Othello

Within

OTHELLO   What noise is this? Not dead? Not yet quite dead?

     I that am cruel am yet merciful:

     I would not have thee linger in thy pain: so, so.EMILIA   What, ho? My lord, my lord! Within

OTHELLO   Who’s there?EMILIA   O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you!Within

OTHELLO   Yes.— ’Tis Emilia.— By and by¹⁰⁸.— She’s dead.

     ’Tis like¹⁰⁹ she comes to speak of Cassio’s death.—

     The noise¹¹⁰ was high. Ha, no more moving?

     Still as the grave. Shall she come in? Were’t good?—

     I think she stirs again. No. What’s best to do?

     If she come in, she’ll sure speak to my wife:

     My wife, my wife! What wife? I have no wife.

     O insupportable! O heavy hour!

     Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse

     Of sun and moon, and that th’affrighted globe

     Did yawn at alteration¹¹⁸.EMILIA   I do beseech youWithin

     That I may speak with you, O, good my lord!OTHELLO   I had forgot thee.— O, come in, Emilia.—

     Soft¹²², by and by: let me the curtains draw.—Draws the bed curtains and unlocks the door

     Where art thou? What’s the matter with thee now?

Enter EmiliaEMILIA   O, my good lord, yonder’s foul murders done!OTHELLO   What? Now?EMILIA   But now, my lord.OTHELLO   It is the very error¹²⁷ of the moon:

     She comes more nearer earth than she was wont¹²⁸,

     And makes men mad.EMILIA   Cassio, my lord, hath killed a young Venetian

     Called Rodorigo.OTHELLO   Rodorigo killed? And Cassio killed?EMILIA   No, Cassio is not killed.OTHELLO   Not Cassio killed? Then murder’s out of tune,

     And sweet revenge grows harsh¹³⁵.DESDEMONA   O, falsely¹³⁶, falsely murdered! EMILIA   Alas! What cry is that?OTHELLO   That? What?EMILIA   Out, and alas!¹³⁹ That was my lady’s voice.

     Help, help, ho, help! O lady, speak again!Opens the bed curtains

     Sweet Desdemona! O sweet mistress, speak! DESDEMONA   A guiltless death I die.EMILIA   O, who hath done this deed?DESDEMONA   Nobody: I myself. Farewell.

     Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell! Dies

OTHELLO   Why, how should she be murdered?EMILIA   Alas, who knows?OTHELLO   You hear her say herself it was not I.EMILIA   She said so: I must needs report the truth.OTHELLO   She’s like a liar gone to burning hell:

     ’Twas I that killed her.EMILIA   O, the more angel she, and you the blacker devil!OTHELLO   She turned to folly¹⁵³, and she was a whore.EMILIA   Thou dost belie¹⁵⁴ her, and thou art a devil.OTHELLO   She was false as water.EMILIA   Thou art rash as fire, to say

     That she was false: O, she was heavenly true!OTHELLO   Cassio did top¹⁵⁸ her: ask thy husband else.

     O, I were damned beneath all depth in hell,

     But¹⁶⁰ that I did proceed upon just grounds

     To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.EMILIA   My husband?OTHELLO   Thy husband.EMILIA   That she was false to wedlock? OTHELLO   Ay, with Cassio. Had she been true,

     If heaven would make me such another world

     Of one entire and perfect chrysolite¹⁶⁷,

     I’d not have sold her for it.EMILIA   My husband?OTHELLO   Ay, ’twas he that told me on¹⁷⁰ her first:

     An honest man he is, and hates the slime¹⁷¹

     That sticks on filthy deeds¹⁷².EMILIA   My husband?OTHELLO   What needs this iterance¹⁷⁴, woman? I say thy husband.EMILIA   O mistress, villainy hath made mocks with¹⁷⁵ love.

     My husband say she was false? OTHELLO   He, woman;

     I say thy husband: dost understand the word?

     My friend, thy husband: honest, honest Iago.EMILIA   If he say so, may his pernicious¹⁸⁰ soul

     Rot half a grain a day! He lies to th’heart:

     She was too fond of her most filthy bargain¹⁸².OTHELLO   Ha?EMILIA   Do thy worst:

     This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven

     Than thou wast worthy her.OTHELLO   Peace, you were best¹⁸⁷—EMILIA   Thou hast not half that power to do me harm

     As I have to be hurt¹⁸⁹. O gull, O dolt,

     As ignorant as dirt! Thou hast done a deed —

     I care not for thy sword — I’ll make thee known¹⁹¹,

     Though I lost twenty lives.— Help, help, ho, help!

     The Moor hath killed my mistress! Murder, murder!

Enter Montano, Gratiano and IagoMONTANO   What is the matter? How now, general?EMILIA   O, are you come, Iago? You have done well,

     That men must lay their murders on your neck.GRATIANO   What is the matter?EMILIA   Disprove this villain, if thou be’st a man:To Iago

     He says thou told’st him that his wife was false:

     I know thou didst not, thou’rt not such a villain.

     Speak, for my heart is full.IAGO   I told him what I thought, and told no more

     Than what he found himself was apt²⁰³ and true.EMILIA   But did you ever tell him she was false?IAGO   I did.EMILIA   You told a lie, an odious, damned lie:

     Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie.

     She false with Cassio? Did you say with Cassio?IAGO   With Cassio, mistress! Go to, charm²⁰⁹ your tongue.EMILIA   I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak:

     My mistress here lies murdered in her bed—ALL

     O, heavens forfend!EMILIA   And your reports have set the murder on.OTHELLO   Nay, stare not, masters: it is true indeed.GRATIANO   ’Tis a strange truth.MONTANO   O, monstrous act!EMILIA   Villainy, villainy, villainy!

     I think upon’t, I think: I smell’t: O villainy!

     I thought so then. I’ll kill myself for grief.

     O villainy! Villainy!IAGO   What, are you mad? I charge you get you home.EMILIA   Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak:

     ’Tis proper I obey him, but not now.

     Perchance, Iago, I will ne’er go home.OTHELLO   O, O, O! He falls on the bed

EMILIA   Nay, lay thee down and roar,

     For thou hast killed the sweetest innocent

     That e’er did lift up eye²²⁸.OTHELLO   O, she was foul²²⁹! Rises

     I scarce did know you, uncle²³⁰: there lies your niece,

     Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopped:

     I know this act shows horrible and grim²³².GRATIANO   Poor Desdemon! I am glad thy father’s dead:

     Thy match was mortal²³⁴ to him, and pure grief

     Shore his old thread²³⁵ in twain. Did he live now,

     This sight would make him do a desperate turn²³⁶,

     Yea, curse his better angel from his side,

     And fall to reprobance²³⁸.OTHELLO   ’Tis pitiful, but yet Iago knows

     That she with Cassio hath the act of shame

     A thousand times committed: Cassio confessed it,

     And she did gratify his amorous works²⁴²

     With that recognizance²⁴³ and pledge of love

     Which I first gave her: I saw it in his hand:

     It was a handkerchief, an antique²⁴⁵ token

     My father gave my mother.EMILIA   O heaven! O heavenly powers!IAGO   Come, hold your peace.EMILIA   ’Twill out, ’twill out. I peace²⁴⁹?

     No, I will speak as liberal as the north²⁵⁰:

     Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,

     All, all, cry shame against me, yet I’ll speak.IAGO   Be wise, and get you home.Iago threatens to stab EmiliaEMILIA   I will not.GRATIANO   Fie, your sword upon a woman?EMILIA   O thou dull²⁵⁶ Moor! That handkerchief thou

     speak’st of

     I found by fortune and did give my husband,

     For often, with a solemn earnestness —

     More than indeed belonged²⁵⁹ to such a trifle —

     He begged of me to steal’t.IAGO   Villainous whore!EMILIA   She give it Cassio? No, alas! I found it,

     And I did give’t my husband.IAGO   Filth²⁶⁴, thou liest!EMILIA   By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen.

     O murd’rous