ACT IV

260

Sc. I

Cassio shall have my place. And, Sir, to-night

I do entreat that we may sup together:

You are welcome, Sir, to Cyprus.-Goats and monkeys!

[exit.

LOD. Is this the noble Moor whom our full Senate
Call all-in-all sufficient? 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 chang'd.

LOD. Are his wits safe? is he not light of brain?
IAGO. He's that he is: I may not breathe my censure.
What he might be--if what he might he is not—

I would to Heaven he were!

LOD.

What, strike his wife!

IAGO. 'Faith, that was not so well; yet would I knew 271
That stroke would prove the worst!
LOD.

Is it his use?

It is not honesty in me to speak

What I have seen and known. You shall observe

him;

And his own courses will denote him so,

That I may save my speech: do but
And mark how he continues.
LOD. I am sorry that I am deceiv'd in him.

go after,

[exeunt.

SCENE II. The Same. A Room in the Castle.

Enter OTHELLO and EMILIA.

OTн. You have seen nothing, then?

EMIL. Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect.

Отн. Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together.
EMIL. But then I saw no harm, and then I heard
Each syllable that breath made up
OTн. What, did they never whisper?
EMIL.

between them.

Never, my Lord.

ACT IV OTH. Nor send you out o' the way?

OTн. To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing?
EMIL. Never, my Lord.

ОTн. That's strange.

EMIL. I durst, my Lord, to wager she is honest,

Lay down my soul at stake: 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 curse!
For, if she be not honest, chaste, and true,
There's no man happy; the purest of their wives
Is foul as slander.

Отн.

ΤΟ

20

Bid her come hither; go. [Exit EMILIA.
She says enough; yet she's a simple bawd
That cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore,
A closet-lock-and-key of villainous secrets:
And yet she 'll kneel and pray; I have seen her do 't.

OTH. [to EMILIA.] Some of your function, Mistress ;
Leave procreants alone and shut the door;
Cough, or cry hem, if anybody come:

Your mystery, your mystery; nay, dispatch.

30

[Exit EMILIA.

DES. Upon my knees, what doth your speech import?

I understand a fury in your words,

But not the words.

Oтн. Why, what art thou?

DES.

And loyal wife.

Отн.

Your wife, my Lord; your true

Come, swear it, damn thyself;

Lest, being like one of Heaven, the Devils them

selves

Should fear to seize thee: therefore be double-damn'd; ACT IV Swear thou art honest.

DES.

Heaven doth truly know it.

Oтн. Heaven truly knows that thou art false as Hell.

DES. To whom, my Lord? with whom? how am I false?

Отн. Ah, Desdemon! away! away! away!

DES. Alas the heavy day! Why do you weep?

Am I the motive of these tears, my Lord?

If haply you my father do suspect

An instrument of this your calling back,

Lay not your blame on me: if you have lost him,
Why, I have lost him too.

Отн.

Had it pleas'd Heaven

To try me with affliction; had they rain'd
All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head;
Steep'd 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
A fixed figure for the time of Scorn
To point his slow and moving finger at!
Yet could I bear that too; well, very well:
But there, where I have garner'd up my heart,
Where either I must live, or bear no life;

The fountain from the which my current runs,
Or else dries up; to be discarded thence!

Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads

To knot and gender in! Turn thy complexion there :
Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd Cherubin!
I here look grim as Hell.1

DES. I hope my noble Lord esteems me honest.
OTH. O, ay; as summer flies are in the shambles,

That quicken even with blowing. O thou Weed,
Who art so lovely fair, and smell'st so sweet,

40

50

60

That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er
been born!

DES. Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
OTн. Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,
Made to write whore upon? ? What committed!

1 Othello tells Desdemona to turn her face away: he is struggling with the effect
wrought on him by the beauty and simplicity of her appearance. 75

70

Sc. II

ACT IV

Sc. II

Committed! O thou public Commoner!

I should make very forges of my cheeks,
That would to cinders burn up modesty,

Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed!
Heaven stops the nose at it, and the Moon winks;
The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets,
Is hush'd within the hollow mine of Earth,
And will not hear it. What committed!

Impudent Strumpet!

DES.

80

By Heaven, you do me wrong.

I took you for that cunning whore of Venice

That married with Othello. [raising his voice.] You,

Mistress,

That have the office opposite to Saint Peter,

And keep the gate of Hell!

90

Re-enter EMILIA.

You, you, ay, you!

We have done our course; there's money for your pains:

I

pray you, turn the key, and keep our counsel. [exit. EMIL. Alas, what does this gentleman conceive?

How do you, Madam? how do you, my good Lady?

DES. 'Faith, half asleep.

EMIL. Good Madam, what's the matter with my

DES. I have none: do not talk to me, Emilia;
I cannot weep; nor answer have I none,
But what should go by water. Pr'ythee, to-night
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember;
And call thy husband hither.

EMIL.

Here's a change indeed! [exit.

DES. "Tis meet I should be us'd so, very meet.

How have I been behav'd, that he might stick
The small'st opinion on my least misuse?

Re-enter EMILIA with IAGO.

IAGO. What is your pleasure, Madam? How is 't with
you?

DES. 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 chiding.

IAGO.

What's the matter, Lady?

EMIL. Alas, Iago, my Lord hath so bewhor'd her,
Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her,
As true hearts cannot bear.
DES. Am I that name, Iago?

IAGO.

What name, fair Lady?

DES. Such as she says my Lord did say I was.
EMIL. He call'd her whore: a beggar in his drink
Could not have laid such terms upon his callet.
IAGO. Why did he so?

DES. I do not know; I am sure I am none such.
IAGO. Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day!
EMIL. Hath she forsook so many noble matches,
Her father, and her country, and her friends,
To be call'd whore? would it not make one weep?
DES. It is my wretched fortune.

IAGO.

How comes this trick upon him?

ΙΙΟ

120

Beshrew him for 't!

Nay, Heaven doth know.

130

DES.
EMIL. I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,
Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,
Have not devis'd this slander: I'll be hang'd else.

ACT IV

Sc. II