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

Minion, your dear lies dead,
And your unblest fate hies: strumpet, I come.
Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
Thy bed, lust-stain’d, shall with lust’s blood be spotted. Exit. Enter Lodovico and Gratiano. Cassio What, ho! no watch? no passage? murder! murder! Gratiano ’Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful. Cassio O, help! Lodovico Hark! Roderigo O wretched villain! Lodovico

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.

Roderigo Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death. Lodovico Hark! Re-enter Iago, with a light. Gratiano Here’s one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons. Iago Who’s there? whose noise is this that ones on murder? Lodovico We do not know. Iago Did not you hear a cry? Cassio Here, here! for heaven’s sake, help me! Iago What’s the matter? Gratiano This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it. Lodovico The same indeed; a very valiant fellow. Iago What are you here that cry so grievously? Cassio

Iago? O, I am spoil’d, undone by villains!
Give me some help.

Iago O me, lieutenant! what villains have done this? Cassio

I think that one of them is hereabout,
And cannot make away.

Iago

O treacherous villains!
What are you there? come in, and give some help. To Lodovico and Gratiano.

Roderigo O, help me here! Cassio That’s one of them. Iago O murderous slave! O villain! Stabs Roderigo. Roderigo O damn’d Iago! O inhuman dog! Iago

Kill men i’ the dark!⁠—Where be these bloody thieves?⁠—
How silent is this town!⁠—Ho! murder! murder!⁠—
What may you be? are you of good or evil?

Lodovico As you shall prove us, praise us. Iago Signior Lodovico? Lodovico He, sir. Iago I cry you mercy. Here’s Cassio hurt by villains. Gratiano Cassio! Iago How is’t, brother! Cassio My leg is cut in two. Iago

Marry, heaven forbid!
Light, gentlemen; I’ll bind it with my shirt.

Enter Bianca. Bianca What is the matter, ho? who is’t that cried? Iago Who is’t that cried! Bianca

O my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio! O Cassio,
Cassio, Cassio!

Iago

O notable strumpet! Cassio, may you suspect
Who they should be that have thus many led you?

Cassio No. Gratiano I am to find you thus: I have been to seek you. Iago

Lend me a garter. So. O, for a chair,
To bear him easily hence!

Bianca Alas, he faints! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio! Iago

Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash
To be a party in this injury.
Patience awhile, good Cassio. Come, come;
Lend me a light. Know we this face or no?
Alas my friend and my dear countryman
Roderigo! no:⁠—yes, sure: O heaven! Roderigo.

Gratiano What, of Venice? Iago Even he, sir; did you know him? Gratiano Know him! ay. Iago

Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon;
These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
That so neglected you.

Gratiano I am glad to see you. Iago How do you, Cassio? O, a chair, a chair! Gratiano Roderigo! Iago

He, he ’tis he. A chair brought in. O, that’s well said; the chair!
Some good man bear him carefully from hence;
I’ll fetch the general’s surgeon. To Bianca. For you, mistress,
Save you your labour. He that lies slain here, Cassio,
Was my dear friend: what malice was between you?

Cassio None in the world; nor do I know the man. Iago

To Bianca. What, look you pale? O, bear him out o’ the air. Cassio and Roderigo are borne off.
Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, mistress?
Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.
Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:
Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

Enter Emilia. Emilia ’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.

Emilia Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio! Iago

This is the fruit of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,
Go know of Cassio where he supp’d to-night.
To Bianca. What, do you shake at that?

Bianca He supp’d at my house; but I therefore shake not. Iago O, did he so? I charge you, go with me. Emilia Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet! Bianca

I am no strumpet; but of life as honest
As you that thus abuse me.

Emilia As I! foh! fie upon thee! Iago

Kind gentlemen, let’s go see poor Cassio dress’d.
Come, mistress, you must tell’s another tale.
Emilia run you to the citadel,
And tell my lord and lady what hath happ’d.
Will you go on? I pray. Aside. This is the night
That either makes me or fordoes me quite. Exeunt.

Scene II

A bedchamber in the castle: Desdemona in bed asleep; a light burning.

Enter Othello. Othello

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.
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 pluck’d the rose,
I cannot give it vital growth again.
It must needs wither: I’ll smell it on the tree. Kissing her.
Ah balmy breath, that dost almost persuade
Justice to break her sword! One more, one more.
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after. One more, and this the last:
So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears: this sorrow’s heavenly;
It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.

Desdemona Who’s there? Othello? Othello Ay. Desdemona. Desdemona Will you come to bed, my lord? Othello Have you pray’d to-night, Desdemona? Desdemona Ay, my lord. Othello

If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

Desdemona Alas, my lord, what do you mean by that? Othello

Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:
I