: Iago. Here, stand behind this bulk straight will he come : Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home. Rod. Be near at hand: I may miscarry in 't. sword. [Retires to a little distance. Rod. I have no great devotion to the deed; And yet he has given me satisfying reasons:'Tis but a man gone :-forth, my sword: he dies. [Goes to his stand. Iago. I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense, And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio, Of gold and jewels, that I bobbed from him, As gifts to Desdemona : It must not be :-if Cassio do remain, He hath a daily beauty in his life : That makes me ugly and besides, the Moor May unfold me to him: there stand I in much peril: No, he must die.-But so; I hear him coming. Enter CASSIO. Rod. I know his gait; 't is he:-villain, thou diest! [Rushes from his post, and makes a pass at CASSIO. Cas. That thrust had been mine enemy indeed, But that my coat is better than thou think'st:I will make proof of thine. [Draws, and wounds RODERIGO. Rod. O, I am slain ! [IAGO rushes from his post, cuts CASSIO behind in the leg, and exit. Cas. I am maimed for ever!-Help, ho! murder! murder! [Falls. Enter OTHELLO, at a distance. Oth. The voice of Cassio:-Iago keeps his word. Rod. O, villain that I am! Oth. Hark! 't is even so. Cas. O, help! ho! light! a surgeon! Oth. 'Tis he :-O brave Iago, honest, and just, That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong! Thou teachest me.-Minion, your dear lies dead, And your fate hies apace. Strumpet, I come : Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted: Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust's blood be spotted. [Exit OTHELLO. Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO, at a distance. Cas. What, ho! No watch? no passage? Murder! murder! Gra.'Tis some mischance: the cry is very direful. Cas. O help! Lod. Rod. Hark! O wretched villain! Lod. Two or three groan:-it is a heavy night. These may be counterfeits: let's think 't unsafe To come in to the cry, without more help. Rod. Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death. Enter IAGO, with a light. Lod. Hark! Gra. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons. Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this that cries on murder? Iago. O treacherous villains! What are you there? come in, and give some help. [To LODOVICO and GRATIANO. Rod. O, help me here! O murderous slave! O villain ! Iago. Kill men i'the dark!-Where be these bloody thieves?— How silent is this town!-Ho! murder! murder! Alas! my friend and my dear countryman, Roderigo?-no-yes, sure:- -O heaven, Roderigo! Gra. What, of Venice? Iago. Even he, sir: did you know him? Iago. Signior Gratiano?-I cry you gentle pardon : These bloody accidents must excuse my manners, That so neglected you. Gra. I am glad to see you. Iago. How do you, Cassio?-O, a chair, a chair! Gra. Roderigo! Iago. He, he; 'tis he.-O, that's well said: the chair.- [A chair brought in. Some good man bear him carefully from hence: I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress, [TO BIANCA. Save you your labour.-He that lies slain here, Emil. 'Las, what's the matter? what's the matter, husband? Iago. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark, By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped: He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead. Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio! Iago. This is the fruit of whoring.—Pr'y thee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supped to-nightWhat, do you shake at that? Bian. He supped at my house; but I therefore shake not. Will you go on, I pray!—[Aside.]—This is the night That either makes me or foredoes me quite. [Exeunt. SCENE II-A Bedchamber. DESDEMONA in bed, asleep. A light burning. Enter OTHELLO. 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. 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 plucked the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again; It needs must wither:-I'll smell it on the tree. Des. Will you come to bed, my lord? Oth. Have you prayed to-night, Desdemona? Oth. If you bethink yourself of any crime 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 unpreparéd spirit: No,-Heaven forefend!-I would not kill thy soul. Des. Talk you of killing? Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin; For to deny each article with oath Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in his hand. O perjured woman! thou dost stone my heart, 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 revenge Had stomach for them all. Des. Alas! he is betrayed, and I undone. Oth. Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him to my face? Oth. It is too late. [He smothers her. Emil. [within]. My lord, my lord! What ho! my lord, 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. "T is 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? wife! O, insupportable! O heavy hour! Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse Oth. Why, how should she be murdered? · Oth. She's, like a liar, gone to burning hell :'Twas I that killed her. Emil. O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil! Oth. She turned to folly, and she was a whore. Emil Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil. Oth. She was false as water. Emil. Thou art rash as fire to say That she was false: O, she was heavenly true! Oth. Cassio did tup her: ask thy husband else. O, I were damned beneath all depth in hell, This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven, Than thou wast worthy her. As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt! Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO, and IAGO. Mon. What is the matter?-How now, general? Emil. O, are you come, Iago? you have done well, That men must lay their murders on your neck. Gra. What is the matter? |