Home > Othello Text > Act IV, Scene II - Page 2

DESD:

I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.

DESD:

I hope my noble lord believes I am faithful.

OTHELLO:

O, ay, as summer flies are in the shambles,
That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed,
Who art so lovely fair and smell'st so sweet(75)
That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been
born!

OTHELLO:

O, yes; as summer flies are in the swamps,
That move quickly even with blowing. O you weed,
Who are so lovely beautiful, and smell so sweet,
That the sense aches at you, I wish you had never been
born!

DESD:

Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?

DESD:

Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?

OTHELLO:

Was this fair paper, this most goodly book,
Made to write “whore” upon? What committed?(80)
Committed! O thou public commoner!
I should make very forges of my cheeks,
That would to cinders burn up modesty,
Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed!
Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks;(85)
The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets,
Is hush'd within the hollow mine of earth,
And will not hear it. What committed.
Impudent strumpet!

OTHELLO:

Was this beautiful paper, this very excellent book,
Made to write “whore” on? What sin committed!
Committed! O you public commoner!
I should make very fires of my cheeks
Burn modesty into ashes,
If I only spoke your deeds. What committed!
Heaven thumbs its nose at it, and the moon winks;
The obscene wind that kisses all it meets
Is quiet within the hollow tunnels of earth,
And will not hear it. What committed!
Impudent prostitute!

DESD:

By heaven, you do me wrong.(90)

DESD:

By heaven, you do me wrong.

OTHELLO:

Are not you a strumpet?

OTHELLO:

Aren’t you a prostitute?

DESD:

No, as I am a Christian.
If to preserve this vessel for my lord
From any other foul unlawful touch
Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.(95)

DESD:

No, as I am a Christian.
If to preserve this body for my lord
From any other evil unlawful touch
Is not to be a prostitute, I am none.

OTHELLO:

What, not a whore?

OTHELLO:

What, not a whore?

DESD:

No, as I shall be saved.

DESD:

No, as I shall be saved.

OTHELLO:

Is't possible?

OTHELLO:

Is it possible?

DESD:

O, heaven forgive us!

DESD:

O, heaven forgive us!

OTHELLO:

I cry you mercy then;(100)
I took you for that cunning whore of Venice
That married with Othello. You, mistress,
That have the office opposite to Saint Peter,
And keep the gate of hell!

Enter Emilia.

You, you, ay, you!(105)
We have done our course; there's money for your pains:
I pray you, turn the key, and keep our counsel.

OTHELLO:

I beg your mercy then.
I took you for that cunning whore of Venice
That married with Othello. You, mistress,
That have the office next to Saint Peter,
And keep the gate of hell! You, you, yes, you!
We have done our business; there's money for your
pains. I beg you, turn the key, and keep our secrets.

Exit.

EMILIA:

Alas, what does this gentleman conceive?
How do you, madam? How do you, my good lady?

EMILIA:

Alas, what does this gentleman mean?
How are you, madam? How are you, my good lady?

DESD:

Faith, half asleep.(110)

DESD:

Faith, half asleep.

EMILIA:

Good madam, what's the matter with my lord?

EMILIA:

Good madam, what's the matter with my lord?

DESD:

With who?

DESD:

With who?

EMILIA:

Why, with my lord, madam.

EMILIA:

Why, with my lord, madam.

DESD:

Who is thy lord?

DESD:

Who is your lord?

EMILIA:

He that is yours, sweet lady.(115)

EMILIA:

He that is yours, sweet lady.

DESD:

I have none. Do not talk to me, Emilia;
I cannot weep, nor answer have I none
But what should go by water. Prithee, tonight
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets. Remember;
And call thy husband hither.(120)

DESD:

I have none. Don’t talk to me, Emilia;
I cannot weep, and I don’t have any answers,
Except what should go by water. I beg you, tonight
Lay my wedding sheets on my bed, remember?
And I’ll call your husband here.

EMILIA:

Here's a change indeed!

EMILIA:

Here's a change indeed!

Exit.

DESD:

'Tis meet I should be used so, very meet.
How have I been behaved, that he might stick
The small'st opinion on my least misuse?

DESD:

It’s right I should be used this way, very right.
How have I behaved, that he might put
The smallest opinion on my least misconduct?

Enter Iago with Emilia.

IAGO:

What is your pleasure, madam? How is't with you?(125)

IAGO:

What is your pleasure, madam? How is it with you?

DESD:

I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes
Do it with gentle means and easy tasks:
He might have chid me so, for in good faith,
I am a child to chiding.

DESD:

I cannot tell. Those that teach young babies
Do it with gentle ways and easy tasks.
He might have scolded me that way, because, in good
faith, I am a child to scolding.

IAGO:

What's the matter, lady?(130)

IAGO:

What's the matter, lady?

EMILIA:

Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her,
Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her,
As true hearts cannot bear.

EMILIA:

Alas, Iago, my lord has accused her of being a prostitute,
Thrown such angry and horrible words at her,
As true hearts cannot bear.

DESD:

Am I that name, Iago?

DESD:

Am I that name, Iago?

IAGO:

What name, fair lady?(135)

IAGO:

What name, beautiful lady?

DESD:

Such as she says my lord did say I was.

