The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 608
DESDEMONA
And have you mercy too! I never did
And you have mercy on me too! I never did anything
Offend you in my life; never loved Cassio
To offend you. I never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
Except with the rule of heaven that towards anyone
As I might love: I never gave him token.
I could love. I never gave him that handkerchief.
OTHELLO
By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in's hand.
By God, I saw it in his hand,
O perjured woman! thou dost stone my heart,
You lying woman! You turn my heart to stone,
And makest me call what I intend to do
And make me call what I am about to do
A murder, which I thought a sacrifice:
A murder, when I thought it was a sacrifice.
I saw the handkerchief.
I saw the handkerchief.
DESDEMONA
He found it then;
He must have found it then.
I never gave it him: send for him hither;
I never gave it to him. Send for him,
Let him confess a truth.
And let him confess the truth.
OTHELLO
He hath confess'd.
He already confessed.
DESDEMONA
What, my lord?
What, my lord?
OTHELLO
That he hath used thee.
That he had sex with you.
DESDEMONA
How? unlawfully?
What? That he had sex with me?
OTHELLO
Ay.
Yes.
DESDEMONA
He will not say so.
He will not say that.
OTHELLO
No, his mouth is stopp'd;
No, not now. His mouth won’t say anything
Honest Iago hath ta'en order for't.
Since honest Iago has taken care of him.
DESDEMONA
O! my fear interprets: what, is he dead?
O no! I am afraid to interpret that. Is he dead?
OTHELLO
Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge
If he had as many lives as he had hairs, I would have had
Had stomach for them all.
A desire to take revenge on all of them.
DESDEMONA
Alas! he is betray'd and I undone.
No! Someone has betrayed him, and I am ruined.
OTHELLO
Out, strumpet! weep'st thou for him to my face?
You whore! You dare cry over him in front of me.
DESDEMONA
O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!
My lord, banish me but do not kill me!
OTHELLO
Down, strumpet!
Sit down, whore!
DESDEMONA
Kill me to-morrow: let me live to-night!
Kill me tomorrow, but let me live tonight!
OTHELLO
Nay, if you strive--
No, if you struggle–
DESDEMONA
But half an hour!
Just half an hour more!
OTHELLO
Being done, there is no pause.
There is no sense in pausing now.
DESDEMONA
But while I say one prayer!
Let me say one prayer!
OTHELLO
It is too late.
It is too late.
He stifles her
EMILIA
[Within] My lord , my lord! what, ho! my lord, my lord!
My lord, my lord! What! Hello! My lord!
OTHELLO
What noise is this? Not dead? not yet quite dead?
What noise is this? Are you not dead yet? Yet?
I that am cruel am yet merciful;
I might be cruel, but I am still merciful enough
I would not have thee linger in thy pain: So, so.
That I would not want you to be in pain.
EMILIA
[Within] What, ho! my lord, my lord!
What! My lord! My lord!
OTHELLO
Who's there?
Who is it?
EMILIA
[Within] O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you!
O my lord, I must tell you something!
OTHELLO
Yes: 'tis Emilia. By and by. She's dead.
It is Emilia. I’m coming. Ok, she’s dead.
'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death.--
She is likely coming here to tell me about Cassio’s death.–
The noise was here. Ha! no more moving?
The noise of the fight was near here. Now! No more moving?
Still as the grave. Shall she come in? were't good?--
She is as still as a grave. Should Emilia come in? Is that a good idea?–
I think she stirs again:--no. What's best to do?
I think she is moving again. No. What should I do?
If she come in, she'll sure speak to my wife:
If she comes in, she will want to speak to my wife:
My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife.
My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife.
O insupportable! O heavy hour!
O this is an unbearable and sad time!
Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse
I would have guessed that a huge eclipse
Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Of the sun and the moon would have occurred
Should yawn at alteration.
Now that Desdemona is off of the planet.
EMILIA
[Within] I do beseech you
Please,
That I may speak with you, O, good my lord!
I must speak to you, my lord!
