Othello Read online

  II.2 10 Heaven (Q) omitted

  II.3 (New scene: Capell) 37 unfortunate (Q) infortunate 56 to put (Q) put to 60 God (Q) heauen 70 God (Q) Heauen 75 Englishman (Q) Englishmen 90 Then (Q) And; auld (Q) awl'd 92 'Fore God (Q) Why 96 God's (Q) heau'ns 105 God (Q) omitted 137 (Within) Help! help! (Q) omitted 138 Zounds (Q) omitted 146 God's will (Q2) Alas 150 God's will, lieutenant, hold! (Q) Fie, fie Lieutenant, 152 Zounds (Q) omitted 196 Zounds, if I (Q) If I once 207 leagued (Pope) league 250 God (Q) Heauen 278 God (Q) omitted 282 Why, (Q) Why? 320 here (Q) omitted 331 were't (Q) were 362 hast (Q) hath 365 By the mass (Q) Introth

  III.1 21 hear, mine heare me, mine 25 general's wife (Q2) Generall 29 CASSIO Do, good my friend (Q) omitted

  III.3 52 Yes, faith (Q) I sooth 63 In faith Infaith 74 By'r Lady (Q) Trust me 94 you (Q) he 106 By heaven (Q) Alas 112 In (Q) Of 139 But some (Q) Wherein 147 oft (Q) of 162 By heaven (Q) omitted 175 God (Q) Heauen 180 once (Q) omitted 202 God (Q) Heauen 204 keep't (Q) kept 215 I' faith (Q) Trust me 217 my (Q) your 248 hold (Q) omitted 259 qualities (Q) Quantities 273 of (Q) to 278 O, then (Q) omitted; mocks (Q) mock'd 285 Faith (Q) Why 311 No, faith; she (Q) No: but she 395 supervisor (Q) supervision 424 lay (Rowe) laid 440 that was (Malone) it was 455 feels (Q2) keepes

  III.4 54 faith (Q) indeed 75 I' faith (Q) Indeed 77 God (Q) Heauen 81 Heaven (Q) omitted 96 I' faith (Q) Insooth 97 Zounds (Q) Away 170 I' faith (Q) Indeed 181 absence now (Capell) Absence: now 186 by my faith (Q) in good troth

  IV.1 32 Faith (Q) Why 36 Zounds (Q) omitted 52 No, forbear (Q) omitted 77 unsuiting (Q) resulting 101 conster (Q) conserue 103 now (Q) omitted 107 power (Q) dowre 110 a (Q) omitted 111 i' faith (Q) indeed 123 Faith (Q) Why 130 beckons (Q) becomes 160 Faith (Q) omitted 162 Faith (Q) Yes 212 God (Q) omitted 232 By my troth (Q) Trust me 242 an (Q) omitted

  IV.2 30 Nay (Q) May 33 But not the words (Q) omitted 81 Impudent strumpet! (Q) omitted 141 heaven (Q) heauens 155 them in (Q2) them: or 167 And he does chide with you (Q) omitted 175 daff'st (Collier) dafts 182 Faith (Q) omitted

  IV.3 22 faith (Q) Father 23 thee (Q) omitted 39 sighing (Q2) singing 74 'Ud's pity (Q) why 103 God (Q) Heauen

  V.1 1 bulk (Q) Barke 35 Forth (Q) For 91 O heaven (Q) Yes, 'tis 105 out (Q) omitted

  V.2 35 so (Q) omitted 57 Then Lord (Q) O Heauen 84 DESDEMONA O Lord, Lord, Lord! (Q) omitted 118 O Lord (Q) Alas 128 heard (Q) heare 219 O God! O heavenly God! (Q) Oh Heauen! oh heauenly Powres! 220 Zounds (Q) Come 241 here (Q) omitted 292 damned (Q) cursed

  THE NAMES OF THE ACTORS5

  OTHELLO, the Moor [leader of the Venetian armed forces]

  BRABANTIO, father to Desdemona

  CASSIO, an honorable lieutenant

  IAGO, a villain

  RODERIGO, a gulled gentleman

  DUKE OF VENICE

  SENATORS

  MONTANO, Governor of Cyprus

  GENTLEMEN OF CYPRUS

  LODOVICO and GRATIANO, two noble Venetians

  SAILORS

  CLOWN

  DESDEMONA, wife to Othello

  EMILIA, wife to Iago

  BIANCA, a courtesan

  [MESSENGER, HERALD, OFFICERS, VENETIAN GENTLEMEN, MUSICIANS, ATTENDANTS]

  [SCENE: Venice and Cyprus]

  The Tragedy of Othello the Moor of Venice

  I.1 Enter Roderigo and Iago.

