Othello

go.Exit Emilia

     She says enough, yet she’s a simple bawd²²

     That cannot say as much. This²³ is a subtle whore,

     A closet lock and key of villainous secrets²⁴:

     And yet she’ll kneel and pray, I have seen her do’t.

Enter Desdemona and EmiliaDESDEMONA   My lord, what is your will?OTHELLO   Pray you, chuck, come hither.DESDEMONA   What is your pleasure?OTHELLO   Let me see your eyes: look in my face.DESDEMONA   What horrible fancy’s this?OTHELLO   Some of your function³¹, mistress:To Emilia

     Leave procreants³² alone and shut the door:

     Cough or cry ‘Hem’ if anybody come.

     Your mystery³⁴, your mystery: nay, dispatch.Exit Emilia

DESDEMONA   Upon my knee, what doth your speechKneels

       import?

     I understand a fury in your words.OTHELLO   Why, what art thou?DESDEMONA   Your wife, my lord, your true and loyal wife.OTHELLO   Come, swear it, damn thyself

     Lest, being like one of heaven⁴⁰, the devils themselves

     Should fear to seize thee: therefore be double damned:

     Swear thou art honest.DESDEMONA   Heaven doth truly know it.OTHELLO   Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.DESDEMONA   To whom, my lord? With whom? How am I false?OTHELLO   Ah Desdemon! Away, away, away!Weeps

DESDEMONA   Alas the heavy⁴⁷ day! Why do you weep?

     Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?

     If haply⁴⁹ you my father do suspect

     An instrument of this your calling back,

     Lay not your blame on me: if you have lost him,

     I have lost him too.OTHELLO   Had it pleased heaven

     To try me with affliction, had they rained

     All kind of sores⁵⁵ and shames on my bare head,

     Steeped⁵⁶ me in poverty to the very lips,

     Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes,

     I should have found in some place of my soul

     A drop of patience: but, alas, to make me

     The fixed figure⁶⁰ for the time of scorn

     To point his slow and moving finger⁶¹ at!

     Yet could I bear that too, well, very well,

     But there where I have garnered⁶³ up my heart,

     Where either I must live, or bear no life,

     The fountain⁶⁵ from the which my current runs

     Or else dries up: to be discarded thence!

     Or keep it as a cistern⁶⁷ for foul toads

     To knot and gender⁶⁸ in! Turn thy complexion there,

     Patience, thou young and rose-lipped cherubin⁶⁹:

     Ay, here look grim⁷⁰ as hell!DESDEMONA   I hope my noble lord esteems me honest⁷¹.OTHELLO   O, ay, as summer flies are in the shambles⁷²,

     That quicken even with blowing⁷³. O, thou weed,

     Who art so lovely fair and smell’st so sweet

     That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst never been born!DESDEMONA   Alas, what ignorant⁷⁶ sin have I committed?OTHELLO   Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,

     Made to write ‘whore’ upon? What committed⁷⁸?

     Committed? O, thou public commoner⁷⁹,

     I should make very forges of my cheeks,

     That would to cinders burn up modesty,

     Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed?

     Heaven stops⁸³ the nose at it and the moon winks,

     The bawdy wind that kisses all it meets

     Is hushed within the hollow mine⁸⁵ of earth

     And will not hear’t. What committed? DESDEMONA   By heaven, you do me wrong.OTHELLO   Are not you a strumpet⁸⁸?DESDEMONA   No, as I am a Christian:

     If to preserve this vessel⁹⁰ for my lord

     From any other foul unlawful touch

     Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.OTHELLO   What, not a whore?DESDEMONA   No, as I shall be saved.OTHELLO   Is’t possible?DESDEMONA   O, heaven forgive us!OTHELLO   I cry you mercy⁹⁷, then:

     I took you for that cunning whore of Venice

     That married with Othello.— You, mistress,Calls

Enter Emilia     That have the office opposite¹⁰⁰ to Saint Peter

     And keeps the gate of hell¹⁰¹! You, you, ay, you!

     We have done our course¹⁰²: there’s money for your pains.

     I pray you turn the key and keep our counsel¹⁰³.Exit

Gives money

EMILIA   Alas, what does this gentleman conceive¹⁰⁴?

     How do you, madam? How do you, my good lady? DESDEMONA   Faith, half asleep¹⁰⁶.EMILIA   Good madam, what’s the matter with my lord? DESDEMONA   With who?EMILIA   Why, with my lord, madam.DESDEMONA   Who is thy lord?EMILIA   He that is yours, sweet lady.DESDEMONA   I have none. Do not talk to me, Emilia:

     I cannot weep, nor answers have I none

     But what should go by water¹¹⁴. Prithee, tonight

     Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember,

     And call thy husband hither.EMILIA   Here’s a change indeed!Exit

DESDEMONA   ’Tis meet¹¹⁸ I should be used so, very meet.

     How have I been behaved, that he might stick

     The small’st opinion on my least misuse¹¹⁹?

Enter Iago and EmiliaIAGO   What is your pleasure, madam?

     How is’t with you?DESDEMONA   I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes

     Do it with gentle means and easy tasks:

     He might have chid me so, for, in good faith,

     I am a child to chiding¹²⁶.IAGO   What’s the matter, lady?EMILIA   Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her¹²⁸,

     Thrown such despite¹²⁹ and heavy terms upon her,

     That true hearts cannot bear it.DESDEMONA   Am I that name, Iago?IAGO   What name, fair lady?DESDEMONA   Such as she said my lord did say I was.EMILIA   He called her whore: a beggar in his drink

     Could not have laid such terms upon his callet¹³⁵.IAGO   Why did he so?DESDEMONA   I do not know: I am sure I am none such.Weeps

IAGO   Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day!EMILIA   Hath she forsook¹³⁹ so many noble matches?

     Her father? And her country? And her friends?

     To be called whore? Would it not make one weep?DESDEMONA   It is my wretched fortune.IAGO   Beshrew¹⁴³ him for’t!

     How comes this trick¹⁴⁴ upon him?DESDEMONA   Nay, heaven doth know.EMILIA   I will be hanged if some eternal villain,

     Some busy and insinuating rogue,

     Some cogging¹⁴⁸, cozening slave, to get some office,

     Have not devised this slander: I will be hanged else.IAGO   Fie, there is no such man: it is impossible.DESDEMONA   If any such there be, heaven pardon him!EMILIA   A halter¹⁵² pardon him! And hell gnaw his bones!

     Why should he call her whore? Who keeps her company?

     What place? What time? What form¹⁵⁴? What likelihood?

     The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave,

     Some base notorious knave, some scurvy¹⁵⁶ fellow.

     O heavens, that such companions¹⁵⁷ thou’dst unfold,

     And put in every honest hand a whip

     To lash the rascals naked through the world

     Even from the east to th’west!IAGO   Speak within door¹⁶¹.EMILIA   O, fie upon them! Some such squire¹⁶² he was

     That turned your wit the seamy side without¹⁶³

     And made you to suspect me with the Moor.IAGO   You are a fool: go to.DESDEMONA   Alas, Iago,

     What shall I do to win my lord again?

     Good friend, go to him, for, by this light of heaven,

     I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:Kneels

     If e’er my will did trespass gainst his love,

     Either in discourse¹⁷¹ of thought or actual deed,