Re-enter IAGO, with a light.

Gra. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.

Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this that cries on murder?

Lod. We do not know.
Iago.
Did not you hear a cry?
Cas. Here, here! for heaven's sake, help me!
Iago.
What's the matter? 50
Gra. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
Lod. The same indeed; a very valiant fellow.
Iago. What are you here that cry so griev-
ously?

Cas. Iago? O! I am spoil'd, undone by villains: Give me some help.

Iago. O me, lieutenant! what villains have done this?

Cas. I think that one of them is hereabout, And cannot make away.

Iago.
O treacherous villains!
To LODOVICO and GRATIANO. What are you
there? come in, and give some help!
Rod. O help me here.

Cas. That's one of them.
Iago.

60

O murderous slave! O villain!
Stabs RODERIGO.
Rod. damn'd Iago! O inhuman dog!
Iago. Kill men i' the dark! Where be these
bloody thieves?

How silent is this town! Ho! murder! murder!
What may you be? are you of good or evil?
Lod. As you shall prove us, praise us.
Iago. Signior Lodovico?

Lod. He, sir.

Iago. I cry you mercy. by villains.

Gra. Cassio!

Gra. I am sorry to find you thus; I have been to seek you.

Iago. Lend me a garter. So. O! for a chair, To bear him easily hence.

Bian. Alas! he faints. O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!

Iugo. Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash To be a party in this injury. Patience awhile, good Cassio. Come, come. Lend me a light. Know we this face or no? Alas! my friend and my dear countryman, Roderigo; no: yes, sure. O heaven! Roderigo. Gra. What! of Venice?

91

70

And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd. Will you go on afore? Aside. This is the night That either makes me or fordoes me quite. Exeunt.

SCENE II.-A Bedchamber in the Castle. DESDEMONA in bed asleep. A light burning.

Enter OTHELLO.

Oth. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul; Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars! It is the cause. Yet I'll not shed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster.

Yet she must die, else she 'll betray more men.
Put out the light, and then put out the light:
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me; but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature, 11
I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd
the rose,

I cannot give it vital growth again,
It needs must wither: I'll smell it on the tree.
Kisses her.
O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade
Justice to break her sword! One more, one

more.

Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after. One more, and this the last :
So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep, 20
But they are cruel tears; this sorrow 's heavenly,
It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.
Des. Who's there? Othello?
Oth.

Ay, Desdemona.
Des. Will you come to bed, my lord?
Oth. Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemona?
Des.
Ay, my lord.
Oth. If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

Des. Alas! my lord, what may you mean by that?

31

Oth. Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by: I would not kill thy unprepared spirit; No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul. Des. Talk you of killing? Ay, I do.

Oth.

Des.

Have mercy on me!

Oth.

Oth. That handkerchief which I so lov'd and gave thee Thou gav'st to Cassio. Des.

No, by my life and soul! Send for the man and ask him. Oth. Sweet soul, take heed, 50 Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy death-bed. Des. Ay, but not yet to die. Oth. Yes, presently; Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin; For to deny each article with oath Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception That I do groan withal. Thou art to die. Des. Then Lord have mercy on me! Oth.

I say, amen.
Des. And have you mercy too!
I never did
Offend you in my life; never lov'd Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love; I never gave him token.
Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in 's
hand.

O perjur'd woman! thou dost stone my heart,
And mak'st me call what I intend to do
A murder, which I thought a sacrifice :
I saw the handkerchief.
Des.

He found it then; Send for him hither;

I never gave it him.
Let him confess a truth.
Oth.

Des. What, my lord?

He hath confess'd.

60

How? unlawfully? 70

No; his mouth is stopp'd: Honest Iago hath ta'en order for 't.

Des. O my fear interprets. What! is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge

Had stomach for them all.

Des. Alas! he is betray'd and I undone. Oth. Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him to my face?

Des. O banish me, my lord, but kill me not. Oth. Down, strumpet!

80

Des. Kill me to-morrow; let me live to-night. Oth. Nay, if you strive,

Des. But half an hour!

Oth.
Being done, there is no pause.
Des. But while I say one prayer.

Then heaven

Oth.

Amen! with all my heart.

Des. If you say so, I hope you will not kill me. Oth. Hum!

Des. And yet I fear you; for you are fatal then

It is too late. He smothers her.

My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife:
O, insupportable! O heavy hour!

Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse
Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.

Emil. Within.
I do beseech you 101
I may speak with you. O! good my lord.
Oth. I had forgot thee. O come in, Emilia.
Soft, by and by let me the curtains draw.
Where art thou?
Unlocks the door.

Enter EMILIA. What's the matter with thee now? Emil. O! my good lord, yonder 's foul murder done.

Oth. Why, how should she be murder'd?
Emil.
Alas! who knows?
Oth. You heard her say herself it was not I.
Emil. She said so; I must needs report the
truth.

Oth. She's like a liar gone to burning hell; 'Twas I that kill'd her.

131

Emil. O! the more angel she, And you the blacker devil. Oth. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore. Emil. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil. Oth. She was false as water. Emil. Thou art rash as fire to say That she was false: O! she was heavenly true. Oth. Cassio did tup her; ask thy husband else. O! I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell But that I did proceed upon just grounds To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all. Emil. My husband!

