The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, William Shakespeare [book recommendations based on other books txt] 📗

be ripe.

Content thyself awhile. By the mass, ‘tis morning; Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.

Retire thee; go where thou art billeted.

Away, I say. Thou shalt know more hereafter.

Nay, get thee gone. [Exit Roderigo.] Two things are to be done: My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress-I’ll set her on;

Myself the while to draw the Moor apart, And bring him jump when he may Cassio find Soliciting his wife. Ay, that’s the way; Dull not device by coldness and delay. Exit.

 

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ACT III. SCENE I.

Before the castle.

 

Enter Cassio and some Musicians.

 

CASSIO. Masters, play here, I will content your pains; Something that’s brief; and bid “Good morrow, general.”

Music.

 

Enter Clown.

 

CLOWN. Why, masters, have your instruments been in Naples, that they speak i’ the nose thus?

FIRST MUSICIAN. How, sir, how?

CLOWN. Are these, I pray you, wind instruments?

FIRST MUSICIAN. Ay, marry, are they, sir.

CLOWN. O, thereby hangs a tail.

FIRST MUSICIAN. Whereby hangs a tale, sir?

CLOWN. Marry, sir, by many a wind instrument that I know. But, masters, here’s money for you; and the general so likes your music, that he desires you, for love’s sake, to make no more noise with it.

FIRST MUSICIAN. Well, sir, we will not.

CLOWN. If you have any music that may not be heard, to’t again; but, as they say, to hear music the general does not greatly care.

FIRST MUSICIAN. We have none such, sir.

CLOWN. Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I’ll away.

Go, vanish into air, away! Exeunt Musicians.

CASSIO. Dost thou hear, my honest friend?

CLOWN. No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you.

CASSIO. Prithee, keep up thy quillets. There’s a poor piece of gold for thee. If the gentlewoman that attends the general’s wife be stirring, tell her there’s one Cassio entreats her a little favor of speech. Wilt thou do this?

CLOWN. She is stirring, sir. If she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her.

CASSIO. Do, good my friend. Exit Clown.

 

Enter Iago.

 

In happy time, Iago.

IAGO. You have not been abed, then?

CASSIO. Why, no; the day had broke

Before we parted. I have made bold, Iago, To send in to your wife. My suit to her Is that she will to virtuous Desdemona Procure me some access.

IAGO. I’ll send her to you presently; And I’ll devise a mean to draw the Moor Out of the way, that your converse and business May be more free.

CASSIO. I humbly thank you for’t. [Exit Iago.] I never knew A Florentine more kind and honest.

 

Enter Emilia.

 

EMILIA. Good morrow, good lieutenant. I am sorry For your displeasure, but all will sure be well.

The general and his wife are talking of it, And she speaks for you stoutly. The Moor replies That he you hurt is of great fame in Cyprus And great affinity and that in wholesome wisdom He might not but refuse you; but he protests he loves you And needs no other suitor but his likings To take the safest occasion by the front To bring you in again.

CASSIO. Yet, I beseech you, If you think fit, or that it may be done, Give me advantage of some brief discourse With Desdemona alone.

EMILIA. Pray you, come in.

I will bestow you where you shall have time To speak your bosom freely.

CASSIO. I am much bound to you.

Exeunt.

 

SCENE II.

A room in the castle.

 

Enter Othello, Iago, and Gentlemen.

 

OTHELLO. These letters give, Iago, to the pilot, And by him do my duties to the Senate.

That done, I will be walking on the works; Repair there to me.

IAGO. Well, my good lord, I’ll do’t.

OTHELLO. This fortification, gentlemen, shall we see’t?

GENTLEMEN. We’ll wait upon your lordship. Exeunt.

 

SCENE III.

The garden of the castle.

 

Enter Desdemona, Cassio, and Emilia.

 

DESDEMONA. Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.

EMILIA. Good madam, do. I warrant it grieves my husband As if the cause were his.

DESDEMONA. O, that’s an honest fellow. Do not doubt, Cassio, But I will have my lord and you again As friendly as you were.

CASSIO. Bounteous madam, Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio, He’s never anything but your true servant.

DESDEMONA. I know’t: I thank you. You do love my lord: You have known him long; and be you well assured He shall in strangeness stand no farther off Than in a politic distance.

CASSIO. Ay, but, lady, That policy may either last so long,

Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet, Or breed itself so out of circumstances, That I being absent and my place supplied, My general will forget my love and service.

DESDEMONA. Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here I give thee warrant of thy place, assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it To the last article. My lord shall never rest; I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience; His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift; I’ll intermingle everything he does

With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio, For thy solicitor shall rather die

Than give thy cause away.

 

Enter Othello and Iago, at a distance.

 

EMILIA. Madam, here comes my lord.

CASSIO. Madam, I’ll take my leave.

DESDEMONA. Nay, stay and hear me speak.

CASSIO. Madam, not now. I am very ill at ease, Unfit for mine own purposes.

DESDEMONA. Well, do your discretion. Exit Cassio.

IAGO. Ha! I like not that.

OTHELLO. What dost thou say?

