Never pray more; abandon all remorse
On horror's head horrors accumulate;
Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amaz'd;
For nothing canst thou to damnation add

Greater than that.

IAGO.

Are you a man!

God be wi' you;

O grace! O heaven forgive me! have you a soul or sense?

373

take mine office. O wretched fool! ·

That liv'st to make thine honesty a vice.

377

O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O world!
To be direct and honest is not safe.

I thank you for this profit, and, from hence
I'll love no friend, sith love breeds such offence.
OTHELLO. Nay, stay; thou shouldst be honest.
IAGO. I should be wise; for honesty 's a fool,
And loses that it works for.

OTHELLO.

By the world,

I think my wife be honest and think she is not;
I think that thou art just and think thou art not.
I'll have some proof. Her name, that was as fresh
As Dian's visage, is now begrim'd and black
As mine own face. If there be cords or knives,
Poison or fire or suffocating streams,

I'll not endure it. Would I were satisfied!

IAGO. I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion. I do repent me that I put it to you.

You would be satisfied?

OTHELLO.

Would! nay, I will.

380

384

388

393

IAGO. And may; but how? how satisfied, my lord ? Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on;

Behold her tupp'd?

OTHELLO.

Death and damnation! O!

IAGO. It were a tedious difficulty, I think,

To bring them to that prospect; damn them then,

If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster

More than their own! What then? how then?
What shall I say? Where's satisfaction?
It is impossible you should see this,

396

400

Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,
As salt as wolves in pride, and fools as gross

404

As ignorance made drunk; but yet, I say,
If imputation, and strong circumstances,
Which lead directly to the door of truth,
Will give you satisfaction, you may have it.

OTHELLO. Give me a living reason she's disloyal.
IAGO. I do not like the office;

But, sith I am enter'd in this cause so far,
Prick'd to 't by foolish honesty and love,
I will go on. I lay with Cassio lately ;
And, being troubled with a raging tooth,
I could not sleep.

There are a kind of men so loose of soul

408

412

416

In sleep I heard him say, 'Sweet Desdemona,
Let us be wary, let us hide our loves!'

That in their sleeps will mutter their affairs;
One of this kind is Cassio.

420

424

And then, sir, would he gripe and wring my hand,
Cry, O, sweet creature! and then kiss me hard,
As if he pluck'd up kisses by the roots,
That grew upon my lips; then laid his leg
Over my thigh, and sigh'd, and kiss'd; and then
Cried, Cursed fate, that gave thee to the Moor!' 427
O monstrous! monstrous !

OTHELLO.

IAGO.

Nay, this was but his dream. OTHELLO. But this denoted a foregone conclusion: "Tis a shrewd doubt, though it be but a dream. IAGO. And this may help to thicken other proofs That do demonstrate thinly.

OTHELLO.

/ 430

I'll tear her all to pieces.
IAGO. Nay, but be wise; yet we see nothing done;
She may be honest yet. Tell me but this:

Have you not sometimes seen a handkerchief
Spotted with strawberries in your wife's hand?

436

OTHELLO. I I gave her such a one; 'twas my first gift. IAGO. I know not that; but such a handkerchiefI am sure it was your wife's-did I to-day

See Cassio wipe his beard with.

OTHELLO.
IAGO.

If it be that,

If it be that, or any that was hers, It speaks against her with the other proofs.

440

OTHELLO. O! that the slave had forty thousand lives;

One is too poor, too weak for my revenge.
Now do I see 'tis true. Look here, Iago;
All my fond love thus do I blow to heaven :
"Tis gone.

Arise, black vengeance, from the hollow hell!
Yield up, O love! thy crown and hearted throne
To tyrannous hate. Swell, bosom, with thy fraught,
For 'tis of aspics' tongues!

IAGO.

OTHELLO.

Yet be content.
O! blood, blood, blood!

444

448

452

IAGO. Patience, I say; your mind, perhaps, may change.

OTHELLO. Never, Iago. Like to the Pontic sea,
Whose icy current and compulsive course

Ne'er feels retiring ebb, but keeps due on
To the Propontic and the Hellespont,

Even so my bloody thoughts, with violent pace,
Shall ne'er look back, ne'er ebb to humble love,
Till that a capable and wide revenge

Swallow them up.

456

460

[Kneels.

Now, by yond marble heaven,
In the due reverence of a sacred vow
I here engage my words.

IAGO.

Do not rise yet.
Witness, you ever-burning lights above!
You elements that clip us round about!
Witness, that here Iago doth give up
The execution of his wit, hands, heart,

[Kneels.

464

To wrong'd Othello's service! Let him command,
And to obey shall be in me remorse,

What bloody business ever.

OTHELLO.

I greet thy love,

469

Not with vain thanks, but with acceptance bounteous,

And will upon the instant put thee to 't:

Within these three days let me hear thee say

That Cassio 's not alive.

472

IAGO. My friend is dead; 'tis done at your request:

But let her live.

OTHELLO.

Damn her, lewd minx! O, damn her

Come, go with me apart; I will withdraw,
To furnish me with some swift means of death
For the fair devil. Now art thou my lieutenant.
IAGO. I am your own for ever.

SCENE IV.-Before the Castle.

Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown.

DESDEMONA.

Cassio lies?

477

[Exeunt.

Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant

CLOWN. I dare not say he lies any where.
DESDEMONA. Why, man?

4

CLOWN. He is a soldier; and for one to say a soldier lies, is stabbing.

DESDEMONA. Go to; where lodges he?

CLOWN. To tell you where he lodges is to tell you where I lie.

.9

DESDEMONA. Can anything be made of this? CLOWN. I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a lodging, and say he lies here or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.

13

DESDEMONA. Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report ?

CLOWN.

17

I will catechize the world for him; that is, make questions, and by them answer. DESDEMONA. Seek him, bid him come hither; tell him I have moved my lord in his behalf, and hope all will be well.

20

[Exit.

CLOWN. To do this is within the compass of man's wit, and therefore I will attempt the doing it. DESDEMONA. Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia ?

EMILIA. I know not, madam.

DESDEMONA.

purse

24

Believe me, I had rather have lost my

Full of cruzadoes; and, but my noble Moor
Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness
As jealous creatures are, it were enough
To put him to ill thinking.

28

EMILIA.

DESDEMONA.

was born

Is he not jealous?

Who! he? I think the sun where he

Drew all such humours from him.

EMILIA.

DESDEMONA.

Be call'd to him.

Look! where he comes.

I will not leave him now till Cassio

OTHELLO.

Enter OTHELLO.

How is 't with you, my lord ? 33 Well, my good lady. [Aside.] Ŏ! hardness

to dissemble.

How do you, Desdemona ?

DESDEMONA.

Well, my good lord. OTHELLO. Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my lady.

DESDEMONA.

sorrow.

36

It yet has felt no age nor known no

OTHELLO. This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart;
Hot, hot, and moist; this hand of yours requires
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
Much castigation, exercise devout;

For here's a young and sweating devil here,
That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand,
A frank one.

40

44

DESDEMONA. You may, indeed, say so; For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart. A liberal hand; the hearts of old gave

OTHELLO.

hands,

But our new heraldry is hands not hearts. DESDEMONA. I cannot speak of this. your promise.

OTHELLO. What promise, chuck?

Come now,

48

DESDEMONA. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you.

OTHELLO. I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me. Lend me thy handkerchief.