O – Desdemona –
DESDEMONA
My lord?
Yes, my lord?
OTHELLO
Get you to bed on the instant; I will be returned
Go to your bed immediately. I will come back
forthwith: dismiss your attendant there: look it be done.
soon. Dismiss your attendants as well. Make sure it is done.
DESDEMONA
I will, my lord.
I will my lord.
Exeunt OTHELLO, LODOVICO, and Attendants
EMILIA
How goes it now? he looks gentler than he did.
How is it going? He looks a bit more gentle than he did.
DESDEMONA
He says he will return incontinent:
He says he will return shortly
He hath commanded me to go to bed,
And he commanded me to go to bed
And bade me to dismiss you.
And dismiss you.
EMILIA
Dismiss me!
Dismiss me!
DESDEMONA
It was his bidding: therefore, good Emilia,
It was what he asked. So, good Emilia,
Give me my nightly wearing, and adieu:
Give me my pajamas and good night.
We must not now displease him.
I do not want to upset him now.
EMILIA
I would you had never seen him!
I wish you had never met him!
DESDEMONA
So would not I my love doth so approve him,
I don’t wish that – I love him regardless,
That even his stubbornness, his cheques, his frowns--
And even his stubbornness and meanness –
Prithee, unpin me,--have grace and favour in them.
Please, pin this for me – have a beauty to them.
EMILIA
I have laid those sheets you bade me on the bed.
I put the sheets you asked for on the bed.
DESDEMONA
All's one. Good faith, how foolish are our minds!
It doesn’t matter. How foolish our minds are!
If I do die before thee prithee, shroud me
If I die with you around, please wrap me
In one of those same sheets.
In one of these sheets in my coffin.
EMILIA
Come, come you talk.
Come now, don’t talk like that.
DESDEMONA
My mother had a maid call'd Barbara:
My mother had a maid named Barbara.
She was in love, and he she loved proved mad
She was in love, and the man she loved was crazy
And did forsake her: she had a song of 'willow;'
And left her. She knew a song called “Willow,”
An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune,
An old song, but it meant a lot to her
And she died singing it: that song to-night
And she died singing it. Tonight that song
Will not go from my mind; I have much to do,
Will be in my head. I have a lot to do,
But to go hang my head all at one side,
But all the while I hang my head to the side
And sing it like poor Barbara. Prithee, dispatch.
And sing like Barbara. Please, go now.
EMILIA
Shall I go fetch your night-gown?
Shall I fetch your nightgown?
DESDEMONA
No, unpin me here.
No, just unpin me here.
This Lodovico is a proper man.
Lodovico is a handsome man.
EMILIA
A very handsome man.
Yes, very handsome.
DESDEMONA
He speaks well.
He speaks well, also.
EMILIA
I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot
I know a lady from Venice who would have walked barefoot
to Palestine for a touch of his nether lip.
all the way to Palestine just to kiss his lip.
DESDEMONA
[Singing] The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
The poor woman sat crying by the sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow:
Everyone sing with the willow:
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Her hand on her chest, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
Sing willow, willow, willow:
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
The fresh streams ran past her and murmured like she did,
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Sing willow, willow, willow:
Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;
Her tears fell and softened the stones–
Lay by these:--
Put them here –
Singing
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Sing willow, willow, willow–
Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--
Please, get going, he will come soon –
Singing
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Everyone sing with the willow, a willow my necklace,
Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,-
Let nobody blame him for he is right to hate me–
Nay, that's not next.--Hark! who is't that knocks?
No, that doesn’t come next – Listen! Who is knocking?
EMILIA
It's the wind.
It’s only the wind.
DESDEMONA
[Singing] I call'd my love false love; but what
I told me lover he didn’t really love me but what
said he then?
Did he say?
Sing willow, willow, willow:
Sing willow, willow, willow:
If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!
If I chase more women, you will sleep with more men!
So, get thee gone; good night, Mine eyes do itch;
So get going, goodnight. My eyes itch–
Doth that bode weeping?
Does that mean I will soon start crying?
EMILIA
'Tis neither here nor there.
It doesn’t mean anything.
DESDEMONA
I have heard it said so. O, these men, these men!
I have heard something about it before. O, these men!
Dost thou in conscience think,--tell me, Emilia,--
Do you honestly think – be true, Emilia –
That there be women do abuse their husbands
That women hurt their husbands
In such gross kind?
Just as much?
EMILIA
There be some such, no question.
Some do, undoubtedly.
DESDEMONA
Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?
Would you ever do such a thing for all the money in the world?
EMILIA
Why, would not you?
Why, would you?
DESDEMONA
No, by this heavenly light!
No, I swear by heaven!
EMILIA
Nor I neither by this heavenly light;
Well I wouldn’t by heaven’s light either,
I might do't as well i' the dark.
But I might in the dark.
DESDEMONA
Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?
Is there anything in the world that could make you do it?
EMILIA
The world's a huge thing: it is a great price.
The world is a big, expensive thing
For a small vice.
For a small sin.
DESDEMONA
In troth, I think thou wouldst not.
Truly, I don’t think you would do it.
&
nbsp; EMILIA
In troth, I think I should; and undo't when I had
Actually, I might do it, and then undo it when it was
done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a
done. I wouldn’t do such a thing for
joint-ring, nor for measures of lawn, nor for
a ring or for a garden, not for
gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty
dresses or petticoats or caps or any small
exhibition; but for the whole world,--why, who would
thing, but for the wholed world... why, would wouldn’t
not make her husband a cuckold to make him a
cheat on her husband if afterwards she could make him
monarch? I should venture purgatory for't.
a king? I would risk purgatory for it.
DESDEMONA
Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong
Curse me if I would do such a thing,
For the whole world.
Even for the whole world.
EMILIA
Why the wrong is but a wrong i' the world: and
Well it is only wrong insofar as it is in the world, and
having the world for your labour, tis a wrong in your
if your wrong ends up winning you the whole world, than it is wrong
own world, and you might quickly make it right.
in your world – you might as well make it right, then.
DESDEMONA
I do not think there is any such woman.
I don’t think such a woman exists.
EMILIA
Yes, a dozen; and as many to the vantage as would
They do, dozens of them, as many as would exist
Store the world they played for.
In the world they did it for.
But I do think it is their husbands' faults
But I do think it is the husbands’ faults
If wives do fall: say that they slack their duties,
If wives cheat on them. Say that the husbands stop their duties to us as their wives
And pour our treasures into foreign laps,
And insteand sleep with other women,
Or else break out in peevish jealousies,
Or say they become annoyingly jealous,
Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us,
And make us stick to rules they impose, or say they hit us
Or scant our former having in despite;
Or stop letting us have access to money –
Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace,
Well, we have backbones, and even though we might be gracious,
Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know
We can take our revenge. Husbands should know
Their wives have sense like them: they see and smell
That their wives are like them: they see and smell
And have their palates both for sweet and sour,
And have tastes for sweet and sour
As husbands have. What is it that they do
Just like their husbands. Why do they
When they change us for others? Is it sport?
Exchange us for other women? For fun?
I think it is: and doth affection breed it?
I think so. For lust and affection?
I think it doth: is't frailty that thus errs?
That too. Is it their weaknesses that makes them fall?
It is so too: and have not we affections,
Yes, that too: but don’t we have lust as well,
Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
And desire for fun, and weaknesses, just like men do?
Then let them use us well: else let them know,
Then we should use them also, or else we should let them know
The ills we do, their ills instruct us so.
That if we do something wrong, it is because they do.
DESDEMONA
Good night, good night: heaven me such uses send,
Goodnight, goodnight. I pray God will help me use this information
Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend!
Not so that I learn from the bad, but so that I can avoid becoming like that!
Exeunt
Enter IAGO and RODERIGO
IAGO
Here, stand behind this bulk; straight will he come:
Stand here behind the wall and he will come here soon.
Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home:
Keep your sword unsheathed, and then drive it in him.
Quick, quick; fear nothing; I'll be at thy elbow:
Do it quickly and do not fear, I will be beside you.
It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
This will help us or it will hurt us, so think about that
And fix most firm thy resolution.
And carry through with determination.
RODERIGO
Be near at hand; I may miscarry in't.
Be close, I may miss him.
IAGO
Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.
Here, stay close. Be bold and take a stand.
Retires
RODERIGO
I have no great devotion to the deed;
I don’t really want to do this,
And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons:
But he gave me strong reasons.
'Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.
One man gone. First my sword in him, and then he dies.
IAGO
I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense,
I have inflamed this pimple until it is ready to pop,
And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,
And he is getting angry. Now. whether he kills Cassio
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
Or Cassio kills him, or they kill each other–
Every way makes my gain: live Roderigo,
Every combination can work for me. But if Roderigo lives,
He calls me to a restitution large
Then he will ask me to repay him
Of gold and jewels that I bobb'd from him,
For the gold and jewels I stole from him
As gifts to Desdemona;
As if they were gifts to Desdemona.
It must not be: if Cassio do remain,
That shouldn’t happen. If Cassio remains,
He hath a daily beauty in his life
Then his natural handsomeness
That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
Makes me comparatively look ugly. And besides, the Moor
May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril:
Might talk to him about what I have been telling him. That would be dangerous for me.
No, he must die. But so: I hear him coming.
No, he must die as well. I hear him coming.
Enter CASSIO
RODERIGO
I know his gait, 'tis he.--Villain, thou diest!
I know those steps, it’s Cassio. –Villain! Die!
Makes a pass at CASSIO
CASSIO
That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
That is the thrust of an enemy,
But that my coat is better than thou know'st
But I have armor underneath my coat,
I will make proof of thine.
And now we will see how strong your clothing is.
Draws, and wounds RODERIGO
RODERIGO
O, I am slain!
O, I am dead!
IAGO from behind wounds CASSIO in the leg, and exit
CASSIO
I am maim'd for ever. Help, ho! murder! murder!
I am injured forever! Help! Murder! Murder!
Falls
Enter OTHELLO
OTHELLO
The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word.
That’s the voice of Cassio. Iago has kept his word.
RODERIGO
O, villain that I am!
O I am such a villain!
OTHELLO
It is even so.
That’s true.
CASSIO
O, help, ho! light! a surgeon!
O, help! Get a light! Get a surgeon!
OTHELLO
'Tis he:--O brave Iago, honest and just,
It’s he. O brave Iago, honest and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong!
You have such a noble understanding of your friend’s hurt!
Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead,
You teach me well. Whore, here, dead, is your lover,
And your unblest fate hies: strumpet, I come.
And your fate is coming soon.
Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
Your eyes have been shut out of my heart.
Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted.
You stained the bed with lust, now your lusting blood will stain it.
Exit
Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO
CASSIO
What, ho! no watch? no passage? murder! murder!
What! No guard? No one here? Murder!
GRATIANO
'Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful.
Something is wrong – that cry sounds very bad.
CASSIO
O, help!
Help!
LODOVICO
Hark!
Listen!
RODERIGO
O wretched villain!
O evil man!
LODOVICO
Two or three groan: it is a heavy night:
Two or three are groaning there. It is a dark night,
These may be counterfeits: let's think't unsafe
These might be fake. It might be unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.
To go to the cry without more help with us.
RODERIGO
Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death.
Nobody is coming? I will bleed to death!
LODOVICO
Hark!
Listen!
Re-enter IAGO, with a light
GRATIANO
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) Page 606