OTHELLO

Act 2 Scene 1

(Enter below Montano, Governor of Cyprus; two other gentlemen above)
l1l	Montano	 What from the cape can you discern at sea?
l2l	First Gentleman	Nothing at all. It is a high-wrought flood.
l3l		I cannot ’twixt the heaven and the main
l4l		Descry a sail.
l5l	Montano	Methinks the wind hath spoke aloud at land.
l6l		A fuller blast ne’er shook our battlements.
l7l		If it ha’ ruffianed so upon the sea,
l8l		What ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them,
l9l		Can hold the mortise? What shall we hear of this?
l10l	Second Gentleman	A segregation of the Turkish fleet#
l11l		For do but stand upon the foaming shore,
l12l		The chidden billow seems to pelt the clouds,
l13l		The wind-shaked surge with high and monstrous mane
l14l		Seems to cast water on the burning Bear
l15l		And quench the guards of th’ ever-fixèd Pole.
l16l		I never did like molestation view
l17l		On the enchafèd flood.
	Montano	If that the Turkish fleet
l18l		Be not ensheltered and embayed, they are drowned.
l19l		It is impossible to bear it out.
		(Enter a third Gentleman)
l20l	Third Gentleman	 News, lads! Our wars are done.
l21l		The desperate tempest hath so banged the Turks
l22l		That their designment halts. A noble ship of Venice
l23l		Hath seen a grievous wrack and sufferance
l24l		On most part of their fleet.
l25l	Montano	How, is this true?
l26l	Third Gentleman	The ship is here put in,
l27l		A Veronessa. Michael Cassio,
l28l		Lieutenant to the warlike Moor Othello,
l29l		Is come on shore# the Moor himself at sea,
l30l		And is in full commission here for Cyprus.
l31l	Montano	I am glad on ’t# ’tis a worthy governor.
l32l	Third Gentleman	But this same Cassio, though he speak of comfort
l33l		Touching the Turkish loss, yet he looks sadly,
l34l		And prays the Moor be safe, for they were parted
l35l		With foul and violent tempest.
	Montano	Pray heavens he be,
l36l		For I have served him, and the man commands
l37l		Like a full soldier. Let’s to the sea-side, ho!—
l38l		As well to see the vessel that’s come in
l39l		As to throw out our eyes for brave Othello,
l40l		Even till we make the main and th’ aerial blue
l41l		An indistinct regard.
	Third Gentleman	Come, let’s do so,
l42l		For every minute is expectancy
l43l		Of more arrivance.
		(Enter Cassio)
l44l	Cassio	 Thanks, you the valiant of this warlike isle
l45l		That so approve the Moor! O, let the heavens
l46l		Give him defence against the elements,
l47l		For I have lost him on a dangerous sea.
l48l	Montano	Is he well shipped?
l49l	Cassio	His barque is stoutly timbered, and his pilot
l50l		Of very expert and approved allowance.
l51l		Therefore my hopes, not surfeited to death,
l52l		Stand in bold cure.
	Voices	
		(within)
		 A sail, a sail, a sail!
l53l	Cassio	What noise?
l54l	A Gentleman	The town is empty. On the brow o’ th’ sea
l55l		Stand ranks of people, and they cry “A sail!”
l56l	Cassio	My hopes do shape him for the governor.
		(A shot)
l57l	A Gentleman	 They do discharge their shot of courtesy—
l58l		Our friends, at least.
	Cassio	I pray you, sir, go forth,
l59l		And give us truth who ’tis that is arrived.
l60l	A Gentleman	I shall.
		(Exit)
l61l	Montano	 But, good lieutenant, is your general wived?
l62l	Cassio	Most fortunately. He hath achieved a maid
l63l		That paragons description and wild fame,
l64l		One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens,
l65l		And in th’ essential vesture of creation
l66l		Does tire the engineer.
		(Enter Gentleman)
		 How now, who has put in?
l67l	Gentleman	’Tis one Iago, ensign to the general.
l68l	Cassio	He’s had most favourable and happy speed.
l69l		Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds,
l70l		The guttered rocks and congregated sands,
l71l		Traitors ensteeped to enclog the guiltless keel,
l72l		As having sense of beauty do omit
l73l		Their mortal natures, letting go safely by
l74l		The divine Desdemona.
	Montano	What is she?
l75l	Cassio	She that I spake of, our great captain’s captain,
l76l		Left in the conduct of the bold Iago,
l77l		Whose footing here anticipates our thoughts
l78l		A sennight’s speed. Great Jove, Othello guard,
l79l		And swell his sail with thine own powerful breath,
l80l		That he may bless this bay with his tall ship,
l81l		Make love’s quick pants in Desdemona’s arms,
l82l		Give renewed fire to our extincted spirits,
l83l		And bring all Cyprus comfort.
		(Enter Desdemona, Iago, Emilia, and Roderigo)
		 O, behold,
l84l		The riches of the ship is come on shore!
l85l		You men of Cyprus, let her have your knees.
		(Montano and the Gentlemen make curtsy to Desdemona)
l86l		Hail to thee, lady, and the grace of heaven
l87l		Before, behind thee, and on every hand
l88l		Enwheel thee round!
	Desdemona	I thank you, valiant Cassio.
l89l		What tidings can you tell me of my lord?
l90l	Cassio	He is not yet arrived, nor know I aught
l91l		But that he’s well and will be shortly here.
l92l	Desdemona	O, but I fear—how lost you company?
l93l	Cassio	The great contention of the sea and skies
l94l		Parted our fellowship.
l95l	Voices	(within)
		 A sail, a sail!
l96l	Cassio	But hark, a sail.
		(A shot)
l97l	A Gentleman	 They give their greeting to the citadel.
l98l		This likewise is a friend.
	Cassio	See for the news.
		(Exit Gentleman)
l99l		Good ensign, you are welcome.
		(Kissing Emilia)
		 Welcome, mistress.
l100l		Let it not gall your patience, good Iago,
l101l		That I extend my manners. ’Tis my breeding
l102l		That gives me this bold show of courtesy.
l103l	Iago	Sir, would she give you so much of her lips
l104l		As of her tongue she oft bestows on me,
l105l		You would have enough.
l106l	Desdemona	Alas, she has no speech!
l107l	Iago	In faith, too much.
l108l		I find it still when I ha’ leave to sleep.
l109l		Marry, before your ladyship, I grant,
l110l		She puts her tongue a little in her heart,
l111l		And chides with thinking.
	Emilia	You ha’ little cause to say so.
l112l	Iago	Come on, come on. You are pictures out of door,
l113l		Bells in your parlours# wildcats in your kitchens,
l114l		Saints in your injuries# devils being offended,
l115l		Players in your housewifery, and hussies in your beds.
l116l	Desdemona	O, fie upon thee, slanderer!
l117l	Iago	Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk.
l118l		You rise to play and go to bed to work.
l119l	Emilia	You shall not write my praise.
	Iago	No, let me not.
l120l	Desdemona	What wouldst write of me, if thou shouldst praise me?
l121l	Iago	O, gentle lady, do not put me to ’t,
l122l		For I am nothing if not critical.
l123l	Desdemona	Come on, essay—there’s one gone to the harbour?
l124l	Iago	Ay, madam.
l125l	Desdemona	I am not merry, but I do beguile
l126l		The thing I am by seeming otherwise.
l127l		Come, how wouldst thou praise me?
l128l	Iago	I am about it, but indeed my invention
l129l		Comes from my pate as birdlime does from frieze—
l130l		It plucks out brains and all. But my muse labours,
l131l		And thus she is delivered:
l132l		If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit,
l133l		The one’s for use, the other useth it.
l134l	Desdemona	 Well praised! How if she be black and witty?
l135l	Iago	 If she be black and thereto have a wit,
l136l		She’ll find a white that shall her blackness fit.
l137l	Desdemona	Worse and worse.
	Emilia	How if fair and foolish?
l138l	Iago	She never yet was foolish that was fair,
l139l		For even her folly helped her to an heir.
l140l	Desdemona	 These are old fond paradoxes, to make fools
l141l		laugh i’ th’ alehouse.
l142l		What miserable praise hast thou for her
l143l		That’s foul and foolish?
l144l	Iago	There’s none so foul and foolish thereunto,
l145l		But does foul pranks which fair and wise ones do.
l146l	Desdemona	 O heavy ignorance! Thou praisest the worst
l147l		best. But what praise couldst thou bestow on a
l148l		deserving woman indeed—one that, in the authority
l149l		of her merit, did justly put on the vouch of very malice
l150l		itself?
