you, Cassio? is he not a most profane and liberal
you think, Cassio? Isn’t he the rudest
counsellor?
teacher?
CASSIO
He speaks home, madam: You may relish him more in
He speaks commonly, madam. You will find more worth in him
the soldier than in the scholar.
as a soldier than as a scholar.
IAGO
[Aside] He takes her by the palm: ay, well said,
He holds her hand. Yes, good,
whisper: with as little a web as this will I
whisper together. This itself is enough
ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon
for me to use Cassio for my plans. Good, smile
her, do; I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.
at her. Your manners will help me bind you.
You say true; 'tis so, indeed: if such tricks as
You speak truly of your manners: if they
these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had
will be used to take your rank away from you, maybe you should
been better you had not kissed your three fingers so
not have done such polite mannerisms so
oft, which now again you are most apt to play the
often, which you are very good at
sir in. Very good; well kissed! an excellent
doing. Very good, kiss her! A wonderful
courtesy! 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingers
gesture indeed. And again you place your fingers
to your lips? would they were clyster-pipes for your sake!
to your lips? If only they were enema tubes to clean out your crap!
Trumpet within
The Moor! I know his trumpet.
That’s the Moor; I recognize his trumpet!
CASSIO
'Tis truly so.
It’s true.
DESDEMONA
Let's meet him and receive him.
Let’s go meet him.
CASSIO
Lo, where he comes!
There he is, coming to us.
Enter OTHELLO and Attendants
OTHELLO
O my fair warrior!
O my beautiful warrior!
DESDEMONA
My dear Othello!
My dear Othello!
OTHELLO
It gives me wonder great as my content
I am amazed as well as happy
To see you here before me. O my soul's joy!
To see you here before I arrived. O joy!
If after every tempest come such calms,
If every storm had after it such calms,
May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!
Then the winds should blow so hard that they wake the dead!
And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas
Let the ships ride the high waves,
Olympus-high and duck again as low
As high as Mt. Olympus, and duck low again,
As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,
As far as hell is from heaven! If I died now,
'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear,
I would die most happy, for I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute
That since I am so completely content,
That not another comfort like to this
No comfort will come close to this
Succeeds in unknown fate.
In my lifetime.
DESDEMONA
The heavens forbid
I pray to God
But that our loves and comforts should increase,
That our love and comfort increases
Even as our days do grow!
As we grow older!
OTHELLO
Amen to that, sweet powers!
Amen to that!
I cannot speak enough of this content;
I cannot say anything more about my happiness,
It stops me here; it is too much of joy:
It forces me to stop speaking because it is too much to comprehend.
And this, and this, the greatest discords be
And I hope this kiss is the greatest fight
Kissing her
That e'er our hearts shall make!
That we ever face!
IAGO
[Aside] O, you are well tuned now!
O, you are in good spirits now!
But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,
I’ll bring you down from this height,
As honest as I am.
Since I am the honest man.
OTHELLO
Come, let us to the castle.
Come, let’s go to the castle.
News, friends; our wars are done, the Turks are drown'd.
Friends, our fighting is over; the Turks have drowned.
How does my old acquaintance of this isle?
How are my old friends on the island?
Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus;
Honey, you will be loved here in Cyprus;
I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,
I myself have been treated well here. O my sweet,
I prattle out of fashion, and I dote
I am talking nonsense and I am obsessing
In mine own comforts. I prithee, good Iago,
Over my happiness. Please, good Iago,
Go to the bay and disembark my coffers:
Go to the bay and get me things,
Bring thou the master to the citadel;
And bring the captain of the ship to the castle.
He is a good one, and his worthiness
He is a good soldier, and his worth
Does challenge much respect. Come, Desdemona,
Makes me respect him greatly. Come, Desdemona,
Once more, well met at Cyprus.
I’ll say it again, I am happy to see you at Cyprus!
