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

would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul. Desdemona Talk you of killing? Othello Ay, I do. Desdemona

Then heaven
Have mercy on me!

Othello Amen, with all my heart! Desdemona If you say so, I hope you will not kill me. Othello Hum! Desdemona

And yet I fear you; for you are fatal then
When your eyes roll so: why I should fear I know not,
Since guiltiness I know not; but yet I feel I fear.

Othello Think on thy sins. Desdemona They are loves I bear to you. Othello Ay, and for that thou diest. Desdemona

That death’s unnatural that kills for loving.
Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip?
Some bloody passion shakes your very frame:
These are portents; but yet I hope, I hope,
They do not point on me.

Othello Peace, and be still! Desdemona I will so. What’s the matter? Othello

That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee
Thou gavest to Cassio.

Desdemona

No, by my life and soul!
Send for the man, and ask him.

Othello

Sweet soul, take heed,
Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy deathbed.

Desdemona Ay, but not yet to die. Othello

Yes, presently:
Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;
For to deny each article with oath
Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception
That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.

Desdemona Then Lord have mercy on me! Othello I say, amen. Desdemona

And have you mercy too! I never did
Offend you in my life; never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love: I never gave him token.

Othello

By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in’s hand.
O perjured woman! thou dost stone my heart,
And makest me call what I intend to do
A murder, which I thought a sacrifice:
I saw the handkerchief.

Desdemona

He found it then;
I never gave it him: send for him hither;
Let him confess a truth.

Othello He hath confess’d. Desdemona What, my lord? Othello That he hath used thee. Desdemona How? unlawfully? Othello Ay. Desdemona He will not say so. Othello

No, his mouth is stopp’d;
Honest Iago hath ta’en order for’t.

Desdemona O! my fear interprets: what, is he dead? Othello

Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge
Had stomach for them all.

Desdemona Alas! he is betray’d and I undone. Othello Out, strumpet! weep’st thou for him to my face? Desdemona O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not! Othello Down, strumpet! Desdemona Kill me to-morrow: let me live to-night! Othello Nay, if you strive⁠— Desdemona But half an hour! Othello Being done, there is no pause. Desdemona But while I say one prayer! Othello It is too late. He stifles her. Emilia Within. My lord, my lord! what, ho! my lord, my lord! Othello

What noise is this? Not dead? not yet quite dead?
I that am cruel am yet merciful;
I would not have thee linger in thy pain: So, so.

Emilia Within. What, ho! my lord, my lord! Othello Who’s there? Emilia Within. O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you! Othello

Yes: ’tis Emilia. By and by. She’s dead.
’Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio’s death.⁠—
The noise was here. Ha! no more moving?
Still as the grave. Shall she come in? were’t good?⁠—
I think she stirs again:⁠—no. What’s best to do?
If she come in, she’ll sure speak to my wife:
My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife.
O insupportable! O heavy hour!
Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse
Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.

Emilia

Within. I do beseech you
That I may speak with you, O, good my lord!

Othello

I had forgot thee: O, come in, Emilia;
Soft; by and by. Let me the curtains draw.
Where art thou? Unlocks the door.

Enter Emilia. What’s the matter with thee now? Emilia O, my good lord, yonder’s foul murders done! Othello What, now? Emilia But now, my lord. Othello

It is the very error of the moon;
She comes more nearer earth than she was wont,
And makes men mad.

Emilia

Cassio, my lord, hath kill’d a young Venetian
Call’d Roderigo.

Othello

Roderigo kill’d!
And Cassio kill’d!

Emilia No, Cassio is not kill’d. Othello

Not Cassio kill’d! then murder’s out of tune,
And sweet revenge grows harsh.

Desdemona O, falsely, falsely murder’d! Emilia Alas, what cry is that? Othello That! what? Emilia

Out, and alas! that was my lady’s voice.
Help! help, ho! help! O lady, speak again!
Sweet Desdemona! O sweet mistress, speak!

Desdemona A guiltless death I die. Emilia O, who hath done this deed? Desdemona

Nobody; I myself. Farewell
Commend me to my kind lord: O, farewell! Dies.

Othello Why, how should she be murder’d? Emilia Alas, who knows? Othello You heard her say herself, it was not I. Emilia She said so: I must needs report the truth. Othello

She’s, like a liar, gone to burning hell:
’Twas I that kill’d her.

Emilia

O, the more angel she,
And you the blacker devil!

Othello She turn’d to folly, and she was a whore. Emilia Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil. Othello She was false as water. Emilia

Thou art rash as fire, to say
That she was false: O, she was heavenly true!

Othello

Cassio did top her; ask thy husband else.
O, I were damn’d beneath all depth in hell,
But that I did proceed upon just grounds
To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all.

Emilia My husband! Othello Thy husband. Emilia That she was false to wedlock? Othello

Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true,
If heaven would make me such another world
Of one entire and perfect chrysolite,
I’ld not have sold her for it.

Emilia My husband! Othello

Ay, ’twas he that told me first:
An honest man he is, and hates the slime
That sticks on filthy deeds.

Emilia My husband! Othello What needs this iteration, woman? I say thy husband. Emilia

O mistress, villany hath made mocks with love,
My husband say that she was false!

Othello

He, woman;
I say thy husband: dost understand the word?
My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago.

Emilia

If he say so, may his pernicious soul
Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart:
She was too fond of her most filthy bargain.

Othello Ha! Emilia

Do thy worst:
This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven
Than thou wast worthy her.

Othello Peace, you were best. Emilia

Thou hast