OTHELLO

Act 4 Scene 2

(Enter Othello and Emilia)
l1l	Othello	 You have seen nothing then?
l2l	Emilia	Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect.
l3l	Othello	Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together.
l4l	Emilia	But then I saw no harm, and then I heard
l5l		Each syllable that breath made up between ’em.
l6l	Othello	What, did they never whisper?
l7l	Emilia	Never, my lord.
l8l	Othello	Nor send you out o’ th’ way?
l9l	Emilia	Never.
l10l	Othello	To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing?
l11l	Emilia	Never, my lord.
l12l	Othello	That’s strange.
l13l	Emilia	I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest,
l14l		Lay down my soul at stake. If you think other,
l15l		Remove your thought# it doth abuse your bosom.
l16l		If any wretch ha’ put this in your head,
l17l		Let heaven requite it with the serpent’s curse,
l18l		For if she be not honest, chaste, and true,
l19l		There’s no man happy# the purest of their wives
l20l		Is foul as slander.
	Othello	Bid her come hither. Go.
		(Exit Emilia)
l21l		She says enough, yet she’s a simple bawd
l22l		That cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore,
l23l		A closet lock and key of villainous secrets,
l24l		And yet she’ll kneel and pray—I ha’ seen her do ’t.
		(Enter Desdemona and Emilia)
l25l	Desdemona	 My lord, what is your will?
	Othello	Pray you, chuck, come hither.
l26l	Desdemona	What is your pleasure?
	Othello	Let me see your eyes.
l27l		Look in my face.
l28l	Desdemona	What horrible fancy’s this?
l29l	Othello	(to Emilia)
		 Some of your function, mistress.
l30l		Leave procreants alone, and shut the door,
l31l		Cough or cry “Hem” if anybody come.
l32l		Your mystery, your mystery—nay, dispatch.
		(Exit Emilia)
l33l	Desdemona	 Upon my knees, what doth your speech import?
l34l		I understand a fury in your words,
l35l		But not the words.
	Othello	Why, what art thou?
l36l	Desdemona	Your wife, my lord, your true and loyal wife.
l37l	Othello	Come, swear it, damn thyself,
l38l		Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves
l39l		Should fear to seize thee. Therefore be double-damned:
l40l		Swear thou art honest.
	Desdemona	Heaven doth truly know it.
l41l	Othello	Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.
l42l	Desdemona	To whom, my lord? With whom? How am I false?
l43l	Othello	(weeping)
		 Ah, Desdemon, away, away, away!
l44l	Desdemona	Alas, the heavy day! Why do you weep?
l45l		Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?
l46l		If haply you my father do suspect
l47l		An instrument of this your calling back,
l48l		Lay not your blame on me. If you have lost him,
l49l		I have lost him too.
	Othello	Had it pleased God
l50l		To try me with affliction# had He rained
l51l		All kind of sores and shames on my bare head,
l52l		Steeped me in poverty to the very lips,
l53l		Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes,
l54l		I should have found in some place of my soul
l55l		A drop of patience. But, alas, to make me
l56l		The fixèd figure for the time of scorn
l57l		To point his slow and moving finger at—
l58l		Yet could I bear that too, well, very well.
l59l		But there where I have garnered up my heart,
l60l		Where either I must live or bear no life,
l61l		The fountain from the which my current runs
l62l		Or else dries up—to be discarded thence,
l63l		Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads
l64l		To knot and gender in! Turn thy complexion there,
l65l		Patience, thou young and rose-lipped cherubin,
l66l		Ay, here look grim as hell.
l67l	Desdemona	I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.
l68l	Othello	O, ay—as summer flies are in the shambles,
l69l		That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed,
l70l		Who art so lovely fair, and smell’st so sweet,
l71l		That the sense aches at thee—would thou hadst ne’er been born!
l72l	Desdemona	Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
l73l	Othello	Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,
l74l		Made to write “whore” upon? What committed?
l75l		Committed? O thou public commoner,
l76l		I should make very forges of my cheeks,
l77l		That would to cinders burn up modesty,
l78l		Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed?
l79l		Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks#
l80l		The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets,
l81l		Is hushed within the hollow mine of earth
l82l		And will not hear ’t. What committed?
l83l	Desdemona	By heaven, you do me wrong.
l84l	Othello	Are not you a strumpet?
l85l	Desdemona	No, as I am a Christian.
l86l		If to preserve this vessel for my lord
l87l		From any other foul unlawful touch
l88l		Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.
l89l	Othello	What, not a whore?
