A bedchamber in the castle:
DESDEMONA in bed asleep;
a light burning.[Enter OTHELLO]
OTHELLO
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.
Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men.
Put out the light, and then put out the light:
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me: but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy light relume. When I have pluck’d the rose,
I cannot give it vital growth again.
It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree.
[Kissing her]
Ah balmy breath, that dost almost persuade
Justice to break her sword! One more, one more.
DESDEMONA Who’s there? Othello?
OTHELLO Ay. Desdemona.
DESDEMONA Will you come to bed, my lord?
OTHELLO Have you pray’d to-night, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA Ay, my lord.
OTHELLO If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight, and I will walk by:
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul.
DESDEMONA Talk you of killing?
OTHELLO Ay, I do.
DESDEMONA Then heaven
Have mercy on me!
OTHELLO Amen, with all my heart!
DESDEMONA If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.
OTHELLO Hum!
DESDEMONA
And yet I fear you; why I should fear I know not,
Since guiltiness I know not; but yet I feel I fear.
OTHELLO Think on thy sins.
DESDEMONA They are loves I bear to you.
OTHELLO Ay, and for that thou diest.
DESDEMONA That death’s unnatural that kills for loving.
OTHELLO Peace, and be still!
DESDEMONA I will so. What’s the matter?
OTHELLO
That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee
Thou gavest to Cassio.
DESDEMONA No, by my life and soul!
Send for the man, and ask him.
OTHELLO Sweet soul, take heed,
Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy deathbed.
DESDEMONA Ay, but not yet to die.
OTHELLO Yes, presently.
DESDEMONA Then Lord have mercy on me!
OTHELLO I say, amen.
DESDEMONA And have you mercy too! I never did
Offend you in my life; never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love: I never gave him token.
OTHELLO
By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in’s hand.
O perjured woman!
DESDEMONA He found it then;
I never gave it him: send for him hither;
Let him confess a truth.
OTHELLO He hath confess’d.
DESDEMONA What, my lord?
OTHELLO That he hath used thee.
DESDEMONA How? unlawfully?
OTHELLO Ay.
DESDEMONA He will not say so.
OTHELLO No, his mouth is stopp’d;
Honest Iago hath ta’en order for’t.
DESDEMONA
O! my fear interprets: what, is he dead?
OTHELLO Out, strumpet!
weep’st thou for him to my face?
DESDEMONA O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!
OTHELLO Down, strumpet!
DESDEMONA Kill me to-morrow: let me live to-night!
OTHELLO Nay, if you strive–
DESDEMONA But while I say one prayer!
OTHELLO It is too late.
[He stifles her]
EMILIA [Within]
My lord, my lord! what, ho! my lord, my lord!
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 [Within] What, ho! my lord, my lord!
OTHELLO Who’s there?
EMILIA [Within] O, good my lord,
I would speak a word with you!
OTHELLO Yes: ’tis Emilia. By and by. She’s dead.
‘Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio’s death.–
The noise was here. 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 the affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.
EMILIA [Within] I do beseech you
That I may speak with you, O, good my lord!
OTHELLO Soft; by and by. Let me the curtains draw.
[Unlocks the door]
[Enter EMILIA]
What’s the matter with thee now?
EMILIA O,
my good lord, yonder’s foul murders done!
OTHELLO What, now?
EMILIA Cassio, my lord, hath kill’d a young Venetian
Call’d Roderigo.
OTHELLO Roderigo kill’d!
And Cassio kill’d!
EMILIA No, Cassio is not kill’d.
OTHELLO Not Cassio kill’d! then murder’s out of tune,
And sweet revenge grows harsh.
DESDEMONA O, falsely, falsely murder’d!
EMILIA Alas, what cry is that?
OTHELLO That! what?
EMILIA Behind the bed curtain.
Help! help, ho! help! O lady, speak again!
Sweet Desdemona! O sweet mistress, speak!
O, who hath done this deed?
OTHELLO ‘Twas I that kill’d her.
EMILIA O, the more angel she,
And you the blacker devil!
OTHELLO She turn’d to folly, and she was a whore.
EMILIA Thou dost belie 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 top her; thy husband knew it all.
EMILIA My husband!
OTHELLO Thy husband.
EMILIA That she was false to wedlock?
OTHELLO Ay, with Cassio.
EMILIA My husband!
