Scene III

[The garden of the castle.]

Enter Desdemona, Cassio, and Emilia.

DESD:

Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do
All my abilities in thy behalf.

DESD:

Be assured, good Cassio, I will do
All I can in your behalf.

EMILIA:

Good madam, do: I warrant it grieves my husband
As if the cause were his.

EMILIA:

Good madam, please do. I guarantee you that it grieves
My husband as if the cause were his.

DESD:

O, that's an honest fellow. Do not doubt, Cassio,(5)
But I will have my lord and you again
As friendly as you were.

DESD:

O, that's an honest fellow. Don’t doubt it, Cassio,
That I will have my lord and you
As friendly again as you were.

CASSIO:

Bounteous madam,
Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,
He's never anything but your true servant.(10)

CASSIO:

Generous madam,
Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,
He'll never be anything but your true servant.

DESD:

I know't: I thank you. You do love my lord;
You have known him long; and be you well assured
He shall in strangeness stand no farther off
Than in a politic distance.

DESD:

I know it. I thank you. You love my lord.
You have known him a long time; and be assured
He shall stand no farther off in strangeness
Than in a distance dictated by policy.

CASSIO:

Ay, but, lady,(15)
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,
Or breed itself so out of circumstances,
That I being absent and my place supplied,
My general will forget my love and service.(20)

CASSIO:

Yes, but, lady,
That policy may either last so long,
Or feed on such nice and light diet,
Or take itself so out of circumstance,
That, with my absence and my place filled,
My general will forget my love and service.

DESD:

Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here
I give thee warrant of thy place, assure thee,
If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it
To the last article. My lord shall never rest;
I'll watch him tame and talk him out of patience;(25)
His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift;
I'll intermingle everything he does
With Cassio's suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio,
For thy solicitor shall rather die
Than give thy cause away.(30)

DESD:

Don’t doubt that; before Emilia here
I guarantee your place. I assure you,
That, If I promise a friendship, I'll deliver it
To the very last point. My lord shall never rest;
I'll watch him calmly, and talk him out of patience;
His bed shall seem like a school, his meals a
confessional; I'll intermingle everything he does
With Cassio's suit. Therefore be happy, Cassio;
Because your lawyer would rather die
Than lose your case.

Enter Othello, and Iago, at a distance.

EMILIA:

Madam, here comes my lord.

EMILIA:

Madam, here comes
My lord.

CASSIO:

Madam, I'll take my leave.

CASSIO:

Madam, I'll leave.

DESD:

Nay, stay and hear me speak.

DESD:

Why, stay, And listen to me speak.

CASSIO:

Madam, not now. I am very ill at ease,
Unfit for mine own purposes.(35)

CASSIO:

Madam, not now. I am very uncomfortable,
Unfit for my own intentions.

DESD:

Well, do your discretion.

DESD:

Well, have it your way.

Exit [Cassio.]

Enter Othello and Iago.

IAGO:

Ha! I like not that.

IAGO:

Ha! I don’t like that.

OTHELLO:

What dost thou say?

OTHELLO:

What did you say?

IAGO:

Nothing, my lord; or if I know not what.

IAGO:

Nothing, my lord. or if I don’t know what.

OTHELLO:

Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?(40)

OTHELLO:

Wasn’t that Cassio leaving my wife?

IAGO:

Cassio, my lord! No, sure, I cannot think it,
That he would steal away so guiltylike,
Seeing you coming.

IAGO:

Cassio, my lord! No, sure, I cannot believe
That he would steal away so guiltily,
Seeing you coming.

OTHELLO:

I do believe 'twas he.

OTHELLO:

I do believe it was he.

DESD:

How now, my lord!(45)
I have been talking with a suitor here,
A man that languishes in your displeasure.

DESD:

How now, my lord!
I have been talking with a petitioner here,
A man that suffers greatly in your displeasure.

OTHELLO:

Who is't you mean?

OTHELLO:

Who is it you mean?

