Oth. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore. Emil. Thou art rash as fire, to say That she was false; O, she was heavenly true! To this extremity; Thy husband knew it all. Oth. Thy husband. Emil. That she was false to wedlock ? Nay, had she been true, If heaven would make me such another world I'd not have sold her for it. Emil. My husband? Oth. Ay, 'twas he that told me first; An honest man he is, and hates the slime That sticks on filthy deeds. Emil. My husband? Oth. What needs this iterance, woman? I say, thy husband. Emi.O mistress! villainy hath made mocks with love! -My husband say, that she was false? Oth. He, woman; I say, thy husband; Do'st understand the word? Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soul Emil. Do thy worst: This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven, Than thou wast worthy her. Oth. Peace, you were best. Emil. Thou hast not half the power to do me harm, As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt ! As ignorant as dirt! thou hast done a deed, I care not for thy sword; I'll make thee known, Though I lost twenty lives :-Help! help ho! help! The Moor has kill'd my mistress; Murder! murder! Enter MONTANO, GRATIANO, and IAGO. Mon. What is the matter!-How now, general? Emil. O, are you come, Iago? you have done well, That men must lay their murders on your neck. Gra. What is the matter? Emil. Disprove this villain, if thou be'st a man : Iago. I told him what I thought; and told no more Than what he found himself was apt and true. Emil. But did you ever tell him, she was false ? lago. I did. 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? Jago. With Cassio, mistress; Go to,charm your tongue. Emi. I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak; My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed. All. O heavens forefend! Emil. And your reports have set the murder on. Mon. O monstrous act ! Emil. Villainy, villainy, villainy! I think upon't, I think,-I smell't;-O villainy ! O villainy, villainy ! 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! [Hanging over his wife. Emil. Nay, lay thee down, and roar ; For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent, That e'er did lift up eye. Oth. O, she was foul ! [Rising. I scarce did know you, uncle: There lies your 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, And fall to reprobation. Oth. 'Tis pitiful: but yet Iago knows, That she with Cassio hath the act of shame A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'd it : With that recognizance and pledge of love Which I first gave her; I saw it in his hand; 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 air; Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all, All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak. Emil. I will not. Gra. Fye! [IAGO offers to stab his wife 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; (More than, indeed, belong'd to such a trifle,) Iago. Villainous whore ! Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas; I found it, And I did give't my husband. Iago. Filth, thou liest. Emil. By heaven, I do not; I do not, gentlemen : O murd'rous coxcomb! what should such a fool Do with so good a wife? [IAGO stabs EM1.then runs out. But what serve for the thunder?-Precious villain! Mont. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon, But every puny whipster gets my sword :- Emil. What did thy song bode, lady? Hark, can'st thou hear me? I will play the swan, Moor, she was chaste; she lov'd thee, cruel Moor; [Dies Oth. I have another weapon in this chamber, It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook's temper ; 9. 0, here it is :-Uncle, I must come forth. Gra. [within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear; Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer. Oth. Look in upon me then, and speak with me, Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee. Re-enter GRATIANO. Gra. What is the matter? Oth. Behold! I have a weapon; Upon a soldier's thigh: I have seen the day, And he retires ;-Where should Othello go? Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd wench !1 O cursed, cursed slave -Whip me, ye devils, ! Enter LODOVICO, MONTANO, CASSIO, carried in a 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. [OTHELLO Wounds IAGO. Lod. Wrench his sword from him. Iago. I bleed, sir; but not kill'd. Oth. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee live ; [9] See Illustrations, Vol. IX. E21 To see if, according to the common opinion, his feet be cloven. JOHNS For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die. Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good, Oth. Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honour. Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy. Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Oth. Ay, Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon. Will you, I pray you, demand that demi-devil, Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body? Tago. Demand me nothing: What you know, you know: From this time forth I never will speak word. Lod. What? not to pray? Gra. Torments will ope your lips. Oth. Well, thou dost best. Lod. 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 The death of Cassio to be undertook By Roderigo. 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 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, Oth. O fool! fool! fool ! Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter, How he upbraids Iago, that he made him |