The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)

by William Shakespeare

  Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,

  Wake up the sleeping people with the bell

  Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:

  Or it will be too late and the devil will give you grandchildren.

  Arise, I say.

  Get up, I say.

  BRABANTIO

  What, have you lost your wits?

  Have you gone crazy?

  RODERIGO

  Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?

  My respected sir, do you recognize my voice?

  BRABANTIO

  Not I what are you?

  No, who are you?

  RODERIGO

  My name is Roderigo.

  I am Roderigo.

  BRABANTIO

  The worser welcome:

  Even worse:

  I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors:

  I have asked you not to come near my house

  In honest plainness thou hast heard me say

  And very honestly told you

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

  That my daughter is not for you. Now, as if you are crazy,

  Being full of supper and distempering draughts,

  After dinner and likely drunk

  Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come

  With the evil courage a drunkard has, you come here

  To start my quiet.

  And disturb me.

  RODERIGO

  Sir, sir, sir,--

  Sir, sir, sir–

  BRABANTIO

  But thou must needs be sure

  Let me be clear:

  My spirit and my place have in them power

  I have the desire and the connections that can

  To make this bitter to thee.

  Make this turn out very poorly for you.

  RODERIGO

  Patience, good sir.

  Please wait, good sir.

  BRABANTIO

  What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;

  Why are you telling me my house is being robbed? This is Venice –

  My house is not a grange.

  I do not live out in the country.

  RODERIGO

  Most grave Brabantio,

  Respectable Brabantio,

  In simple and pure soul I come to you.

  I have come with pure intentions and a simple message.

  IAGO

  'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not

  For God’s sake, sir, you are so stubborn that you will not

  serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to

  turn to God if even the devil asks you to. We come

  do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll

  for your benefit and yet you think we are troublemakers;

  have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse;

  so instead of listening, an African horse will mount your daughter.

  you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have

  Your nephews will neigh at you, you will have

  coursers for cousins and gennets for germans.

  racing horses for cousins, and all of your close relatives will become horses.

  BRABANTIO

  What profane wretch art thou?

  Who are you, you rude pervert?

  IAGO

  I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter

  I am someone, sir, who has come to you to tell you that your daughter

  and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

  and the Moor general are having sex, like animals.

  BRABANTIO

  Thou art a villain.

  You are an evil person.

  IAGO

  You are--a senator.

  And you are a senator and statesman.

  BRABANTIO

  This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.

  Since I know you, Roderigo, you must respond to this.

  RODERIGO

  Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,

  Sir, I will tell you anything. But, please,

  If't be your pleasure and most wise consent,

  If you are pleased and contented with this arrangement,

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

  As I think you might be, that your beautiful daughter

  At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,

  At this late hour of the night,

  Transported, with no worse nor better guard

  Has left with no regular guard

  But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,

  But with just hired commoner, a boatman,

  To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor--

  To the disgusting embrace of the lustful Moor –

  If this be known to you and your allowance,

  If you already know this and are allowing it

  We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;

  Then we have done you a very great evil in coming here.

  But if you know not this, my manners tell me

  But if you do not know this, I think

  We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe

  You are wrongly accusing us. You should not think

  That, from the sense of all civility,

  That, opposite of any sort of politeness,

  I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:

  I would disturb you and mess with you.

  Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,

  Your daughter, if you have not allowed her to leave,

  I say again, hath made a gross revolt;

  I will repeat, has disgustingly rebelled against you

  Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes

  By giving her respect, beauty, intelligence, and wealth

  In an extravagant and wheeling stranger

  To an extravagant and tricky man who is a stranger

  Of here and every where. Straight satisfy yourself:

  Here and everywhere. Now see for yourself:

  If she be in her chamber or your house,

  If she is still in her room or in your house,

  Let loose on me the justice of the state

  Then punish me as the state allows

  For thus deluding you.

  For tricking you.

  BRABANTIO

  Strike on the tinder, ho!

  Someone light a match!

  Give me a taper! call up all my people!

  Give me a candle! Wake my servants!

  This accident is not unlike my dream:

  What you have told me is similar to a dream I have had –

  Belief of it oppresses me already.

  Believing it as possible already haunts me.

  Light, I say! light!

  Give me a light, I say! A light!

  Exit above

  IAGO

  Farewell; for I must leave you:

  Goodbye, I must go

  It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,

  Since it is not good, or right since I serve him,

  To be produced--as, if I stay, I shall--

  To be seen – which I will if I stay here –

  Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state,

  As against the Moor. Especially because I know that the senator,

  However this may gall him with some cheque,

  However this may offend and upset him,

  Cannot with safety cast him, for he's embark'd

  Cannot easily get rid of him, since the Moor is leaving

  With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,

  With clear and understood reason to Cyprus for the wars.

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

  Even now these wars are raging and the statesmen

  Another of his fathom they have none,

  Do not have another general like him

  To lead their business: in which regard,

  To
lead their war efforts. I admit this

  Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains.

  Even though I hate him as I would the fires of hell.

  Yet, for necessity of present life,

  So it is necessary for now

  I must show out a flag and sign of love,

  That I carry his flag and act like I love him,

  Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him,

  Which as I said is only an act. So that you definitely find him tonight,

  Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;

  Take the search party to the Arsenal

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

  And I will already be there with him. Goodbye.

  Exit

  Enter, below, BRABANTIO, and Servants with torches

  BRABANTIO

  It is too true an evil: gone she is;

  And what's to come of my despised time

  Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,

  Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!

  With the Moor, say'st thou? Who would be a father!

  How didst thou know 'twas she? O she deceives me

  Past thought! What said she to you? Get more tapers:

  Raise all my kindred. Are they married, think you?

  Is it true that she’s gone.

  The rest of my life will be nothing without her

  Where did you see her, Roderigo? That like unhappy brat.

  Did you see her with the Moor? Who would want to be her father!

  How did you know it was her? Does she really think she can trick me so easily?

  What did she say to you? Get me more candles,

  And wake up my relatives. Do you think they are married?

  RODERIGO

  Truly, I think they are.

  Truly, I think they are.

  BRABANTIO

  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?

  How on Earth did she get out?

  My own relatives conspire against me!

  Fathers, never trust your daughters just because they act innocent and good!

  They are under an evil spell.

  Is there any spell that can’t lead a young girl away?

  Have you ever heard of something like that, Roderigo?

  RODERIGO

  Yes, sir, I have indeed.

  BRABANTIO

  Call up my brother. O, would you had had her!

  Call for my brother. Oh, now I wish you married her!

  Some one way, some another. Do you know

  Some go one way, some go another. Do you know

  Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

  Where we will find her and the Moor?

  RODERIGO

  I think I can discover him, if you please,

  I think I know where he is. Please,

  To get good guard and go along with me.

  Get a good party of your guards and come with me.

  BRABANTIO

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

  I beg you to lead us. I will call at every house –

  I may command at most. Get weapons, ho!

  I can at least command men to join. Hey, arm yourselves!

  And raise some special officers of night.

  And XXX

  On, good Roderigo: I'll deserve your pains.

  Go forward, good Roderigo. You will be rewarded for your hard work.

  Exeunt

  Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Attendants with torches

  IAGO

  Though in the trade of war I have slain men,

  Though I have killed men in war,

  Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience

  I think it is the makeup of a good character

  To do no contrived murder: I lack iniquity

  To not commit murder. I lack the evil

  Sometimes to do me service: nine or ten times

  That would sometimes help me. Nine or ten times

  I had thought to have yerk'd him here under the ribs.

  I thought to simply stab him through his ribs.

  OTHELLO

  'Tis better as it is.

  It is better that you didn’t.

  IAGO

  Nay, but he prated,

  No, he swore

  And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms

  And said such nasty and offensive things

  Against your honour

  Against you

  That, with the little godliness I have,

  That, with all the patience I could muster,

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

  I listened to him say. But, I must ask, sir,

  Are you fast married? Be assured of this,

  Are you securely married? Because you should know

  That the magnifico is much beloved,

  That Brabantio is very respected and loved –

  And hath in his effect a voice potential

  He has a voice worth potentially

  As double as the duke's: he will divorce you;

  Twice the duke’s. He will force you to divorce

  Or put upon you what restraint and grievance

  Or will try to punish you according to

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

  The law, with all his strength,

  Will give him cable.

  As much as the law allows.

  OTHELLO

  Let him do his spite:

  He can do his worst:

  My services which I have done the signiory

  All that I have done for the government

  Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know,--

  Will outweigh his complaints against me. This is not known about me –

  Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,

  If it is ever honorable to boast

  I shall promulgate--I fetch my life and being

  Then I will let it known widely – but my life

  From men of royal siege, and my demerits

  Comes from a royal line, and my worth

  May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune

  Can show that I have as great a wealth and position

  As this that I have reach'd: for know, Iago,

  As the woman I’ve married. And know this, Iago:

  But that I love the gentle Desdemona,

  Unless I loved Desdemona,

  I would not my unhoused free condition

  I would never have ruined my bachelorhood and freedom

  Put into circumscription and confine

  By adding the fence of marriage –

  For the sea's worth. But, look! what lights come yond?

  Not for an ocean’s amount of money. But wait, what are those lights?

  IAGO

  Those are the raised father and his friends:

  Those belong to the angry father and his friends.

  You were best go in.

  You should go inside and out of sight.

  OTHELLO

  Not I, I must be found:

  No, I will let them come to me.

  My parts, my title and my perfect soul

  My qualities, my rank, and my lack of wrongdoing

  Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?

  Will prove me in the right. Is that them?

  IAGO

  By Janus, I think no.

  Actually no, I don’t think so.

  Enter CASSIO, and certain Officers with torches

  OTHELLO

  The servants of the duke, and my lieutenant.

  It is the duke’s servants and my new lieutenant, Cassio.

  The goodness of the night upon you, friends!

  I hope you
are well, friends!

  What is the news?

  Why do you come?

  CASSIO

  The duke does greet you, general,

  The duke has sent us to greet you, general,

  And he requires your haste-post-haste appearance,

  And he requests your presence right away,

  Even on the instant.

  Immediately.

  OTHELLO

  What is the matter, think you?

  Do you know what the matter is?

  CASSIO

  Something from Cyprus as I may divine:

  I think it is something about Cyprus,

  It is a business of some heat: the galleys

  And it seems to be important. The warships

  Have sent a dozen sequent messengers

  Have sent a dozen messengers

  This very night at one another's heels,

  Tonight, one after another,

  And many of the consuls, raised and met,

  And many of the statesmen have woken and are here

  Are at the duke's already: you have been hotly call'd for;

  With the duke. You were quickly asked for

  When, being not at your lodging to be found,

  And when you were not at found at your home,

  The senate hath sent about three several guests

  Three different groups were sent

  To search you out.

  To find you.

  OTHELLO

  'Tis well I am found by you.

  It’s good you are the one who found me.

  I will but spend a word here in the house,

  I have to spend a minute here in this house,

  And go with you.

  And then will go with you.

  Exit

  CASSIO

  Ancient, what makes he here?

  Officer, what business does he have here?

  IAGO

  'Faith, he to-night hath boarded a land carack:

  Truly, tonight he has boarded a large ship full of treasure,

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

  And as long as it is and remains legal, he will be a made man forever.

  CASSIO

  I do not understand.

  What are you talking about?

  IAGO

  He's married.

  He’s married.