As Iago. O, did he so? I charge you go with me. Émil. As I? foh! fye upon thee! Iago. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd: Come, mistress, you must tell us another tale. Emilia, run you to the citadel, And tell my lord and lady what has happ'd.Will you go on, I pray?—This is the night, Aside. Oth. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!It is the cause.- -Yet I'll not shed her blood; Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. [Takes off his sword. I cannot give it vital growth again, more. Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, And love thee after:-One more, and this the last: So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep, Oth. Ay, Desdemona. Des. Will you come to bed, my lord? Oth. Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemona? Des. Ay, my lord. Oth. If you bethink yourself of any crime, Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven and grace, Solicit for it straight. Des. Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that? Oth. Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by: I would not kill thy unprepared spirit; No,-Heaven forefend !—I would not kill thy soul. Des. Talk you of killing? Oth. Ay, I do. Des. Then, heaven Have mercy on me! Oth. Amen, with all my heart! Des. If you say so, I hope you will not kill me. Oth. Humph! Des. And yet I fear you; for you are fatal then, When your eyes roll so: Why I should fear, I know not, Since guiltiness I know not; but yet, I feel, I fear. Des. They are loves I bear to you. Des. That death's unnatural, that kills for loving. Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip? Some bloody passion shakes your very frame: These are portents; but yet I hope, I hope, They do not point on me. Oth. Peace, and be still! Des. I will so; What's the matter? Oth. That handkerchief, which I so lov'd, and gave thee, Thou gav'st to Cassio. Des. No, by my life and soul: Send for the man, and ask him. Oth. Sweet soul, take heed, Take heed of perjury; thou'rt on thy death-bed. Des. Ay, but not yet to die. Oth. Yes, presently: Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin; Des. And have you mercy too!-I never did Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in his hand. O perjur'd woman! thou dost stone my heart, Des. He found it then ; I never gave it him :-Send for him hither, Oth. He hath confess'd. Oth. That he hath-us'd thee. Des. He'll not say so. Oth. No, his mouth is stopp'd: Honest Iago hath ta'en order for't. Des. My fear interprets then,-What, is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great Oth. Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him to my face? Des. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not. Oth. Down, strumpet! Des. Kill me to-morrow, let me live to-night. Oth. Nay, if you strive, Des. But half an hour. Oth. Being done, There is no pause. Des. But while I say one prayer. [He smothers her. Emil. Within. My lord, my lord! what ho! lord! my my lord! Oth. 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.— Emil. Within. What ho! my lord, my lord! Emil. Within.] O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you. Oth. Yes;-'tis Emilia:-by and by.-She's dead. 'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death; The noise 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 the best? Emil. Within. I do beseech you, I may speak with you, O, good my lord! Oth. I had forgot thee: O, come in, Emilia:Soft,-by and by:-Let me the curtains draw. Where art thou? What's the matter with thee now? [Unlocks the door. Oth. That! what? Emil. Out, and alas! that was my lady's voice:Help! help! ho! help!-O lady, speak again! Sweet Desdemona! O, sweet mistress, speak! Des. A guiltless death I die. Emil. O, who hath done This deed? Des. Nobody; I myself; farewell: Commend me to my kind lord; O, farewell. [Dies. Oth. Why, how should she be murder d? Oth. You heard her say herself, it was not I. Oth. She's, like a liar, gone to burning hell; 'Twas I that kill'd her. Emil. O, the more angel she, Oth. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore. Emil. Thou art rash as fire, to say Oth. Thy husband. Emil. That she was false to wedlock? If heaven would make me such another world Emil. My husband? Oth. Ay, 'twas he that told me first; An honest man he is, and hates the slime That sticks on filthy deeds. Emil. My husband? Oth. What needs this iterance, woman? I say, thy husband. Emil. O mistress, villainy hath made mocks with love! My husband say, that she was false? Oth. He, woman; I say, thy husband: Dost understand the word? My friend, thy husband, honest, honest lago. Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart; She was too fond of her most filthy bargain. Oth. Ha! Emil. Do thy worst ; This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven, Than thou wast worthy her. Oth. Peace, you were best. Emil. Thou hast not half the power to do me harm, As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt! no more Than what he found himself was apt and true. Emil. But did you ever tell him, she was false? Jago. I did. Emil. 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, charm your tongue. Emil. I will not charm my tongue; I am My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed. Emil. And your reports have set the murderon. Mon. O monstrous act! Emil. 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. Emil. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak; 'Tis proper I obey him, but not now:Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home. Oth. O! O! O! [Hanging over his wife. Emil. Nay, lay thee down, and roar ; For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent, That e'er did lift up eye. Oth. O, she was foul! [Rising. I scarce did know you, uncle: There lies your niece, Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd: I know, this act shows horrible and grim. Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief Oth. "Tis pitiful: but yet Iago knows, That she with Cassio hath the act of shame Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers! Emil. 'Twill out, 'twill out;-I hold my peace, sir? no; No, I will speak as liberal as the air; Emil. I will not. [Iago offers to stab his wife. Your sword upon a woman? Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak'st of, I found by fortune, and did give my husband; Iago. Villainous whore! Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas; I found it, And I did give't my husband. Iago. Filth, thou liest. Emil. By heaven, I donot; I do not, gentlemen: O murd'rous coxcomb! what should such a fool Do with so good a wife? [Iago stabs Emilia, then runs out. Oth. Are there no stones in heaven, But what serve for the thunder?-Precious vil lain ! Gra. The woman falls; sure, he has kill'd his wife. Emil. Ay, ay; 0, lay me by my mistress' side! Gra. He's gone, but his wife's kill'd. Man. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon, Which I have here recover'd from the Moor: Come, guard the door without; let him not pass, But kill him rather; I'll after that same villain, For 'tis a damned slave. [Exeunt Montano and Gratiano. Oth. I am not valiant neither, But every puny whipster gets my sword:But why should honour outlive honesty? Let it go all. Emil. What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, can'st thou hear me? I will play the swan, And die in music ;-Willow, willow, willow.Moor, she was chaste; she lov'd thee, cruel Moor; So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true; So speaking as I think, I die,—I die. [Dies. Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber, It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper ;O, here it is :-Uncle, I must come forth. Gra. [Within. If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear; Thou hast no wear on, and perforce must suffer. Oth. Look in upon me then, and speak with | Will you, I pray you, demand that demi-devil, me, Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee. Re-enter GRATIANO. Gra. What is the matter? Oth. Behold! I have a weapon; A better never did itself sustain Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day, Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now.- Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt, O cursed, cursed slave !-Whip me, ye devils, Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO carried in a chair, and Officers, with IAGO, prisoner. Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? Oth. That's he, that was Othello; here I am. Lod. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth. Oth. I look down towards his feet;-but that's a fable: If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body? Iago. Demand me nothing: What you know, you know: From this time forth I never will speak word. Lod. What? not to pray? Gra. Torments will ope your lips. Oth. Well, thou dost best. Lod. 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 Roderigo; Oth. O villain ! Cas. Most heathenish, and most gross! Lod. Now here's another discontented paper, Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems, Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain; But that, belike, Iago in the interim Came in and satisfied him. Oth. O the pernicious caitiff!— How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief That was my wife's? Cas. I found it in my chamber: And he himself confess'd, but even now, That there he dropp'd it, for a special purpose, Which wrought to his desire. Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter,How he upbraids Iago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast: And even but now he spake, After long seeming dead,—Iago hurt him, Iago set him on. Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with us; 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, It shall be his: You shall close prisoner rest, Till that the nature of your fault be known To the Venetian state:-Come, bring him away. Oth. Soft you; a word or two, before you go. Oth. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee I have done the state some service, and they live; For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die. know it; No more of that:-I pray you, in your letters, Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good, When you shall these unlucky deeds relate, Fall'n in the practice of a cursed slave, What shall be said to thee? Oth. Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will; Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate, speak Of one, that lov'd not wisely, but too well; Albeit unused to the melting mood, Lod. O Spartan dog, More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea! Look on the tragic loading of this bed; [To Iago. This is thy work: the object poisons sight;Let it be hid.-Gratiano, keep the house, And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor, For they succeed to you. To you, lord governor, Remains the censure of this hellish villain; The time, the place, the torture,-O enforce it! Myself will straight aboard; and, to the state, This heavy act with heavy heart relate. [Exeunt. |