Authors: William Shakespeare
Exeunt
Location: Venice (outside the Sagittary)
Enter Othello, Iago, Attendants with torches
IAGO
Though in the
trade
1
of war I have slain men,
Yet do I hold it
very stuff
2
o’th’conscience
To do no
contrived
3
murder: I lack iniquity
Sometime to do me service. Nine or ten times
I had thought t’have
yerked
5
him here under the ribs.
OTHELLO
’Tis better as it is.
IAGO
Nay, but he
prated
7
And spoke such
scurvy
8
and provoking terms
Against your honour
That with the little godliness I have
I did full hard forbear him
11
. But I pray you, sir,
Are you
fast
12
married? Be assured of this,
That the
magnifico
13
is much beloved,
And hath
in his effect
14
a voice potential
As double as the duke’s: he will divorce you,
Or put upon you
what
16
restraint or grievance
The law — with all his might to enforce it on —
Will give him
cable
18
.
OTHELLO
Let him do his spite;
My services which I have done the
signiory
20
Shall out-tongue his complaints. ’
Tis yet to know
21
—
Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,
I shall
promulgate
23
— I fetch my life and being
From men of royal
siege
24
, and my demerits
May speak,
unbonneted
25
, to as proud a fortune
As this that I have reached. For know, Iago,
But that I love the gentle Desdemona,
I would not my
unhousèd
28
free condition
Put into
circumscription and confine
29
For the
sea’s worth
30
. But look, what lights come yond?
Enter Cassio [and Officers] with torches
IAGO
Those are the
raisèd
31
father and his friends:
You were best go in.
OTHELLO
Not I: I must be found.
My
parts
34
, my title and my perfect soul
Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?
IAGO
By
Janus
36
, I think no.
OTHELLO
The servants of the duke’s? And my lieutenant?—
The goodness of the night upon you, friends!
What is the news?
CASSIO
The duke does greet you, general,
And he requires your
haste-post-haste
41
appearance
Even on the instant.
OTHELLO
What is the
matter
43
, think you?
CASSIO
Something from Cyprus, as I may
divine
44
.
It is a business of some
heat
45
: the galleys
Have sent a dozen
sequent
46
messengers
This very night at one another’s heels,
And many of the consuls, raised and met,
Are at the duke’s already. You have been hotly called for:
When, being not at your lodging to be found,
The senate hath sent about three
several quests
51
To search you out.
OTHELLO
’Tis well I am found by you.
I will but spend a word here in the house
And go with you.
[Exit]
CASSIO
Ancient, what
makes he
56
here?
IAGO
Faith
57
, he tonight hath boarded a land caract:
If it prove lawful prize, he’s made for ever.
CASSIO
I do not understand.
IAGO
He’s married.
CASSIO
To who?
IAGO
Marry
62
, to—
[
Enter Othello
Come, captain, will you go?
OTHELLO
Have with you
63
.
CASSIO
Here comes another troop to seek for you.
Enter Brabantio, Rodorigo, with Officers and torches
And weapons
IAGO
It is Brabantio. General, be
advised
65
:
He comes
to
66
bad intent.
OTHELLO
Holla
67
, stand there!
RODORIGO
Signior, it is the Moor.
BRABANTIO
Down with him, thief!
They draw
IAGO
You, Rodorigo? Come, sir, I am for you.
OTHELLO
Keep
up
71
your bright swords, for the dew will rust
them.
Good signior, you shall more command with years
Than with your weapons.
BRABANTIO
O thou
foul
74
thief,
Where hast thou
stowed
75
my daughter?
Damned as thou art, thou hast enchanted her,
For I’ll
refer me to
77
all things of sense —
If she in chains of magic were not bound —
Whether a maid so
tender
79
, fair and happy,
So
opposite
80
to marriage that she shunned
The wealthy
curlèd
81
dearling of our nation,
Would ever have — t’incur
a general mock
82
—
Run from
her guardage
83
to the sooty bosom
Of such a thing as thou: to fear, not to delight.
Judge me the world
85
if ’tis not gross in sense
That thou hast
practised on
86
her with foul charms,
Abused her delicate youth with drugs or
minerals
87
That weakens
motion
88
: I’ll have’t disputed on:
’Tis probable and palpable to thinking.
I therefore apprehend and do
attach
90
thee
For an abuser of the world, a practiser
Of
arts inhibited and out of warrant
92
.—
Lay hold upon him: if he do resist,
Subdue him at his peril.