OTHELLO
I had forgot thee: O, come in, Emilia;
I forgot about you, come in Emilia.
Soft; by and by. Let me the curtains draw.
Wait and let me draw the curtains.
Where art thou?
Where are you?
Unlocks the door
Enter EMILIA
What's the matter with thee now?
Now what’s the matter?
EMILIA
O, my good lord, yonder's foul murders done!
My lord, awful murders have occurred!
OTHELLO
What, now?
What, just now?
EMILIA
But now, my lord.
Just now, my lord.
OTHELLO
It is the very error of the moon;
It must be because of the moon:
She comes more nearer earth than she was wont,
It has come closer to the earth than it usually does,
And makes men mad.
And it drives men crazy.
EMILIA
Cassio, my lord, hath kill'd a young Venetian
My lord, Cassio has killed a young Venetian
Call'd Roderigo.
Named Roderigo.
OTHELLO
Roderigo kill'd!
Roderigo dead!
And Cassio kill'd!
And Cassio dead!
EMILIA
No, Cassio is not kill'd.
No, Cassio is not yet dead.
OTHELLO
Not Cassio kill'd! then murder's out of tune,
Cassio is not dead? Then the murder is wrong,
And sweet revenge grows harsh.
And my revenge is ruined.
DESDEMONA
O, falsely, falsely murder'd!
O I have been wrongly murdered!
EMILIA
Alas, what cry is that?
O what is that cry!
OTHELLO
That! what?
What? That?
EMILIA
Out, and a
las! that was my lady's voice.
Oh no! It was my lady’s voice!
Help! help, ho! help! O lady, speak again!
Help! Help! Help! O lady, speak again!
Sweet Desdemona! O sweet mistress, speak!
Sweet Desdemona! My mistress speak!
DESDEMONA
A guiltless death I die.
I die without blame.
EMILIA
O, who hath done this deed?
Who has done this to you?
DESDEMONA
Nobody; I myself. Farewell
Nobody, I did it to myself. Goodbye
Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell!
And give my love to my lord. Goodbye!
Dies
OTHELLO
Why, how should she be murder'd?
How was she murdered?
EMILIA
Alas, who knows?
Who knows?
OTHELLO
You heard her say herself, it was not I.
You heard her say it was not me.
EMILIA
She said so: I must needs report the truth.
Yes, that’s what she said. I must report this.
OTHELLO
She's, like a liar, gone to burning hell:
She lied even as she was going to hell.
'Twas I that kill'd her.
It was me. I killed her.
EMILIA
O, the more angel she,
O then she is an angel for it
And you the blacker devil!
And you are a devil for it!
OTHELLO
She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore.
She cheated on me and became a whore.
EMILIA
Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil.
You are lying about her. You are a devil.
OTHELLO
She was false as water.
She was as unfaithful as water.
EMILIA
Thou art rash as fire, to say
You are mean and angry like fire if you
That she was false: O, she was heavenly true!
Think she was unfaithful. She was purely true to you!
OTHELLO
Cassio did top her; ask thy husband else.
Cassio had sex with her, ask your husband.
O, I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell,
I would damn myself to the depths of hell
But that I did proceed upon just grounds
If I did not do what I did from certain grounds of proof.
To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.
Your husband knew everything.
EMILIA
My husband!
My husband!
OTHELLO
Thy husband.
Your husband.
EMILIA
That she was false to wedlock?
He said she was unfaithful?
OTHELLO
Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true,
Yes, with Cassio. If she had remained faithful,
If heaven would make me such another world
Heaven could have created another world
Of one entire and Perfect chrysolite,
Of perfect crystal
I'ld not have sold her for it.
And I would not have sold her for it.
EMILIA
My husband!
My husband!
OTHELLO
Ay, 'twas he that told me first:
Yes, he told me about it first.
An honest man he is, and hates the slime
He is an honest man and hates the effects
That sticks on filthy deeds.
Of evil actions.
EMILIA
My husband!
My husband!
OTHELLO
What needs this iteration, woman? I say thy husband.
Why do you keep repeating this, woman? Yes, your husband.
