、 SCENE I. ACT II. A Sea-port Town in Cyprus. A Enter MONTANO and two Gentlemen. Mon. What from the cape can you discern at sea? 1 Gent. Nothing at all: it is a high-wrought flood; I cannot, 'twixt the heaven and the main, Mon. Methinks, the wind hath spoke aloud at land: A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements: main, 3 Gent. News, lords! our wars are done; The desperate tempest hath so bang'd the Turks, That their designment halts: A noble ship of Venice Hath seen a grievous wreck and sufferance On most part of their fleet. Mon. How is this true? 3 Gent. The ship is here put in, A Veronesé; Michael Cassio, Lieutenant to the warlike Moor, Othello, Is come on shore: the Moor himself's at sea, And is in full commission here for Cyprus. Mon. I am glad on't; 'tis a worthy governor. 3 Gent. But this same Cassio,-though he speak of comfort, Touching the Turkish loss, - yet he looks sadly, And prays the Moor be safe; for they were parted With foul and violent tempest. Stand ranks of people and they cry -a sail. Cas. My hopes do shape him for the governour. 2 Gent. They do discharge their shot of courtesy: [Guns heard. Our friends, at least. Cas. I pray you, sir, go forth, And give us truth who 'tis that is arriv'd. 2 Gent. I shall. Mon. But, good lieutenant, is your general wiv'd? Cas. Most fortunately: he hath achiev'd a maid That paragons description, and wild fame; One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens, And in the essential vesture of creation, Does bear all excellency. - How now? who has put in ? Re-enter second Gentleman. [Exit. Cas. She that I spake of, our great captain's captain, Left in the conduct of the bold Iago; The riches of the ship is come on shore! Des. [Cry within, A sail, a sail! Then Guns heard. 2 Gent. They give their greeting to the citadel I ensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon This likewise is a friend. See for the news. — [Exit Gentleman. Welcome, mistress :[To EMILIA. Let it not gall your patience, good Iago, That I extend my manners; 'tis my my breeding That gives me this bold show of courtesy. [Kissing her. Iago. Sir, would she give you so much of her lips, As of her tongue she oft bestows on me, You'd have enough. Des. Alas, she has no speech. Iago. In faith, too much : Marry, before your ladyship, I grant, Emil. You have little cause to say so. Iago. Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors, Bells in your parlours, wild cats in your kitchens, Saints in your injuries, devils being offended. Des. O, fye upon thee, slanderer! Iago. Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk. shouldst praise me? No, let me not. Iago. O, gentle lady, do not put me to't; For I am nothing, if not critical. her, do I will gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true; 'tis so, indeed: if such tricks as these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed your three fingers so oft Very good; an excellent courtesy! 'tis so, indeed. [Trumpet.] The Moor, I know his trumpet. Cas. 'Tis truly so. Des. Let's meet him, and receive him. Cas. Lo, where he comes! Enter OTHELLO, and Attendants. Oth. O my fair warrior! Des. My dear Othello? Oth. It gives me wonder great as my content, To see you here before me. O my soul's joy! If after every tempest come such calms, May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!✓ And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas, Olympus-high; and duck again as low ✓ As hell's from heaven! If it were now to die, 'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear, My soul hath her content so absolute, That not another comfort like to this Succeeds in unknown fate. Des. The heavens forbid, But that our loves and comforts should increase, Even as our days do grow! Oth. Amen to that, sweet powers! I cannot speak enough of this content, Des. Come on, assay: - – There's one gone to the And this, and this, the greatest discords be, harbour? Iago. Ay, madam. Des. I am not merry; but I do beguile The thing I am, by seeming otherwise. Come, how wouldst thou praise me? Iago. I am about it; but, indeed, my invention Comes from my pate, as birdlime does from frize; It plucks out brains and all: But now my muse. If she be fair and wise, — fairness, and wit, The one's for use, the other useth it. Des. Well prais'd! How if she be black and witty? Iago. If she be black, and thereto have a wit, She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit. Des. Worse and worse. These are old fond 9 paradoxes, to make fools laugh i' the alehouse. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman indeed? one, that, in the authority of her merit, did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself? Iago. She that was ever fair, and never proud; Had tongue at will, and yet was never loud; She that, being anger'd, her revenge being nigh, Bade her wrong stay, and her displeasure fly : She that could think, and ne'er disclose her mind, See suitors following, and not look behind; She was a wight, if ever such wight were,— Des. To do what? How do our old acquaintance of this isle? — [Exeunt OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Iago. Do thou meet me presently at the harbour." Come hither. If thou be'st valiant as (they say) base men, being in love, have then a nobility in their natures more than is native to them,- list me.3 The lieutenant to-night watches on the court of guard: First, I must tell thee this- Desdemona is directly in love with him. Rod. With him! why, 'tis not possible. Iago. Lay thy finger-thus, and let thy soul be instructed. Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for bragging, and telling her fantastical lies: And will she love him still for prating? let not thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed; and what delight shall she have to look on the devil? There should be, — loveliness in favour; sympathy in years, manners, and beauties; all which the Moor is defective in: Now, for want of these, her delicate tenderness will find herself abused, and begin to disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature will compel her to some second choice. Now, sir, this granted, (as it is a most pregnant and unforced position,) who stands so eminently in the degree of this fortune, as Cassio does? a knave very voluble; no further conscionable, than in putting on the mere form of civil and humane seeming, for the better compassing of his hidden affection? why, none; why, none: A subtle knave: besides, the knave is handsome, young; and hath all those requisites in him, that folly and green minds look after: A pestilent complete knave; and the woman hath found him already. Rod. I cannot believe that in her; she is full of most blessed condition.⭑ Iago. Blessed nonsense! if she had been blessed, she would never have loved the Moor: Didst thou not see her touch the palm of his hand? didst not mark that? Rod. Yes, that I did; but that was but courtesy. Iago. By this hand, an index to villainous thoughts. But, sir, be you ruled by me: I have brought you from Venice. Watch you to-night; for the command, I'll lay't upon you: Cassio knows - I'll not be far from you: Do you find you not; some occasion to anger Cassio, either by speaking too loud, or tainting his discipline; or from what other course you please, which the time shall more favourably minister. Rod. Well. Iago. Sir, he is rash, and very sudden in choler; and, haply, with his truncheon may strike at you: Provoke him, that he may: for, even out of that, will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny; whose qualification shall come into no true taste again, but by the displanting of Cassio. So shall you have a shorter journey to your desires, by the means I shall then have to prefer them; and the impediment most profitably removed, without the which there were no expectation of our prosperity. Rod. I will do this, if I can bring it to any opportunity. Iago. I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the citadel: I must fetch his necessaries ashore. Farewell. Rod. Adieu. [Exit. Iago. That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it; That she loves him, 'tis apt, and of great credit: The Moor, howbeit that I endure him not, — Is of a constant, loving, noble nature; And, I dare think, he'll prove to Desdemona A most dear husband. Now I do love her too; Not out of absolute lust, (though, peradventure, I stand accountant for as great a sin,) But partly led to diet my revenge, For that I do suspect the Moor Othello Hath wrong'd me in my bed: the thought whereof Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards; And nothing can or shall content my soul, Till I am even with him, wife for wife; Or, failing so, yet that I put the Moor At least into a jealousy so strong That judgment cannot cure. Which thing to do, If this poor trash of Venice, whom I trace; For his quick hunting, stand the putting on, I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip; Qualities, disposition of mind. 5 Worthless hound. SCENE II. - A Street. Enter a Herald, with a Proclamation, People following. Her. It is Othello's pleasure, our noble and valiant general, that, upon certain tidings now arrived, importing the mere7 perdition of the Turkish fleet, every man put himself into triumph; some to dance, some to make bonfires, each man to what sport and revels his addiction leads him; for, besides these beneficial news, it is the celebration of his nuptials: So much was his pleasure should be proclaimed. All offices are open; and there is full liberty of feasting, from this present hour of five, till the bell hath told eleven. Heaven bless the isle of Cyprus, and our noble general, Othello. [Exeunt. SCENE III. A Hall in the Castle. ✔ Oth. Good Michael, look you to the guard tonight: Let's teach ourselves that honourable stop, Cas. Iago hath direction what to do; Oth. Iago is most honest. Michael, good night: To-morrow, with our earliest, Let me have speech with you.- Come, my dear love. [To DESDEMONA. [Exeunt ОTH. DEs. and Attendants. Enter IAGO. Cas. Welcome, Iago: We must to the watch. Iago. Not this hour, lieutenant; 'tis not yet ten o'clock: Our general cast 9 us thus early, for the love of his Desdemona; whom let us not therefore blame. Cas. She's a most exquisite lady. Iago. Come, lieutenant, I have a stoop of wine; and here without are a brace of Cyprus gallants that would fain have a measure to the health of the black Othello. Cas. Not to-night, good Iago; I have very poor and unhappy brains for drinking: I could well wish courtesy would invent some other custom of entertainment. Iago. O, they are our friends; but one cup; I'll drink for you. Cas. I have drunk but one cup to-night, and that was craftily qualified too, and, behold, what innovation it makes here: I am unfortunate in the infirmity, and dare not task my weakness with any more. Iago. What, man! 'tis a night of revels; the gallants desire it. 6 In the grossest manner. 9 Dismissed. 7 Entire. 1 Slily mixed with water. Iago. It's true, good lieutenant. Cas. For mine own part, no offence to the general, or any man of quality,-I hope to be saved. Iago. And so do I too, lieutenant. Cas. Ay, but, by your leave, not before me; the lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's have no more of this; let's to our affairs. - Forgive us our sins! - Gentlemen, let's look to our business. Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk; this is my ancient; - this is my right hand, and this is my left hand :- - I am not drunk now; I can stand well enough, and speak well enough. All. Excellent well. To Desdemona hath to-night carous'd Am I to put our Cassio in some action That may offend the isle : - But here they come : Cas. 'Fore heaven, they have given me a rouse 3 already. Mon. Good faith, a little one; not past a pint, as I am a soldier. Cas. Why, very well, then you must not think then that I am drunk. [Erit. Mon. To the platform, masters; come, let's set Iago. You see this fellow that is gone before ; — The one as long as the other: 'tis pity of him. Or I'll knock you o'er the mazzard. Cas. Drunk! Nay, good lieutenant, Let me go, sir, Come, come, you're drunk. [They fight. go out, and cry—a mutiny. [Aside to RoD. who goes out. -alas, gentlemen, Lieutenant, sir, Montano, 7 While the clock strikes two rounds, or four-and twenty hours. 9 A wicker'd bottle. 8 Rooted, settled. Help, masters! Thou dost deliver more or less than truth, [Bell rings. Who's that that rings the bell? The town will rise. Lieutenant, hold, you will be sham'd for ever. Enter OTHELLO, and Attendants. Oth. Oth. Hold, for your lives. Iago. Hold, hold, lieutenant, sir, Montano, Have you forgot all sense of place and duty? shame! Oth. Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth Are we turn'd Turks; and to ourselves do that, even now, In quarter, and in terms: and then, but now, Mon. Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger; While I spare speech, which something now offends me; Of all that I do know: nor know I aught Oth. Mon. If partially affin'd3, or leagu'd in office, 1 Darkened. Touch me not so near: I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth, Oth. Enter DESDEMONA, attended. Des. Myself will be your surgeon: Lead him off. Iago. What, are you hurt, lieutenant? Iago. Marry, heaven forbid ! Cas. Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost my reputation! I have lost the immortal part, sir, of myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation, Iago, my reputation. Iago. As I am an honest man, I thought you had received some bodily wound; there is more offence in that, than in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false imposition; oft got without merit, and lost without deserving: You have lost no reputation at all, unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man! there are ways to recover the general again: You are but now cast in his mood +, a punishment more in policy than in malice; even so as one would beat his offenceless dog, to affright an imperious lion; sue to him again, and he's yours. Cas. I will rather sue to be despised, than to deceive so good a commander, with so slight, so drunken, and so indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot?5 and squabble? swagger? swear? and 4 Dismissed in his anger. Talk idly |
