William Shakespeare (1564–1616). The Oxford Shakespeare. 1914.
Act V. Scene I.Othello, the Moor of Venice
Iago.Here, stand behind this bulk; straight will he come:
Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home.
Quick, quick; fear nothing; I’ll be at thy elbow.
It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
And fix most firm thy resolution.
Rod.Be near at hand; I may miscarry in ’t.
Iago.Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.[Retires.
Rod.I have no great devotion to the deed;
And yet he has given me satisfying reasons:
’Tis but a man gone: forth, my sword; he dies.
Iago.I have rubb’d this young quat almost to the sense,
And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
Every way makes my gain: live Roderigo,
He calls me to a restitution large
Of gold and jewels that I bobb’d from him,
As gifts to Desdemona;
It must not be: if Cassio do remain,
He hath a daily beauty in his life
That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril.
No, he must die. But so; I hear him coming.
Rod.I know his gait; ’tis he. Villain, thou diest![Makes a pass at C
Cas.That thrust had been mine enemy indeed
But that my coat is better than thou know’st;
I will make proof of thine.[Draws, and wounds R
Rod.O! I am slain.[I
Cas.I am maim’d for ever. Help, ho! murder! murder![Falls.
Oth.The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word.
Rod.O! villain that I am!
Oth.It is e’en so.
Cas.O, help, ho! light! a surgeon!
Oth.’Tis he: O brave Iago, honest and just!
That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong;
Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead,
And your unblest fate hies; strumpet, I come!
Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
Thy bed lust-stain’d shall with lust’s blood be spotted.[Exit.
Cas.What ho! no watch? no passage? murder! murder!
Gra.’Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful.
Cas.O, help!
Lod.Hark!
Rod.O wretched villain!
Lod.Two or three groan: it is a heavy night;
These may be counterfeits; let’s think ’t unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.
Rod.Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death.
Lod.Hark!
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?
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 grievously?
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 L
Rod.O! help me here.
Cas.That’s one of them.
Iago.O murderous slave! O villain![Stabs R
Rod.O 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. Here’s Cassio hurt by villains.
Gra.Cassio!
Iago.How is it, brother?
Cas.My leg is cut in two.
Iago.Marry, heaven forbid,
Light, gentlemen; I’ll bind it with my shirt.
Bian.What is the matter, ho? who is ’t that cried?
Iago.Who is ’t that cried!
Bian.O my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio!
O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!
Iago.O notable strumpet! Cassio, may you suspect
Who they should be that have thus mangled you?
Cas.No.
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!
Iago.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?
IagoEven he, sir: did you know him?
Gra.Know him! ay.
Iago.Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon;
These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
That so neglected you.
Gra.I am glad to see you.
Iago.How do you, Cassio? O! a chair, a chair!
Gra.Roderigo![A chair brought in.
Iago.He, he, ’tis he.—O! that’s well said; the chair:
Some good men bear him carefully from hence;
I’ll fetch the general’s surgeon.[To B
Save you your labour. He that lies slain here, Cassio,
Was my dear friend. What malice was between you?
Cas.None in the world; nor do I know the man.
Iago.[To B
Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, mistress?—
Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.
Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:
Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak
Though tongues were out of use.
Emil.’Las! what’s the matter? what’s the matter, husband?
Iago.Cassio hath here been set on in the dark
By Roderigo and fellows that are ’scap’d:
He’s almost slain, and Roderigo dead.
Emil.Alas! good gentleman; alas! good Cassio!
Iago.This is the fruit of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,
Go know of Cassio where he supp’d to-night.
What! do you shake at that?
Bian.He supp’d at my house; but I therefore shake not.
Iago.O! did he so? I charge you, go with me.
Emil.Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet!
Bian.I am no strumpet, but of life as honest
As you that thus abuse me.
Emil.As I! foh! fie upon thee!
Iago.Kind gentlemen, let’s go see poor Cassio dress’d.
Come, mistress, you must tell’s another tale.
Emilia, run you to the citadel,
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.