ACT ONE Scene Three
［A council－chamber. The DUKE and Senators sitting at a table；Officers attending］
DUKE OF VENICE
There is no composition in these news
That gives them credit．
First Senator
Indeed， they are disproportion’d；
My letterssay a hundred andsevengalleys．
DUKE OF VENICE
And mine，a hundred and forty
Second Senator
And mine，two hundred：
Butthoughtheyjump noton a just account，——
Asinthese，wheretheaimreports，
‘Tis oft withdifference——yet do they all confirm
A Turkish fleet， and bearing up to Cyprus．
DUKE OF VENICE
Nay， itispossibleenough to judgment:
I do not so secureme in theerror，
But themain article Ido approve
In fearful sense．
Sailor［Within］
What， ho！ what， ho！ what， ho!
First Officer
Amessenger from the galleys．
［Enter a Sailor］
DUKE OF VENICE
Now， what’s the business？
Sailor
The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes；
So wasI bid report here to the state
By Signior Angelo．
DUKE OF VENICE
How say you by this change？
First Senator
This cannot be，
By no assay of reason：’tis a pageant，
To keepus in false gaze．When we consider
The importaney of Cyprus to the Turk，
And let ourselves again but understand，
That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes，
So may he with more facile question bear it，
For that it stands not insuch warlike brace，
But altogether lacks the abilities
That Rhodes is dress’d in：if we make thought of this，
We mustnot think the Turk is so unskilful
To leave that latest which concerns him first，
Neglecting an attempt ofeaseand gain，
To wake and wage a danger profitless．
DUKE OF VENICE
Nay，in all confidence，he’s not for Rhodes．
First Officer
Here is more news．
［Enter a Messenger］
Messenger
The Ottomites， reverend and gracious，
Steering with due course towards the isleof Rhodes，
Have there injointedthem with an after fleel．
First Senator
Ay，so Ithought． How many， as you guess?
Messenger
Of thirty sail： and now they do restem
Their backward course， bearing with frankappearance
Their purposes toward Cyprus． Signior Montano，
Your trustyandmostvaliantservitor，
With his free dutyrecommendsyou thus，
And prays youto believehim．
DUKE OF VENICE
‘Tis certain， then， for Cyprus．
Marcus Luccicos， is not he in town？
First Senator
He’s now inFlorence．
DUKE OF VENICE
Write from us to him； post-post-haste dispatch.
First Senator
Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor．
［Enter BRABANTIO， OTHELLO， IAGO， RODERIGO， andOfficers］
DUKE OF VENICE
Valiant Othello，we must straight employ you
Against the general enemy Ottoman．
［To BRABANTIO］
I did not see you； welcome， gentle signior；
We lack’d your counsel and yourhelp tonight
BRABANTIO
So didI yours． Good your grace，pardon me；
Neither my place nor aughtI heard of business
Hath raised mefrommybed， nordoth the general care
Take hold on me， for my particular grief
Is of so flood－gate and o’erbearing nature
That it engluts and swallows other sorrows
And it is still itself
DUKE OF VENICE
Why， what’s the matter？
BRABANTIO
My daughter！O， mydaughter！
DUKE OF VENICE
Senator Dead？
BRABANTIO
Ay，tome；
She is abused， stol’n from me， and corrupted
By spellsand medicines bought of mountebanks；
For nature so preposterouslyto err，
Being not deficient， blind， or lame of sense，
Sanswitchcraftcouldnot．
DUKE OF VENICE
Whoe’er he be that inthis foul proceeding
Haththus beguiledyour daughter of herself
And you of her， the bloodybook of law
You shall yourself read in the bitter letter
After your own sense， yea， though our proper son
Stood in your action
BRABANTIO
HumblyI thank your grace
Here is the man， this Moor， whom now， it seems，
Your special mandatefor the state－affairs
Hath hitherbrought
DUKE OF VENICE
Senator We are very sorry for’t.
DUKE OF VENICE
［To OTHELLO］ What， in yourownpart， can yousay tothis？
BRABANTIO
Nothing， butthis is so.
OTHELLO
Most potent，grave， and reverend signiors，
My verynobleand approved good masters，
That I haveta’enawaythisoldman’sdaughter，
It is most true； true， Ihave married her：
The very head and front of my offending
Hath this extent，no more Rude amI in my speech，
And little bless’d with thesoft phrase of peace：
For since these armsofmine had sevenyears’pith，
Till now some nine moons wasted，they have used
Their dearest action in the tented field，
And little of this great world canI speak，
More than pertains to feats of broil and battle，
And therefore little shallIgrace my cause
In speaking for myself.Yet，byyour gracious patience，
I willaroundunvarnish’dtaledeliver
Of my whole course of love； what drugs， what charms，
What conjuration and what mightymagic，
For such proceedingIam charged withal， Iwonhis daughter.
