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Othello

Please see the bottom of this page for full explanatory notes.
ACT IV SCENE II A room in the castle. 
 Enter OTHELLO and EMILIA. 
OTHELLO You have seen nothing then? 
EMILIA Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect. 
OTHELLO Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together. 
EMILIA But then I saw no harm, and then I heard 5
 Each syllable that breath made up between them. 
OTHELLO What, did they never whisper? 
EMILIA Never, my lord. 
OTHELLO Nor send you out o' the way? 
EMILIA Never. 10
OTHELLO To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing? 
EMILIA Never, my lord. 
OTHELLO That's strange. 
EMILIA I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, 
 Lay down my soul at stake: if you think other, 15
 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 20
 Is foul as slander. 
OTHELLO 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 villanous secrets 25
 And yet she'll kneel and pray; I have seen her do't. 
 Enter DESDEMONA with EMILIA. 
DESDEMONA My lord, what is your will? 
OTHELLO Pray, chuck, come hither. 
DESDEMONA What is your pleasure? 
OTHELLO Let me see your eyes; 30
 Look in my face. 
DESDEMONA What horrible fancy's this? 
OTHELLO To EMILIA. 
 Leave procreants alone and shut the door; 
 Cough, or cry 'hem,' if any body come: 
 Your mystery, your mystery: nay, dispatch. 35
 Exit EMILIA. 
DESDEMONA Upon my knees, what doth your speech import? 
 I understand a fury in your words. 
 But not the words. 
OTHELLO Why, what art thou? 
DESDEMONA Your wife, my lord; your true 40
 And loyal wife. 
OTHELLO Come, swear it, damn thyself 
 Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves 
 Should fear to seize thee: therefore be double damn'd: 
 Swear thou art honest. 45
DESDEMONA Heaven doth truly know it. 
OTHELLO Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell. 
DESDEMONA To whom, my lord? with whom? how am I false? 
OTHELLO O Desdemona! away! away! away! 
DESDEMONA Alas the heavy day! Why do you weep? 50
 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. 55
OTHELLO Had it pleased 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, 60
 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 unmoving finger at! 
 Yet could I bear that too; well, very well: 65
 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 70
 To knot and gender in! Turn thy complexion there, 
 Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd cherubin,-- 
 Ay, there, look grim as hell! 
DESDEMONA I hope my noble lord esteems me honest. 
OTHELLO O, ay; as summer flies are in the shambles, 75
 That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed, 
 Who art so lovely fair and smell'st so sweet 
 That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst 
 ne'er been born! 
DESDEMONA Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed? 80
OTHELLO Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, 
 Made to write 'whore' upon? What committed! 
 Committed! O thou public commoner! 
 I should make very forges of my cheeks, 
 That would to cinders burn up modesty, 85
 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! 90
 Impudent strumpet! 
DESDEMONA By heaven, you do me wrong. 
OTHELLO Are you not a strumpet? 
DESDEMONA No, as I am a Christian: 
 If to preserve this vessel for my lord 95
 From any other foul unlawful touch 
 Be not to be a strumpet, I am none. 
OTHELLO What, not a whore? 
DESDEMONA No, as I shall be saved. 
OTHELLO Is't possible? 100
DESDEMONA O, heaven forgive us! 
OTHELLO I cry you mercy, then: 
 I took you for that cunning whore of Venice 
 That married with Othello. 
 Raising his voice. 
 You, mistress, 105
 That have the office opposite to Saint Peter, 
 And keep the gate of hell! 
 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. 110
 Exit 
EMILIA Alas, what does this gentleman conceive? 
 How do you, madam? how do you, my good lady? 
DESDEMONA 'Faith, half asleep. 
EMILIA Good madam, what's the matter with my lord? 
DESDEMONA With who? 115
EMILIA Why, with my lord, madam. 
DESDEMONA Who is thy lord? 
EMILIA He that is yours, sweet lady. 
DESDEMONA I have none: do not talk to me, Emilia; 
 I cannot weep; nor answer have I none, 120
 But what should go by water. Prithee, tonight 
 Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember; 
 And call thy husband hither. 
EMILIA Here's a change indeed! 
 Exit 
DESDEMONA 'Tis meet I should be used so, very meet. 125
 How have I been behaved, 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? 
DESDEMONA I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes 130
 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? 
EMILIA Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her. 135
 Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her, 
 As true hearts cannot bear. 
DESDEMONA Am I that name, Iago? 
IAGO What name, fair lady? 
DESDEMONA Such as she says my lord did say I was. 140
EMILIA He call'd her whore: a beggar in his drink 
 Could not have laid such terms upon his callet. 
IAGO Why did he so? 
DESDEMONA I do not know; I am sure I am none such. 
IAGO Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day! 145
EMILIA 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? 
DESDEMONA It is my wretched fortune. 
IAGO Beshrew him for't! 150
 How comes this trick upon him? 
DESDEMONA Nay, heaven doth know. 
EMILIA I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain, 
 Some busy and insinuating rogue, 
 Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, 155
 Have not devised this slander; I'll be hang'd else. 
IAGO Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible. 
DESDEMONA If any such there be, heaven pardon him! 
EMILIA A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones! 
 Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company? 160
 What place? what time? what form? what likelihood? 
 The Moor's abused by some most villanous knave, 
 Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow. 
 O heaven, that such companions thou'ldst unfold, 
 And put in every honest hand a whip 165
 To lash the rascals naked through the world 
 Even from the east to the west! 
IAGO Speak within door. 
EMILIA O, fie upon them! Some such squire he was 
 That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, 170
 And made you to suspect me with the Moor. 
IAGO You are a fool; go to. 
DESDEMONA O good Iago, 
 What shall I do to win my lord again? 
 Good friend, go to him; for, by this light of heaven, 175
 I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel: 
 If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love, 
 Either in discourse of thought or actual deed, 
 Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense, 
 Delighted them in any other form; 180
 Or that I do not yet, and ever did. 
 And ever will--though he do shake me off 
 To beggarly divorcement--love him dearly, 
 Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do much; 
 And his unkindness may defeat my life, 185
 But never taint my love. I cannot say 'whore:' 
 It does abhor me now I speak the word; 
 To do the act that might the addition earn 
 Not the world's mass of vanity could make me. 
IAGO I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humour: 190
 The business of the state does him offence, 
 And he does chide with you. 
DESDEMONA If 'twere no other-- 
IAGO 'Tis but so, I warrant. 
 Trumpets within. 
 Hark, how these instruments summon to supper! 195
 The messengers of Venice stay the meat; 
 Go in, and weep not; all things shall be well. 
 Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA. 
 Enter RODERIGO. 
 How now, Roderigo! 
RODERIGO I do not find that thou dealest justly with me. 
IAGO What in the contrary? 200
RODERIGO Every day thou daffest me with some device, Iago; 
 and rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me 
 all conveniency than suppliest me with the least 
 advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure 
 it, nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what 205
 already I have foolishly suffered. 
IAGO Will you hear me, Roderigo? 
RODERIGO 'Faith, I have heard too much, for your words and 
 performances are no kin together. 
IAGO You charge me most unjustly. 210
RODERIGO With nought but truth. I have wasted myself out of 
 my means. The jewels you have had from me to 
 deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a 
 votarist: you have told me she hath received them 
 and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden 215
 respect and acquaintance, but I find none. 
IAGO Well; go to; very well. 
RODERIGO Very well! go to! I cannot go to, man; nor 'tis 
 not very well: nay, I think it is scurvy, and begin 
 to find myself fobbed in it. 220
IAGO Very well. 
RODERIGO I tell you 'tis not very well. I will make myself 
 known to Desdemona: if she will return me my 
 jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my 
 unlawful solicitation; if not, assure yourself I 225
 will seek satisfaction of you. 
IAGO You have said now. 
RODERIGO Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing. 
IAGO Why, now I see there's mettle in thee, and even from 
 this instant to build on thee a better opinion than 230
 ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo: thou hast 
 taken against me a most just exception; but yet, I 
 protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair. 
RODERIGO It hath not appeared. 
IAGO I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and your 235
 suspicion is not without wit and judgment. But, 
 Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I 
 have greater reason to believe now than ever, I mean 
 purpose, courage and valour, this night show it: if 
 thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, 240
 take me from this world with treachery and devise 
 engines for my life. 
RODERIGO Well, what is it? is it within reason and compass? 
IAGO Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice 
 to depute Cassio in Othello's place. 245
RODERIGO Is that true? why, then Othello and Desdemona 
 return again to Venice. 
IAGO O, no; he goes into Mauritania and takes away with 
 him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be 
 lingered here by some accident: wherein none can be 250
 so determinate as the removing of Cassio. 
RODERIGO How do you mean, removing of him? 
IAGO Why, by making him uncapable of Othello's place; 
 knocking out his brains. 
RODERIGO And that you would have me to do? 255
IAGO Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit and a right. 
 He sups to-night with a harlotry, and thither will I 
 go to him: he knows not yet of his horrorable 
 fortune. If you will watch his going thence, which 
 I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one, 260
 you may take him at your pleasure: I will be near 
 to second your attempt, and he shall fall between 
 us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with 
 me; I will show you such a necessity in his death 
 that you shall think yourself bound to put it on 265
 him. It is now high suppertime, and the night grows 
 to waste: about it. 
RODERIGO I will hear further reason for this. 
IAGO And you shall be satisfied. 
 Exeunt 