Exeunt OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants
IAGO
Do thou meet me presently at the harbour. Come
Meet me at the harbor now. Come
hither. If thou be'st valiant,-- as, they say, base
on. If you are brave – as they say, evil
men being in love have then a nobility in their
men in love have a nobility and braveness
natures more than is native to them--list me. The
that is not naturally in them – listen to me.
lieutenant tonight watches on the court of
Cassio is tasked tonight with
guard:--first, I must tell thee this--Desdemona is
guard duty, and I must tell you: Desdemona is
directly in love with him.
in love with him.
RODERIGO
With him! why, 'tis not possible.
With him! That’s not possible.
IAGO
Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed.
Be quiet and listen to what I will tell you.
Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor,
Look at how quickly and impulsively she fell in love for the Moor,
but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies:
from his bragging and tall tales,
and will she love him still for prating? let not
do you think she will keep loving him as he speaks nonsense? Don’t
thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed;
be stupid enough to think so. She needs someone handsome
and what delight shall she have to look on the
and how could she possibly enjoy looking at that
devil? When the blood is made dull with the act of
devil? In time, the heat of romance goes away,
sport, there should be, again to inflame it and to
and one needs certain things to reignite it and
give satiety a fresh app
etite, loveliness in favour,
recreate sexual appetite, like handsomeness and
sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all which
similarity in age, customs, and appearance.
the Moor is defective in: now, for want of these
The Moor has none of these. Since she has none
required conveniences, her delicate tenderness will
of these necessary qualities in her partner, she will feel
find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge,
sick of him, to the point of puking,
disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will
and will disgust the Moor. Her nature will
instruct her in it and compel her to some second
cause this disgust and then turn her to look for a second
choice. Now, sir, this granted,--as it is a most
option. Now since this is true – it’s a very
pregnant and unforced position--who stands so
natural string of events – who would be
eminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassio
a better second option for her than Cassio?
does? a knave very voluble; no further
After all, he is a very smooth speaker,
conscionable than in putting on the mere form of
a trait that makes him seem conscientious, as if he is
civil and humane seeming, for the better compassing
polite and civil, but in reality it hides
of his salt and most hidden loose affection? why,
his inner, strong lustfulness.
none; why, none: a slipper and subtle knave, a
No one stands in a better position, and no one is trickier than he is,
finder of occasions, that has an eye can stamp and
a man who finds the right time for his moves, who sees
counterfeit advantages, though true advantage never
and creates his own advantageous situations even if a real advantage
present itself; a devilish knave. Besides, the
is never there – he is a devilish trickster. Besides,
knave is handsome, young, and hath all those
he is handsome and young, with all of the
requisites in him that folly and green minds look
qualities that naive youths look for.
after: a pestilent complete knave; and the woman
He is an awful man, but seems the perfect one, and Desdemona
hath found him already.
has already fallen for him.
RODERIGO
I cannot believe that in her; she's full of
I do not believe it. She is a very
most blessed condition.
moral and trustworthy woman.
IAGO
Blessed fig's-end! the wine she drinks is made of
Nonsense! She drinks the same wine we do,
grapes: if she had been blessed, she would never
made of grapes – she has the same desires we do. If she was blessedly moral, she never
have loved the Moor. Blessed pudding! Didst thou
would have loved the Moor. Didn’t you
not see her paddle with the palm of his hand? didst
see her fondle Cassio’s hands? Didn’t you
not mark that?
notice?
RODERIGO
Yes, that I did; but that was but courtesy.
Yes, but that was just politeness.
IAGO
Lechery, by this hand; an index and obscure prologue
It was lust, and it foreshadows
to the history of lust and foul thoughts. They met
a future of lust and impure thoughts between them. They came
so near with their lips that their breaths embraced
so close to each others lips that their breaths hugged.
together. Villanous thoughts, Roderigo! when these
Evil thoughts, Roderigo! When two
mutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand comes
people mutually act like this, quickly will come
the master and main exercise, the incorporate
the main goal of their actions, the obvious
conclusion, Pish! But, sir, be you ruled by me: I
conclusion, which is sex. But, Roderigo, listen to me: I
have brought you from Venice. Watch you to-night;
brought you here from Venice. Keep watch tonight
for the command, I'll lay't upon you. Cassio knows
and I will give you the sign to act. Cassio doesn’t know
you not. I'll not be far from you: do you find
you. I will be nearby: you must find
some occasion to anger Cassio, either by speaking
some way to make Cassio angry, either by speaking
too loud, or tainting his discipline; or from what
obnoxiously, or insulting him, or however
other course you please, which the time shall more
you want according to the situation.
favourably minister.
