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

by William Shakespeare

graces: confess yourself freely to her; importune

  qualities. Tell your story to her and beg

  her help to put you in your place again: she is of

  her to help you regain your rank. She is

  so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition,

  so kind and has such a gracious nature

  she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more

  that she considers it wrongdoing to not help someone

  than she is requested: this broken joint between

  as much as they ask. The brokenness between

  you and her husband entreat her to splinter; and, my

  you and Othello can be mended by her, and I

  fortunes against any lay worth naming, this

  would bet that

  crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before.

  the love between you two will grow to be even stronger than it was before.

  CASSIO

  You advise me well.

  You have good advice.

  IAGO

  I protest, in the sincerity of love and honest kindness.

  No, only the sincerity of my love and kindness for you.

  CASSIO

  I think it freely; and betimes in the morning I will

  I believe you. Early tomorrow morning I will

  beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me:

  go to good Desdemona and plead my case.

  I am desperate of my fortunes if they cheque me here.

  I am desperate to turn my fortunes around.

  IAGO

  You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I

  That’s the right thing to do. Goodnight lieutenant. I

  must to the watch.

  must go to keep the watch.

  CASSIO

  Good night, honest Iago.

  Goodnight, honest Iago.

  Exit

  IAGO

  And what's he then that says I play the villain?

  And who says I am the villain?

  When this advice is free I give and honest,

  My advice is so good and honest,

  Probal to thinking and indeed the course

  And it probably is the best course

  To win the Moor again? For 'tis most easy

  To get back in the Moor’s good favor. It is very easy

  The inclining Desdemona to subdue

  To convince the willing Desdemona to help

  In any honest suit: she's framed as fruitful

  Any case since she has the best wishes for others.

  As the free elements. And then for her

  And then, for her

  To win the Moor--were't to renounce his baptism,

  To convince the Moor – it could be as serious as renouncing his baptism

  All seals and symbols of redeemed sin,

  And all the other marks of his salvation,

  His soul is so enfetter'd to her love,

  But he is so completely in love with her

  That she may make, unmake, do what she list,

  That she can do whatever she wants

  Even as her appetite shall play the god

  And through her desires have as much control as God

  With his weak function. How am I then a villain

  Compared to his weak resistance. So how am I a villain

  To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,

  To suggest to Cassio to take this course,

  Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!

  Which is for his benefit? I am like Satan himself!

  When devils will the blackest sins put on,

  When devils are looking to do the most evil sins they can,

  They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,

  They first take on a heavenly appearance

  As I do now: for whiles this honest fool

  Just as I am doing. While this honest fool

  Plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes

  Seeks to get Desdemona to help him

  And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor,

  And she pleads his case to the Moor,

  I'll pour this pestilence into his ear,

  I will poison his ear

  That she repeals him for her body's lust;

  With talk of her being disgusted at his appearance

  And by how much she strives to do him good,

  And so the stronger she strives to help Cassio,

  She shall undo her credit with the Moor.

  The more she will become suspicious to the Moor.

  So will I turn her virtue into pitch,

  So I will turn her goodness into evil,

  And out of her own goodness make the net

  And out of it create a net

  That shall enmesh them all.

  To trap them all.

  Re-enter RODERIGO

  How now, Roderigo!

  How are you, Roderigo?

  RODERIGO

  I do follow here in the chase, not like a hound that

  I am spent from the chase, not like the hound

  hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is

  hunting, but like the hunted. My money is

  almost spent; I have been to-night exceedingly well

  nearly gone and tonight I have been very brutally

  cudgelled; and I think the issue will be, I shall

  beaten. I think that in return I have

  have so much experience for my pains, and so, with

  gained more experience for my sufferings, so with

  no money at all and a little more wit, return again to Venice.

  no money, and a little more wisdom, I am going back to Venice.

  IAGO

  How poor are they that have not patience!

  How pathetic they are who do not have patience!

  What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

  Don’t wounds heal slowly, not all at once?

  Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;

  You know that we are working through trickery, not magic,

  And wit depends on dilatory time.

  And such tricks require time.

  Does't not go well? Cassio hath beaten thee.

  Aren’t you alright? Cassio beat you,

  And thou, by that small hurt, hast cashier'd Cassio:

  But because of that small injury, you have gotten Cassio discounted!

  Though other things grow fair against the sun,

  Our work is making the right things grow under the sun,

  Yet fruits that blossom first will first be ripe:

  And the fruits of this work will soon be ripe,

  Content thyself awhile. By the mass, 'tis morning;

  So be patient. My God, it’s already morning:

  Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.

  Partying and action made time fly.

  Retire thee; go where thou art billeted:

  Go to sleep back where you are staying.

  Away, I say; thou shalt know more hereafter:

  Go now, you will know more later.

  Nay, get thee gone.

  No, get going.

  Exit RODERIGO

  Two things are to be done:

  Two things still must be done:

  My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress;

  My wife must plead Cassio’s case to Desdemona.

  I'll set her on;

  Which I can convince her to do.

  Myself the while to draw the Moor apart,

  Meanwhile I must go to the Moor

  And bring him jump when he may Cassio find

  And make sure he sees Cassio

  Soliciting his wife: ay, that's the way

  Pleading to his wife. Yes, thats what needs to happen,

  Dull not device by coldness and delay.

  And I must not ruin the plan through stupidity or slowness.

  Exit

  Enter CASSIO and some Musicians


  CASSIO

  Masters, play here; I will content your pains;

  Masters, play now – I will pay you.

  Something that's brief; and bid 'Good morrow, general.'

  Play something brief, but happy, and remember to say, “Good morning, general.”

  Music

  Enter Clown

  Clown

  Why masters, have your instruments been in Naples,

  Why masters, have your instruments been to Naples?

  that they speak i' the nose thus?

  Is that why they have a nasal sound?

  First Musician

  How, sir, how!

  What!

  Clown

  Are these, I pray you, wind-instruments?

  Please tell me, are these wind instruments?

  First Musician

  Ay, marry, are they, sir.

  They are, sir, yes.

  Clown

  O, thereby hangs a tail.

  There’s the problem.

  First Musician

  Whereby hangs a tale, sir?

  What is the problem, sir?

  Clown

  Marry, sir, by many a wind-instrument that I know.

  Well, sir, I know many people who are all wind.

  But, masters, here's money for you: and the general

  But, masters, here’s some money. The general

  so likes your music, that he desires you, for love's

  likes your music so much that he desires, out of love,

  sake, to make no more noise with it.

  that you stop making noise out of it.

  First Musician

  Well, sir, we will not.

  Well then we will stop.

  Clown

  If you have any music that may not be heard, to't

  If you have any music that makes no sound, do play it

  again: but, as they say to hear music the general

  again. But as I said, with music that can be heard, the general

  does not greatly care.

  does not care for that.

  First Musician

  We have none such, sir.

  We have no music like that, sir.

  Clown

  Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I'll away:

  Then put your instruments away,

  go; vanish into air; away!

  go, leave into the air, goodbye!

  Exeunt Musicians

  CASSIO

  Dost thou hear, my honest friend?

  Do you hear, my honest friend?

  Clown

  No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you.

  No, I don’t hear your honest friend, but I hear you.

  CASSIO

  Prithee, keep up thy quillets. There's a poor piece

  Please, keep your jokes to yourself. Here’s a bit

  of gold for thee: if the gentlewoman that attends

  of money. If the woman who is attending to

  the general's wife be stirring, tell her there's

  the general’s wife is up, tell her

  one Cassio entreats her a little favour of speech:

  Cassio would like to speak with her –

  wilt thou do this?

  will you do this?

  Clown

  She is stirring, sir: if she will stir hither, I

  She is up, sir, and if she comes this way, I

  shall seem to notify unto her.

  will tell her.

  CASSIO

  Do, my good friend.

  Do, my friend.

  Exit Clown

  Enter IAGO

  In happy time, Iago.

  Good to see you, Iago.

  IAGO

  You have not been a-bed, then?

  Have you not slept yet?

  CASSIO

  Why, no; the day had broke

  No, the morning came

  Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago,

  Before we parted. I decided, Iago,

  To send in to your wife: my suit to her

  To send after your wife and talk to her

  Is, that she will to virtuous Desdemona

  In order to ask that she will go to virtuous Desdemona

  Procure me some access.

  And find me access to talk to Desdemona.

