Othello (18 page)

EMILIA
   O heaven! O heavenly powers!

IAGO
   Come, hold your peace.

EMILIA
   ’Twill out, ’twill out. I
peace
²⁴⁹
?
     No, I will speak as
liberal as the north
²⁵⁰
:
     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 Emilia

EMILIA
   I will not.

GRATIANO
   Fie, your sword upon a woman?

EMILIA
   O thou
dull
²⁵⁶
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
belonged
²⁵⁹
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
  
Filth
²⁶⁴
, thou liest!

EMILIA
   By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen.
     O murd’rous
coxcomb
²⁶⁶
! What should such a fool
     Do with so good a wife?

OTHELLO
   Are there no
stones
²⁶⁸
in heaven
     But what serves for the thunder?—
Precious
²⁶⁹

    villain!

He runs at Iago but is disarmed; Iago stabs Emilia

GRATIANO
   The woman falls: sure, he hath killed his wife.

[
Exit Iago
]

EMILIA
   Ay, ay! O, lay me by my mistress’ side.

GRATIANO
   He’s gone, but his wife’s killed.

MONTANO
   ’Tis a
notorious
²⁷³
villain. Take you this weapon
     Which I have
recovered
²⁷⁴
from the Moor:
     Come, guard the door
without
²⁷⁵
: let him not pass,
     But kill him rather. I’ll after that same villain,
     For ’tis a damnèd slave.

[
Exeunt Montano and Gratiano
]

OTHELLO
   I am not valiant neither,
     But every puny
whipster
²⁷⁹
gets my sword:
     But why should
honour
²⁸⁰
outlive honesty?
     Let it go all.

EMILIA
   What did thy song bode, lady?
     Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the
swan
²⁸³
,
     
And die in music
²⁸³
:— Willow, willow, willow—

Sings

     Moor, she was chaste: she loved thee, cruel Moor.
     So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true,
     So speaking as I think, alas, I die.

Dies

OTHELLO
   I have another weapon in this chamber:
     It was a sword of Spain,
the ice-brook’s temper
²⁸⁹
:
     O, here it is. Uncle, I must come forth.

Finds sword

GRATIANO
   If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear:

Within

     Thou hast no weapon, and
perforce
²⁹²
must suffer.

OTHELLO
   Look in upon me then and speak with me,
     Or,
naked
²⁹⁴
as I am, I will assault thee.

[Enter Gratiano]

GRATIANO
   What is the matter?

OTHELLO
   Behold, I have a weapon:
     
A better never did itself sustain
²⁹⁷
     Upon a soldier’s thigh. I have seen the day
     That, with this little arm and this good sword,
     I have made my way through more impediments
     Than twenty times
your stop
³⁰¹
: but — O vain boast! —
     Who can control his fate? ’Tis not so now.
     Be not afraid, though you do see me weaponed:
     
Here
³⁰⁴
is my journey’s end, here is my butt
     And very
sea-mark
³⁰⁵
of my utmost sail.
     Do you go back dismayed? ’Tis a
lost
³⁰⁶
fear:
     
Man but a rush
³⁰⁷
against Othello’s breast
     And he retires. Where should Othello go?
     Now, how dost thou look now? O
ill-starred
³⁰⁹
wench,
     Pale as thy
smock
³¹⁰
, when we shall meet at compt,
     This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
     And fiends will snatch at it! Cold, cold, my girl?
     Even like thy chastity. O cursèd, cursèd
slave
³¹³
!
     Whip me, ye devils,
     From the possession of this heavenly sight,
     Blow me about in winds, roast me in sulphur,
     Wash me in
steep-down
³¹⁷
gulfs of liquid fire!
     O Desdemon! Dead, Desdemon! Dead! O, O!

Enter Lodovico, Cassio [carried in a chair], Montano and Iago [prisoner] with Officers

LODOVICO
   Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?

OTHELLO
   That’s he that was Othello: here I am.

LODOVICO
   Where is that viper? Bring the villain forth.

OTHELLO
  
I look down towards his feet
³²²
, but that’s a fable:

     If that thou be’st a devil, I cannot kill thee.

Wounds Iago

LODOVICO
   Wrench his sword from him.

IAGO
   I bleed, sir, but not killed.

OTHELLO
   I am not sorry neither: I’d have thee live,
     For
in my sense
³²⁷
’tis happiness to die.

LODOVICO
   O thou Othello, thou was once so good,
     Fall’n in the
practice
³²⁹
of a cursèd slave,
     What shall be said to thee?

OTHELLO
   Why, anything:
     An honourable murderer, if you will,
     For nought I did in hate, but all in honour.

LODOVICO
   This wretch hath part confessed his villainy.
     Did you and he consent in Cassio’s death?

OTHELLO
   Ay.

CASSIO
   Dear general, I never gave you cause.

OTHELLO
   I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
     Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil
     Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?

IAGO
   Demand me nothing: what you know, you know:
     From this time forth I never will speak word.

LODOVICO
   What? Not to pray?

GRATIANO
  
Torments
³⁴⁴
will ope your lips.

OTHELLO
   Well, thou dost best.

LODOVICO
   Sir, you shall understand what hath befall’n —
     Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter
     Found in the pocket of the slain Rodorigo,
     And here another: the one of them
imports
³⁴⁹
     The death of Cassio to be undertook
     By Rodorigo.

OTHELLO
   O villain!

CASSIO
   Most heathenish and most
gross
³⁵³
!

LODOVICO
   Now here’s another
discontented
³⁵⁴
paper
     Found in his pocket too: and this, it seems,
     Rodorigo meant t’have sent this damnèd villain,
     But that
belike
³⁵⁷
Iago in the interim
     Came in and
satisfied him
³⁵⁸
.

OTHELLO
   O thou pernicious
caitiff
³⁵⁹
!—
     How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief
     That was my wife’s?

CASSIO
   I found it in my chamber,
     And he himself confessed it but even now
     That there he dropped it for a special purpose
     Which
wrought to his desire
³⁶⁵
.

OTHELLO
   O fool, fool, fool!

CASSIO
   There is besides in Rodorigo’s letter
     How he upbraids Iago, that he made him
     
Brave
³⁶⁹
me upon the watch, whereon it came
     That I was
cast
³⁷⁰
: and even but now he spake —
     After long seeming dead — Iago hurt him,
     Iago set him on.

LODOVICO
   You must forsake this room and go with us:

To Othello

     Your power and your command is taken off,
     And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,
     If there be any cunning cruelty
     That can torment him much and
hold him long
³⁷⁷
,
     It shall be his. You shall
close
³⁷⁸
prisoner rest
     Till that the nature of your fault be known
     To the Venetian state.— Come, bring away.

OTHELLO
   Soft you; a word or two before you go.
     I have done the state some service, and they know’t —
     No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
     When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,
     Speak of me as I am: nothing
extenuate
³⁸⁵
,
     Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak
     Of one that loved not wisely but too well:
     Of one not easily jealous, but being
wrought
³⁸⁸
,
     
Perplexed
³⁸⁹
in the extreme: of one whose hand,
     Like the
base
³⁹⁰
Judean, threw a pearl away
     Richer than all his tribe: of one whose
subdued
³⁹¹
eyes,
     Albeit unusèd to the melting mood,
     Drops tears as fast as the
Arabian trees
³⁹³
     Their
medicinable
³⁹⁴
gum. Set you down this,
     And say besides, that in
Aleppo
³⁹⁵
once,
     Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
     Beat a Venetian and
traduced
³⁹⁷
the state,
     I took by th’throat the circumcisèd dog

     And smote him, thus.

Stabs himself

LODOVICO
   O bloody
period
⁴⁰⁰
!

GRATIANO
   All that is spoke is marred.

OTHELLO
   I
kissed thee ere I killed thee
⁴⁰²
: no way but this,

     Killing myself, to
die
⁴⁰³
upon a kiss.

Kisses Desdemona

Dies

CASSIO
   This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon,
     For he was great of heart.

LODOVICO
   O
Spartan dog
⁴⁰⁶
,

To Iago

     More
fell
⁴⁰⁷
than anguish, hunger, or the sea!
     Look on the tragic loading of this bed:
     This is thy work.— The object poisons sight,
     Let it be hid. Gratiano,
keep
⁴¹⁰
the house,
     And
seize upon
⁴¹¹
the fortunes of the Moor,

     For they
succeed on
⁴¹²
you.— To you, lord governor,

To Cassio

     Remains the
censure
⁴¹³
of this hellish villain:
     The time, the place, the torture: O, enforce it!
     Myself will straight aboard, and to the state

     This
heavy
⁴¹⁶
act with heavy heart relate.