RODERIGO
Well.
Fine.
IAGO
Sir, he is rash and very sudden in choler, and haply
Sir, he has a poor temper and angers easily, he
may strike at you: provoke him, that he may; for
may try to hit you. Try to get him to do that
even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to
and from that simple action I will cause Cyprus to
mutiny; whose qualification shall come into no true
mutiny against him so that they will not become
taste again but by the displanting of Cassio. So
peaceful until Cassio is removed from his post. Thus,
shall you have a shorter journey to your desires by
you will have an easier path to your desire for Desdemona by
the means I shall then have to prefer them; and the
these means which will
impediment most profitably removed, without the
remove your biggest obstacle. If it is not removed,
which there were no expectation of our prosperity.
then there is no hope of succeeding.
RODERIGO
I will do this, if I can bring it to any
I will do this as long as it gives
opportunity.
me a chance.
IAGO
I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the citadel:
I promise you. Meet me soon at the castle;
I must fetch his necessaries ashore. Farewell.
I must get Othello’s things from the ship. Goodbye.
RODERIGO
Adieu.
Goodbye.
Exit
IAGO
That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it;
I actually think Cassio does love her,
That she loves him, 'tis apt and of great credit:
And it makes sense that she would love him as well.
The Moor, howbeit that I endure him not,
The Moor whom I can’t stand
Is of a constant, loving, noble nature,
Is such an honest, loving, noble man
And I dare think he'll prove to Desdemona
And I think he will be to Desdemona
A most dear husband. Now, I do love her too;
A very good husband. I love Desdemona as well,
Not out of absolute lust, though peradventure
Though not from lust as much as from
I stand accountant for as great a sin,
Needing to get even with the Moor.
But partly led to diet my revenge,
I want to get revenge
For that I do suspect the lusty Moor
Since I think that the lustful Moor
Hath leap'd into my seat; the thought whereof
Slept with my wife – this thought,
Like a poison, eats at me inside.
And nothing can or shall content my soul
Nothing can or will make me feel better
Till I am even'd with him, wife for wife,
Until I am even with him, wife for wife,
Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor
Or, if I fail to do that, I will at least make the Moor
At least into a jealousy so strong
So extremely jealous
That judgment cannot cure. Which thing to do,
That he won’t be able to think properly.
If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trash
If I can make Roderigo, that Venetian trash,
For his quick hunting, stand the putting on,
Do whatever I need him to do,
I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip,
I will have control over Cassio
Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb--
And will defame him to the Moor –
For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too--
After all, I am afraid Cassio might have slept with my wife as well –
Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me
And by doing this the Moor will thank me, love me, and reward me,
For making him egregiously an ass
All for making a fool of him
And practising upon his peace and quiet
And removing his peace and quietness,
Even to madness. 'Tis here, but yet confused:
Replacing it with madness. Everything is here that I need, just not perfectly planned yet.
Knavery's plain face is never seen till used.
I never fully know a trick until the moment when it is put into action.
Exit
Enter a Herald with a proclamation; People following
Herald
It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and valiant
It is the order of Othelle, the brave and noble
general, that, upon certain tidings now arrived,
general, that since we now have new
importing the mere perdition of the Turkish fleet,
of the destruction of the Turkish fleet,
every man put himself into triumph; some to dance,
everyone should celebrate, and dance,
some to make bonfires, each man to what sport and
and make bonfires, each person to whatever fun
revels his addiction leads him: for, besides these
and partying he wants. On top of this
beneficial news, it is the celebration of his
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 594