BRABANTIO
Amaiden never bold；
Of spirit so still and quiet， that her motion
Blush’d at herself；and she， in spite of nature，
Of years， of country， credit， every thing，
To fallinlove with what she fear’d to look on！
It is a judgment maim’d andmostimperfect
That will confess perfection so could err
Against all rules of nature，and must be driven
To find outpractisesofcunninghell，
Why this should be． Itherefore vouch again
That withsomemixturespowerful o’erthe blood，
Or with some dram conjured to this effect，
He wrought upon her．
DUKE OF VENICE
Tov ouchthis，isnoproof，
Without more wider and more overttest
Than these thin habits and poor likelihoods，
Of modern seemingdo prefer against him．
First Senator
But，Othello，speak：
Did you by indirect and forced courses
Subdue and poison this young maid’s affections？
Or came it by requestand suchfairquestion
As soul tosoulaffordeth？
OTHELLO
I do beseeh you，
Send for the lady to the Sagittary，
And let her speak of me before her father：
If you do find me foul in her report，
The trust，theofficeIdohold of you，
Not only take away， but let your sentence
Even fall uponmy life．
DUKE OF VENICE
Fetch Desdemona hither．
OTHELLO
Ancient，conduct them：you best know the place．
［Exeunt IAGO and Attendants］
And， till she come， as truly as to heaven
I do confessthe vices of my blood，
So justly to your grave earsI’ll present
How I did thrivein this fair lady’s love，
And she in mine.
DUKE OF VENICE
Say it， Othello．
OTHELLO
Her father loved me；oftinvited me；
Still question’d me the story of my life，
From yearto year， the battles， sieges， fortunes，
ThatI have passed．
I ran itthrough，evenfrommyboyishdays，
To thevery moment that he bademd tell it；
WhereinI spake of most disastrous chances，
Of moving accidents by flood and field
Of hair-breadth scapesi’ the imminent deadly breach，
Of being taken by the insolent foe
And sold to slavery， of my redemption thence
And portancein my travels’ history：
Wherein of antresvastand desertsidle，
Rough quarries，rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven
It was my hint to speak，——such was the process；
And of the Cannibalsthat each other eat，
The Anthropophagiand men whose heads
Do grow beneath their shoulders．This to hear
Would Desdemona seriously incline：
But still the house-affairs would draw her thence：
Which ever as she could with hastedispatch，
She’ld come again，and with a greedy ear
Devourup my discourse：which I observing，
Took once a plianthour，and found good means
To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart
That I would all my pilgrimagedilate，
Whereof by parcelsshe had something heard，
But not intentively：I did consent，
And often did beguile her of her tears，
When I did speak of some distressfulstroke．
That my youth suffer’d My story being done，
She gave me for my pains a world of sighs：
She swore，in faith，twas strange，’twas passing strange，
‘Twas pitiful，’twas wondrouspitiful：
She wish’d she had not heard it，yet she wish’d
That heaven had made her such a man：she thank’d me，
And bade me，if I had a friend that loved her，
I should but teach him how to tell my story．
And that would wooher．Upon this hintI spake：
She loved me for the dangers I had pass’d，
And I loved her that she did pity them．
This only is the witchcraft I have used：
Here comes the lady；let her witness it．
［Enter DESDEMONA，IAGO，and Attendants］
DUKE OF VENICE
I think this tale would win my daughter too．
Good Brabantio，
Take up this mangledmatter at the best：
Men do their broken weapons rather use．
Than their bare hands．
BRABANTIO
I pray you，hear her speak：
If she confessthat she was half the wooer，
Destruction on my head，if my bad blame
Light on the man！Come hither，gentle mistress：
Do you perceivein all this noble company
Where most you owe obedience？
DESDEMONA
My noble father，
I do perceive here a divided duty：
To you I am bound for life and education；
My life and education both do learn me
How to respect you；you are the lord of duty；
I am hithertoyour daughter：but here’s my husband，
And so much duty as my mother show’d
To you，preferring you before her father，
So much I challenge that I may profess
Due to the Moor my lord．
BRABANTIO
God be wi’you！I have done．
Please it your grace，on to the state-affairs：
I had rather to adopta child than get it．
Come hither，Moor：
I here do give thee that with all my heart
Which，but thou hast already，with all my heart
I would keep from thee．For your sake，jewel，
I am glad at soul I have no other child：
For thy escape would teach me tyranny，
To hang clogson them．I have done，my lord．
DUKE OF VENICE
Let me speak like yourself，and lay a sentence，
Which，as a grise or step，may help there lovers
Into your favour．
When remediesare past，the griefsare ended
By seeing the worst，which late on hopes depended．
To mourna mischiefthat is past and gone
Is the next way to draw new mischief on．
What cannot be preservedwhen fortune takesPatience her
injury a mockerymakes．
The robb’d that smiles steals something from the thief；
He robs himself that spends a bootlessgrief．
BRABANTIO
So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile；
We lose it not，so long as we can smile．
He bears the sentence well that nothing bears
But the free comfort which from thence he hears，
But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow
That，to pay grief，must of poor patience borrow．
These sentences，to sugar，or to gall，
Being strong on both sides，are equivocal：
But words are words；I never yet did hear
That the bruisedheart was piercedthrough the ear．
I humbly beseech you，proceed to the affairs of state．
DUKE OF VENICE
The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for
Cyprus．Othello，the fortitudeof the place is best
known to you；and though we have there a subtitute
of most allowed sufficiency，yet opinion，a
sovereignmistress of effects，throws a more safer
voice on you：you must therefor be content to-
slubberthe glossof your new fortunes with this
more stubbornand boisterousexpedition．
OTHELLO
The tyrantcustom，most grave senators，
Hath made the flinty and steel couchof war
My thrice-driven bed of down：I do agnise
A natural and promptalacrity
I find in hardness，and do undertake
These present wars against the Ottomites．
Most humbly therefore bending to your state，
I cravefit dispositionfor my wife．
Due reference of place and exhibition，
With such accommodationand besort
As levels with her breeding．
DUKE OF VENICE
If you please ，Be’t at her father’s．
BRABANTIO
I’ll not have it so．
OTHELLO
Nor I．
DESDEMONA
Nor I；I would not there reside，
To put my father in impatient thoughts
By being in his eye．Most gracious duke，
To my unfoldinglend your prosperousear；
And let me find a charterin your voice，
To assist my simpleness．
DUKE OF VENICE
What would You，Desdemona？
DESDEMONA
That I did love the Moor to live with him，
My downrightviolence and storm of fortunes
May trumpetto the world：my heart’s subdued
Even to the very quality of my lord：
I saw Othello’s visagein his mind，
And to his honour and his valiant parts
Did I my soul and fortunes consecrate．
So that，dear lords，if I be left behind，
A mothof peace，and he go to the war，
The ritesfor which I love him are bereftme，
And I a heavy interimshall support
By his dear absence．Let me go with him．
OTHELLO
Let her have your voices．
Vouch with me，heaven，I therefore beg it not，
To please the palateof my appetite，
Nor to complywith heat——the young affects
In me defunct ——and proper satisfaction．
But to be free and bounteousto her mind：
And heaven defend your good souls，that you think
I will your serious and great business scant
For she is with me：no，when light-wing’d toys
Of feather’d Cupid seal with wanton dullness
My speculative and officed instruments，
That my disportscorrupt and taintmy business，
Let housewives make a skilletof my helm，
And all indignand base adversities
Make head against my estimation！
DUKE OF VENICE
Be it as you shall privatelydetermine，
Either for her stay or going：the affair cries haste，
And speed must answer it ．
First Senator
You must away to-night．
OTHELLO
With all my heart．
DUKE OF VENICE
At nine i’the morning here we’ll meet again．
Othello，leave some officer behind，
And he shall our commissionbring to you；
With such things else of quality and respect
As doth import you．
OTHELLO
So please your grace，my ancient；
A man he is of honest and trust：
To his conveyance I assign my wife，
With what else needful your good grace shall think
To be sent after me．
DUKE OF VENICE
Let it be so．
Good night to every one．
［To BRABANTIO］
And，noble signior，
If virtue no delighted beauty lack，
Your son-in-law is far more fair than black．
First Senator
Adieu，brave Moor，use Desdemona well．
BRABANTIO
Look to her，Moor，if thou hast eyes to see：
She has deceived her father，and may thee．
［Exeunt DUKE OF VENICE，Senators，Officers，＆c］
OTHELLO
My life upon her faith！Honest Iago，
My Desdemona must I leave to thee：
I prithee，let thy wife attendon her：
And bring them after in the best advantage．
Come，Desdemona：I have but an hour
Of love，of worldly mattersand direction，
To spend with thee：we must obey the time．
［Exeunt OTHELLO and DESDEMONA］
RODERIGO
Iago，——
IAGO
What say’st thou，noble heart？
RODERIGO
What will I do，thinkest thou？
IAGO
Why，go to bed，and sleep．
RODERIGO
I will incontinentlydrownmyself．
IAGO
If thou dost，I shall never love thee after．Why，
thou silly gentleman！
RODERIGO
It is silliness to live when to live is torment；and
then have we a prescriptionto die when death is our
physician．
IAGO
O villainous！I have looked upon the world for four
times seven years；and since I could distinguish
betwixt a benefit and an injury，I never found man
that knew how to love himself．Ere I would say，I
would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen，I
would change my humanity with a baboon．
RODERIGO
What should I do？I confess it is my shame to be so
fond；but it is not in my virtueto amendit．
IAGO
Virtue！a fig！’tis in ourselves that we are thus or
thus．Our bodies are our gardens，to the which
our wills are gardeners：so that if we will plant
nettles，or sow lettuce，set hyssopand weed up
thyme，supply it with one genderof herbs，or
distract it with many，either to have it sterile
with idleness，or manured with industry，why，the
power and corrigibleauthority of this lies in our
wills．If the balance of our lives had not one
scale of reason to poise another of sensuality，the blood
and baseness of our natures would conduct us
to most presposterous conclusions：but we have
reason to cool our raging motions，our carnal
stings，our unbitted lusts，whereof I take this that
you call love to be a sect or scion．
RODERIGO
It cannot be．
IAGO
It is merely a lustof the blood and a permission of
the will．Come，be a man Drown thyself！drown
cats and blind puppies．I have professed me thy
friend and I confess me knitto thy deserving with
cablesof perdurable toughness；I could never
better steadthee than now．Put money in thy
purse；follow thou the wars；defeat thy favour with
an usurpedbeard；I say，put money in thy purse．It
cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her
love to the Moor，—put money in thy purse，—nor he
his to her：it was a violent commencement，and thou
shalt see an answerable sequestration：—put but
money in thy purse．These Moors are changeable in
their wills：fill thy purse with money：——the food
that to him now is as lusciousas locusts，shall be
to him shortly as bitter as coloquintida．She must
change for youth：when she is satedwith his body，
she will find the error of her choice：she must
have change，she must：therefore put money in thy
purse．If thou wilt needs damnthyself，do it a
more delicatéway than drowning．Make all the money
thou canst：if sanctimony and a frail vow betwixt
an erring barbarian and a supersubtle Venetian not
too hard for my wits and all the tribe of hell，thou
shalt enjoy her；therefore make money．A poxof
drowning thyself！it is clean out of the way ：seek
thou rather to be hanged in compassingthy joy thanto
be drowned and go without her．
RODERIGO
Wilt thou be fast to my hopes，if I depend on
the issue？
IAGO
Thou art sure of me：——go，make money：——I have told
thee often，and I re-tell thee again and again，I
hate the Moor：my cause is hearted；thine hath no
less reason．Let us be conjunctivein our revenge
against him：if thou canst cuckoldhim，thou dost
thyself a pleasure，me a sport．
There are many events in the wombof time which will be
delivered．
Traverse！go，provide thy money．We will have moreof
this to-morrow．Adieu．
RODERIGO
Where shall we meet i’the morning？
IAGO
At my lodging．
RODERIGO
I’ll be with thee betimes．
IAGO
Go to；farewell．Do you hear，Roderigo？
RODERIGO
What say you？
IAGO
No more of drowning，do you hear？
RODERIGO
I am changed：I’ll go sell all my land
〔Exit．〕
IAGO
Thus do I ever make my fool my purse：
For I mine own gain’d knowledge should profane，
If I would time expend with such a snipe．
But for my sport and profit．I hate the Moor：
And it is thought abroad，that’twixt my sheets
He has done my office：I know not if’t be true；
But I，for mere suspicion in that kind，
Will do as if for surety．He holds me well；
The better shall my purpose work on him．
Cassio’s a proper man：let me see now：
To get his place and to plumeup my will
In double knavery——How，how？Let’s see：——
After some time，to abuse Othello’s ear
That he is too familiarwith his wife．
He hath a person and a smooth dispose
To be suspected，framedto make women false．
The Moor is of a free and open nature，
That thinks men honest that but seem to be so，
And will as tenderly be led by the nose
As asses are．
I have’t．It is engender’d．Hell and night
Must bring this monstrous birth to the world’s light．
［Exit］