The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 601
That Cassio is no longer alive.
IAGO
My friend is dead; 'tis done at your request:
My friend will die. At your request it will be done,
But let her live.
But let her live.
OTHELLO
Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her!
Damn her, evil whore! O, damn her!
Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw,
Go away from me. I will withdraw to my room
To furnish me with some swift means of death
To figure out some way to kill
For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.
That beautiful demon. You are my lieutenant.
IAGO
I am your own for ever.
I am yours forever.
Exeunt
Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown
DESDEMONA
Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?
Do you know, sir, where Cassio lies?
Clown
I dare not say he lies any where.
I would not say he lies anywhere.
DESDEMONA
Why, man?
Why would you say that?
Clown
He's a soldier, and for one to say a soldier lies,
Because he is a soldier, and one who says that soldier lies
is stabbing.
might be stabbed.
DESDEMONA
Go to: where lodges he?
Come on now, where does he stay?
Clown
To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie.
To tell you where he stays is the same as telling you where I lie.
DESDEMONA
Can any thing be made of this?
What does this mean?
Clown
I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a
I do not know where he stays, so to say that he
lodging and say he lies here or he lies there, were
stays anywhere, here or there, is the same
to lie in mine own throat.
as lying.
DESDEMONA
Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?
Can you ask about him, and report back to me?
Clown
I will catechise the world for him; that is, make
I will ask the world about him.
questions, and by them answer.
DESDEMONA
Seek him, bid him come hither: tell him I have
Find him and ask him to come to me. Tell him that I have
moved my lord on his behalf, and hope all will be well.
influenced Othello to take him back and that I hope all will be well.
Clown
To do this is within the compass of man's wit: and
This is within my intelligence, and
therefore I will attempt the doing it.
therefore I will do it.
Exit
DESDEMONA
Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia?
Where did I lose my handkerchief, Emilia?
EMILIA
I know not, madam.
I don’t know, madam.
DESDEMONA
Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse
Believe me, I would have rather lost my purse
Full of crusadoes: and, but my noble Moor
Full of money. It’s a good thing that the noble Moor
Is true of mind and made of no such baseness
Is so honest and not made of such evilness
As jealous creatures are, it were enough
As jealous men are – or else that would be enough
To put him to ill thinking.
To make him think awful things.
EMILIA
Is he not jealous?
He does not get jealous?
DESDEMONA
Who, he? I think the sun where he was born
Who, Othello? I think the sun where he was born was so hot
Drew all such humours from him.
That it sapped him from those feelings.
EMILIA
Look, where he comes.
Look, here he comes.
DESDEMONA
I will not leave him now till Cassio
I will not leave him until he calls Cassio
Be call'd to him.
To him.
Enter OTHELLO
How is't with you, my lord?
How are you, my lord?
OTHELLO
Well, my good lady.
I am well, good lady.
Aside
O, hardness to dissemble!--
It is so hard to pretend! –
How do you, Desdemona?
How are you, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA
Well, my good lord.
I am well, my lord.
OTHELLO
Give me your hand: this hand is moist, my lady.
Give me your hand – it is moist with love, my lady.
DESDEMONA
It yet hath felt no age nor known no sorrow.
It has gotten old and has not been sad at all.
OTHELLO
This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart:
This hand says that you have a giving heart and are fertile.
Hot, hot, and moist: this hand of yours requires
Hot, hot and moist – with a hand like this you need to
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
Take a break from freedom. You need to fast and pray
Much castigation, exercise devout;
And become devout,
For here's a young and sweating devil here,
Since a young, horny devil could be near,
That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand,
One that rebels against their devotion. This is a good hand,
A frank one.
An honest one.
DESDEMONA
You may, indeed, say so;
You are right –
For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart.
This hand gave you my heart.
OTHELLO
A liberal hand: the hearts of old gave hands;
A free hand – long ago, hearts gave hands,
But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.
But now people give each other their hands, but not their hearts.
DESDEMONA
I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise.
I have nothing to say about that. Now then, you have a promise for me.
OTHELLO
What promise, chuck?
What promise, dear?
DESDEMONA
I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you.
I have sent away to ask Cassio to speak with you.
OTHELLO
I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me;
I have a cold and a cough bothers me –
Lend me thy handkerchief.
Can you lend me your handkerchief?
DESDEMONA
Here, my lord.
Here it is, my lord.
OTHELLO
That which I gave you.
The one I gave you, I mean.
DESDEMONA
I have it not about me.
I don’t have it with me.
OTHELLO
Not?
No?
DESDEMONA
No, indeed, my lord.
No, I don’t, my lord.
OTHELLO
That is a fault.
This is not good.
That handkerchief
That handkerchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give;
Was given to my mother by an Egyptian –
She was a charmer, and could almost read
She was a magician and could almost read
The thoughts of people: she told her, while she kept it,
People’s thoughts. She told her, whi
le she kept it,
'Twould make her amiable and subdue my father
That it would make her obedient to my father
Entirely to her love, but if she lost it
Entirely, but that if she ever lost it
Or made gift of it, my father's eye
Or gave it away, my father
Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt
Would hate her and his desires would hunt
After new fancies: she, dying, gave it me;
After other women. When she was dying, she gave it to me
And bid me, when my fate would have me wive,
And told me that when I found a wife,
To give it her. I did so: and take heed on't;
To give it to her. I did, so look:
Make it a darling like your precious eye;
Treat it like your own child to your eye;
To lose't or give't away were such perdition
To lose it or give it away is a sin
As nothing else could match.
That nothing could match.
DESDEMONA
Is't possible?
Is that true?
OTHELLO
'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it:
Yes, there is magic in its threads.
A sibyl, that had number'd in the world
A witch, who had lived in the world
The sun to course two hundred compasses,
For two hundred years
In her prophetic fury sew'd the work;
Sewed it in a prophetic fury.
The worms were hallow'd that did breed the silk;
She used holy worms for the silk
And it was dyed in mummy which the skilful
And it was dyed in the mummified
Conserved of maidens' hearts.
preserves of virgins’ hearts.
DESDEMONA
Indeed! is't true?
Really! It’s true?
OTHELLO
Most veritable; therefore look to't well.
Yes, very true. So keep an eye on it.
DESDEMONA
Then would to God that I had never seen't!
Then I wish I had never seen it!
OTHELLO
Ha! wherefore?
Ha! Why do you say that?
DESDEMONA
Why do you speak so startingly and rash?
Why do you speak so aggressively?
OTHELLO
Is't lost? is't gone? speak, is it out
Is it lost? Gone? Tell me, is it
o' the way?
no longer here?
DESDEMONA
Heaven bless us!
Heaven help me!
OTHELLO
Say you?
What are you saying?
DESDEMONA
It is not lost; but what an if it were?
It is not lost, but what if it was?
OTHELLO
How!
How!
DESDEMONA
I say, it is not lost.
I will say it again, it’s not lost.
OTHELLO
Fetch't, let me see't.
Then get it and let me see it.
DESDEMONA
Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now.
Well I could, but I will not now.
This is a trick to put me from my suit:
This is a trick to keep me from my request.
Pray you, let Cassio be received again.
Please, let Cassio be reinstated.
OTHELLO
Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives.
Please get the handkerchief, my mind doubts.
DESDEMONA
Come, come;
Come, now.
You'll never meet a more sufficient man.
You will never meet a more able soldier.
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
I pray, talk me of Cassio.
Please, talk to me about Cassio.
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
A man that all his time
He has spent all his time
Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,
Centering himself on his love for you,
Shared dangers with you,--
And even went through dangerous situations with you–
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
In sooth, you are to blame.
Truly, you are to blame for acting poorly.
OTHELLO
Away!
Go away!
Exit
EMILIA
Is not this man jealous?
And you said this man is not jealous?
DESDEMONA
I ne'er saw this before.
I never saw him act like this before.
Sure, there's some wonder in this handkerchief:
But yes, there is something special about the handkerchief.
I am most unhappy in the loss of it.
I am very upset that I lost it.
EMILIA
'Tis not a year or two shows us a man:
Only a year or two will truly teach you about a man.
They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They are all desire, and we are all they desire –
To eat us hungerly, and when they are full,
They want to take us, and then when they are satisfied,
They belch us. Look you, Cassio and my husband!
They treat us poorly. Here is Cassio and Iago!
Enter CASSIO and IAGO
IAGO
There is no other way; 'tis she must do't:
There is no other way – she must help you.
And, lo, the happiness! go, and importune her.
And here she is, what luck! Go and beg her.
DESDEMONA
How now, good Cassio! what's the news with you?
How are you, good Cassio! What is the news?
CASSIO
Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you
Madam, only my previous case. I beg you
That by your virtuous means I may again
That from your friendship that I may again
Exist, and be a member of his love
Return and enter into Othello’s love,
Whom I with all the office of my heart
Who I with all of my heart
Entirely honour: I would not be delay'd.
Honor – I do not want to wait longer.
If my offence be of such mortal kind
If what I have done is so horrible
That nor my service past, nor present sorrows,
That neither my past service nor present sorrows
Nor purposed merit in futurity,
Nor my future potential merit
Can ransom me into his love again,
Can win me back to him,
But to know so must be my benefit;
Then it would be best that I know.
So shall I clothe me in a forced content,
I will force myself to accept it,
And shut myself up in some other course,
And will stop myself from looking for another way
To fortune's alms.
To regain this fortune.
DESDEMONA
Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio!
Oh, gentle Cassio!
My advocation is not now in tune;
My pleading is not working.
My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him,
Othello is not acting like himself,
Were he in favour as in humour alter'd.
But as if he has been changed.
So help me every spirit sanctified,
So God must help me,
As I have spoken for you all my bes
t
For I have spoken to you as best I cant
And stood within the blank of his displeasure
And have stood in front of him as he showed how displeased he was
For my free speech! you must awhile be patient:
At my words! You must be patient:
What I can do I will; and more I will
Whatever I can do I will do, more than
Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you.
I should dare. Let that be enough for you now.
IAGO
Is my lord angry?
Is Othello angry?
EMILIA
He went hence but now,
He just left,
And certainly in strange unquietness.
And certainly seemed like he was in an unsettled mood.
IAGO
Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon,
Can he really be angry? I have seen the cannon
When it hath blown his ranks into the air,
Blow his men into the air
And, like the devil, from his very arm
And, like the devil, even
Puff'd his own brother:--and can he be angry?
Kill his own brother – and he is angry now?
Something of moment then: I will go meet him:
It must be from something important. I will go see him.
There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry.
There must be something serious if he is indeed angry.
DESDEMONA
I prithee, do so.
Please, do so.
Exit IAGO
Something, sure, of state,
It must be a national item,
Either from Venice, or some unhatch'd practise
Something from Venice, or else some plot
Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him,
That here in Cyprus he discovered,
Hath puddled his clear spirit: and in such cases
And this must have clouded his mind. In such cases,
Men's natures wrangle with inferior things,
Men fight with the small, trivial things,