OTHELLO
Hold
95
your hands,
Both you
of my inclining
96
and the rest:
Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it
Without a prompter.—
Whither will you that I
98
go
To answer this your charge?
BRABANTIO
To prison, till fit time
Of law and
course of direct session
101
Call thee to answer.
OTHELLO
What if I do obey?
How may the duke be therewith satisfied,
Whose messengers are here about my side
Upon some
present
106
business of the state
To bring me to him?
OFFICER
’Tis true, most worthy signior:
The duke’s in council and your noble self,
I am sure, is sent for.
BRABANTIO
How? The duke in council?
In this time of the night? Bring him away;
Mine’s not an idle cause: the duke himself,
Or any of my
brothers of the state
114
,
Cannot but feel this wrong as ’twere their own:
For if such actions may
have passage free
116
,
Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be.
Exeunt
Location: Venice (duke’s residence/council chamber)
Enter Duke, Senators and Officers
With torches
They sit at a table
DUKE
There’s no
composition
1
in this news
That gives
them
2
credit.
FIRST SENATOR
Indeed, they are
disproportioned
3
;
My letters say a hundred and seven galleys.
DUKE
And mine a hundred forty.
SECOND SENATOR
And mine two hundred:
But though they
jump
7
not on a just account —
As in these cases where the
aim
8
reports,
’Tis oft with difference — yet do they all confirm
A Turkish fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus.
DUKE
Nay, it is possible enough to judgement:
I do not so secure
12
me in the error
But the main article I do approve
In fearful sense.
SAILOR
What ho, what ho, what ho!
Within
Enter Sailor
OFFICER
A messenger from the galleys.
DUKE
Now? What’s the business?
SAILOR
The Turkish
preparation
18
makes for Rhodes:
So was I bid report here to the state
By Signior Angelo.
[Exit Sailor]
DUKE
How say you by
21
this change?
FIRST SENATOR
This cannot be
By no
assay
23
of reason: ’tis a pageant,
To keep us
in false gaze
24
. When we consider
Th’importancy
25
of Cyprus to the Turk,
And let ourselves again but understand
That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes,
So may he with more facile question bear it
28
,
For that
29
it stands not in such warlike brace,
But altogether lacks
th’abilities
30
That Rhodes is
dressed in
31
: if we make thought of this,
We must not think the Turk is so unskilful
To leave that
latest
33
which concerns him first,
Neglecting an
attempt
34
of ease and gain
To wake and
wage
35
a danger profitless.
DUKE
Nay, in all confidence, he’s not for Rhodes.
OFFICER
Here is more news.
Enter a Messenger
MESSENGER
The
Ottomites
38
, reverend and gracious,
Steering with due course toward the isle of Rhodes,
Have there
injointed them
40
with an after fleet.
FIRST SENATOR
Ay, so I thought. How many, as you guess?
MESSENGER
Of thirty sail: and now they do
restem
42
Their backward course
, bearing with
frank
43
appearance
Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,
Your trusty and most valiant
servitor
45
,
With his
free
46
duty recommends you thus,
And prays you to believe him.
[
Exit Messenger
]
DUKE
’Tis certain then for Cyprus.
Marcus Luccicos, is not he in town?
FIRST SENATOR
He’s now in Florence.
DUKE
Write from us to him:
post-post-haste
51
, dispatch!
FIRST SENATOR
Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.
Enter Brabantio, Othello, Cassio, Iago, Rodorigo and Officers
DUKE
Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you
Against the
general enemy Ottoman
54
.—
To Brabantio
I did not see you: welcome,
gentle
55
signior,
We lacked your counsel and your help tonight.
BRABANTIO
So did I yours. Good your grace, pardon me:
Neither my
place
58
nor aught I heard of business
Hath raised me from my bed, nor doth
the general care
59
Take hold on me, for my
particular
60
grief
Is of so
floodgate
61
and o’erbearing nature
That it
engluts
62
and swallows other sorrows
And it
is still itself
63
.
DUKE
Why? What’s the matter?
BRABANTIO
My daughter! O, my daughter!
SENATORS
Dead?
BRABANTIO
Ay, to me:
She is
abused
68
, stol’n from me and corrupted
By spells and medicines bought of
mountebanks
69
;
For nature so
prepost’rously
70
to err —
Being not deficient, blind, or lame of
sense
71
—
Sans
72
witchcraft could not.