Home > Othello Text > Act V, Scene II - Page 3

The Moor [Othello] runs at Iago.

Iago kills his wife.

GRATIANO:

The woman falls; sure, he hath kill'd his wife.

GRATIANO:

The woman falls; surely, he has killed his wife.

EMILIA:

Ay, ay! O, lay me by my mistress’ side.

EMILIA:

Yes, yes. O, lay me by my mistress' side.

Exit Iago.

GRATIANO:

He's gone, but his wife's kill'd.

GRATIANO:

He's gone, but his wife's killed.

MONTANO:

'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon,
Which I have here recover'd from the Moor:(280)
Come, guard the door without; let him not pass,
But kill him rather. I'll after that same villain,
For 'tis a damned slave.

MONTANO:

He is a notorious villain. Take this weapon,
Which I have here recovered from the Moor.
Come, guard the door outside; don’t let him pass,
But rather kill him. I'll go after that same villain,
Because he is a damned slave.

Exit Montano and Gratiano.

OTHELLO:

I am not valiant neither,
But every puny whipster gets my sword.(285)
But why should honor outlive honesty?
Let it go all.

OTHELLO:

I am not valiant either,
But every puny man with a whip gets my sword.
But why should honor outlive honesty?
Let it all go.

EMILIA:

What did thy song bode, lady?
Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the swan,
And die in music.(290)
[Sings.] Willow, willow, willow.
Moor, she was chaste; she loved thee, cruel Moor;
So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;
So speaking as I think, I die, I die.

EMILIA:

What did your song predict, lady?
Listen, can you hear me? I will play the swan,
And die in music. [Sings.] "Willow, willow, willow."
Moor, she was chaste; she loved you, cruel Moor;
So my soul goes to heaven, because I tell the truth;
So speaking as I think, I die, I die.

She dies.

OTHELLO:

I have another weapon in this chamber;(295)
O, here it is. Uncle, I must come forth.

OTHELLO:

I have another weapon in this chamber;
It is a sword of Spain, made by the ice-breaker.
O, here it is. Uncle, I must come out.

GRATIANO:

[Within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear:
Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer.

GRATIANO:

If you try it, it will be a costly mistake.
You have no weapon, and must be forced to suffer.

OTHELLO:

Look in upon me then, and speak with me,
Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee.(300)

OTHELLO:

Look in on me then, and speak with me,
Or, naked as I am, I will attack you.

Enter Gratiano.

GRATIANO:

What is the matter?

GRATIANO:

What’s the matter?

OTHELLO:

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(305)
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(310)
And very seamark 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!(315)
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,(320)
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! Roast me in sulphur!
Wash me in steepdown gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemon! dead, Desdemon! dead!
O! O! O!(325)

OTHELLO:

Behold, I have a weapon;
A better one never sustained itself
On a soldier's thigh. I have seen the day
That I have made my way through more impediments
With this little arm and this good sword
Than you could stop twenty times. But, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? It is not so now.
Don’t be afraid although you see me armed,
Here is my journey's end, here is my bottom
And very sea-mark of my last ship.
Do you go back dismayed? It is a lost fear;
Man can only rush against Othello's breast,
And he retires. Where should Othello go?
Now, how do you look now? O ill-starred wench!
Pale as your smock! When we shall meet at elegance,
This look of yours will hurl my soul from heaven,
And devil will scratch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!
Even like your chastity.
O cursed, cursed slave! Whip me, you devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! Roast me in fires of sulphur!
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemon! dead, Desdemon! dead! O!

Enter Lodovico, Montano, Iago, and Officers, Cassio in a chair.

LODOVICO:

Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?

LODOVICO:

Where is this impatient and very unfortunate man?

OTHELLO:

That's he that was Othello. Here I am.

OTHELLO:

That would be Othello; here I am.

LODOVICO:

Where is that viper? Bring the villain forth.

LODOVICO:

Where is that snake? Bring the villain out.

OTHELLO:

I look down towards his feet; but that's a fable.
If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee.(330)

OTHELLO:

I look down towards his feet; but that's a fable.
If you are a devil, I cannot kill you.

LODOVICO:

Wrench his sword from him.

LODOVICO:

Grab his sword from him.

IAGO:

I bleed, sir, but not kill'd.

IAGO:

I bleed, sir, but I am not killed.

OTHELLO:

I am not sorry neither. I'ld have thee live,
For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.

OTHELLO:

I am not sorry either. I'd have you live;
Because, in my thinking, it is happiness to die.

LODOVICO:

O thou Othello, that wert once so good,(335)
What shall be said to thee?

LODOVICO:

O you Othello, that was once so good,
Fallen in the plan of a damned slave,
What shall be said to you?

OTHELLO:

Why, anything;
An honorable murderer, if you will,
For nought did I in hate, but all in honor.

OTHELLO:

Why, anything;
An honorable murderer, if you will;
Because nothing I did was in hate, but done all in honor.