l151l	Iago	 She that was ever fair and never proud,
l152l		Had tongue at will and yet was never loud,
l153l		Never lacked gold and yet went never gay,
l154l		Fled from her wish, and yet said “Now I may”#
l155l		She that, being angered, her revenge being nigh,
l156l		Bade her wrong stay and her displeasure fly#
l157l		She that in wisdom never was so frail
l158l		To change the cod’s head for the salmon’s tail#
l159l		She that could think and ne’er disclose her mind,
l160l		See suitors following, and not look behind—
l161l		She was a wight, if ever such wights were—
l162l	Desdemona	 To do what?
l163l	Iago	 To suckle fools, and chronicle small beer.
l164l	Desdemona	 O most lame and impotent conclusion! Do
l165l		not learn of him, Emilia, though he be thy husband.
l166l		How say you, Cassio, is he not a most profane and
l167l		liberal counsellor?
l168l	Cassio	He speaks home, madam. You may relish him
l169l		more in the soldier than in the scholar.
		(Cassio and Desdemona talk apart)
l170l	Iago	(aside)
		 He takes her by the palm. Ay, well said—
l171l		whisper. With as little a web as this will I ensnare as
l172l		great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile upon her, do. I will
l173l		gyve thee in thine own courtship. You say true, ’tis so
l174l		indeed. If such tricks as these strip you out of your
l175l		lieutenantry, it had been better you had not kissed
l176l		your three fingers so oft, which now again you are
l177l		most apt to play the sir in. Very good, well kissed, an
l178l		excellent curtsy, ’tis so indeed# yet again your fingers
l179l		to your lips? Would they were clyster-pipes for your
l180l		sake.
		(Trumpets within)
l181l		(Aloud)
		 The Moor—I know his trumpet.
	Cassio	’Tis truly so.
l182l	Desdemona	Let’s meet him and receive him.
	Cassio	Lo where he comes!
		(Enter Othello and attendants)
l183l	Othello	(to Desdemona)
		 O my fair warrior!
	Desdemona	My dear Othello.
l184l	Othello	It gives me wonder great as my content
l185l		To see you here before me. O my soul’s joy,
l186l		If after every tempest come such calms,
l187l		May the winds blow till they have wakened death,
l188l		And let the labouring barque climb hills of seas
l189l		Olympus-high, and duck again as low
l190l		As hell’s from heaven. If it were now to die
l191l		’Twere now to be most happy, for I fear
l192l		My soul hath her content so absolute
l193l		That not another comfort like to this
l194l		Succeeds in unknown fate.
	Desdemona	The heavens forbid
l195l		But that our loves and comforts should increase
l196l		Even as our days do grow.
	Othello	Amen to that, sweet powers!
l197l		I cannot speak enough of this content.
l198l		It stops me here, it is too much of joy.
l199l		And this,
		(they kiss)
		 and this, the greatest discords be
l200l		That e’er our hearts shall make.
	Iago	
		(aside)
		 O, you are well tuned now,
l201l		But I’ll set down the pegs that make this music,
l202l		As honest as I am.
	Othello	Come, let us to the castle.
l203l		News, friends: our wars are done, the Turks are drowned.
l204l		How does my old acquaintance of this isle?—
l205l		Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus,
l206l		I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,
l207l		I prattle out of fashion, and I dote
l208l		In mine own comforts. I prithee, good Iago,
l209l		Go to the bay and disembark my coffers.
l210l		Bring thou the master to the citadel.
l211l		He is a good one, and his worthiness
l212l		Does challenge much respect. Come, Desdemona.—
l213l		Once more, well met at Cyprus!
		(Exeunt Othello and Desdemona with all but Iago and Roderigo)
l214l	Iago	(to an attendant as he goes out)
		 Do thou meet me
l215l		presently at the harbour.
