OTHELLO,

THE MOOR OF VENICE.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Duke of Venice.

Brabantio. a senator.

Two other senators.

Gratiano, brother to Brabantio.

Lodovico, kinsman to Brabantio.
Othello, the Moor:

Cassio, his lieutenant;

Iago, his ancient.

Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman.

Montano, Othello's predecessor in the government of Cyprus.

Clown, servant to Othello.

Herald.

Desdemona, daughter to Brabantio, and wife to Othello. Emilia, wife to Iago.

Bianca, a courtezan, mistress to Cassio.

Officers, Gentlemen, Messengers, Mucicians, Sailors, Attendants, &c.

SCENE, for the first act, in Venice; during the rest of the play, at the seaport in Cyprus.

OTHELLO.

ACT I.

SCENE I-Venice. A Street. Enter Roderigo and

Iago.

Roderigo.

TUSH, never tell me, I take it much unkindly,

That thou, Iago,-who hast had my purse, As if the strings were thine,-should'st know of this. lago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me :

If ever I did dream of such a matter,

Abhor me.

Rod. Thou told'st me, thou didst hold him in thy hate.

Iago. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,

In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,

Oft capp'd to him;-and, by the faith of man,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance,
Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion, nonsuits

My mediators; for, certes, says he,
I have already chose my officer.
And what was he?

Forscoth, a great arithmetician,

One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,
Wherein the toged consuls can propose

As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice,
Is all his soldiership. But, he, sir, had the election:
And I,-of whom his eyes had seen the proof,
At Rhodes, at Cyprus; and on other grounds
Christian and heathen,-must be be-lee'd and calm'd
By debitor and creditor, this counter-caster;
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,

And I, (God bless the mark!) his Moor-ship's ancient.
Rod. By heaven, I rather would have been his hang-

man.

Iago. But there's no remedy, 'tis the curse of ser

vice ;

Preferment goes by letter, and affection,

Not by the old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Whether I in any just term am affin'd

To love the Moor?

Rod.

I would not follow him then.

Iago. O, sir, content you;

I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,

For nought but provender; and, when he's old, cash

ier'd ;

Whip me such honest knaves: Others there are,
Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves;
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,