O, let the heavens
Give him defence against the elements,
For I have lost him on a dangerous sea.
MONTANO Is he well shipped?
CASSIO His bark52 is stoutly timbered, and his pilot
Of very expert and approved allowance53;
Therefore my hopes, not surfeited to death,54
Stand in bold cure.
[VOICES] A sail, a sail, a sail!
Within
CASSIO What noise?
GENTLEMAN The town is empty: on the brow o’th’sea58
Stand ranks of people, and they cry ‘A sail!’
CASSIO My hopes do shape him for60 the
governor.
A shot is heard
GENTLEMAN They do discharge their shot of courtesy61:
Our friends at least.
CASSIO I pray you, sir, go forth
And give us truth who ’tis that is arrived.
GENTLEMAN I shall.
Exit
MONTANO But, good lieutenant, is your general wived?
CASSIO Most fortunately: he hath achieved67 a maid
That paragons68 description and wild fame,
One that excels the quirks69 of blazoning pens,
And in th’essential vesture of creation70
Does tire the engineer71.
Enter Gentleman
How now? Who has put in72?
GENTLEMAN ’Tis one Iago, ancient to the general.
CASSIO He’s had most favourable and happy speed74:
Tempests themselves, high seas and howling winds,
The guttered76 rocks and congregated sands,
Traitors ensteeped77 to enclog the guiltless keel,
As78 having sense of beauty, do omit
Their mortal79 natures, letting go safely by
The divine Desdemona.
MONTANO What is she?
CASSIO She that I spake of, our great captain’s captain,
Left in the conduct of83 the bold Iago,
Whose footing84 here anticipates our thoughts
A sennight’s85 speed. Great Jove, Othello guard,
And swell his sail with thine own powerful breath,
That he may bless this bay with his tall87 ship,
Make love’s quick88 pants in Desdemona’s arms,
Give renewed fire to our extincted89 spirits—
Enter Desdemona, Iago, Rodorigo and Emilia [with Attendants]
O, behold,
The riches of the ship is come on shore!
Kneels
You men of Cyprus, let her have your knees.—
Hail to thee, lady! And the grace of heaven,
Before, behind thee, and on every hand
Enwheel95 thee round!
Rises
DESDEMONA I thank you, valiant Cassio.
What tidings can you tell of my lord?
CASSIO He is not yet arrived, nor know I aught
But that he’s well and will be shortly here.
DESDEMONA O, but I fear. How lost you company?
CASSIO The great contention of sea and skies
Parted our fellowship102.— But, hark! A sail.
[VOICES] A sail, a sail!
Within
A shot is heard
GENTLEMAN They give this greeting to the citadel104:
This likewise is a friend.
CASSIO See for the news.
[Exit Gentleman]
Good ancient, you are welcome.— Welcome, mistress.—
Let it not gall108 your patience, good Iago,
That I extend my manners: ’tis my breeding109
That gives me this bold show of courtesy.
Kisses Emilia
IAGO Sir, would she give you so much of her lips
As of her tongue112 she oft bestows on me,
You would have enough.
DESDEMONA Alas, she has no speech114.
IAGO In faith, too much:
I find it still116, when I have leave to sleep.
Marry, before117 your ladyship, I grant,
She puts her tongue a little in her heart
And chides119 with thinking.
EMILIA You have little cause to say so.
IAGO Come on, come on: you are pictures121 out of door,
bells122 in your parlours, wild-cats in your kitchens, saints in
your injuries, devils being offended, players123 in your
housewifery124, and housewives in your beds.
DESDEMONA O, fie upon thee, slanderer!
IAGO Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk126:
You rise to play127 and go to bed to work.
EMILIA You shall not write my praise.
IAGO No, let me not.
DESDEMONA What wouldst write of me, if thou shouldst praise
me?
IAGO O gentle lady, do not put me to’t,
For I am nothing if not critical.
DESDEMONA Come on assay133. There’s one gone to the harbour?
IAGO Ay, madam.
DESDEMONA I am not merry, but I do beguile135
The thing I am by seeming otherwise.
Come, how wouldst thou praise me?
IAGO I am about it, but indeed my invention138
Comes from my pate139 as birdlime does from frieze,
It plucks out brains and all. But my muse140 labours,
And thus she is delivered:
‘If she be fair142 and wise, fairness and wit,
The one’s for use, the other useth it143.’
DESDEMONA Well praised! How if she be black144 and witty?
IAGO ‘If she be black, and thereto145 have a wit,
She’ll find a white146 that shall her blackness fit.’
DESDEMONA Worse and worse.
EMILIA How if fair and foolish?
IAGO ‘She never yet was foolish that was fair,
For even her folly150 helped her to an heir.’
DESDEMONA These are old fond151 paradoxes to make fools laugh
i’th’ale-house. What miserable praise hast thou for her
that’s foul153 and foolish?
IAGO ‘There’s none so foul and foolish thereunto154,
But does foul pranks155 which fair and wise ones do.’
DESDEMONA O heavy156 ignorance! Thou praisest the worst best.
But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deserving woman
indeed, one that, in the authority of her merit, did justly put 158
on the vouch of very malice itself?
