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

by William Shakespeare

  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,
/>   Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards;

  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