Othello, Act 4, Scene 3

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Explanatory Notes for Act 4, Scene 2

From Othello. Ed. Brainerd Kellogg. New York: Clark & Maynard.

Abbreviations. — A.-S. = Anglo-Saxon: M.E. = Middle English (from the 13th to the 15th century) ; Fr. = French ; Ger. = German ; Gr. = Greek ; Cf. = compare (Lat. confer) ; Abbott refers to the excellent Shakespearean Grammar of Dr. Abbott; Schmidt, to Dr. Schmidt's invaluable Shakespeare Lexicon.

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4. She. Shakespeare's inflexion of pronouns is very irregular.

14. Durst to wager. See note on ii. 3, 190.

15. Other, otherwise.

35. Mystery, business, trade, profession.

57. They, the gods in heaven.

64, 65. Text doubtful here. Proposed changes numerous and unsatisfactory.

71. Knot and gender, to breed. Turn, change.

115. With who. See note on line 3, supra.

121. Water, tears.

126. Have I been behaved. A relic of the passive is still kept up in well-behaved.

127. Opinion, ill opinion.

142. Callet, a bad woman, a strumpet.

150. Beshrew, curse.

153. Eternal. Some think this word an inaccuracy here for infernal.

155. Cog, cheat. Cozen, act as a cousin, thence, to sponge upon, beguile.

162. Abused, cheated.

201. Daff, put off. Same word as doff.

203. Conveniency, enjoyment of advantage.

214. Votarist, one vowed to a life of religion, a recluse.

220. Fobbed, cozened, cheated.

How to cite the explanatory notes:

Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Brainerd Kellogg. New York: Clark & Maynard, 1892. Shakespeare Online. 20 Feb. 2010. (date when you accessed the information) < http://www.shakespeare-online.com/plays/othello_4_2.html >.

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