Othello

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     As nothing else could match.DESDEMONA   Is’t possible?OTHELLO   ’Tis true. There’s magic in the web⁷³ of it:

     A sibyl⁷⁴, that had numbered in the world

     The sun to course two hundred compasses⁷⁵,

     In her prophetic fury⁷⁶ sewed the work:

     The worms were hallowed⁷⁷ that did breed the silk,

     And it was dyed in mummy⁷⁸ which the skilful

     Conserved of⁷⁹ maidens’ hearts.DESDEMONA   Indeed? Is’t true?OTHELLO   Most veritable: therefore look to’t well.DESDEMONA   Then would to heaven that I had never seen’t!OTHELLO   Ha? Wherefore?DESDEMONA   Why do you speak so startingly and rash⁸⁴?OTHELLO   Is’t lost? Is’t gone? Speak, is’t out o’th’way⁸⁵?DESDEMONA   Bless us!OTHELLO   Say you?DESDEMONA   It is not lost, but what an if⁸⁸ it were?OTHELLO   How?⁸⁹DESDEMONA   I say it is not lost.OTHELLO   Fetch’t, let me see’t.DESDEMONA   Why, so I can, but I will not now.

     This is a trick to put me from my suit:

     Pray you let Cassio be received again.OTHELLO   Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives⁹⁵.DESDEMONA   Come, come,

     You’ll never meet a more sufficient⁹⁷ man.OTHELLO   The handkerchief.DESDEMONA   A man that all his time

     Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,

     Shared dangers with you— OTHELLO   The handkerchief.DESDEMONA   In sooth¹⁰³, you are to blame.OTHELLO   Away! Exit OthelloEMILIA   Is not this man jealous?DESDEMONA   I ne’er saw this before.

     Sure, there’s some wonder¹⁰⁷ in this handkerchief:

     I am most unhappy¹⁰⁸ in the loss of it.EMILIA   ’Tis not a year or two shows us a man:

     They are all but stomachs, and we all but food:

     They eat us hungerly¹¹¹, and when they are full

     They belch¹¹² us.

Enter Iago and Cassio     Look you, Cassio and my husband.IAGO   There is no other way: ’tis she must do’t.

     And, lo, the happiness¹¹⁵! Go and importune her.DESDEMONA   How now, good Cassio, what’s the news with you?CASSIO   Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you

     That by your virtuous¹¹⁸ means I may again

     Exist, and be a member of his love

     Whom I with all the office¹²⁰ of my heart

     Entirely honour. I would not be delayed.

     If my offence be of such mortal¹²² kind

     That nor¹²³ my service past, nor present sorrows,

     Nor purposed merit in futurity¹²⁴,

     Can ransom me into his love again,

     But¹²⁶ to know so must be my benefit:

     So shall I clothe me in a forced content,

     And shut myself up in¹²⁸ some other course,

     To fortune’s alms¹²⁹.DESDEMONA   Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio,

     My advocation¹³¹ is not now in tune;

     My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him,

     Were he in favour¹³³ as in humour altered.

     So help me every spirit sanctified

     As I have spoken for you all my best

     And stood within the blank¹³⁶ of his displeasure

     For my free speech! You must awhile be patient:

     What I can do I will, and more I will

     Than for myself I dare: let that suffice¹³⁹ you.IAGO   Is my lord angry?EMILIA   He went hence but now,

     And certainly in strange unquietness.IAGO   Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon

     When it hath blown his ranks¹⁴⁴ into the air,

     And like the devil from his very arm

     Puffed his own brother¹⁴⁶: and is he angry?

     Something of moment¹⁴⁷ then. I will go meet him:

     There’s matter in’t indeed, if he be angry.Exit

DESDEMONA   I prithee do so. Something, sure, of state¹⁴⁹,

     Either from Venice, or some unhatched practice¹⁵⁰

     Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him,

     Hath puddled¹⁵² his clear spirit: and in such cases

     Men’s natures wrangle with inferior things,

     Though great ones are their object. ’Tis even so,

     For let our finger ache, and it indues¹⁵⁵

     Our other healthful members¹⁵⁶ even to a sense

     Of pain. Nay, we must think men are not gods,

     Nor of them look for such observancy¹⁵⁸

     As fits the bridal. Beshrew¹⁵⁹ me much, Emilia,

     I was — unhandsome¹⁶⁰ warrior as I am —

     Arraigning¹⁶¹ his unkindness with my soul,

     But now I find I had suborned the witness¹⁶²,

     And he’s indicted falsely.EMILIA   Pray heaven it be state matters, as you think,

     And no conception nor no jealous toy¹⁶⁵

     Concerning you.DESDEMONA   Alas the day! I never gave him cause.EMILIA   But jealous souls will not be answered so;

     They are not ever jealous for the cause,

     But jealous for they’re jealous: it is a monster

     Begot upon¹⁷¹ itself, born on itself.DESDEMONA   Heaven keep the monster from Othello’s mind!EMILIA   Lady, amen.DESDEMONA   I will go seek him.— Cassio, walk hereabout:

     If I do find him fit, I’ll move your suit

     And seek to effect it to my uttermost.Exeunt [Desdemona and Emilia]

CASSIO   I humbly thank your ladyship.

Enter BiancaBIANCA   Save¹⁷⁸ you, friend Cassio!CASSIO   What make you¹⁷⁹ from home?

     How is’t with you, my most fair Bianca?

     Indeed, sweet love, I was coming to your house.BIANCA   And I was going to your lodging, Cassio.

     What, keep a week away? Seven days and nights?

     Eight score eight¹⁸⁴ hours? And lovers’ absent hours

     More tedious than the dial¹⁸⁵ eight score times?

     O weary reck’ning¹⁸⁶!CASSIO   Pardon me, Bianca:     I have this while with leaden thoughts been pressed:

     But I shall, in a more continuate¹⁸⁹ time,

     Strike off this score¹⁹⁰ of absence. Sweet Bianca,Gives her

Desdemona’s handkerchief

Take me this work out¹⁹¹.BIANCA   O Cassio, whence came this?

     This is some token from a newer friend¹⁹³:

     To the felt absence now I feel a cause¹⁹⁴.

     Is’t come to this? Well, well.CASSIO   Go to, woman!

     Throw your vile guesses in the devil’s teeth,

     From whence you have them. You are jealous now

     That this is from some mistress, some remembrance;

     No, in good troth, Bianca.BIANCA   Why, whose is it?CASSIO   I know not, neither: I found it in my chamber.

     I like the work well. Ere it be demanded²⁰³ —

     As like enough it will — I would have it copied:

     Take it, and do’t, and leave me for this time.BIANCA   Leave you? Wherefore? CASSIO   I do attend here on the general,

     And think it no addition, nor my wish,

     To have him see me womaned²⁰⁹.BIANCA   Why, I pray you? CASSIO   Not that I love you not.BIANCA   But that you do not love me.

     I pray you bring²¹³ me on the way a little,

     And say if I shall see you soon at night²¹⁴.CASSIO   ’Tis but a little way that I can bring you,

     For I attend here: but I’ll see you soon.BIANCA   ’Tis very good: I must be circumstanced²¹⁷.Exeunt

Act 4 Scene 1running scene 8 continues

Enter Othello and IagoIAGO   Will you think so?OTHELLO   Think so, Iago?IAGO   What, to kiss in private?OTHELLO   An unauthorized kiss!IAGO   Or to be naked with her friend in bed

     An hour or more, not meaning any harm? OTHELLO   Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm?

     It is hypocrisy against the devil⁸:

     They that mean virtuously, and yet do so,