  IAGO

  I'll send her to you presently;

  I will send her to you now

  And I'll devise a mean to draw the Moor

  And will devise a scheme to keep the Moor

  Out of the way, that your converse and business

  Out of the way so that your conversation

  May be more free.

  Can be without interruption.

  CASSIO

  I humbly thank you for't.

  Thank you.

  Exit IAGO

  I never knew

  I never knew

  A Florentine more kind and honest.

  A more kind and honest man from Florence.

  Enter EMILIA

  EMILIA

  Good morrow, good Lieutenant: I am sorry

  Good morning, good lieutenant. I am sorry

  For your displeasure; but all will sure be well.

  For your misfortunes, but I hope all will soon be fixed.

  The general and his wife are talking of it;

  The general and his wife are talking about it

  And she speaks for you stoutly: the Moor replies,

  And she defends you very strongly. Then the Moor replies

  That he you hurt is of great fame in Cyprus,

  That you hurt a very famous man in Cyprus,

  And great affinity, and that in wholesome wisdom

  One who is well liked, and that in the wisdom of the situation

  He might not but refuse you; but he protests he loves you

  He has no choice but to refuse you. Still, he says that he loves you

  And needs no other suitor but his likings

  And that he needs no one to convince him, that by his own preference

  To take the safest occasion by the front

  He is looking for a safe time to

  To bring you in again.

  Reinstate you.

  CASSIO

  Yet, I beseech you,

  Still, I beg you,

  If you think fit, or that it may be done,

  If you think it is appropriate or possible,

  Give me advantage of some brief discourse

  Let me have some brief conversation

  With Desdemona alone.

  With Desdemona herself.

  EMILIA

  Pray you, come in;

  Yes, come in.

  I will bestow you where you shall have time

  I will take you to where you will be able

  To speak your bosom freely.

  To speak freely with her.

  CASSIO

  I am much bound to you.

  I am indebted to you.

  Exeunt

  Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen

  OTHELLO

  These letters give, Iago, to the pilot;

  Iago, give these letters to the pilot

  And by him do my duties to the senate:

  And ask him to pay my respects to the Senate.

  That done, I will be walking on the works;

  With that done, I will be walking along the walls;

  Repair there to me.

  Find me there when you are done.

  IAGO

  Well, my good lord, I'll do't.

  Very well, my lord. I will do it.

  OTHELLO

  This fortification, gentlemen, shall we see't?

  Gentlemen, shall you show me around the fortifications?

  Gentleman

  We'll wait upon your lordship.

  Whatever you would like, my lord.

  Exeunt

  Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA

  DESDEMONA

  Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do

 
Be certain, Cassio, that I will do

  All my abilities in thy behalf.

  Everything I can.

  EMILIA

  Good madam, do: I warrant it grieves my husband,

  Please do, madam. I believe it upsets my husband so much

  As if the case were his.

  That it seems like it is his case.

  DESDEMONA

  O, that's an honest fellow. Do not doubt, Cassio,

  O, well he is a good man. Do not doubt, Cassio,

  But I will have my lord and you again

  That I will make sure that you and my husband

  As friendly as you were.

  Become as friendly as you ever were.

  CASSIO

  Bounteous madam,

  Good lady,

  Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,

  Whatever happens to me,

  He's never any thing but your true servant.

  I will always be your devoted servant.

  DESDEMONA

  I know't; I thank you. You do love my lord:

  I know, thank you. You do love Othello,

  You have known him long; and be you well assured

  And you have known him a long time. Be assured:

  He shall in strangeness stand no further off

  He only stands away from you

  Than in a polite distance.

  From a political need.

  CASSIO

  Ay, but, lady,

  Yes, but lady,

  That policy may either last so long,

  That political need may go on for too long,

  Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,

  Or may create a such a diet and daily that I am not missed,

  Or breed itself so out of circumstance,

  Or may continue on unquestioned,

  That, I being absent and my place supplied,

  That, since I am gone and my position taken,

  My general will forget my love and service.

  Othello will forget about my love and my service to him.

  DESDEMONA

  Do not doubt that; before Emilia here

  Do not think about that. Before Emilia as my witness,

  I give thee warrant of thy place: assure thee,

  I promise you your position. Rest assured,

  If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it

  If I vow someone my friendship, I act on it

  To the last article: my lord shall never rest;