Oth. Thy husband.

Emil. That she was false to wedlock?

140

181

Emil. You told a lie, an odious, damned lie; Upon my soul, a lie, a wicked lie. She false with Cassio! Did you say with Cassio! Iago. With Cassio, mistress. Go to, charm your tongue.

Emil. I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak.

My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed.
All. O heavens forfend!

Emil. And your reports have set the murder on.
Oth. Nay, stare not, masters; it is true, indeed.
Gra. 'Tis a strange truth.
Mon. O monstrous act!
Emil.

Villany villany! villany! 190
I think upon 't, I think, I smell 't: O villany!
I thought so then: I'll kill myself for grief.
O! villany, villany.

Iago. What are you mad? I charge you, get you home.

Emil. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak:

'Tis proper I obey him, but not now. Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home. Oth. O! O! O!

Falls on the bed.

Emil. Nay, lay thee down and roar, For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent That e'er did lift up eye.

Oth. Rising.

O! she was foul.

200

I scarce did know you, uncle. There lies your

Emil.

My husband!

niece,

Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd:

I know this act shows horrible and grim.
Gra. Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's

dead.

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now,
This sight would make him do a desperate turn,
Yea, curse his better angel from his side,
And fall to reprobation.

So come my soul to bliss as I speak true; So speaking as I think, I die, I die.

Dies.

Oth. "Tis pitiful; but yet Iago knows
That she with Cassio hath the act of shame
A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'dit:
And she did gratify his amorous works
With that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her. I saw it in his hand:
It was a handkerchief, an antique token
My father gave my mother.

Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers!
Iago.
Come, hold your peace.
Emil. Twill out, 'twill out; I hold my peace,
sir; no;

No, I will speak as liberal as the north;
Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,
All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
Iago. Be wise, and get you home.
Emil.

Gra.

220

I will not. IAGO offers to stab EMILIA. Fie!

Your sword upon a woman?
Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief
thou speak'st of

I found by fortune and did give my husband;
For often, with a solemn earnestness,
More than indeed belong'd to such a trifle,
He begg'd of me to steal it.
Iago.

Villanous whore! 230 Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas! I found it, And I did give 't my husband.

Jago. Filth, thou liest ! Emil. By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen. O murderous coxcomb! what should such a fool Do with so good a woman?

Oth.

Are there no stones in heaven But what serve for the thunder ? Precious villain ! He runs at IAGO: IAGO stabs EMILIA, and exit. Gra. The woman falls; sure, he hath kill'd his wife.

Emil. Ay, ay. O! lay me by my mistress' side.
Gra. He's gone; but his wife's kill'd.
Mon. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this
weapon,

240

Gra. What is the matter? Oth.

260

Behold! I have a weapon;

A better never did itself sustain
Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day,
That with this little arm, and this good sword,
I have made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop: but, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now.
Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd;
Here is my journey's end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Do you go back dismay'd? 'tis a lost fear;
Man but a rush against Othello's breast,
And he retires. Where should Othello go?
Now how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd
wench!

270

Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!
Even like thy chastity.

O cursed, cursed slave. Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight! 280
Blow me about in winds! roast me in sulphur!
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemona! Desdemona ! dead!
Oh! oh! oh!

Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO carried in
a chair, and Officers with IAGO, prisoner.
Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate
man?

Oth. That's he that was Othello; here I am. Lod. Where is that viper? bring the villain forth.

Oth. I look down towards his feet; but that's a fable:

If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. Wounds IAGO.

292

Which I have here recover'd from the Moor. Come, guard the door without; let him not pass,

Oth. Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will; For nought did I in hate, but all in honour. Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villany: Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Oth. Ay.

300

Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. Oth. I do believe it, and I ask you pardon. Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body? Iago. Demand me nothing: what you know, you know:

From this time forth I never will speak word.

Oth. O villain ! Cas.

Most heathenish and most gross! Lod. Now here's another discontented paper, Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems, Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain, But that, belike, Iago in the interim Came in and satisfied him.

Oth. O the pernicious caitiff! How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief 321 That was my wife's?

Cas. I found it in my chamber; And he himself confess'd but even now That there he dropp'd it for a special purpose Which wrought to his desire.

Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Cas. There is besides in Roderigo's letter How he upbraids Iago that he made him Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast: and even but now he spake, After long seeming dead, Iago hurt him, Iago set him on.

330

Lod. You must forsake this room and go with us;

Your power and your command is taken off,
And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,
If there be any cunning cruelty

That can torment him much and hold him long,
It shall be his. You shall close prisoner rest,
Till that the nature of your fault be known
To the Venetian state. Come, bring him away.
Oth. Soft you; a word or two before you go.

For he was great of heart.

Lod. To IAGO. O Spartan dog! More fell than anguish, hunger, or the sea, Look on the tragic loading of this bed; This is thy work; the object poisons sight; Let it be hid. Gratiano, keep the house, And seize upon the fortunes of the Moor, For they succeed on you. To you, lord governor, Remains the censure of this hellish villain, The time, the place, the torture; O! enforce it. Myself will straight aboard, and to the state This heavy act with heavy heart relate.

Exeunt.