		(To Roderigo)
		 Come hither. If
l216l		thou beest valiant—as they say base men being in love
l217l		have then a nobility in their natures more than is
l218l		native to them—list me. The lieutenant tonight watches
l219l		on the court of guard. First, I must tell thee this:
l220l		Desdemona is directly in love with him.
l221l	Roderigo	With him? Why, ’tis not possible!
l222l	Iago	Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed.
l223l		Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor,
l224l		but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies. To love
l225l		him still for prating?—let not thy discreet heart think
l226l		it. Her eye must be fed, and what delight shall she
l227l		have to look on the devil? When the blood is made
l228l		dull with the act of sport, there should be again to
l229l		inflame it, and to give satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness
l230l		in favour, sympathy in years, manners, and beauties,
l231l		all which the Moor is defective in. Now, for want of
l232l		these required conveniences, her delicate tenderness
l233l		will find itself abused, begin to heave the gorge, disrelish
l234l		and abhor the Moor. Very nature will instruct her in
l235l		it and compel her to some second choice. Now, sir, this
l236l		granted—as it is a most pregnant and unforced
l237l		position—who stands so eminent in the degree of this
l238l		fortune as Cassio does?—a knave very voluble, no
l239l		further conscionable than in putting on the mere form
l240l		of civil and humane seeming for the better compass of
l241l		his salt and most hidden loose affection. Why, none#
l242l		why, none—a slipper and subtle knave, a finder of
l243l		occasion, that has an eye can stamp and counterfeit
l244l		advantages, though true advantage never present itself,
l245l		a devilish knave! Besides, the knave is handsome,
l246l		young, and hath all those requisites in him that folly
l247l		and green minds look after. A pestilent complete knave,
l248l		and the woman hath found him already.
l249l	Roderigo	I cannot believe that in her. She’s full of most
l250l		blessed condition.
l251l	Iago	Blessed fig’s end! The wine she drinks is made of
l252l		grapes. If she had been blessed, she would never have
l253l		loved the Moor. Blessed pudding! Didst thou not see
l254l		her paddle with the palm of his hand? Didst not mark
l255l		that?
l256l	Roderigo	Yes, that I did, but that was but courtesy.
l257l	Iago	Lechery, by this hand# an index and obscure
l258l		prologue to the history of lust and foul thoughts. They
l259l		met so near with their lips that their breaths embraced
l260l		together. Villainous thoughts, Roderigo! When these
l261l		mutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand comes
l262l		the master and main exercise, th’ incorporate conclusion.
l263l		Pish! But, sir, be you ruled by me. I have brought
l264l		you from Venice. Watch you tonight. For the command,
l265l		I’ll lay ’t upon you. Cassio knows you not# I’ll not be
l266l		far from you. Do you find some occasion to anger
l267l		Cassio, either by speaking too loud, or tainting his
l268l		discipline, or from what other course you please, which
l269l		the time shall more favourably minister.
l270l	Roderigo	Well.
l271l	Iago	Sir, he’s rash and very sudden in choler, and haply
l272l		may strike at you. Provoke him that he may, for even
l273l		out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny,
l274l		whose qualification shall come into no true taste again
l275l		but by the displanting of Cassio. So shall you have a
l276l		shorter journey to your desires by the means I shall
l277l		then have to prefer them, and the impediment most
l278l		profitably removed, without the which there were no
l279l		expectation of our prosperity.
l280l	Roderigo	I will do this, if you can bring it to any
l281l		opportunity.
l282l	Iago	I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the citadel. I
l283l		must fetch his necessaries ashore. Farewell.
l284l	Roderigo	Adieu.
		(Exit)
l285l	Iago	 That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it.
l286l		That she loves him, ’tis apt and of great credit.
l287l		The Moor—howbe’t that I endure him not—
l288l		Is of a constant, loving, noble nature,
l289l		And I dare think he’ll prove to Desdemona
l290l		A most dear husband. Now I do love her too,
l291l		Not out of absolute lust—though peradventure
l292l		I stand accountant for as great a sin—
l293l		But partly led to diet my revenge
l294l		For that I do suspect the lusty Moor
l295l		Hath leapt into my seat, the thought whereof
l296l		Doth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards#
l297l		And nothing can or shall content my soul
l298l		Till I am evened with him, wife for wife—
l299l		Or failing so, yet that I put the Moor
l300l		At least into a jealousy so strong
l301l		That judgement cannot cure, which thing to do,
l302l		If this poor trash of Venice whom I trace
l303l		For his quick hunting stand the putting on,
l304l		I’ll have our Michael Cassio on the hip,
l305l		Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb—
l306l		For I fear Cassio with my nightcap, too—
l307l		Make the Moor thank me, love me, and reward me
l308l		For making him egregiously an ass,
l309l		And practising upon his peace and quiet
l310l		Even to madness. ’Tis here, but yet confused.
l311l		Knavery’s plain face is never seen till used.
		(Exit)