The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 603
OTHELLO
Dost thou hear, Iago?
Do you hear me, Iago?
I will be found most cunning in my patience;
I will be quiet and cunning in my patience,
But--dost thou hear?--most bloody.
But – and hear this – still very violent when the time comes.
IAGO
That's not amiss;
That’s not a wrong thing,
But yet keep time in all. Will you withdraw?
But it must be in the right time. Now go away.
OTHELLO retires
Now will I question Cassio of Bianca,
I will ask Cassio about Bianca,
A housewife that by selling her desires
A prostitute that sells sex
Buys herself bread and clothes: it is a creature
So that she can buy food and clothes. She
That dotes on Cassio; as 'tis the strumpet's plague
Loves Cassio – it is the loose woman’s curse
To beguile many and be beguiled by one:
To convince many to love her, but to be in love with one.
He, when he hears of her, cannot refrain
When he hears talk about her, he won’t be able to stop
From the excess of laughter. Here he comes:
Laughing. Here he comes.
Re-enter CASSIO
As he shall smile, Othello shall go mad;
He will smile, and Othello will go crazy.
And his unbookish jealousy must construe
His unhinged jealousy will interpret
Poor Cassio's smiles, gestures and light behavior,
Cassio’s smiles, actions, and happy behavior
Quite in the wrong. How do you now, lieutenant?
Wrongly. How are you, lieutenant?
CASSIO
The worser that you give me the addition
I am worse when you call me by that rank
Whose want even kills me.
Since I want it back so badly.
IAGO
Ply Desdemona well, and you are sure on't.
Beg Desdemona well, and you will get it.
Speaking lower
Now, if this suit lay in Bianca's power,
Now if it were up to Bianca,
How quickly should you speed!
You would have it back so quickly!
CASSIO
Alas, poor caitiff!
Ah, poor awful woman.
OTHELLO
Look, how he laughs already!
Look how he laughs!
IAGO
I never knew woman love man so.
I never knew a woman who was so in love with a man.
CASSIO
Alas, poor rogue! I think, i' faith, she loves me.
That poor rogue! I think that she really does love me.
OTHELLO
Now he denies it faintly, and laughs it out.
Now he denies it quietly and tries to laugh it away.
IAGO
Do you hear, Cassio?
Have you heard this, Cassio?
OTHELLO
Now he importunes him
Now Iago is asking him
To tell it o'er: go to; well said, well said.
To tell the story again. Well played.
IAGO
She gives it out that you shall marry hey:
She says that you are to marry –
Do you intend it?
Do you intend to do this?
CASSIO
Ha, ha, ha!
Ha ha ha!
OTHELLO
Do you triumph, Roman? do you triumph?
Do you think you have won, really?
CASSIO
I marry her! what? a customer! Prithee, bear some
I marry her! What? I am only a customer! Please, give
charity to my wit: do not think it so unwholesome.
my intelligence some credit – I am not that dumb.
Ha, ha, ha!
Ha ha ha!
OTHELLO
So, so, so, so: they laugh that win.
Well, well, well – the true winner has the last laugh.
IAGO
'Faith, the cry goes that you shall marry her.
Really! The word is that you are going to marry her.
CASSIO
Prithee, say true.
Please, speak honestly.
IAGO
I am a very villain else.
I am, and would be a villain to say otherwise.
OTHELLO
Have you scored me? Well.
Have you made her pregnant as well? Fine.
CASSIO
This is the monkey's own giving out: she is
Then this is made up by her, that monkey. She
persuaded I will marry her, out of her own love and
thinks I will marry her because she loves me and
flattery, not out of my promise.
flatters herself, but it is not backed up by me.
OTHELLO
Iago beckons me; now he begins the story.
Iago is motioning that Cassio is beginning the story.
CASSIO
She was here even now; she haunts me in every place.
She was just here – she follows me everywhere.
I was the other day talking on the sea-bank with
The other day I was talking on the shore with
certain Venetians; and thither comes the bauble,
a few Venetians and here comes that fool,
and, by this hand, she falls me thus about my neck--
takes me by the hand, and puts her arms around me like this–
OTHELLO
Crying 'O dear Cassio!' as it were: his gesture imports it.
It looks like he is motioning how she cried out his name.
