Othello

I

     must take out the work? There, give it your hobby- horse¹⁶³:

     wheresoever you had it, I’ll take out no work

     on’t.She gives him

the handkerchief

CASSIO   How now, my sweet Bianca? How now? How now?OTHELLO   By heaven, that should¹⁶⁷ be my handkerchief!BIANCA   If you’ll come to supper¹⁶⁸ tonight, you may: if you

     will not, come when you are next prepared for.Exit

IAGO   After her, after her.CASSIO   I must: she’ll rail¹⁷¹ in the streets else.IAGO   Will you sup there?CASSIO   Yes, I intend so.IAGO   Well, I may chance to see you, for I would very fain

     speak with you.CASSIO   Prithee come. Will you?IAGO   Go to: say no more.[Exit Cassio]

OTHELLO   How shall I murder him, Iago?Comes forward

IAGO   Did you perceive how he laughed at his vice? OTHELLO   O, Iago!IAGO   And did you see the handkerchief?OTHELLO   Was that mine?IAGO   Yours by this hand: and to see how he prizes the

     foolish¹⁸⁴ woman your wife! She gave it him, and he hath giv’n

     it his whore.OTHELLO   I would have him nine years a-killing. A fine

     woman! A fair woman! A sweet woman!IAGO   Nay, you must forget that.OTHELLO   Ay, let her rot and perish, and be damned tonight,

     for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone: I strike

     it, and it hurts my hand. O, the world hath not a sweeter

     creature: she might lie by an emperor’s side and command

     him tasks.IAGO   Nay, that’s not your way¹⁹⁴.OTHELLO   Hang her! I do but say what she is: so delicate with

     her needle, an admirable musician. O, she will sing the

     savageness out of a bear. Of so high and plenteous wit and

     invention¹⁹⁸!IAGO   She’s the worse for all this.OTHELLO   O, a thousand, a thousand times! And then, of so²⁰⁰

     gentle a condition!IAGO   Ay, too gentle²⁰².OTHELLO   Nay, that’s certain. But yet the pity of it, Iago! O,

     Iago, the pity of it, Iago!IAGO   If you are so fond over her iniquity, give her patent²⁰⁵

     to offend, for if it touch²⁰⁶ not you, it comes near nobody.OTHELLO   I will chop her into messes²⁰⁷. Cuckold me?IAGO   O, ’tis foul in her.OTHELLO   With mine officer?IAGO   That’s fouler.OTHELLO   Get me some poison, Iago, this night: I’ll not

     expostulate²¹² with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my

     mind again: this night, Iago.IAGO   Do it not with poison: strangle her in her bed, even

     the bed she hath contaminated.OTHELLO   Good, good: the justice of it pleases. Very good.IAGO   And for Cassio, let me be his undertaker²¹⁷: you shall

     hear more by midnight.Enter Lodovico, Desdemona and AttendantsOTHELLO   Excellent good.A trumpet within

     What trumpet is that same?IAGO   I warrant something from Venice.

     ’Tis Lodovico: this comes from the duke.

     See, your wife’s with him.LODOVICO   Save you, worthy general!OTHELLO   With all my heart, sir.LODOVICO   The duke and the senators of VeniceGives a letter

       greet you.OTHELLO   I kiss the instrument of their pleasures²²⁷.Opens letter

and reads

DESDEMONA   And what’s the news, good cousin²²⁸

       Lodovico?IAGO   I am very glad to see you, signior.

     Welcome to Cyprus.LODOVICO   I thank you. How does Lieutenant Cassio? IAGO   Lives, sir.DESDEMONA   Cousin, there’s fall’n between him and my lord

     An unkind breach²³⁴: but you shall make all well.OTHELLO   Are you sure of that?DESDEMONA   My lord?Reads

OTHELLO   ‘This fail you not to do, as you will—’LODOVICO   He did not call: he’s busy in the paper.

