Othello

light¹⁶⁴: he dies upon his motion.—

     Silence that dreadful¹⁶⁵ bell: it frights the isle

     From her propriety¹⁶⁶.— What is the matter, masters?

     Honest Iago, that looks dead with grieving¹⁶⁷,

     Speak: who began this? On thy love¹⁶⁸, I charge thee.IAGO   I do not know. Friends all but now, even now,

     In quarter¹⁷⁰ and in terms like bride and groom

     Devesting them¹⁷¹ for bed: and then, but now —

     As if some planet had unwitted men¹⁷² —

     Swords out, and tilting¹⁷³ one at other’s breasts

     In opposition bloody. I cannot speak

     Any beginning to this peevish odds¹⁷⁵,

     And would¹⁷⁶ in action glorious I had lost

     Those legs that brought me to a part of it!OTHELLO   How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot¹⁷⁸?CASSIO   I pray you pardon me: I cannot speak.OTHELLO   Worthy Montano, you were wont¹⁸⁰ to be civil:

     The gravity and stillness¹⁸¹ of your youth

     The world hath noted, and your name is great

     In mouths of wisest censure¹⁸³. What’s the matter

     That you unlace¹⁸⁴ your reputation thus

     And spend your rich opinion¹⁸⁵ for the name

     Of a night-brawler? Give me answer to it.MONTANO   Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger:

     Your officer, Iago, can inform you —

     While I spare speech, which something now offends¹⁸⁹ me —

     Of all that I do know, nor know I aught¹⁹⁰

     By me that’s said or done amiss this night,

     Unless self-charity be sometimes a vice,

     And to defend ourselves it be a sin

     When violence assails us.OTHELLO   Now, by heaven,

     My blood¹⁹⁶ begins my safer guides to rule,

     And passion — having my best judgement collied¹⁹⁷ —

     Assays¹⁹⁸ to lead the way: if I once stir,

     Or do but lift this arm, the best of you

     Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know

     How this foul rout²⁰¹ began, who set it on,

     And he that is approved²⁰² in this offence,

     Though he had twinned with me, both at a birth²⁰³,

     Shall lose me. What, in a town of war²⁰⁴

     Yet wild²⁰⁵, the people’s hearts brim-full of fear,

     To manage²⁰⁶ private and domestic quarrel?

     In night, and on the court and guard of safety²⁰⁷?

     ’Tis monstrous²⁰⁸. Iago, who began’t?MONTANO   If partially affined, or leagued in office²⁰⁹,To Iago

     Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,

     Thou art no soldier.IAGO   Touch²¹² me not so near:

     I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth

     Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio,

     Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth

     Shall nothing wrong him. This it is, general:

     Montano and myself being in speech,

     There comes a fellow crying out for help,

     And Cassio following him with determined sword²¹⁹

     To execute upon him. Sir, this gentlemanIndicates Montano

     Steps in to Cassio and entreats his pause²²¹:

     Myself the crying fellow did pursue,

     Lest by his clamour — as it so fell out —

     The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,

     Outran my purpose, and I returned then rather²²⁵

     For that I heard the clink and fall of swords

     And Cassio high in oath²²⁷, which till tonight

     I ne’er might say before. When I came back —

     For this was brief — I found them close together

     At blow and thrust, even as again they were

     When you yourself did part them.

     More of this matter cannot I report.

     But men are men: the best sometimes forget²³³:

     Though Cassio did some little wrong to him²³⁴,

     As men in rage strike those that wish them best,

     Yet surely Cassio, I believe, received

     From him that fled some strange indignity²³⁷,

     Which patience could not pass²³⁸.OTHELLO   I know, Iago,

     Thy honesty and love doth mince²⁴⁰ this matter,

     Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee,

     But never more be officer of mine.

Enter Desdemona, attended

Look, if my gentle love be not raised up.

     I’ll make thee an example.DESDEMONA   What is the matter, dear? OTHELLO   All’s well, sweeting²⁴⁶:Come away to bed.— Sir, for your hurts,To Montano

Myself will be your surgeon²⁴⁸.— Lead him off.[Exeunt some with Montano]

     Iago, look with care about the town

     And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted²⁵⁰.—

     Come, Desdemona: ’tis the soldiers’ life

     To have their balmy²⁵² slumbers waked with strife.          Exeunt[all but Iago and Cassio]IAGO   What, are you hurt, lieutenant?CASSIO   Ay, past all surgery.IAGO   Marry, heaven forbid!CASSIO   Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost

     my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of myself, and

     what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation!IAGO   As I am an honest man, I had thought you had

     received some bodily wound; there is more sense²⁶⁰ in that

     than in reputation. Reputation is an idle²⁶¹ and most false

     imposition²⁶²: oft got without merit and lost without deserving:

     you have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself

     such a loser. What, man, there are more ways to recover²⁶⁴

     the general again: you are but now cast in his mood²⁶⁵ — a

     punishment more in policy than in malice — even so as one

     would beat his offenceless dog to affright an imperious lion.

     Sue to²⁶⁸ him again and he’s yours.CASSIO   I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive

     so good a commander with so slight²⁷⁰, so drunken and

     so indiscreet²⁷¹ an officer. Drunk? And speak parrot? And

     squabble? Swagger? Swear? And discourse fustian²⁷² with one’s

     own shadow? O thou invisible spirit of wine, if thou hast no

     name to be known by, let us call thee devil!IAGO   What²⁷⁵ was he that you followed with your sword?

     What had he done to you?CASSIO   I know not.IAGO   Is’t possible? CASSIO   I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly:

     a quarrel, but nothing wherefore²⁸⁰. O, that men should put an

     enemy in their mouths to steal away their brains! That we

     should, with joy, pleasance²⁸², revel and applause transform

     ourselves into beasts!IAGO   Why, but you are now well enough: how came you

     thus recovered?CASSIO   It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give place

     to the devil wrath: one unperfectness shows me another, to

     make me frankly²⁸⁸ despise myself.IAGO   Come, you are too severe a moraler²⁸⁹. As the time, the

     place and the condition of this country stands, I could

     heartily wish this had not befallen: but since it is as it is,

     mend it²⁹² for your own good.CASSIO   I will ask him for my place again: he shall tell me I

     am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra²⁹⁴, such an

     answer would stop²⁹⁵ them all. To be now a sensible man, by

     and by a fool, and presently a beast! O, strange! Every

     inordinate²⁹⁷ cup is unblessed, and the ingredient is a devil.IAGO   Come, come, good wine is a good familiar²⁹⁸ creature,

     if it be well used: exclaim no more against it. And, good

     lieutenant, I think you think I love you.CASSIO   I have well approved it³⁰¹, sir. I drunk?IAGO   You or any man living may be drunk at a