CASSIO
So hangs, and lolls, and weeps upon me; so hales,
She hangs on me, and cries over me, and shakes me like this,
and pulls me: ha, ha, ha!
and pulls on me like this. Ha ha ha!
OTHELLO
Now he tells how she plucked him to my chamber. O,
Now he is telling how she took him to my room. O,
I see that nose of yours, but not that dog I shall
I see your nose, but I cannot yet see the dog that I will
throw it to.
throw it to.
CASSIO
Well, I must leave her company.
Well, I must stay away from her.
IAGO
Before me! look, where she comes.
Then look out, for here she comes.
CASSIO
'Tis such another fitchew! marry a perfumed one.
It’s a whore like all of the others, wearing perfume.
Enter BIANCA
What do you mean by this haunting of me?
Why do you keep following me?
BIANCA
Let the devil and his dam haunt you! What did you
I hope the devil and his wife haunt you! Why did
mean by that same handkerchief you gave me even now?
you give me that handkerchief earlier?
I was a fine fool to take it. I must take out the
I was a fool to take it. And I must copy it for you?
work?--A likely piece of work, that you should find
A likely story, that you would find it
it in your chamber, and not know who left it there!
in your room and not know who put it there!
This is some minx's token, and I must take out the
This is some token from another woman, and you want me to
work? There; give it your hobby-horse: wheresoever
copy it? There, take it, give it back to the other woman
you had it, I'll take out no work on't.
For I will not copy it for you.
CASSIO
How now, my sweet Bianca! how now! how now!
Oh do
n’t be like that, sweet Bianca!
OTHELLO
By heaven, that should be my handkerchief!
By God, that is my handkerchief!
BIANCA
An you'll come to supper to-night, you may; an you
If you want to have dinner with me tonight, you may.
will not, come when you are next prepared for.
If you do not want to, then come some other time.
Exit
IAGO
After her, after her.
Go after her.
CASSIO
'Faith, I must; she'll rail in the street else.
Truly, I must or else she will scream in the streets.
IAGO
Will you sup there?
Will you eat there tonight?
CASSIO
'Faith, I intend so.
Yes, I think so.
IAGO
Well, I may chance to see you; for I would very fain
Well I might see you then. I would very much like
speak with you.
to speak with you.
CASSIO
Prithee, come; will you?
Please do come.
IAGO
Go to; say no more.
Go after her and say no more now.
Exit CASSIO
OTHELLO
[Advancing] How shall I murder him, Iago?
How should I kill him, Iago?
IAGO
Did you perceive how he laughed at his vice?
So you saw how he laughed at his sins?
OTHELLO
O Iago!
O Iago!
IAGO
And did you see the handkerchief?
Did you see the handkerchief?
OTHELLO
Was that mine?
Was that mine?
IAGO
Yours by this hand: and to see how he prizes the
Yes, yours. And you can see how highly he prizes
foolish woman your wife! she gave it him, and he
your foolish wife, for she gave it to him and he
hath given it his whore.
gave it to his whore.
OTHELLO
I would have him nine years a-killing.
I would like to kill him for nine years straight.
A fine woman! a fair woman! a sweet woman!
She is such a fine, sweet woman!
IAGO
Nay, you must forget that.
No, forget about that.
OTHELLO
Ay, let her rot, and perish, and be damned to-night;
Yes, she can rot and die and be damned,
for she shall not live: no, my heart is turned to
because she will no longer live. No, my heart has turned
stone; I strike it, and it hurts my hand. O, the
to stone and it hurts my hand when I hit it. The
world hath not a sweeter creature: she might lie by
world has not seen a sweeter woman – she could sleep
an emperor's side and command him tasks.
with the emperor himself and still tell him what to do.
IAGO
Nay, that's not your way.
No, that is not who you are.
OTHELLO
Hang her! I do but say what she is: so delicate
Damn her! I am only saying what she is in reality. She
with her needle: an admirable musician: O! she
is a good seamstress and a wonderful musician – she
will sing the savageness out of a bear: of so high
could calm a bear with her voice – and she has such
and plenteous wit and invention:--
a clever mind –
IAGO
She's the worse for all this.
All the worse that she ended up like this.