     Is there division ’twixt my lord and Cassio?DESDEMONA   A most unhappy one: I would do much

     T’atone²⁴¹ them, for the love I bear to Cassio.OTHELLO   Fire and brimstone! DESDEMONA   My lord?OTHELLO   Are you wise²⁴⁴?DESDEMONA   What? Is he angry?LODOVICO   Maybe th’letter moved him,

     For, as I think, they do command him home,

     Deputing Cassio in his government.DESDEMONA   Trust me, I am glad on’t²⁴⁹.OTHELLO   Indeed?DESDEMONA   My lord?OTHELLO   I am glad to see you mad²⁵².DESDEMONA   Why, sweet Othello?OTHELLO   Devil!Strikes her

DESDEMONA   I have not deserved this.LODOVICO   My lord, this would not be believed in Venice,

     Though I should swear I saw’t. ’Tis very much²⁵⁷:

     Make her amends, she weeps.OTHELLO   O devil, devil!

     If that the earth could teem²⁶⁰ with woman’s tears,

     Each drop she falls would prove a crocodile²⁶¹.—

     Out of my sight!DESDEMONA   I will not stay to offend you.Starts to leave

LODOVICO   Truly, an obedient lady:

     I do beseech your lordship, call her back.OTHELLO   Mistress!DESDEMONA   My lord?Returns

OTHELLO   What would you with her, sir?LODOVICO   Who, I, my lord?OTHELLO   Ay, you did wish that I would make her turn:

     Sir, she can turn²⁷¹, and turn, and yet go on

     And turn again: and she can weep, sir, weep:

     And she’s obedient²⁷³, as you say, obedient:

     Very obedient.— Proceed you in your tears.—

     Concerning this, sir, — O well-painted passion²⁷⁵! —

     I am commanded home.— Get you away:

     I’ll send for you anon.— Sir, I obey the mandate,

     And will return to Venice.— Hence, avaunt! [Exit Desdemona]

     Cassio shall have my place²⁷⁹. And, sir, tonight

     I do entreat that we may sup together:

     You are welcome, sir, to Cyprus.— Goats and monkeys²⁸¹! Exit

LODOVICO   Is this the noble Moor whom our full²⁸² senate

     Call all in all sufficient²⁸³? Is this the nature

     Whom passion could not shake? Whose solid virtue

     The shot of accident nor dart of chance

     Could neither graze nor pierce?IAGO   He is much changed.LODOVICO   Are his wits safe? Is he not light of brain?IAGO   He’s that he is: I may not breathe my censure²⁸⁹

     What he might be: if what he might he is not,²⁹⁰

     I would to heaven he were!LODOVICO   What, strike his wife? IAGO   Faith, that was not so well²⁹³, yet would I knew

     That stroke would prove the worst!LODOVICO   Is it his use²⁹⁵?

     Or did the letters work upon his blood

     And new-create his fault?IAGO   Alas, alas!

     It is not honesty in me to speak

     What I have seen and known. You shall observe him,

     And his own courses will denote³⁰¹ him so

     That I may save my speech: do but go after,

     And mark how he continues.LODOVICO   I am sorry that I am deceived in him.Exeunt

Act 4 Scene 2running scene 9

Location: Cyprus (within the citadel)

Enter Othello and EmiliaOTHELLO   You have seen nothing then?EMILIA   Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect.OTHELLO   Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together.EMILIA   But then I saw no harm, and then I heard

     Each syllable that breath made up between them.OTHELLO   What, did they never whisper?EMILIA   Never, my lord.OTHELLO   Nor send you out o’th’way?EMILIA   Never.OTHELLO   To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing?EMILIA   Never, my lord.OTHELLO   That’s strange.EMILIA   I durst¹³, my lord, to wager she is honest,

     Lay down my soul at stake¹⁴: if you think other,

     Remove your thought, it doth abuse your bosom:

     If any wretch have put this in your head,

     Let heaven requite it with the serpent’s curse¹⁷!

     For if she be not honest, chaste and true,

     There’s no man happy: the purest of their wives

     Is foul as slander.OTHELLO   Bid her come hither: