Oth. Get me some poison, lago, this night.—I'll not expostulate with her, lest her body and beauty unprovide my mind again; this night, Iago. Iago. Do it not with poison; strangle her in her bed, even the bed she hath contaminated. Oth. Good, good; the justice of it pleases; very good. lago. And, for Cassio,-let me be his undertaker. You shall hear more by midnight. [A trumpet within. Oth. Excellent good.-What trumpet is that same? Iago. Something from Venice, sure. 'Tis Lodovico, Come from the duke; and, see, your wife is with him. 1 Enter LODOVICO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants. [Gives him a packet. Oth. I kiss the instrument of their pleasures. [Opens the packet, and reads. Des. And what's the news, good cousin Lodovico ? Iago. I am very glad to see you, seignior; Welcome to Cyprus. Lod. I thank you. How does lieutenant Cassio? Iago. Lives, sir. Des. Cousin, there's fallen between him and my lord An unkind breach; but you shall make all well. Oth. Are you sure of that? Des. My lord? Oth. This fail you not to do, as you will— [Reads. Lod. He did not call; he's busy in the paper. Is there division 'twixt thy lord and Cassio? 2 Des. A most unhappy one; I would do much To atone them, for the love I bear to Cassio. Oth. Fire and brimstone! 1 The quarto reads, "God save the worthy general." Des. My lord? Oth. Are you wise? Des. What, is he angry? Lod. May be, the letter moved him; For, as I think, they do command him home, Des. By my troth, I am glad on't. Oth. Des Oth. I am glad to see you mad. Oth. Devil! Des. Indeed! My lord? How, sweet Othello? [Striking her. I have not deserved this. Lod. My lord, this would not be believed in Venice, Though I should swear I saw it. 'Tis very much; Make her amends, she weeps. O devil, devil! Oth. Des. I will not stay to offend Lod. Truly, an obedient lady. I do beseech your lordship, call her back. Oth. What would you with her, sir? Lod. Who, I, my lord? Oth. Ay; you did wish that I would make her turn; Sir, she can turn, and turn, and yet go on, And turn again; and she can weep, sir, weep; 1 "If women's tears could impregnate the earth." Shakspeare here alludes to the fabulous accounts which make the crocodile the most deceitful of animals, whose tears are proverbially fallacious. "It is written that he will weep over a man's head when he hath devoured the body, and will then eat up the head too." To fall in this passage, is a verb active. I am commanded home.'-Get you away; [Exit DESDEMONA. keys! [Exit. Lod. Is this the noble Moor whom our full senate Call-all-in-all sufficient?—This the noble nature Whom passion could not shake? whose solid virtue The shot of accident, nor dart of chance, Could neither graze, nor pierce? Iago. He is much changed. Lod. Are his wits safe? is he not light of brain? Iago. He is that he is; I may not breathe my censure. What he might be,-if what he might, he is not,- Lod. What, strike his wife! Iago. 'Faith, that was not so well. Yet 'would I knew That stroke would prove the worst. Lod. Or did the letters work upon his blood, Iago. Is it his use? Alas, alas! It is not honesty in me to speak What I have seen and known. You shall observe him; And his own courses will denote him so, That I may save my speech. Do but go after, And mark how he continues. Lod. I am sorry that I am deceived in him. 1 The quarto reads, "I am commanded here." [Exeunt. SCENE II.1 A Room in the Castle. Enter OTHELLO and EMILIA. Oth. You have seen nothing, then? Emil. Nor ever heard; nor ever did suspect. Oth. Nor send you out o' the way? Never, my lord. Never. Oth. To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing? Emil. Never, my lord. Oth. That's strange. Emil. I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, There's no man happy; the purest of their wives? Oth. 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, 1 There are great difficulties in ascertaining the place of this scene. What Othello says in an early part of it to Emilia-"Leave procreants alone, and shut the door,"-and his subsequent address to her as he goes out, decisively point out a room in Othello's castle as the place of the scene; and compel us to place the interlocutors there, however inconsistent with Roderigo's entry, and Iago's address to Desdemona, "Go in and weep not." The truth is, that our Poet and his audience, in this instance, as in many others, were content, from want of scenery, to consider the very same spot, at one and the same time, as the outside and inside of a house. 2 The quarto reads "of her sex.” A closet-lock-and-key of villanous secrets: And yet she'll kneel, and pray; I have seen her do't. Re-enter EMILIA, with DESDEMona. Des. My lord, what is your will? Oth. 'Pray, chuck, come hither. Let me see your eyes; Des. What is your pleasure? Oth. Look in my face. Des. What horrible fancy's this? Oth. Some of your function, mistress; [To EMILIA. Leave procreants alone, and shut the door; Cough, or cry-Hem, if any body come. Your mystery, your mystery;—nay, despatch. [Exit EMILIA. Des. Upon my knees, what doth your speech import? I understand a fury in your words, But not the words.1 Oth. Why, what art thou? Des. And loyal wife. Oth. Your wife, my lord; your true Come, swear it, damn thyself; Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves Should fear to seize thee: therefore be double-damned, Swear-thou art honest. Des. Heaven doth truly know it. Oth. Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell. Des. To whom, my lord? with whom? How am I false? Oth. O Desdemona!-away! away! away! Des. Alas, the heavy day!-Why do you weep? Am I the occasion 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, 1 This line is not in the folio. |