The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 595
great news, we will celebrate Othello’s
nuptial. So much was his pleasure should be
wedding. That was the entirety of his
proclaimed. All offices are open, and there is full
announcement. There will be a full
liberty of feasting from this present hour of five
feast from now, five o’clock,
till the bell have told eleven. Heaven bless the
until the bell tolls eleven. God bless the
isle of Cyprus and our noble general Othello!
island of Cyprus and our brave general Othello!
Exeunt
Enter OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and Attendants
OTHELLO
Good Michael, look you to the guard to-night:
Good Michael Cassio, keep the guard tonight
Let's teach ourselves that honourable stop,
And help the festivities show restraint,
Not to outsport discretion.
And not get out of control.
CASSIO
Iago hath direction what to do;
Iago has instructions on what to do.
But, notwithstanding, with my personal eye
But, regardless, I will personally
Will I look to't.
Look after it.
OTHELLO
Iago is most honest.
Iago is very honest.
Michael, good night: to-morrow with your earliest
Michael, goodnight. Early tomorrow
Let me have speech with you.
I would like to talk with you.
To DESDEMONA
Come, my dear love,
Come, my love,
The purchase made, the fruits are to ensue;
The purchase of marrying you has been made, the fruits of sex are to come next.
That profit's yet to come 'tween me and you.
That pleasure hasn’t happened yet, but is next for us.
Good night.
Goodnight.
Exeunt OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants
Enter IAGO
CASSIO
Welcome, Iago; we must to the watch.
Welcome, Iago, let’s go to keep watch.
IAGO
Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o' the
Not yet, lieutenant. It’s not yet ten o’ clock.
clock. Our general cast us thus early for the love
Our general mades us leave early because of his love
of his Desdemona; who let us not therefore blame:
for Desdemona. We can’t blame him though:
he hath not yet made wanton the night with her; and
he hasn’t yet slept with her, and
she is sport for Jove.
she is beautiful enough for Jove to love her.
CASSIO
She's a most exquisite lady.
She is a beautiful lady.
IAGO
And, I'll warrant her, fun of game.
And, I’ll bet, very good in bed.
CASSIO
Indeed, she's a most fresh and delicate creature.
Yes, she’s very young and delicate.
IAGO
What an eye she has! methinks it sounds a parley of
And what beautiful eyes! They are almost
provocation.
provocatively inviting.
CASSIO
An inviting eye; and yet methinks right modest.
Inviting, yes, but I think she is still appropriately modest.
IAGO
And when she speaks, is it not an alarum to love?
And isn’t her voice a beautiful bell?
CASSIO
She is indeed perfection.
She is quite perfect.
IAGO
Well, happiness to their sheets! Come, lieutenant, I
Well, I wish their marriage bed happiness! Come, lieutenant, I
have a stoup of wine; and here without are a brace
have a bottle of wine, and here is a group
of Cyprus gallants that would fain have a measure to
of Cyprus gentlemen who would love to drink to
the health of black Othello.
black Othello’s health.
CASSIO
Not to-night, good Iago: I have very poor and
Not tonight, good Iago: I have very poor
unhappy brains for drinking: I could well wish
tolerance for alcohol. I wish
courtesy would invent some other custom of
that society would invent some other way
entertainment.
to celebrate.
IAGO
O, they are our friends; but one cup: I'll drink for
But these are friends. Drink one cup, I’ll drink the rest
you.
for you.
CASSIO
I have drunk but one cup to-night, and that was
I have already had a cup tonight, and even that
craftily qualified too, and, behold, what innovation
was watered down, and yet look at how drunk
it makes here: I am unfortunate in the infirmity,
it has made me. I have an unfortunately weak tolerance,
and dare not task my weakness with any more.
and wouldn’t want to test my weakness by drinking more.
IAGO
What, man! 'tis a night of revels: the gallants
You can’t be serious! Tonight is a night of partying, and the gentlemen
desire it.
want you to drink.
CASSIO
Where are they?
Where are they?
IAGO
Here at the door; I pray you, call them in.
Just outside the door. Please, ask them to come in.
CASSIO
I'll do't; but it dislikes me.
I’ll do it, but I don’t want to.
Exit
IAGO
If I can fasten but one cup upon him,
If I can make him drink only one cup more
With that which he hath drunk to-night already,
On top of what he has already drunk tonight,
He'll be as full of quarrel and offence
Then he will be as aggressive and ready to fight
As my young mistress' dog. Now, my sick fool Roderigo,
As my mistress’s dog. Now, my lovesick fool Roderigo,
Whom love hath turn'd almost the wrong side out,
Whom love has twisted up and confused,
To Desdemona hath to-night caroused
Has drunk tonight to Desdemona
Potations pottle-deep; and he's to watch:
In a number of toasts, and he’s on guard duty as well.
Three lads of Cyprus, noble swelling spirits,
Three Cyprus men, brave spirits
That hold their honours in a wary distance,
That have a good notion of their honor
The very elements of this warlike isle,
Like everyone on this warring island,
Have I to-night fluster'd with flowing cups,
I have also gotten drunk,
And they watch too. Now, 'mongst this flock of drunkards,
And they are on duty as well. Now, with this group of drunkards –
Am I to put our Cassio in some action
I need to get Cassio to do something
That may offend the isle.--But here they come:
To offend their island. Here they come:
If consequence do but approve my dream,
If I can engineer this situation to match my plans,
My boat sails freely, both with wind and stream.
Then I will get what I want.
Re-enter CASSIO; with him MONTANO and Gentlemen; servants following with wine
CASSIO
'Fore God, they have given me a rouse already.
By God, they have already given me quite a lot to dr
ink.
MONTANO
Good faith, a little one; not past a pint, as I am
Truly, only a small cup. It wasn’t even a pint, I promise
a soldier.
as a soldier.
IAGO
Some wine, ho!
More wine!
Sings
And let me the canakin clink, clink;
And clink your glasses together
And let me the canakin clink
And clink your glasses together
A soldier's a man;
A soldier is a man,
A life's but a span;
And a life is only so long,
Why, then, let a soldier drink.
So let the soldier drink!
Some wine, boys!
More wine, boys!
CASSIO
'Fore God, an excellent song.
By God, a great song.
IAGO
I learned it in England, where, indeed, they are
I learned it in England, where they are
most potent in potting: your Dane, your German, and
very good at drinking. The Dane, or German, or
your swag-bellied Hollander--Drink, ho!--are nothing
fat Dutchman – Drink! – they are no match
to your English.
to the English.
CASSIO
Is your Englishman so expert in his drinking?
Is the Englishman truly an expert at drinking?
IAGO
Why, he drinks you, with facility, your Dane dead
Why, he will easily drink a Dane into a stupor,
drunk; he sweats not to overthrow your Almain; he
he has no problem outdrinking the German, and he
gives your Hollander a vomit, ere the next pottle
will make a Dutchman pute before the next glass
can be filled.
can be filled.
CASSIO
To the health of our general!
To the health of Othello!
MONTANO
I am for it, lieutenant; and I'll do you justice.
I will drink to that, lieutenant, as much as you will.
IAGO
O sweet England!
O sweet England!
King Stephen was a worthy peer,
King Stephen was a good king,
His breeches cost him but a crown;
And his pants were very cheap.
He held them sixpence all too dear,
He thought he spent sixpence too much
With that he call'd the tailor lown.
And called his tailor a rascal.
He was a wight of high renown,
He was a man of great reputation,
And thou art but of low degree:
And you are a man of low rank:
'Tis pride that pulls the country down;
It’s pride that destroys the country,
Then take thine auld cloak about thee.
So be happy with your old cloak
Some wine, ho!
More wine!
CASSIO
Why, this is a more exquisite song than the other.
Why, that is an even better song than the last one.
IAGO
Will you hear't again?
Would you like me to sing it again?
CASSIO
No; for I hold him to be unworthy of his place that
No, I don’t think it is right for us to be
does those things. Well, God's above all; and there
doing those things. Well, God’s in charge, and there
be souls must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved.
must be some souls that get saved, and some that don’t
IAGO
It's true, good lieutenant.
Very true, lieutenant.
CASSIO
For mine own part,--no offence to the general, nor
For me – and no offense to the general or
any man of quality,--I hope to be saved.
anyone else – I hope I am saved.
IAGO
And so do I too, lieutenant.
As do I, lieutenant.
CASSIO
Ay, but, by your leave, not before me; the
Yes, but please, not before me. The
lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's
lieutenant must be saved before the ensign. But
have no more of this; let's to our affairs.--Forgive
no more of this, let’s go to the watch. Forgive
us our sins!--Gentlemen, let's look to our business.
us our sins! Gentlemen, let’s do our work.
Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk: this is my
Do not think, men, that I am drunk. Look: this is my
ancient; this is my right hand, and this is my left:
ensign, this is my right hand, this is my left hand –
I am not drunk now; I can stand well enough, and
you can see I am not drunk. I can stand and
speak well enough.
speak well enough.
All
Excellent well.
Yes, very well.
CASSIO
Why, very well then; you must not think then that I am drunk.
Yes, very well. You must not think I am drunk.
Exit
MONTANO
To the platform, masters; come, let's set the watch.
Let’s go to the platform, everyone, and get to the watch.
IAGO
You see this fellow that is gone before;
You see that man who just left?
He is a soldier fit to stand by Caesar
He is a good enough soldier to stand next to Caesar
And give direction: and do but see his vice;
And give orders, but you see his vice,
'Tis to his virtue a just equinox,
Which is an extreme opposite to his virtue.
The one as long as the other: 'tis pity of him.
The one is as great as the other, it’s too bad.
I fear the trust Othello puts him in
I am afraid that Othello trusts him too much
On some odd time of his infirmity,
And that at some time this weakness
Will shake this island.
Will be bad for the island.
MONTANO
But is he often thus?
Is he often this drunk?
IAGO
'Tis evermore the prologue to his sleep:
It’s usually what he does before going to bed.
He'll watch the horologe a double set,
He would stay awake for a full day
If drink rock not his cradle.
If he does not have a drink to put him to sleep.
MONTANO
It were well
It would be good
The general were put in mind of it.
If the general knew about this.
Perhaps he sees it not; or his good nature
Perhaps he doesn’t see it, or his trusting
Prizes the virtue that appears in Cassio,
Sees only Cassio’s virtues,
And looks not on his evils: is not this true?
And not his evils. Doesn’t that make sense?
Enter RODERIGO
IAGO
[Aside to him] How now, Roderigo!
What is it, Roderigo!
I pray you, after the lieutenant; go.
Please, go after the lieutenant, now.
Exit RODERIGO
MONTANO
And 'tis great pity that the noble Moor
It’s too bad that the good Moor
Should hazard such a place as his own second
Should be so risky with his second-in-command by appointing
With one of an ingraft infirmity:
Someone with such a vice.
It were an honest action to say
&nbs
p; It would be honest to tell this
So to the Moor.
To the Moor.
IAGO
Not I, for this fair island:
I won’t tell him, not if you have me the whole island.
I do love Cassio well; and would do much
I love Cassio and would rather do what I can
To cure him of this evil--But, hark! what noise?
To cure him instead of ruining him. But wait, what is that sound?
Cry within: 'Help! help!'
Re-enter CASSIO, driving in RODERIGO
CASSIO
You rogue! you rascal!
You villain and rascal!
MONTANO
What's the matter, lieutenant?
What is the matter, lieutenant?
CASSIO
A knave teach me my duty!
You fool, trying to teach me my duty!
I'll beat the knave into a twiggen bottle.
I will beat you until you are criss-crossed like a straw covered bottle.
RODERIGO
Beat me!
Beat me!?
CASSIO
Dost thou prate, rogue?
Are you talking, you villain?
Striking RODERIGO
MONTANO
Nay, good lieutenant;
Stop, good lieutenant.
Staying him
I pray you, sir, hold your hand.
Please, sir, hold yourself back.
CASSIO
Let me go, sir,
Let me go
Or I'll knock you o'er the mazzard.
Or I will knock on the head.
MONTANO
Come, come,
Now, now, come on,
you're drunk.
you are drunk.
CASSIO
Drunk!
Drunk!
They fight
IAGO
[Aside to RODERIGO] Away, I say; go out, and cry a mutiny.
Now go and cry out that there is a fight.
Exit RODERIGO
Nay, good lieutenant,--alas, gentlemen;--
No, lieutenant, stop – oh, gentlemen –
Help, ho!--Lieutenant,--sir,--Montano,--sir;
Help! – Lieutenant – sir – Montano – sir –
Help, masters!--Here's a goodly watch indeed!