	Desdemona	No, as I shall be saved.
l90l	Othello	Is ’t possible?
l91l	Desdemona	O heaven forgive us!
l92l	Othello	I cry you mercy then.
l93l		I took you for that cunning whore of Venice
l94l		That married with Othello.
		(Calling)
		 You, mistress,
l95l		That have the office opposite to Saint Peter
l96l		And keeps the gate of hell,
		(Enter Emilia)
		 you, you, ay, you.
l97l		We ha’ done our course.
		(Giving money)
		 There’s money for your pains.
l98l		I pray you, turn the key and keep our counsel.
		(Exit)
l99l	Emilia	 Alas, what does this gentleman conceive?
l100l		How do you, madam? How do you, my good lady?
l101l	Desdemona	Faith, half asleep.
l102l	Emilia	Good madam, what’s the matter with my lord?
l103l	Desdemona	With who?
	Emilia	Why, with my lord, madam.
l104l	Desdemona	Who is thy lord?
	Emilia	He that is yours, sweet lady.
l105l	Desdemona	I ha’ none. Do not talk to me, Emilia.
l106l		I cannot weep, nor answers have I none
l107l		But what should go by water. Prithee tonight
l108l		Lay on my bed my wedding sheets, remember.
l109l		And call thy husband hither.
	Emilia	Here’s a change indeed.
		( 109B Exit)
l110l	Desdemona	 ’Tis meet I should be used so, very meet.
l111l		How have I been behaved, that he might stick
l112l		The small’st opinion on my least misuse?
		(Enter Iago and Emilia)
l113l	Iago	 What is your pleasure, madam? How is ’t with you?
l114l	Desdemona	I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes
l115l		Do it with gentle means and easy tasks.
l116l		He might ha’ chid me so, for, in good faith,
l117l		I am a child to chiding.
	Iago	What is the matter, lady?
l118l	Emilia	Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her,
l119l		Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her,
l120l		That true hearts cannot bear it.
l121l	Desdemona	Am I that name, Iago?
l122l	Iago	What name, fair lady?
l123l	Desdemona	Such as she said my lord did say I was.
l124l	Emilia	He called her whore. A beggar in his drink
l125l		Could not have laid such terms upon his callet.
l126l	Iago	Why did he so?
l127l	Desdemona	I do not know. I am sure I am none such.
l128l	Iago	Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day!
l129l	Emilia	Hath she forsook so many noble matches,
l130l		Her father and her country and her friends,
l131l		To be called whore? Would it not make one weep?
l132l	Desdemona	It is my wretched fortune.
	Iago	Beshrew him for ’t.
l133l		How comes this trick upon him?
	Desdemona	Nay, heaven doth know.
l134l	Emilia	I will be hanged if some eternal villain,
l135l		Some busy and insinuating rogue,
l136l		Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,
l137l		Have not devised this slander. I will be hanged else.
l138l	Iago	Fie, there is no such man. It is impossible.
l139l	Desdemona	If any such there be, heaven pardon him.
l140l	Emilia	A halter pardon him, and hell gnaw his bones!
l141l		Why should he call her whore? Who keeps her company?
l142l		What place, what time, what form, what likelihood?
l143l		The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave,
l144l		Some base, notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.
l145l		O heaven, that such companions thou’dst unfold,
l146l		And put in every honest hand a whip
l147l		To lash the rascals naked through the world,
l148l		Even from the east to th’ west!
	Iago	Speak within door.
l149l	Emilia	O, fie upon them. Some such squire he was
l150l		That turned your wit the seamy side without,
l151l		And made you to suspect me with the Moor.
l152l	Iago	You are a fool. Go to.
	Desdemona	O God, Iago,
l153l		What shall I do to win my lord again?
l154l		Good friend, go to him# for by this light of heaven,
l155l		I know not how I lost him.
		(She kneels)
		 Here I kneel.
l156l		If e’er my will did trespass ’gainst his love,
l157l		Either in discourse of thought or actual deed,
l158l		Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense
l159l		Delighted them in any other form,
l160l		Or that I do not yet, and ever did,
l161l		And ever will—though he do shake me off
l162l		To beggarly divorcement—love him dearly,
l163l		Comfort forswear me. Unkindness may do much,
l164l		And his unkindness may defeat my life,
l165l		But never taint my love.