IAGO. Nothing, my lord; or if-I know not what.

OTHELLO. Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?

IAGO. Cassio, my lord! No, sure, I cannot think it, That he would steal away so guilty-like, Seeing you coming.

OTHELLO. I do believe ‘twas he.

DESDEMONA. How now, my lord!

I have been talking with a suitor here, A man that languishes in your displeasure.

OTHELLO. Who is’t you mean?

DESDEMONA. Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord, If I have any grace or power to move you, His present reconciliation take;

For if he be not one that truly loves you, That errs in ignorance and not in cunning, I have no judgement in an honest face.

I prithee, call him back.

OTHELLO. Went he hence now?

DESDEMONA. Ay, sooth; so humbled

That he hath left part of his grief with me To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.

OTHELLO. Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time.

DESDEMONA. But shall’t be shortly?

OTHELLO. The sooner, sweet, for you.

DESDEMONA. Shall’t be tonight at supper?

OTHELLO. No, not tonight.

DESDEMONA. Tomorrow dinner then?

OTHELLO. I shall not dine at home; I meet the captains at the citadel.

DESDEMONA. Why then tomorrow night, or Tuesday morn, On Tuesday noon, or night, on Wednesday morn.

I prithee, name the time, but let it not Exceed three days. In faith, he’s penitent; And yet his trespass, in our common reason-Save that, they say, the wars must make example Out of their best-is not almost a fault To incur a private check. When shall he come?

Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul, What you would ask me, that I should deny, Or stand so mammering on. What? Michael Cassio, That came awooing with you, and so many a time When I have spoke of you dispraisingly Hath ta’en your part-to have so much to do To bring him in! Trust me, I could do much-OTHELLO. Prithee, no more. Let him come when he will; I will deny thee nothing.

DESDEMONA. Why, this is not a boon; ‘Tis as I should entreat you wear your gloves, Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm, Or sue to you to do a peculiar profit To your own person. Nay, when I have a suit Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed, It shall be full of poise and difficult weight, And fearful to be granted.

OTHELLO. I will deny thee nothing, Whereon, I do beseech thee, grant me this, To leave me but a little to myself.

DESDEMONA. Shall I deny you? No. Farewell, my lord.

OTHELLO. Farewell, my Desdemona; I’ll come to thee straight.

DESDEMONA. Emilia, come. Be as your fancies teach you; Whate’er you be, I am obedient.

Exeunt Desdemona and Emilia.

OTHELLO. Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul, But I do love thee! and when I love thee not, Chaos is come again.

IAGO. My noble lord—

OTHELLO. What dost thou say, Iago?

IAGO. Did Michael Cassio, when you woo’d my lady, Know of your love?

OTHELLO. He did, from first to last. Why dost thou ask?

IAGO. But for a satisfaction of my thought; No further harm.

OTHELLO. Why of thy thought, Iago?

IAGO. I did not think he had been acquainted with her.

OTHELLO. O, yes, and went between us very oft.

IAGO. Indeed!

OTHELLO. Indeed? ay, indeed. Discern’st thou aught in that?

Is he not honest?

IAGO. Honest, my lord?

OTHELLO. Honest? Ay, honest.

IAGO. My lord, for aught I know.

OTHELLO. What dost thou think?

IAGO. Think, my lord?

OTHELLO. Think, my lord? By heaven, he echoes me, As if there were some monster in his thought Too hideous to be shown. Thou dost mean something.

I heard thee say even now, thou like’st not that, When Cassio left my wife. What didst not like?

And when I told thee he was of my counsel In my whole course of wooing, thou criedst, “Indeed!”

And didst contract and purse thy brow together, As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain Some horrible conceit. If thou dost love me, Show me thy thought.

IAGO. My lord, you know I love you.

OTHELLO. I think thou dost; And for I know thou’rt full of love and honesty And weigh’st thy words before thou givest them breath, Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more; For such things in a false disloyal knave Are tricks of custom; but in a man that’s just They’re close dilations, working from the heart, That passion cannot rule.

IAGO. For Michael Cassio, I dare be sworn I think that he is honest.

OTHELLO. I think so too.

IAGO. Men should be what they seem; Or those that be not, would they might seem none!

OTHELLO. Certain, men should be what they seem.

IAGO. Why then I think Cassio’s an honest man.

OTHELLO. Nay, yet there’s more in this.

I prithee, speak to me as to thy thinkings, As thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts The worst of words.

IAGO. Good my lord, pardon me; Though I am bound to every act of duty, I am not bound to that all slaves are free to.

Utter my thoughts? Why, say they are vile and false; As where’s that palace whereinto foul things Sometimes intrude not? Who has a breast so pure, But some uncleanly apprehensions

Keep leets and law-days, and in session sit With meditations lawful?

OTHELLO. Thou dost conspire against thy friend, Iago, If thou but think’st him wrong’d and makest his ear A stranger to thy thoughts.

IAGO. I do beseech you-Though I perchance am vicious in my guess, As, I confess, it is my nature’s plague To spy into abuses, and oft my jealousy Shapes faults that