Some good man bear him carefully from hence Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, miftrefs? SCENE V. Enter Emilia. Emil. Alas, what is the matter? Iago. Caffio hath there been fet on in the dark Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Caffia! Bian. He fupt at my house, but I therefore shake not. Iago. Oh, did he fo? I charge you go with me. Bian. I am no ftrumpet, but of life as honest As you that thus abuse me. Emil. As I? fy upon thee! Iago. Kind gentlemen, let's fee poor Caffio dreft. Come, miftrefs, you must tell's another tale. Emilia, Emilia, run you to the citadel, [Exeunt, Iago following. SCENE VI. A Bed-chamber: Defdemona is difcovered afleep in ber bed. Oth. 3 Enter Othello, with a Light and a Sword. Tis the cause, it is the cause, my foul; Let me not name it to you, you chatte Stars! It is the cause. Yet I'll not thed her Blood, Nor fear that whiter skin of hers than fnow, And smooth as monumental alabafter. [Lays down the fword. Yet fhe muft die; elfe fhe'll betray more men. 3 It is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul; Let me not name it- -] The abruptnefs of this foliloquy makes it obfcure, The meaning I think is this. I am here, fays Othello in his mind, overwhelmed with horror. What is the reaJon of this perturbation? Is it want of refolution to do juftice? Is it the dread of shedding blood? No; it is not the action that frocks me, but it is the caufe, it is the caufe, my foul; let me not name it to you, ye chafte ftars! it is the fluff, Should 4 Put out the light, and then put out the light.] This, I conceive, to have been the poet's meaning. Othello, ftruck in part with remorfe at the murder he's going to do, thinks it best to do it in the dark; this compunction of nature, in the hurry and perturbation of thought, and thofe remains of tenderness fill combating in his bofom, trikes him into an inftant reflexion, that if he puts out the light he can rekindle it; but if he once puts out the light of her life, that will be extinguifh'd for ever. Gg 4 While Should I repent: but once put out thy light, [Sets down the taper. I cannot give it vital growth again; It needs muft wither.I'll fmell it on the tree; [Kifling ber. Oh balmy breath, that doft almost perfuade Juftice to break her fword?-One more; one more. Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, And love thee after-One more; that's the last. So fweet, was ne'er fo fatal! I must weep, But they are cruel tears. 5 This forrow's heavenly It ftrikes, where it doth love. She wakesDef. Who's there? Othello? Oth. Ay, Desdemona. Def. Will you come to bed, my Lord? Oib. If you bethink yourself of any crime While he is bufied in this contemplation, he throws his eyes towards her; and then, footh'd with her beauteous appearance, fets down the light, to go and kifs her. Upon this, Defdemona wakes; and they continue in difcourfe together till he ftifies her. THEOB. Put out the light, and thenPut out the light? So it fhould be printed. The meaning is, I will put out the light, and then proceed to the execution of my purpose. But the expreffion of putting out the light, bringing to mind the effects of the extinction of the light of life, he breaks fhort, and questions himself about the effects of this metaphorical extinction, introduced by a repetition of his first words, as much as to fay. But hold, let me first weigh the reflexions which this expreffion fo naturally excites. WARE. 5-This Scrrow's heavenly ;] This tenderness, with which I lament the punishment which juftice compels me to inflict, is a holy paffion. I wish these two lines could be honeftly ejected. It is the fate of Shakespeare to counteract his own pathos. Solicit Solicit for it straight. Def. Alack, my Lord, What may you mean by that? Oth. Well, do it, and be brief. I will walk by, No, heavens forefend! I would not kill thy foul. Oth. Ay, I do. Def. Then heaven have mercy on me! Def. If you fay fo, I hope you will not kill me. Def. And yet I fear you; for you're fatal then, not, Since guilt I know not; yet, I feel, I fear. Oth. Think on thy fins. Def. They're Loves I bear to you. Oth. Ay, and for that thou dy'st. Def. That death's unnatural, that kills for loving, Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip? Some bloody passion shakes your very frame; They do not point on me. Oth. Peace, and be still. Def. I will fo. What's the matter? Oth. That handkerchief. Which I fo lov'd, and gave thee, thou gav't Caffio. Oth. Sweet Soul, take heed, take heed of perjury; Def. Ay, but not yet to die. Oth. Prefently; Therefore confefs thee freely of thy fin; For to deny each article with oath, Cannot remove, nor choak the ftrong conception. That That I do groan withal. Thou art to die. Def. And have you mercy too!-I never did Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in's hand. A murder, which I thought a facrifice. I saw the handkerchief. Def. He found it then; I never gave it him. Send for him hither, Oth. He hath confeft. Def. What, my Lord? Oth. That he hath-us'd thee Def. How? unlawfully? Oth. Ay. Def. He will not say so. Oth. No, his mouth is stopp'd. Honeft Iago hath ta'en order for 't. Def. My fear interprets then. What, is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge Had ftomach for them all. Def. Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone. 6 A muraer, which I thought a facrifice] This line is difficult. Thou haft harden'd my heart, and makeft me kill thee with the rage of a murderer, when I thought to have facrificed thee to jullice with the calmness of a prieft ftriking a victim. It must not be omitted, that one of the elder quarto's reads, thou do fune thy heart; which I The fufpect to be genuine, I am glad that I have ended |