DESD:

Such as she says my lord said I was.

EMILIA:

He call'd her whore; a beggar in his drink
Could not have laid such terms upon his callet.

EMILIA:

He called her whore. A drunken beggar
Could not have laid such terms on his prostitute.

IAGO:

Why did he so?

IAGO:

Why did he do it?

DESD:

I do not know; I am sure I am none such.(140)

DESD:

I don’t know; I am sure I am no one like that.

IAGO:

Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day!

IAGO:

Don’t weep, don’t weep. alas the day!

EMILIA:

Hath she forsook so many noble matches,
Her father and her country and her friends,
To be call'd whore? Would it not make one weep?

EMILIA:

She has abandoned so many noble matches,
Her father, and her country, and her friends,
To be called whore? Wouldn’t it make one weep?

DESD:

It is my wretched fortune.(145)

DESD:

It is my wretched luck.

IAGO:

How comes this trick upon him?

IAGO:

Curse him for it!
How did this trick come on him?

DESD:

Nay, heaven doth know.

DESD:

No, only heaven knows.

EMILIA:

I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,
Some cogging cozening slave, to get some office,(150)
Have not devised this slander; I'll be hang'd else.

EMILIA:

I will be hanged, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,
Some scheming, lying slave, to get some job,
Hasn’t made up this slander, or else, I'll be hanged.

IAGO:

Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible.

IAGO:

Damn, there is no such man; it is impossible.

DESD:

If any such there be, heaven pardon him!

DESD:

If there is a man like that, heaven pardon him!

EMILIA:

A halter pardon him! And hell gnaw his bones!
Why should he call her whore? Who keeps her company?(155)
What place? What time? What form? What likelihood?
The Moor's abused by some most villainous knave,
Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.
O heaven, that such companions thou'ldst unfold,
And put in every honest hand a whip(160)
To lash the rascals naked through the world
Even from the east to the west!

EMILIA:

A noose pardon him! And hell chew on his bones!
Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company?
What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
The Moor's abused by some very villainous rogue,
Some base notorious rogue, some scurvy fellow.
O heaven, that you would expose such companions,
And put a whip in every honest hand
To whip the rascals naked throughout the world,
Even from the east to the west!

IAGO:

Speak within door.

IAGO:

Speak behind the door.

EMILIA:

O, fie upon them! Some such squire he was
That turn'd your wit the seamy side without,(165)
And made you to suspect me with the Moor.

EMILIA:

O, damn on them! He was some such squire
That turned your wit inside out,
And made you to suspect me of sleeping with the Moor.

IAGO:

You are a fool; go to.

IAGO:

You are a fool; be quiet.

DESD:

O good Iago,
What shall I do to win my lord again?
Good friend, go to him, for by this light of heaven,(170)
I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:
If e'er my will did trespass ‘gainst his love
Either in discourse of thought or actual deed,
Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense,
Delighted them in any other form,(175)
Or that I do not yet, and ever did,
And ever will, though he do shake me off
To beggarly divorcement, love him dearly,
Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do much,
And his unkindness may defeat my life,(180)
But never taint my love. I cannot say “whore.”
It doth abhor me now I speak the word;
To do the act that might the addition earn
Not the world's mass of vanity could make me.

DESD:

Alas, Iago,
What shall I do to win my lord again?
Good friend, go to him; because, by this light of heaven,
I don’t know how I lost him. Here I kneel.
If ever my will did sin against his love,
Either in thinking or by actual deed;
Or that my eyes, my ears, or any sense,
Delighted themselves in any other man,
Or that I don’t yet, or ever did,
Or ever will, although he shakes me off
To a beggarly divorce, love him dearly,
Comfort perjure me! Unkindness may do much,
And his unkindness may kill my life,
But never taint my love. I cannot say “whore,”
It shocks me now that I speak the word;
To do the act? Earning the addition of
The world's mass of vanity couldn’t make me.

IAGO:

I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humor:(185)
The business of the state does him offense,
And he does chide with you.

IAGO:

I beg you, be content; it is only his mood.
The business of the state upsets him,
And he takes it out on you.

DESD:

If 'twere no other—

DESD:

If it were any other…

IAGO:

'Tis but so, I warrant.

[Trumpets without.]

Hark, how these instruments summon to supper!(190)
The messengers of Venice stay the meat:
Go in, and weep not; all things shall be well.

Exit women.

Enter Roderigo

How now, Roderigo!

IAGO:

It’s only that, I guarantee it. Listen how these instruments summon us to supper!
The messengers of Venice wait for the meat.
Go in, and don’t cry; all things shall be well. What now, Roderigo!

ROD:

I do not find that thou dealest justly with me.

ROD:

I don’t believe that you deal justly with me.

IAGO:

What in the contrary?(195)

IAGO:

On the contrary.

ROD:

Every day thou daffest me with some device, Iago; and
rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conve-
niency than suppliest me with the least advantage of
hope. I will indeed no longer endure it; nor am I yet per-
suaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly(200)
suffered.

ROD:

Every day you get me out of the way with some plan,
Iago; and rather, as it seems to me now, keep from me
all convenience than supplies me with the least
advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it. Nor
am I yet persuaded to put up with in peace what already I
have foolishly suffered.