OTHELLO
O, a thousand thousand times: and then, of so
A thousand times worse – O and she has
gentle a condition!
such a sweet personality.
IAGO
Ay, too gentle.
Too sweet, perhaps.
OTHELLO
Nay, that's certain: but yet the pity of it, Iago!
True, but that’s the sadness of it, Iago!
O Iago, the pity of it, Iago!
Iago, how sad, Iago!
IAGO
If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her
If you love her so much even when she cheats on you, then give her
patent to offend; for, if it touch not you, it comes
permission to keep doing it. If it does not bother you, it won’t be an issue
near nobody.
for anyone else.
OTHELLO
I will chop her into messes: cuckold me!
I will chop her into bits! How dare she cheat on me!
IAGO
O, 'tis foul in her.
It’s very evil.
OTHELLO
With mine officer!
With my own officer!
IAGO
That's fouler.
Even worse.
OTHELLO
Get me some poison, Iago; this night: I'll not
Iago, get me some poison tonight. I will not
expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty
argue at all with her so that her beauty
unprovide my mind again: this night, Iago.
cannot tempt me to change my mind Tonight, Iago.
IAGO
Do it not with poison, strangle her in her bed, even
Don’t do it with poison, but strangle her in her bed, the same
the bed she hath contaminated.
one that she ruined.
OTHELLO
Good, good: the justice of it pleases: very good.
Yes, I appreciate the fitting justice of it.
IAGO
And for Cassio, let me be his undertaker: you
As for Cassio, leave him to me. You
shall hear more by midnight.
Will hear from me by midnight.
OTHELLO
Excellent good.
Excellent.
A trumpet within
What trumpet is that same?
What trumpet is that?
IAGO
Something from Venice, sure. 'Tis Lodovico
It sounds like someone from Venice. It is Lodovico
Come from the duke: and, see, your wife is with him.
Sent from the duke – and look, your wife is with him.
Enter LODOVICO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants
LODOVICO
Save you, worthy general!
God bless you, worthy General!
OTHELLO
With all my heart, sir.
And all of us, sir.
LODOVICO
The duke and senators of Venice greet you.
The duke and senators from Venice send their greetings.
Gives him a letter
OTHELLO
I kiss the instrument of their pleasures.
I will gladly read and obey their requests.
Opens the letter, and reads
DESDEMONA
And what's the news, good cousin Lodovico?
What is the news, good cousin Lodovico?
IAGO
I am very glad to see you, signior.
I am glad to see you, sir.
Welcome to Cyprus.
Welcome to Cyprus.
LODOVICO
I thank you. How does Lieutenant Cassio?
Thank you, How is Lieutenant Cassio?
IAGO
Lives, sir.
Alive, sir.
DESDEMONA
Cousin, there's fall'n between him and my lord
Cousin, there has been a falling out between him and my lord.
An unkind breach: but you shall make all well.
It’s an awful thing, but you will fix it.
OTHELLO
&n
bsp; Are you sure of that?
Are you sure?
DESDEMONA
My lord?
What do you mean, my lord?
OTHELLO
[Reads] 'This fail you not to do, as you will--'
Do not fail to do this, since then you will –
LODOVICO
He did not call; he's busy in the paper.
He didn’t speak, he’s reading.
Is there division 'twixt my lord and Cassio?
So there has been a fight between Othello and Cassio?
DESDEMONA
A most unhappy one: I would do much
A sad one, yes. I would do whatever I can
To atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio.
To have them forgive each other since I love Cassio.
OTHELLO
Fire and brimstone!
O, damnation!
DESDEMONA
My lord?
Excuse me?
OTHELLO
Are you wise?
Are you sane?
DESDEMONA
What, is he angry?
Wait, is Othello angry?
LODOVICO
May be the letter moved him;
Perhaps the letter has upset him.
For, as I think, they do command him home,
I think that they are requesting him to come home,
Deputing Cassio in his government.
Placing Cassio in charge.
DESDEMONA
Trust me, I am glad on't.
Oh, well that is good news.
OTHELLO
Indeed!
Is it really!
DESDEMONA
My lord?
Othello?
OTHELLO
I am glad to see you mad.
I am glad that you are getting angry.
DESDEMONA
Why, sweet Othello,--
Othello, why?
OTHELLO