DESD:

Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord,
If I have any grace or power to move you,(50)
His present reconciliation take;
For if he be not one that truly loves you,
That errs in ignorance and not in cunning,
I have no judgement in an honest face:
I prithee, call him back.(55)

DESD:

Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. My good lord,
If I have any grace or power to move you,
Take his present efforts to reconcile,
Because if he isn’t one that truly loves you,
That made a mistake by accident, not on purpose
I cannot judge an honest face.
I beg you, call him back.

OTHELLO:

Went he hence now?

OTHELLO:

Didn’t he just leave?

DESD:

Ay, sooth; so humbled,
That he hath left part of his grief with me,
To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.

DESD:

Yes, truly, so humbled
That he has left part of his grief with me
To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.

OTHELLO:

Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time.(60)

OTHELLO:

Not now, sweet Desdemon; some other time.

DESD:

But shall't be shortly?

DESD:

But shall it be soon?

OTHELLO:

The sooner, sweet, for you.

OTHELLO:

The sooner, sweet, for you.

DESD:

Shall't be tonight at supper?

DESD:

Shall it be tonight at supper?

OTHELLO:

No, not tonight.

OTHELLO:

No, not tonight.

DESD:

Tomorrow dinner then?(65)

DESD:

Tomorrow night at dinner then?

OTHELLO:

I shall not dine at home;
I meet the captains at the citadel.

OTHELLO:

I won’t be eating at home;
I have to meet the captains at the fortress.

DESD:

Why then tomorrow night, or Tuesday morn;
On Tuesday noon, or night, on Wednesday morn;
I prithee, name the time, but let it not(70)
Exceed three days. In faith, he's penitent;
And yet his trespass, in our common reason—
Save that, they say, the wars must make examples
Out of their best—is not almost a fault
To incur a private check. When shall he come?(75)
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul,
What you would ask me, that I should deny,
Or stand so mammering on. What? Michael Cassio,
That came awooing with you, and so many a time
When I have spoke of you dispraisingly(80)
Hath ta'en your part—to have so much to do
To bring him in! Trust me, I could do much—

DESD:

Why then tomorrow night; or Tuesday morning;
On Tuesday noon, or night; on Wednesday morning.
I beg you, name the time, but let it be
More than three days. in faith, he's very sorry;
And yet his crime, in our common reason,
Except that, they say, the wars must make examples
Out of their best, is not almost a fault
To incur a private punishment. When shall he come?
Tell me, Othello. I wonder in my soul
What you would ask me to do that I should deny,
Or stand so hesitant about. What! Michael Cassio,
That came with you to court me, and so many times,
When I have spoken about you insultingly,
Has taken your side. To have so much to do
To bring him back! Trust me, I could do a lot.

OTHELLO:

Prithee, no more. Let him come when he will;
I will deny thee nothing.

OTHELLO:

I beg you, no more. Let him come when he wants to.
I will deny you nothing.

DESD:

Why, this is not a boon;(85)
'Tis as I should entreat you wear your gloves,
Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm,
Or sue to you to do a peculiar profit
To your own person. Nay, when I have a suit—
Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,(90)
It shall be full of poise and difficult weight,
And fearful to be granted.

DESD:

Why, this is not a favor.
It’s as if I should beg you to wear your gloves,
Or to eat better, or to keep yourself warm,
Or beg you to do a peculiar thing
To yourself. No, when I have a favor to ask
Where I mean to touch your love indeed,
It shall be full of confidence and heavy,
And fearful to be granted.

OTHELLO:

I will deny thee nothing:
Whereon, I do beseech thee, grant me this,
To leave me but a little to myself.(95)

OTHELLO:

I will deny you nothing.
Where, I beg you, grant me this,
To leave me just a little to myself.

DESD:

Shall I deny you? No. Farewell, my lord.

DESD:

Shall I deny you? No. farewell, my lord.

OTHELLO:

Farewell, my Desdemona; I'll come to thee straight.

OTHELLO:

Farewell, my Desdemona. I'll come to you right away.

DESD:

Emilia, come. Be as your fancies teach you; Whate'er
you be, I am obedient. [Exeunt Desdemona and Emilia.]

DESD:

Emilia, come. Be as your thoughts teach you;
Whatever you are, I am obedient.

OTHELLO:

Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul,(100)
But I do love thee! and when I love thee not,
Chaos is come again.