  RODERIGO

  Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly

  That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse

  As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.

  IAGO

  'Sblood, but you'll not hear me!

  If ever I did dream of such a matter,

  Abhor me.

  RODERIGO

  Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.

  IAGO

  Despise me if I do not. Three great ones of the city,

  In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,

  Off-capped to him; and, by the faith of man,

  I know my price; I am worth no worse a place.

  But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,

  Evades them, with a bombast circumstance

  Horribly stuffed with epithets of war,

  Nonsuits my mediators; for, "Certes," says he, I.1 A street in Venice 4 'Sblood (an oath; originally "by God's [i.e., Christ's] blood") 8 great ones influential men 13 bombast circumstance pompous evasion, roundabout excuses (bombast is cotton stuffing; see stuffed, l. 14) 15 Nonsuits denies

  "I have already chose my officer."

  And what was he?

  Forsooth, a great arithmetician,

  One Michael Cassio, a Florentine

  (A fellow almost damned in a fair wife)

  That never set a squadron in the field,

  Nor the division of a battle knows

  More than a spinster, unless the bookish theoric,

  Wherein the tongued consuls can propose

  As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice

  Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had th' election;

  And I (of whom his eyes had seen the proof

  At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds

  Christened and heathen) must be beleed and calmed

  By debitor and creditor. This countercaster,

  He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,

  And I - God bless the mark! - his Moorship's ancient.

  RODERIGO

  By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.

  IAGO

  Why, there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of service.

  Preferment goes by letter and affection,

  And not by old gradation, where each second

  Stood heir to th' first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,

  Whether I in any just term am affined

  To love the Moor.

  18 arithmetician theorist, bean counter 20 almost . . . wife (a mystifying reference, perhaps a result of error in textual transmission; although Cassio is unmarried, the line links him with women early in the play) 22 division of a battle arrangement of troops 23 unless . . . theoric except hypothetically 24 tongued consuls i.e., those who advise but don't actually fight 29 beleed and calmed i.e., left behind; a nautical metaphor for frustration ("belee" = "to place under the lee, or unfavorably to the wind") 30 debitor and creditor bookkeeper; countercaster accountant 32 God . . . mark (an exclamation of impatience); ancient ensign, standard-bearer (an officer inferior to lieutenant) 35-36 Preferment . . . gradation i.e., promotion now depends on favoritism or whom you know, not on the old system of rising through the ranks 38 affined bound

  RODERIGO I would not follow him then.

  IAGO

  O, sir, content you;

  I follow him to serve my turn upon him.

  We cannot all be masters, nor all masters

  Cannot be truly followed. You shall mark

  Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave

  That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,

  Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,

  For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashiered.

  Whip me such honest knaves! Others there are

  Who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty,

  Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,

  And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,

  Do well thrive by them, and when they have lined their

  coats,

  Do themselves homage. These fellows have some soul,

  And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,

  It is as sure as you are Roderigo,

  Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago.

  In following him, I follow but myself.

  Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,

  But seeming so, for my peculiar end,

  For when my outward action doth demonstrate

  The native act and figure of my heart

  In complement extern, 'tis not long after

  But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

  For daws to peck at. I am not what I
am. 44 knee-crooking i.e., constantly bowing 45 doting . . . bondage i.e., loving the role of the fawning servant 47 provender provisions, especially dry food for animals; cashiered dismissed 48 Whip me . . . knaves (a common early modern construction, the ethical dative, meaning "As for me, I say whip such men") 49 trimmed dressed up; visages masks, appearances 50 yet still 53 Do . . . homage honor themselves by looking out for themselves 59 peculiar end private purpose 60-62 my outward . . . complement extern i.e., when my behavior corresponds to my real feelings 64 daws jackdaws

  (proverbially foolish birds)

  RODERIGO

  What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe

  If he can carry't thus!

  IAGO Call up her father,

  Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight,

  Proclaim him in the streets. Incense her kinsmen,

  And though he in a fertile climate dwell,

  Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy,

  Yet throw such chances of vexation on't

  As it may lose some color.

  RODERIGO

  Here is her father's house. I'll call aloud.

  IAGO

  Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell

  As when, by night and negligence, the fire

  Is spied in populous cities.

  RODERIGO

  What, ho, Brabantio! Signor Brabantio, ho!

  IAGO

  Awake! What, ho, Brabantio! Thieves! thieves!

  Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags!

  Thieves! thieves!

  [Enter Brabantio] above.

  BRABANTIO

  What is the reason of this terrible summons?

  What is the matter there?

  RODERIGO

  Signor, is all your family within?

  IAGO

  Are your doors locked?

  BRABANTIO Why, wherefore ask you this?

  65 the thick-lips (a racist slur on Othello's African heritage); owe own 66 carry't thus bring it off (i.e., succeed) 71 chances of vexation possibilities for misery and embarrassment 72 lose some color i.e., his joy will fade 74 timorous frightening

  IAGO

  Zounds, sir, you're robbed! For shame, put on your

  gown!

  Your heart is burst; you have lost half your soul.

  Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

  Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!

  Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,

  Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you.

  Arise, I say!

  BRABANTIO What, have you lost your wits?

  RODERIGO

  Most reverend signor, do you 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 distemp'ring draughts,

  Upon malicious knavery dost thou come

  To start my quiet.

  RODERIGO

  Sir, sir, sir -

  BRABANTIO But thou must needs be sure

  My spirits and my place have in their power

  To make this bitter to thee.

  RODERIGO Patience, good sir.

  BRABANTIO

  What tell'st thou me of robbing? This is Venice; 85 Zounds (an oath; originally "by God's [i.e., Christ's] wounds") 87 very now at this very moment 88 tupping copulating with (used specifically of rams) 89 snorting snoring 98 distemp'ring draughts intoxicating drinks 100 start my quiet disturb my peace 102 spirits emotions (i.e., anger)

  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 jennets for germans.

  BRABANTIO

  What profane wretch art thou?

  IAGO I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and the Moor are 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 anything. 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' th' 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 105 grange farmhouse 110 covered . . . horse (another figure for bestial copulation; Barbary was the home of Berbers, or Moors) 111 nephews (kinsmen generally; here grandsons) 111-12 coursers for cousins racehorses for relatives 112 jennets for germans small Spanish horses for near kinsmen 115 beast with two backs (a visual symbol of sexual intercourse) 121 odd-even and dull watch i.e., in-between and sleepy hour, perhaps midnight (between evening and morning) 125 allowance approval

  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 everywhere. 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 producted - as, if I stay, I shall -

  Against the Moor. For I do know the state,

  However this may gall him with some check,

  Cannot with safety cast him; for he's embarked

  With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,

  Which even now stands 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; 129 from the sense of against 134 extravagant and wheeling i.e., far from home and rootless, roving 135 Straight straightaway, immediately 138 tinder tinderbox (for a light) 140 accident occurrence 144 producted produced (i.e., called as a witness) 146 check reprimand 147 cast dismiss 149 stands in act is imminent; for their souls i.e., to save their souls 150 fathom deep capacity (i.e., talent) 156 the Sagittary (an inn)

  And there will I be with him. So farewell. Exit.

  Enter Brabantio [below, in his nightgown], with

  Servants and 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, Roder
igo,

  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! 157 s.d. nightgown dressing gown; Torches torchbearers 159 despised time unfortunate life 170 property natural behavior

  And raise some special officers of night. -

  On, good Roderigo; I will deserve your pains. Exeunt.

  I.2 Enter Othello, Iago, Attendants, with Torches.

  IAGO

  Though in the trade of war I have slain men,

  Yet do I hold it very stuff o' th' conscience

  To do no contrived murder. I lack iniquity

  Sometime to do me service. Nine or ten times

  I had thought t' have yerked 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 honor

  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 or 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 signory 180 special . . . night (a famous Venetian nocturnal patrol) 181 deserve repay