CASSIO
To who?
To who?
Re-enter OTHELLO
IAGO
Marry, to--Come, captain, will you go?
Why, to – My captain, shall we go?
OTHELLO
Have with you.
Yes, let’s go.
CASSIO
Here comes another troop to seek for you.
Here comes another group looking for you.
IAGO
It is Brabantio. General, be advised;
It is Brabantio. Be careful, general,
He comes to bad intent.
Because he intends you harm.
Enter BRABANTIO, RODERIGO, and Officers with torches and weapons
OTHELLO
Holla! stand there!
Hello, stay there!
RODERIGO
Signior, it is the Moor.
Sir, it is the Moor.
BRABANTIO
Down with him, thief!
Get that thief!
They draw on both sides
IAGO
You, Roderigo! come, sir, I am for you.
Roderigo, come towards me, I’ll fight you.
OTHELLO
Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.
Keep your swords in their sheaths so the dew does not rust them.
Good signior, you shall more command with years
Good sir, the years you have served the government will make me respect you
Than with your weapons.
More than fighting you will.
BRABANTIO
O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow'd my daughter?
O you evil thief, where have you hidden my daughter?
Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her;
Since you are a damned soul, I know you put a spell on her.
For I'll refer me to all things of sense,
All good and common sense says that,
If she in chains of magic were not bound,
Unless she were enchanted through magic,
Whether a maid so tender, fair and happy,
A woman so gentle, beautiful, and happy,
So opposite to marriage that she shunned
A woman who was against marriage so much that she turned away
The wealthy curled darlings of our nation,
The wealthy noblemen of our nation,
Would ever have, to incur a general mock,
This woman would never do something others would see fit to make jokes at
Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom
Like run from her home to your black breast.
Of such a thing as thou, to fear, not to delight.
Someone like you should be feared, not enjoyed.
Judge me the world, if 'tis not gross in sense
The whole world may judge me if it’s not obvious
That thou hast practised on her with foul charms,
That you have practiced evil magic on her
Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals
And taken advantage of her naive youth through drugs
That weaken motion: I'll have't disputed on;
That make one unable to move. I would go to court over the matter;
'Tis probable and palpable to thinking.
It’s what most likely happened.
I therefore apprehend and do attach thee
Therefore, I will take you and see that you are tried
For an abuser of the world, a practiser
As a criminal, a practicer
Of arts inhibited and out of warrant.
Of dark magic.
Lay hold upon him: if he do resist,
Take him: if he resists arrest
Subdue him at his peril.
Then forcefully hold him down.
OTHELLO
Hold your hands,
Do not touch me,
Both you of my inclining, and the rest:
Neither you on my side or the rest of you.
Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it
If it were necessary to fight, I would not
Without a prompter. Where will you that I go
Need someone to tell me. Where do you want me to go
To answer this your charge?
In order to respond to your accusations?
BRABANTIO
To prison, till fit time
To prison until the time
Of law and course of direct session
That the law sees fit to take you to court
Call thee to answer.
And ask you to testify.
OTHELLO
What if I do obey?
And if I obey,
How may the duke be therewith satisfied,
Then how will the duke react,
Whose messengers are here about my side,
Since he sent these messengers
Upon some present business of the state
On urgent, national business
To bring me to him?
To bring me to him?
First Officer
'Tis true, most worthy signior;
It’s true, worthy sir:
The duke's in council and your noble self,
The duke has called a meeting and you, too,
I am sure, is sent for.
I am sure, are asked to attend.
BRABANTIO
How! the duke in council!
What? The duke has called a meeting!
In this time of the night! Bring him away:
This late at night! Take him away.
Mine's not an idle cause: the duke himself,
This is not some simple affair: the duke himself
Or any of my brothers of the state,
And all of the other senators
Cannot but feel this wrong as 'twere their own;
Will feel how wrong this is, as if it happened to them.
For if such actions may have passage free,
If actions like this go unpunished,
Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be.
Then slaves and pagans will become our rulers.
Exeunt
The DUKE and Senators sitting at a table; Officers attending
DUKE OF VENICE
There is no composition in these news
Nothing about these messages
That gives them credit.
Makes me think that they are credible.
First Senator
Indeed, they are disproportion'd;
Yes, they give conflicting reports.
My letters say a hundred and seven galleys.
My letters say there are a hundred and seven warships.
DUKE OF VENICE
And mine, a hundred and forty.
And mine says a hundred and forty.
Second Senator
And mine, two hundred:
Mind says two hundred.
But though they jump not on a just account,--
But though they give conflicting numbers –
As in these cases, where the aim reports,
Since it is often when one is reporting an estimate
'Tis oft with difference--yet do they all confirm
For there to be different numbers – they all report
A Turkish fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus.
That a Turkish fleet is moving to Cyprus.
DUKE OF VENICE
Nay, it is possible enough to judgment:
Right, that seems well confirmed.
I do not so secure me in the error,
I am not so taken by the inconsistency
But the main article I do approve
That I miss the bigger issue, which
In fearful sense.
Frightens me.
Sailor
[Within] What, ho! what, ho! what, ho!
Hello! Hello!
First Officer
A messenger from the galleys.
Another messenger fro
m the warships.
Enter a Sailor
DUKE OF VENICE
Now, what's the business?
What have you come to tell us?
Sailor
The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes;
The Turkish fleet is heading to Rhodes, not Cyprus –
So was I bid report here to the state
This was what I was ordered to report to the government
By Signior Angelo.
By Sir Angelo.
DUKE OF VENICE
How say you by this change?
What do you make of this change?
First Senator
This cannot be,
This cannot be true
By no assay of reason: 'tis a pageant,
By any argument. It’s a show
To keep us in false gaze. When we consider
To distract us. We must remember
The importancy of Cyprus to the Turk,
The importance of Cyprus to the Turks.
And let ourselves again but understand,
This will force us to recognize
That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes,
That it is more important than Rhodes –
So may he with more facile question bear it,
Especially because the Turks can more easily take it
For that it stands not in such warlike brace,
Since it is not equipped with defenses
But altogether lacks the abilities
And lacks the preparations and forces
That Rhodes is dress'd in: if we make thought of this,
That Rhodes has. These things considered,
We must not think the Turk is so unskilful
We must not think that the Turks are so incompetent
To leave that latest which concerns him first,
That they would put off what they should do first,
Neglecting an attempt of ease and gain,
That they would not take a place so easily taken as Cyprus
To wake and wage a danger profitless.
And instead would attack a dangerous place like Rhodes.
DUKE OF VENICE
Nay, in all confidence, he's not for Rhodes.
I agree, the Turks are certainly not heading to Rhodes.
First Officer
Here is more news.
Another messenger is coming.
Enter a Messenger
Messenger
The Ottomites, reverend and gracious,
The Turks, my revered and gracious leader,
Steering with due course towards the isle of Rhodes,
Went to the island of Rhodes
Have there injointed them with an after fleet.
Where they have joined with another fleet.
First Senator
Ay, so I thought. How many, as you guess?
I thought so. How many ships, do you think?
Messenger
Of thirty sail: and now they do restem
Thirty ships, and now they are turning around
Their backward course, bearing with frank appearance
To their original course and clearly seem to
Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,
Be heading to Cyprus. Sir Montano,
Your trusty and most valiant servitor,
Your trustworthy and brave servant,
With his free duty recommends you thus,
Sent me to give you this report and asks for reinforcements,
And prays you to believe him.
And asks you to believe him.
DUKE OF VENICE
'Tis certain, then, for Cyprus.
That settles it: the Turks are going to Cyprus.
Marcus Luccicos, is not he in town?
Is Marcus Luccicos here in town?
First Senator
He's now in Florence.
No, he’s in Florence.
DUKE OF VENICE
Write from us to him; post-post-haste dispatch.
Write to him and send it immediately, as fast as possible.
First Senator
Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.
Here comes Brabantio and Othello, the courageous Moor.
Enter BRABANTIO, OTHELLO, IAGO, RODERIGO, and Officers
DUKE OF VENICE
Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you
Brave Othello, we must order you to go
Against the general enemy Ottoman.
Against the Turkish enemy.
To BRABANTIO
I did not see you; welcome, gentle signior;
I did not see you there – welcome, good sir.
We lack'd your counsel and your help tonight.
We have lacked your insight and help tonight.
BRABANTIO
So did I yours. Good your grace, pardon me;
And I lacked yours. Please, your grace, forgive me:
Neither my place nor aught I heard of business
It was not from hearing of this war business
Hath raised me from my bed, nor doth the general care
That made me get out of bed, nor was it general worry over the city
Take hold on me, for my particular grief
That woke me. My personal grief
Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature
Is so overbearing, like a flood,
That it engluts and swallows other sorrows
That it overtakes and swallows all other sorrows and concerns
And it is still itself.
Without being satisfied.
DUKE OF VENICE
Why, what's the matter?
What has happened?
BRABANTIO
My daughter! O, my daughter!
My daughter! O, my daughter!
ALL
Dead?
Dead?
BRABANTIO
Ay, to me;
Yes, she is dead to me at least.
She is abused, stol'n from me, and corrupted
She has been abused, stolen from me, and corrupted
By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks;
By black magic and drugs given to her by deceivers.
For nature so preposterously to err,
Nature itself could not have made such a preposterous mistake,
Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,
Since she is not mentally ill, or blind, or paralyzed,
Sans witchcraft could not.
So it must be the fault of witchcraft.
DUKE OF VENICE
Whoe'er he be that in this foul proceeding
Whoever the criminal is
Hath thus beguiled your daughter of herself
Who has tricked your daughter
And you of her, the bloody book of law
And taken her from you, you will use the full, deadly laws
You shall yourself read in the bitter letter
To prosecute him in its harsh solutions
After your own sense, yea, though our proper son
As you see fit – even if it were my own son
Stood in your action.
Who did what you have said.
BRABANTIO
Humbly I thank your grace.
I humbly thank you, your grace.
Here is the man, this Moor, whom now, it seems,
Here is the criminal: this Moor, who, it seems,
Your special mandate for the state-affairs
Your national interest problems
Hath hither brought.
Have brought here.
ALL
We are very sorry for't.
We are sorry to hear this.
DUKE OF VENICE
[To OTHELLO] What, in your own part, can you say to this?
How do you respond to this, Othello?
BRABANTIO
Nothing, but this is so.
He can say nothing, it is true.
OTHELLO
Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors,
Powerful, serious, and revered sirs,
My very noble and approved good masters,
My noble and good masters,
That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter,
That I have taken this old man’s daughter from him
It is most true; true, I have married her:
Is true: I have married her.
The very head and front of my offending
The offenses Brabantio mentioned
Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech,
Are true only in this. I am not a skilled speaker
And little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace:
And do not know how to talk peacefully and smoothly:
For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith,
Since I was seven years old, and these arms had seven years of muscle,
Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used
Until nine months ago, I have used these arms
Their dearest action in the tented field,
For action in the battlefield.
And little of this great world can I speak,
I can’t say much about this great world
More than pertains to feats of broil and battle,
Unless it is about war and battle,
And therefore little shall I grace my cause
And therefore I will only say a little
In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience,
In speaking for my defense. But, by your patience, gracious Duke,
I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver
I will tell you straightforwardly the story
Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms,
Of how we fell in love – including the drugs, magic charms,
What conjuration and what mighty magic,
Spells, and darks arts,
For such proceeding I am charged withal,
Since that is what I am charged of using,
I won his daughter.
I used to win his daughter.
BRABANTIO
A maiden never bold;
She was never bold,
Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion
But always calm and quiet, so pure that
Blush'd at herself; and she, in spite of nature,
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 590