LODOVICO:

This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy.(340)
Did you and he consent in Cassio's death?

LODOVICO:

This wretch has part confessed his villainy.
Did you and he agree to Cassio's death?

OTHELLO:

Ay.

OTHELLO:

Yes.

CASSIO:

Dear general, I never gave you cause.

CASSIO:

Dear general, I never gave you any reason.

OTHELLO:

I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I pray, demand that demidevil(345)
Why he hath thus ensnared my soul and body?

OTHELLO:

I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I beg you, demand that demi-devil
To tell why he has trapped my soul and body like this?

IAGO:

Demand me nothing; what you know: you know.
From this time forth I never will speak word.

IAGO:

Demand me nothing. What you know, you know.
From this time forward, I’ll never speak word.

LODOVICO:

What, not to pray?

LODOVICO:

What, not even to pray?

GRATIANO:

Torments will ope your lips.(350)

GRATIANO:

Torture will open your lips.

OTHELLO:

Well, thou dost best.

OTHELLO:

Well, you do what’s best.

LODOVICO:

Sir, you shall understand what hath befall'n,
Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter
Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo,
And here another. The one of them imports(355)
The death of Cassio to be undertook
By Roderigo.

LODOVICO:

Sir, you shall understand what has happened,
Which, as I think, you don’t know. Here is a letter
Found in the pocket of the murdered Roderigo,
And here another. One of them shows that
The death of Cassio was to be undertaken
By Roderigo.

OTHELLO:

O villain!

OTHELLO:

O villain!

CASSIO:

Most heathenish and most gross!

CASSIO:

Very heathenish and very gross!

LODOVICO:

Now here's another discontented paper,(360)
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.

LODOVICO:

Now here's another unhappy document,
Found in his pocket too; and this, it seems,
That Roderigo meant to have sent this damned villain;
But that, very likely, Iago in the meantime
Came in and satisfied him.

OTHELLO:

O the pernicious caitiff!(365)
How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief
That was my wife's?

OTHELLO:

O the pernicious wretch!
Cassio, how did you come by that handkerchief
That was my wife's?

CASSIO:

I found it in my chamber;
And he himself confess'd but even now
That there he dropp'd it for a special purpose(370)
Which wrought to his desire.

CASSIO:

I found it in my bedroom;
And he himself confessed just now
That he dropped it there for a special purpose
Which would be bent to his desires.

OTHELLO:

O fool! fool! fool!

OTHELLO:

O fool! fool! fool!

CASSIO:

There is besides in Roderigo's letter,
How he upbraids Iago, that he made him
Brave me upon the watch, whereon it came(375)
That I was cast. And even but now he spake
After long seeming dead, Iago hurt him,
Iago set him on.

CASSIO:

There is besides in Roderigo's letter,
How he scolds Iago, that he made him
Fight with me on the watch, where it happened
That I was thrown out, and even just now he spoke,
After seeming dead a long time, Iago hurt him,
Iago set him up.

LODOVICO:

You must forsake this room, and go with us:
Your power and your command is taken off,(380)
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(385)
To the Venetian state. Come, bring away.

LODOVICO:

You must leave this room, and go with us.
Your power and your command is removed,
And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave,
If there be any cunning cruelty
That can torment him a lot and stop him a long time,
It shall be his. You shall remain a prisoner,
Until the nature of your crime is known
To the Venetian state. Come, bring him away.

OTHELLO:

Soft you; a word or two before you go.
I have done the state some service, and they know't.
No more of that. I pray you, in your letters,
When you shall these unlucky deeds relate,(390)
Speak of me as I am; nothing extenuate,
Nor set down aught in malice. Then must you speak
Of one that loved not wisely but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought,
Perplex'd in the extreme; of one whose hand,(395)
Like the base Indian, threw a pearl away
Richer than all his tribe; of one whose subdued eyes,
Albeit unused to the melting mood,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees
Their medicinal gum. Set you down this;(400)
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turban'd Turk
Beat a Venetian and traduced the state,
I took by the throat the circumcised dog
And smote him, thus.(405)

OTHELLO:

Pardon me, a word or two before you go.
I have done the state some service, and they know it.
No more of that. I beg you, in your letters,
When you shall tell about these unlucky deeds,
Speak of me as I am; nothing farfetched,
And don’t write anything in malice. Then you must speak
Of one that loved not wisely, but too well;
Of one not easily jealous, but, being aggravated,
Confused in the extreme; of one whose hand,
Like the low Judas, threw a pearl away
That was richer than all his tribe; of one whose sad eyes,
Albeit unused to a crying spell,
Drop tears as fast as the Arabian trees drop
Their medicinal gum. Write this down;
And say besides, that in Aleppo once,
Where a malignant and a turbaned Turk
Beat a Venetian and double-crossed the state,
I took the circumcised dog by the throat
And killed him like this.