OTHELLO:

Excellent wretch! Destruction take my soul,
But I do love you! and when I don’t love you,
Chaos comes back.

IAGO:

My noble lord—

IAGO:

My noble lord.

OTHELLO:

What dost thou say, Iago?

OTHELLO:

What do you say, Iago?

IAGO:

Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady,(105)
Know of your love?

IAGO:

Did Michael Cassio, when you courted my lady,
Know about your love?

OTHELLO:

He did, from first to last. Why dost thou ask?

OTHELLO:

He did, from first to last. Why do you ask?

IAGO:

But for a satisfaction of my thought;
No further harm.

IAGO:

Only to satisfy my thought,
No further harm.

OTHELLO:

Why of thy thought, Iago?(110)

OTHELLO:

What bout your thought, Iago?

IAGO:

I did not think he had been acquainted with her.

IAGO:

I didn’t think he had been acquainted with her.

OTHELLO:

O, yes, and went between us very oft.

OTHELLO:

O, yes; and went between us very often.

IAGO:

Indeed!

IAGO:

Indeed!

OTHELLO:

Indeed? ay, indeed. Discern'st thou aught in that?
Is he not honest?(1155)

OTHELLO:

Indeed! Yes, indeed. Do you see anything in that?
Isn’t he honest?

IAGO:

Honest, my lord?

IAGO:

Honest, my lord!

OTHELLO:

Honest? Ay, honest.

OTHELLO:

Honest! Yes, honest.

IAGO:

My lord, for aught I know.

IAGO:

My lord, for all I know.

OTHELLO:

What dost thou think?

OTHELLO:

What do you think?

IAGO:

Think, my lord?(120)

IAGO:

Think, my lord!

OTHELLO:

Think, my lord? By heaven, he echoes me,
As if there were some monster in his thought
Too hideous to be shown. Thou dost mean something:
I heard thee say even now, thou like'st not that,
When Cassio left my wife. What didst not like?(125)
And when I told thee he was of my counsel
In my whole course of wooing, thou criedst, “Indeed!”
And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit. If thou dost love me,(130)
Show me thy thought.

OTHELLO:

Think, my lord!
By heaven, he echoes me,
As if there were some monster in his thoughts
Too hideous to be shown. You do mean something.
I heard you say just now, you didn’t like that,
When Cassio left my wife. What didn’t you like?
And when I told you he knew everything
In my whole time of courting, you cried, "Indeed!"
And contracted and wrinkled your eyebrows together,
As if you then had shut up some horrible lie
In your brain. If you do love me,
Tell me what you were thinking.

IAGO:

My lord, you know I love you.

IAGO:

My lord, you know I love you.

OTHELLO:

I think thou dost;
And for I know thou'rt full of love and honesty
And weigh'st thy words before thou givest them breath,(135)
Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more;
For such things in a false disloyal knave
Are tricks of custom; but in a man that's just
They're close dilations, working from the heart,
That passion cannot rule.(140)

OTHELLO:

I think you do;
And, because I know you are full of love and honesty
And weigh your words carefully before saying them,
These stops of yours frighten me even more,
Because such things in a false, disloyal rogue
Are tricks of custom, but in a man that's just
They're hidden delays, working from the heart,
That passion cannot control.

IAGO:

For Michael Cassio,
I dare be sworn I think that he is honest.

IAGO:

For Michael Cassio,
I would swear I think that he is honest.

OTHELLO:

I think so too.

OTHELLO:

I think so too.

IAGO:

Men should be what they seem;
Or those that be not, would they might seem none!(145)

IAGO:

Men should be what they seem;
Or those that are not, I wish wouldn’t seem so!

OTHELLO:

Certain, men should be what they seem.

OTHELLO:

Certainly, men should be what they seem.

IAGO:

Why then I think Cassio's an honest man.

IAGO:

Why, then, I think Cassio's an honest man.

OTHELLO:

Nay, yet there's more in this:
I prithee, speak to me as to thy thinkings,
As thou dost ruminate, and give thy worst of thoughts(150)
The worst of words.

OTHELLO:

No, there's still more in this.
I beg you, tell me what you’re thinking,
Because you are thinking something and give your worst
of thoughts the worst of words.