Exeunt

Q = First Quarto text of 1622

Q2 = a correction introduced in the Second Quarto text of 1630

F = First Folio text of 1623

F2 = a correction introduced in the Second Folio text of 1632

F3 = a correction introduced in the Third Folio text of 1663–64

F4 = a correction introduced in the Fourth Folio text of 1685

Ed = a correction introduced by a later editor

SH = speech heading (i.e. speaker’s name)

List of parts
based on “The Names of the Actors” at end of F text, with additional information provided in parenthesis

RODORIGO
spelled thus in
F
(throughout)
. Q = Roderigo
throughout
EMILIA
spelled
Aemilia
in
F
(throughout)

1.1.1
Never
= F. Q = TVsh, neuer
4
But
= F. Q = S’blood, but
25
toga’d
= Q
(
toged
)
. F = Tongued
29
Cyprus
spelled
Ciprus
in
F
(and elsewhere)
33
bless
= F. Q = God blesse
68
full
= Q. F = fall
thick-lips
= Ed. F = Thicks-lips. Q = thicklips.
75
chances
= F. Q = changes
90
Sir
= F. Q = Zounds sir
91
soul:
= Ed. F = soule
117
Sir
= F. Q = Zouns Sir
121
jennets for germans
spelled
Gennets for Germaines
in
F
125
making
= F. Q = now making
165
hell-pains
= Ed. F = hell apines. Q = hells paines
168
sign. That
= Ed. F = signe) that

1.2.41
haste-post-haste
= Ed. F = haste, Post-haste
70
You, Rodorigo? Come
= F
(corrected).
F
(uncorrected)
= You
Rodorigo
, Come
98
Whither
= F2. F = Whether
103
I do
= Q. F = do

1.3.24
gaze. When
= Ed. F = gaze, when
58
nor
= Q. F = hor
62
and
= Q. F = snd
66
SH SENATORS
ambiguously spelled Sen
.
in
F
84
your
= Q. F = yonr
100
tale
= Q. F = u Tale
110
maimed
spelled
main’d
in
F
imperfect
= Ed. F = imperfect.
117
wrought upon
= Q. F = wtought vp on
118
SH DUKE
= Q.
Not in
F
119
overt
= Q. F = ouer
122
SH FIRST SENATOR
= Q. F =
Sen.
136
till
= Q. F = tell
152
slavery, of
= Q. F = slauery. Of
154
antres
spelled
Antars
in
F
155
rocks, hills
= F. Q = rocks and hils
157
other
= Q. F = others
158
Anthropophagi
spelled Antropophague in
F
161
thence
= Q. F = hence
169
intentively
= Q. F = instinctiuely
173
kisses
= F. Q = sighes
190
speak:
= Ed. F = speake?
217
lovers.
= F. Q = louers / Into your fauour
222
preserved
= Q. F = presern’d
245
couch
= Q. F = Coach
247
alacrity
= Q. F = Alacartie
258
there reside
= Q. F = therorecide
265
I love
= F. Q = I did loue
291
against
= Q. F = againsf
320
the
= Q. F = the the
334
guinea-hen
spelled
Gynney Hen
in
F
341
thyme
spelled
Time
in
F
344
beam
= Ed. F = braine. Q = Ballence
350
scion
spelled
Seyen
in
F
371
supersubtle
= F. Q = a super subtle
393
a snipe
= Q. F = Snpe
396
He
= Q. F = She

2.1.2
SH FIRST GENTLEMAN
= 1. Gent
in
F
9
mortise
= Q. F = Morties.
10
SH SECOND GENTLEMAN
= Q. F = 2
13
wind-shaked surge
= F3. F = winde-shak’d-Surge
mane
spelled
Maine
in
F
18
SH MONTANO
= Ed. F =
Men
.
21
SH THIRD GENTLEMAN
= Q. F = 3
27–8 in…Cassio
= Ed. F = in
:
A
Verennessa
,
Michael Cassio
42
th’aerial
= Ed. F = th’Eriall
44
SH THIRD GENTLEMAN
= Q. F =
Gent
.
47
Thanks, you
= Ed. F = Thankes you,
54
hopes
= Ed. F = hope’s
56,103 SH [VOICES]
= Ed. F =
Within
71
engineer
spelled
Ingeniuer
in
F
97
tell of
= F. Q = tell me of
101
of sea
= F. Q = of the sea
158
indeed, one
= Ed. F = indeed? One
authority
spelled
authorithy
in
F
180
gyve
= F2. F = giue
185
courtesy
spelled
Curtsie
in
F
186
clyster-pipes
= Q
(
Clisterpipes
)
. F = Cluster-pipes
228
hither
= Q. F = thither
237
prating?
= Q. F = prating,
248
fortune
= Q. F = Forune
249
does?
= Q. F = do’s:
253
has
= Q. F = he’s
269
mutabilities
= F. Q = mutualities
279
haply
spelled
happely
in
F
298
accountant
spelled
accomptant
in
F
304
evened
spelled
eeuen’d
in
F
for wife
= Q. F = for wift
311
right
= F. Q = ranke
312
night-cap
= Q. F = Night-Cape

2.2.9
present
= Q. F = presenr
Bless
= F. Q = Heauen blesse

[
Act 2 Scene 3
] = Ed.
Scene is continuous in
F

2.3.26
stoup
= Ed. F = stope
53
to put
= Q. F = put to
71
Englishman
= Q. F = Englishmen
85
Then
= Q. F =
And
auld
= Ed. F =
awl’d.
Q = owd
98
Forgive
= F. Q = God forgiue
100
left
= F. Q = left hand
103
SH GENTLEMEN
= Q. F =
Gent
.
134
You
= F. Q = Zouns, you
148
Sir Montano— Sir
= Ed. F = Sir
Montano
:
151
lieutenant!
= F. Q = Leiutenant, hold,
154
I bleed
= F. Q = Zouns, I bleed
157
sense of place
= Ed. F = place of sense
189
me —
= Ed. F = me.
209
leagued
= Ed. F = league
246
well,
= F. Q = well now,
280
O,
= F. Q = O God,
298
familiar
= Q. F = famillar
306
denotement
= Q. F = deuotement
313
stronger
= Q. F = stonger
319
check me
= F. Q = check me here
330
were’t to
= Q. F = were to
360
Does’t
= Ed. F = Dos’t
371
on:
= Ed. F = on. Q = on,
372
the while
= Ed. F = a while

3.1.8
tail
spelled
tale
in
F
29
SH CASSIO
= Q.
Not in
F

3.2.6
We’ll
= F3. F = Well

3.3.5
fellow. Do
= Ed. F = Fellow, Do
71
In faith
= F4. F = Infaith
73
example
= Ed. F = example)
79
with
= Q. F = wirh
82
much—
= Ed. F = much.
105
you
= Q. F = he
154
that all
= Q. F = that: All
free
= F. Q = free to
158
Where no
= Ed. F = Wherein. Q = But some
167
oft
= Q. F = of
168
wisdom
= F. Q = I intreate then
175
What
= F. Q = Zouns.
183
I’ll
= F. Q = By heauen, I’le
203
Is
= F. Q = Is once
205
exsufflicate
spelled
exufflicate
in
F
208
dances
= F. Q = dances well
278
put
= F2.
Not in
F
289
learnèd
= Ed. F = learn’d
290
human
spelled
humane
in
F
(and elsewhere)
329
talk to
= Q. F = talke too
384
Pioneers
spelled
Pyoners
in
F
406
lord—
= Ed. F = Lord.
409
horror’s
= Ed. F = Horrors
432
I see you
= F. Q = I see sir, you
466
laid
= F. Q = then layed
492 thy
= Q. F = the
498
mind may
= F. Q = mind perhaps may
501
Ne’er feels
= Q2. F = Neu’r keepes

3.4.36
It hath felt
= F. Q = It has yet felt
70
lose’t
spelled
loose’t
in
F
86
Bless
= F. Q = Heauen blesse
92
I can, but
= F. Q = I can sir, but
101
you—
= Ed. F = you.
121
honour. I
= Ed. F = honour, I
171
born
spelled
borne
in
F
174
hereabout
= F3. F = heere about
184
lovers’
= Ed. F = Louers
193
friend:
= Ed. F = Friend,