IAGO ‘She that was ever fair and never proud,
Had tongue161 at will and yet was never loud,
Never lacked gold and yet went never gay162,
Fled from her wish and yet said “Now I may163”,
She that being ang’red, her revenge being nigh,
Bade her wrong stay and her displeasure fly,
She that in wisdom never was so frail
To change the cod’s head for the salmon’s tail167,
She that could think and ne’er disclose her mind,
See suitors following and not look behind,
She was a wight170, if ever such wights were—’
DESDEMONA To do what?
IAGO ‘To suckle172 fools and chronicle small beer.’
DESDEMONA O, most lame and impotent conclusion! Do not
learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband. How say
you, Cassio? Is he not a most profane and liberal175 counsellor?
CASSIO He speaks home176, madam: you may relish him more in the soldier than in the scholar.
Cassio takes Desdemona’s hand and they converse apart
IAGO He takes her by the palm: ay, well said,
Aside177
whisper. With as little a web as this will I ensnare as great a
fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do: I will gyve180 thee in thine
own courtship181. You say true, ’tis so, indeed: if such tricks as
these strip you out of your lieutenantry, it had been better
you had not kissed your three fingers183 so oft, which now
again you are most apt to play the sir184 in. Very good: well
kissed, and excellent courtesy185! ’Tis so, indeed. Yet again your
fingers to your lips? Would they were clyster-pipes186 for your
sake!—The Moor! I know his trumpet.
Trumpet within
CASSIO ’Tis truly so.
DESDEMONA Let’s meet him and receive him.
CASSIO Lo190, where he comes!
Enter Othello and Attendants
OTHELLO O my fair warrior!
DESDEMONA My dear Othello!
OTHELLO It gives me wonder great as my content
To see you here before me. O my soul’s joy!
If after every tempest come such calms,
May the winds blow till they have wakened death!
And let the labouring bark197 climb hills of seas
Olympus-high198 and duck again as low
As hell’s from heaven! If it were now to die199,
’Twere now to be most happy, for I fear
My soul hath her content so absolute
That not another comfort like to this
Succeeds203 in unknown fate.
DESDEMONA The heavens forbid
But that our loves and comforts should increase,
Even as our days do grow!
OTHELLO Amen to that, sweet powers!
I cannot speak enough of this content:
It stops209 me here: it is too much of joy.
And this, and this, the greatest discords be
Kisses her
That e’er our hearts shall make!
IAGO O, you are well tuned now!
Aside
But I’ll set down213 the pegs that make this music,
As honest as I am.
OTHELLO Come, let us to the castle.—
To Desdemona
News, friends: our wars are done, the Turks are drowned.
How does my old acquaintance of this isle?—
Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus:
I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,
I prattle220 out of fashion, and I dote
In mine own comforts221. I prithee, good Iago,
Go to the bay and disembark my coffers222.
Bring thou the master223 to the citadel:
He is a good one, and his worthiness
Does challenge225 much respect.— Come, Desdemona,
Once more, well met at Cyprus.
Exeunt Othello and Desdemona
[with Attendants. Iago and Rodorigo remain]
IAGO Do thou meet me presently at the
To an Attendant
harbour.—
as he exits
Come hither. If thou be’st valiant — as they say
To Rodorigo
base229 men being in love have then a nobility in their natures
more than is native to them — list230 me: the lieutenant tonight
watches on the court of guard231 is on duty at the guardhouse. First, I must tell thee this:
Desdemona is directly232 in love with him.
RODORIGO With him? Why, ’tis not possible.
IAGO Lay thy finger thus234, and let thy soul be instructed.
Mark me235 with what violence she first loved the Moor, but for
bragging and telling her fantastical lies. To love him still for
prating237? Let not thy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be
fed: and what delight shall she have to look on the devil?
When the blood is made dull239 with the act of sport, there
should be a game240 to inflame it and to give satiety a fresh
appetite, loveliness in favour241, sympathy in years, manners
and beauties, all which the Moor is defective in. Now,
for want of these required conveniences243, her delicate
tenderness will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge244,
disrelish245 and abhor the Moor: very nature will instruct her in
it and compel her to some second choice. Now, sir, this
granted — as it is a most pregnant247 and unforced position—
who stands so eminent in the degree248 of this fortune as Cassio
does? A knave very voluble249, no further conscionable than
in putting on the mere form of civil and humane250 seeming
for the better compass251 of his salt and most hidden loose
affection? Why, none, why, none. A slipper252 and subtle knave,
a finder of occasion253, that has an eye can stamp and
counterfeit advantages254, though true advantage never
present itself: a devilish knave. Besides, the knave is
handsome, young, and hath all those requisites in him that
folly257 and green minds look after. A pestilent complete knave,
and the woman hath found him already.
RODORIGO I cannot believe that in her: she’s full of most
blessed condition260.
IAGO Blessed fig’s-end! The wine she drinks is made of 261
grapes. If she had been blessed, she would never have loved
the Moor. Blessed pudding263! Didst thou not see her paddle
with the palm of his hand? Didst not mark that?
RODORIGO Yes, that I did, but that was but courtesy.
IAGO Lechery, by this hand: an index266 and obscure
prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts. They met
so near with their lips that their breaths embraced together.
Villainous thoughts, Rodorigo! When these mutabilities269 so
marshal the way, hard270 at hand comes the master and main
exercise271, th’incorporate conclusion.
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