EMILIA
O mistress, villany hath made mocks with love,
O my lady. a villain has mocked your love.
My husband say that she was false!
My husband said that she was unfaithful!
OTHELLO
He, woman;
Yes, woman,
I say thy husband: dost understand the word?
Your husband. Do you understand that word, “husband”?
My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago.
My friend, your husband, the honest Iago.
EMILIA
If he say so, may his pernicious soul
If he said that, then his evil soul
Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart:
Should rot in hell! He is lying completely.
She was too fond of her most filthy bargain.
She loved her awful marriage to you.
OTHELLO
Ha!
Ha!
EMILIA
Do thy worst:
Do your worst.
This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven
You can kill me and it will not get you into heaven,
Than thou wast worthy her.
Just like you weren’t worthy of her to begin with.
OTHELLO
Peace, you were best.
You would be best if you shut up.
EMILIA
Thou hast not half that power to do me harm
You can’t hurt me, I can endure much more
As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt!
Than you can do to me. You fool!
As ignorant as dirt! thou hast done a deed--
As dumb as dirt! You have done an awful thing–
I care not for thy sword; I'll make thee known,
I do not care about your sword. I’ll make sure others know what you did
Though I lost twenty lives.--Help! help, ho! help!
Even if I lost my life twenty times. – Help! help! help!
The Moor hath kill'd my mistress! Murder! murder!
The Moor killed my lady! Murder! murder!
Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO, IAGO, and others
MONTANO
What is the matter? How now, general!
What is the matter? What is going on, general?
EMILIA
O, are you come, Iago? you have done well,
O have you come too, Iago? You have done very well,
That men must lay their murders on your neck.
Since men are claiming you are the reason for murdering others.
GRATIANO
What is the matter?
What is going on?
EMILIA
Disprove this villain, if thou be'st a man:
Tell this criminal that he is wrong, if you are a man.
He says thou told'st him that his wife was false:
He says that you told him his wife was unfaithful,
I know thou didst not, thou'rt not such a villain:
And I know that you did not. You can’t be such a criminal.
Speak, for my heart is full.
Speak, I am too full of emotion.
IAGO
I told him what I thought, and told no more
I told him what I thought, and nothing else.
Than what he found himself was apt and true.
He found the proof and truth behind the rest of it.
EMILIA
But did you ever tell him she was false?
But did you tell him she was unfaithful?
IAGO
I did.
I did.
EMILIA
You told a lie, an odious, damned lie;
Then you lied, an awful, cursed lie.
Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie.
On my soul, a wicked lie.
She false with Cassio!--did you say with Cassio?
She unfaithful with Cassio! Is that what you said?
IAGO
With Cassio, mistress. Go to, charm your tongue.
W
ith Cassio, mistress. Now hold your tongue and be quiet.
EMILIA
I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak:
I will not be quiet, I must speak.
My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed,--
My lady has been murdered in her bed–
All
O heavens forfend!
God forbid!
EMILIA
And your reports have set the murder on.
And your lies led to the murder.
OTHELLO
Nay, stare not, masters: it is true, indeed.
Stop staring, sirs. It’s true.
GRATIANO
'Tis a strange truth.
This is unbelievable.
MONTANO
O monstrous act!
A horrifying act!
EMILIA
Villany, villany, villany!
Evil, evil, evil!
I think upon't, I think: I smell't: O villany!--
I can’t stop thinking about it. I even smell the evil!
I thought so then:--I'll kill myself for grief:--
I suspected as much – I will kill myself for sorrow–
O villany, villany!
O evil!
IAGO
What, are you mad? I charge you, get you home.
Have you gone mad? I order you, go home.
EMILIA
Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak:
Good men, give me permission to speak.
'Tis proper I obey him, but not now.
It is usually appropriate to obey him, but not now.
Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home.
Maybe, Iago, I will never go home to you.
OTHELLO
O! O! O!
O, O, O!
He falls on the bed
EMILIA
Nay, lay thee down and roar;
Go ahead and lay down and moan,
For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent