Othello. William Shakespeare

IAGO

       Do not weep, do not weep:—alas the day!

       EMILIA

       Hath she forsook so many noble matches,

       Her father, and her country, and her friends,

       To be call’d whore? would it not make one weep?

       DESDEMONA

       It is my wretched fortune.

       IAGO

       Beshrew him for’t!

       How comes this trick upon him?

       DESDEMONA

       Nay, heaven doth know.

       EMILIA

       I will be hang’d, if some eternal villain,

       Some busy and insinuating rogue,

       Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,

       Have not devis’d this slander; I’ll be hang’d else.

       IAGO

       Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible.

       DESDEMONA

       If any such there be, heaven pardon him!

       EMILIA

       A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones!

       Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company?

       What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?

       The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave,

       Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow:—

       O heaven, that such companions thou’dst unfold,

       And put in every honest hand a whip

       To lash the rascals naked through the world

       Even from the east to the west!

       IAGO

       Speak within door.

       EMILIA

       O, fie upon them! some such squire he was

       That turn’d your wit the seamy side without,

       And made you to suspect me with the Moor.

       IAGO

       You are a fool; go to.

       DESDEMONA

       Alas, Iago,

       What shall I do to win my lord again?

       Good friend, go to him; for by this light of heaven,

       I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:—

       If e’er my will did trespass ‘gainst his love,

       Either in discourse of thought or actual deed;

       Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense,

       Delighted them in any other form;

       Or that I do not yet, and ever did,

       And ever will, though he do shake me off

       To beggarly divorcement,—love him dearly,

       Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do much;

       And his unkindness may defeat my life,

       But never taint my love. I cannot say “whore,”—

       It does abhor me now I speak the word;

       To do the act that might the addition earn

       Not the world’s mass of vanity could make me.

       IAGO

       I pray you, be content; ‘tis but his humour:

       The business of the state does him offence,

       And he does chide with you.

       DESDEMONA

       If ‘twere no other,—

       IAGO

       ‘Tis but so, I warrant.

       [Trumpets within.]

       Hark, how these instruments summon to supper!

       The messengers of Venice stay the meat:

       Go in, and weep not; all things shall be well.

       [Exeunt Desdemona and Emilia.]

       [Enter Roderigo.]

       How now, Roderigo!

       RODERIGO

       I do not find that thou dealest justly with me.

       IAGO

       What in the contrary?

       RODERIGO

       Every day thou daffest me with some device, Iago; and rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conveniency than suppliest me with the least advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it; nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly suffered.

       IAGO

       Will you hear me, Roderigo?

       RODERIGO

       Faith, I have heard too much; for your words and performances are no kin together.

       IAGO

       You charge me most unjustly.

       RODERIGO

       With naught but truth. I have wasted myself out of my means. The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist: you have told me she hath received them, and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintance; but I find none.

       IAGO

       Well; go to; very well.

       RODERIGO

       Very well! go to! I cannot go to, man; nor ‘tis not very well: nay, I say ‘tis very scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it.

       IAGO

       Very well.

       RODERIGO

       I tell you ‘tis not very well. I will make myself known to Desdemona: if she will return me my jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my unlawful solicitation; if not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction of you.

       IAGO

       You have said now.

       RODERIGO

       Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing.

       IAGO

       Why, now I see there’s mettle in thee; and even from this instant do build on thee a better opinion than ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo. Thou hast taken against me a most just exception; but yet, I protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair.

       RODERIGO

       It hath not appeared.

       IAGO

       I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and your suspicion is not without wit and judgement. But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever,—I mean purpose, courage, and valour,—this night show it: if thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery and devise engines for my life.

       RODERIGO

       Well, what is it? is it within reason and compass?

       IAGO

       Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice to depute Cassio in Othello’s place.

       RODERIGO

       Is that true? why then Othello and Desdemona return again to Venice.

       IAGO

       O, no; he goes into Mauritania, and takes away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered here by some accident: wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio.