Othello, William Shakespeare [best books for students to read .TXT] 📗

know my voice? Brabantio Not I what are you? Roderigo My name is Roderigo. Brabantio

The worser welcome:
I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors:
In honest plainness thou hast heard me say
My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,
Being full of supper and distempering draughts,
Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come
To start my quiet.

Roderigo Sir, sir, sir⁠— Brabantio

But thou must needs be sure
My spirit and my place have in them power
To make this bitter to thee.

Roderigo Patience, good sir. Brabantio

What tell’st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;
My house is not a grange.

Roderigo

Most grave Brabantio,
In simple and pure soul I come to you.

Iago ’Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians, you’ll have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse; you’ll have your nephews neigh to you; you’ll have coursers for cousins and gennets for germans. Brabantio What profane wretch art thou? Iago I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs. Brabantio Thou art a villain. Iago You are⁠—a senator. Brabantio This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo. Roderigo

Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,
If’t be your pleasure and most wise consent,
As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter,
At this odd-even and dull watch o’ the night,
Transported, with no worse nor better guard
But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,
To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor⁠—
If this be known to you and your allowance,
We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;
But if you know not this, my manners tell me
We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe
That, from the sense of all civility,
I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:
Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,
I say again, hath made a gross revolt;
Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes
In an extravagant and wheeling stranger
Of here and every where. Straight satisfy yourself:
If she be in her chamber or your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state
For thus deluding you.

Brabantio

Strike on the tinder, ho!
Give me a taper! call up all my people!
This accident is not unlike my dream:
Belief of it oppresses me already.
Light, I say! light! Exit above.

Iago

Farewell; for I must leave you:
It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,
To be produced⁠—as, if I stay, I shall⁠—
Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state,
However this may gall him with some cheque,
Cannot with safety cast him, for he’s embark’d
With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,
Which even now stand in act, that, for their souls,
Another of his fathom they have none,
To lead their business: in which regard,
Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains.
Yet, for necessity of present life,
I must show out a flag and sign of love,
Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him,
Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;
And there will I be with him. So, farewell. Exit.

Enter, below, Brabantio, and Servants with torches. Brabantio

It is too true an evil: gone she is;
And what’s to come of my despised time
Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!
With the Moor, say’st thou? Who would be a father!
How didst thou know ’twas she? O she deceives me
Past thought! What said she to you? Get more tapers:
Raise all my kindred. Are they married, think you?

Roderigo Truly, I think they are. Brabantio

O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood!
Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters’ minds
By what you see them act. Is there not charms
By which the property of youth and maidhood
May be abused? Have you not read, Roderigo,
Of some such thing?

Roderigo Yes, sir, I have indeed. Brabantio

Call up my brother. O, would you had had her!
Some one way, some another. Do you know
Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

Roderigo

I think I can discover him, if you please,
To get good guard and go along with me.

Brabantio

Pray you, lead on. At every house I’ll call;
I may command at most. Get weapons, ho!
And raise some special officers of night.
On, good Roderigo: I’ll deserve your pains. Exeunt.

Scene II

Another street.

Enter Othello, Iago, and Attendants with torches. Iago

Though in the trade of war I have slain men,
Yet do I hold it very stuff o’ the conscience
To do no contrived murder: I lack iniquity
Sometimes to do me service: nine or ten times
I had thought to have yerk’d him here under the ribs.

Othello ’Tis better as it is. Iago

Nay, but he prated,
And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms
Against your honour
That, with the little godliness I have,
I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray you, sir,
Are you fast married? Be assured of this,
That the magnifico is much beloved,
And hath in his effect a voice potential
As double as the duke’s: he will divorce you;
Or put upon you what restraint and grievance
The law, with all his might to enforce it on,
Will give him cable.

Othello

Let him do his spite:
My services which I have done the signiory
Shall out-tongue his complaints. ’Tis yet to know⁠—
Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,
I shall promulgate⁠—I fetch my life and being
From men of royal siege, and my demerits
May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune
As this that I have reach’d: for know, Iago,
But that I love the gentle Desdemona,
I would not my unhoused free condition
Put into circumscription and confine
For the sea’s worth. But, look! what lights come yond?

Iago

Those are the raised father and his friends:
You were best go in.

Othello

Not I I must be found:
My parts, my title and my perfect soul
Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?

Iago By Janus, I think no. Enter Cassio, and certain Officers with torches. Othello

The servants of the duke, and my lieutenant.
The goodness of the night upon you, friends!
What is the news?

Cassio