		(She rises)
		 I cannot say “whore”.
l166l		It does abhor me now I speak the word.
l167l		To do the act that might the addition earn,
l168l		Not the world’s mass of vanity could make me.
l169l	Iago	I pray you, be content. ’Tis but his humour.
l170l		The business of the state does him offence,
l171l		And he does chide with you.
l172l	Desdemona	If ’twere no other!
l173l	Iago	It is but so, I warrant.
		(Flourish within)
l174l		Hark how these instruments summon you to supper.
l175l		The messengers of Venice stays the meat.
l176l		Go in, and weep not. All things shall be well.
		(Exeunt Desdemona and Emilia)
l177l		(Enter Roderigo)
		 How now, Roderigo?
l178l	Roderigo	I do not find that thou deal’st justly with me.
l179l	Iago	What in the contrary?
l180l	Roderigo	 Every day thou daff’st me with some device,
l181l		Iago, and rather, as it seems to me now, keep’st from
l182l		me all conveniency than suppliest me with the least
l183l		advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it,
l184l		nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already
l185l		I have foolishly suffered.
l186l	Iago	Will you hear me, Roderigo?
l187l	Roderigo	Faith, I have heard too much, for your words
l188l		and performances are no kin together.
l189l	Iago	 You charge me most unjustly.
l190l	Roderigo	 With naught but truth. I have wasted myself
l191l		out of my means. The jewels you have had from me
l192l		to deliver Desdemona would half have corrupted a
l193l		votarist. You have told me she hath received ’em, and
l194l		returned me expectations and comforts of sudden
l195l		respect and acquaintance, but I find none.
l196l	Iago	Well, go to, very well.
l197l	Roderigo	“Very well”, “go to”! I cannot go to, man, nor
l198l		’tis not very well. Nay, I think it is scurvy, and begin
l199l		to find myself fopped in it.
l200l	Iago	Very well.
l201l	Roderigo	I tell you ’tis not very well. I will make myself
l202l		known to Desdemona. If she will return me my jewels,
l203l		I will give over my suit and repent my unlawful
l204l		solicitation. If not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction
l205l		of you.
l206l	Iago	You have said now.
l207l	Roderigo	Ay, and said nothing but what I protest
l208l		intendment of doing.
l209l	Iago	Why, now I see there’s mettle in thee, and even
l210l		from this instant do build on thee a better opinion than
l211l		ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo. Thou hast
l212l		taken against me a most just exception, but yet I protest
l213l		I have dealt most directly in thy affair.
l214l	Roderigo	It hath not appeared.
l215l	Iago	I grant, indeed, it hath not appeared, and your
l216l		suspicion is not without wit and judgement. But,
l217l		Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed which I have
l218l		greater reason to believe now than ever—I mean
l219l		purpose, courage, and valour—this night show it. If
l220l		thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona,
l221l		take me from this world with treachery, and devise
l222l		engines for my life.
l223l	Roderigo	Well, what is it? Is it within reason and
l224l		compass?
l225l	Iago	Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice
l226l		to depute Cassio in Othello’s place.
l227l	Roderigo	Is that true? Why then, Othello and Desdemona
l228l		return again to Venice.
l229l	Iago	O no, he goes into Mauritania, and takes away with
l230l		him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered
l231l		here by some accident, wherein none can be so
l232l		determinate as the removing of Cassio.
l233l	Roderigo	How do you mean “removing” of him?
l234l	Iago	Why, by making him uncapable of Othello’s place—
l235l		knocking out his brains.
l236l	Roderigo	And that you would have me to do.
l237l	Iago	Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit and a right. He
l238l		sups tonight with a harlotry, and thither will I go to
l239l		him. He knows not yet of his honourable fortune. If
l240l		you will watch his going thence, which I will fashion
l241l		to fall out between twelve and one, you may take him
l242l		at your pleasure. I will be near, to second your attempt,
l243l		and he shall fall between us. Come, stand not amazed
l244l		at it, but go along with me. I will show you such a
l245l		necessity in his death that you shall think yourself
l246l		bound to put it on him. It is now high supper-time,
l247l		and the night grows to waste. About it.
l248l	Roderigo	I will hear further reason for this.
l249l	Iago	And you shall be satisfied.
		(Exeunt)