OTHELLO Ay, ’twas he that told me first:
An honest man he is, and hates the slime
That sticks on filthy deeds.
EMILIA My husband!
OTHELLO
My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago.
EMILIA 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.
OTHELLO Ha!
EMILIA Do thy worst:
This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven
Than thou wast worthy her.
OTHELLO Peace, you were best.
EMILIA
Thou hast not half that power to do me harm
As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt!
As ignorant as dirt! thou hast done a deed–
I care not for thy sword; I’ll make thee known,
Though I lost twenty lives.–Help! help, ho! help!
The Moor hath kill’d my mistress! Murder! murder!
[Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO,
IAGO, and others]
MONTANO 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:
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 apt 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, charm your tongue.
EMILIA
I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak:
My mistress here lies murder’d 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 Villany, villany, villany!
IAGO What, are you mad?
I charge you, get you home.
OTHELLO O! O! O!
[He falls on the bed]
EMILIA Nay, lay thee down and roar;
For thou hast kill’d the sweetest innocent
That e’er did lift up eye.
OTHELLO [Rising] O, she was foul!
‘Tis pitiful; but yet Iago knows
That she with Cassio hath the act of shame
A thousand times committed; Cassio confess’d it:
And she did gratify his amorous works
With that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her; I saw it in his hand:
It was a handkerchief, an antique token
My father gave my mother.
EMILIA O heaven! O heavenly powers!
IAGO Come, hold your peace.
EMILIA No, I will speak as liberal as the north:
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.
EMILIA I will not.
[IAGO offers to stab EMILIA]
GRATIANO Fie!
Your sword upon a woman?
EMILIA
O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak’st of
I found by fortune and did give my husband;
He begg’d of me to steal it.
IAGO Filth, thou liest!
EMILIA By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen.
OTHELLO Are there no stones in heaven
But what serve for the thunder?–Precious villain!
[He runs at IAGO IAGO, from behind,
stabs EMILIA, and exit]
GRATIANO
The woman falls; sure, he hath kill’d his wife.
EMILIA Ay, ay: O, lay me by my mistress’ side.
GRATIANO He’s gone, but his wife’s kill’d.
MONTANO 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]
OTHELLO I am not valiant neither,
But ever puny whipster gets my sword:
But why should honour outlive honesty?
Let it go all.
EMILIA Moor,
she was chaste; she loved thee, cruel Moor;
So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;
So speaking as I think, I die, I die.
[Dies]
OTHELLO I have another weapon in this chamber;
It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook’s temper:–
O, here it is. ho there, Gratiano!
[Re-enter GRATIANO]
GRATIANO What is the matter?
OTHELLO Behold, I have a weapon;
A better never did itself sustain
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: but, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? ’tis not so now.
Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon’d;
Here is my journey’s end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr’d wench!
Pale as thy smock! 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 cursed slave!
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 gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemona! Desdemona! dead!
Oh! Oh! Oh!
[Enter LODOVICO. MONTANO,
CASSIO carried in a chair,
and Officers with IAGO, prisoner]
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; but that’s a fable.
If that thou best a devil, I cannot kill thee.
[Wounds IAGO]
LODOVICO Wrench his sword from him.
IAGO I bleed, sir; but not kill’d.
OTHELLO
I am not sorry neither: I’ld have thee live;
For, in my sense, ’tis happiness to die.
LODOVICO O thou Othello, thou wert once so good,
What shall be said to thee?
OTHELLO Why, any thing:
An honourable murderer, if you will;
For nought I did in hate, but all in honour.
LODOVICO This wretch hath part confess’d his villany:
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.
OTHELLO Well, thou dost best.
OTHELLO How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief
That was my wife’s?
CASSIO I found it in my chamber:
And he himself confess’d but even now
That there he dropp’d it.
OTHELLO O fool! fool! fool!
LODOVICO
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.
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,
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
Perplex’d in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe. Set you down this;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban’d Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog,
And smote him, thus.
[Stabs himself]
LODOVICO O bloody period!
GRATIANO All that’s spoke is marr’d.
OTHELLO
I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee: no way but this;
Killing myself, to die upon a kiss.
[Falls on the bed, and dies]
CASSIO
This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon;
For he was great of heart.
LODOVICO [To IAGO] O Spartan dog,
More fell 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. 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]
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