
ALL
Hail, King of Scotland!
Hail, King of Scotland!
Flourish
MALCOLM
We shall not spend a large expense of time
Before we reckon with your several loves,
And make us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen,
Henceforth be earls, the first that ever Scotland
In such an honour named. What's more to do,
Which would be planted newly with the time,
As calling home our exiled friends abroad
That fled the snares of watchful tyranny;
Producing forth the cruel ministers
Of this dead butcher and his fiend-like queen,
Who, as 'tis thought, by self and violent hands
Took off her life; this, and what needful else
That calls upon us, by the grace of Grace,
We will perform in measure, time and place:
So, thanks to all at once and to each one,
Whom we invite to see us crown'd at Scone.
We will not spend a large amount of time,
before we figure out your honors, and make
us even with you. My thanes and kinsmen—
you will be earls, the first that Scotland
has ever known. There’s more to do in this
new time. We must call home our exiled friends
who are abroad, having fled the devices
of a watchful tyranny, and we must bring
forth the cruel agents of this dead butcher
and his evil wife, who it is said took her
own life. This, and whatever else is needed,
we will perform by the grace of God in
measure, time and place. Thanks to everyone
and to each one, who we invite to see us
crowned at Scone.
Flourish. Exeunt
DUKE OF VENICE
BRABANTIO, a Senator.
Other Senators.
GRATIANO, Brother to Brabantio
LODOVICO, Kinsman to Brabantio
OTHELLO, a noble Moor, in the service of Venice
CASSIO, his Lieutenant
IAGO, his Ancient
RODERIGO, a Venetian Gentleman
MONTANO, Othello's predecessor in the government of Cyprus
CLOWN, Servant to Othello
Herald
DESDEMONA, Daughter to Brabantio, and Wife to Othello
EMILIA, Wife to Iago
BIANCA, Mistress to Cassio
Officers, Gentlemen, Messenger, Musicians, Herald, Sailor, Attendants, &c.
Enter RODERIGO and IAGO
RODERIGO
Tush! never tell me; I take it much unkindly
Be quiet! Don’t tell me this – I am already annoyed
That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse
That you, Iago, who already uses my money
As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.
As if it were yours, knows about this.
IAGO
'Sblood, but you will not hear me:
My god, you won’t listen to me.
&nb
sp; If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me.
If I even so much as dreamed this were true, which I didn’t, then go ahead and hate me.
RODERIGO
Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.
You told me that you hated him.
IAGO
Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,
You can hate me if I was lying: I do hate him. Three of the city’s noblemen
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Approached him personally and asked him to make me his next-in-command,
Off-capp'd to him: and, by the faith of man,
Even took their hats off to him. Moreover, I promise you,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
I know my own value and that I deserve that position.
But he; as loving his own pride and purposes,
But he, because he is prideful and loves his own reasons most,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance
Avoided their request with puffed up speech
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;
Full of military jargon and patriotic quotes,
And, in conclusion,
And, finally,
Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he,
Rejected the noblemen, saying, “In fact,
'I have already chose my officer.'
I have already chosen my lieutenant.”
And what was he?
Who did he choose?
Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
None other than the great statistician
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
Michael Cassio, from Florence,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;
A man almost cursed with such a beautiful wife,
That never set a squadron in the field,
A man who never moved troops in combat
Nor the division of a battle knows
And knows less of how an actual battle plays out
More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,
Than an unmarried woman – unless you count theories he read in books
Wherein the toged consuls can propose
That any gown-wearing politician can explain
As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise,
As well as he can. He speaks simply to speak, and has no actual fighting
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:
To back up his military life. But it is he, Roderigo, who was chosen:
And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof
And as for me, whose bravery and talent he saw
At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds
At Rhodes and Cyprus and all over,
Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calm'd
On Christian ground and foreign land, I must act calm
By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,
In front of this accountant. So Cassio, this numbers-man,
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
Will become his lieutenant,
And I--God bless the mark!--his Moorship's ancient.
While I – how stupid – must hold the flag for the Moor general.
RODERIGO
By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.
I swear, I would rather be his executioner.
IAGO
Why, there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of service,
And there is no cure for it all. It’s the curse of the military life:
Preferment goes by letter and affection,
Promotions come from how liked one is,
And not by old gradation, where each second
And not from simple hierarchy where one
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Moves up to the next rank. Now, Roderigo, you tell me
Whether I in any just term am affined
If I am in any position
To love the Moor.
To love and respect the Moor general.
RODERIGO
I would not follow him then.
If it were me, I would not serve him.
IAGO
O, sir, content you;
Now don’t be hasty:
I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
I serve under him now, but for my own purposes –
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
After all, we cannot all be leaders, and leaders
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Cannot all be followed. Take note
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
Of the servant who bows and does his duty,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Who fully attend to their obedience, their slavery,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
And in the end is worn out like his master’s donkey,
For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd:
Both working for nothing but their food, and then terminated when too old.
Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are
We should punish such obedient servants. But there are others
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Who know how to give the appearance of obedience
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,
While focusing on themselves.
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,
They give a performance of doing their duty to their masters
Do well thrive by them and when they have lined their coats
And in reality prosper by quietly stealing
Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;
And thus working for themselves. Servants like this are gutsy and bold,
And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,
And I admit I am one like that. To be sure,
It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
As sure as your name is Roderigo,
Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:
If I were in the Moor’s position, I would not want to switch places with Iago.
In following him, I follow but myself;
By serving him, I am really serving myself –
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
God knows I do not serve him for love or duty,
But seeming so, for my peculiar end:
But just make it look like that while serving my own goals.
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
If I ever act in such a way
The native act and figure of my heart
That shows my inner self
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
Then before long I would be in danger:
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
One who wears his heart on his sleeve
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.
Leaves it open for birds to peck at it. I am not who I appear to be.
RODERIGO
What a full fortune does the thicklips owe
That thick-lipped Moor is lucky
If he can carry't thus!
If he can go through with this!
IAGO
Call up her father,
Speaking of which, call after her father
Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight,
And wake him. Annoy him, spoil his happiness,
Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,
Shout at him in the streets, anger his and his daughter’s family
And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,
Until it seems like, though he lives in a temperate climate,
Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy,
He is plagued with flies. Though his joy may be real,
Yet throw such changes of vexation on't,
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If it changes because of the confusions we put on it,
As it may lose some colour.
It may lose some of its brightness.
RODERIGO
Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud.
Here is her father’s house; I’ll call for him.
IAGO
Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell
Do it as if you are frightened and yell
As when, by night and negligence, the fire
As if a fire started from negligence at night
Is spied in populous cities.
Has been spotted in a city full of people.
RODERIGO
What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho!
Brabantio! Mister Brabantio, hey!
IAGO
Awake! what, ho, Brabantio! thieves! thieves! thieves!
Wake up, Brabantio! Thieves are in your house!
Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!
Look around you and protect your daughter and your possessions!
Thieves! thieves!
Thieves! Thieves!
BRABANTIO appears above, at a window
BRABANTIO
What is the reason of this terrible summons?
Why are you shouting all of this?
What is the matter there?
What is the matter?
RODERIGO
Signior, is all your family within?
Sir, if your family at home?
IAGO
Are your doors lock'd?
And have you locked your doors?
BRABANTIO
Why, wherefore ask you this?
Why? Tell me why you are asking.
IAGO
'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on your gown;
For God’s sake, sir, you have been robbed! Put your nightgown on.
Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Your heart is broken and you have lost a part of your soul
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
For now, right now, a black ram
Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise;
Is riding your white female sheep. Get up, get up;