Othello Act 4 scene 2 text

Act 4 scene 2

	Act IV Scene II A room in the castle.
	[Enter OTHELLO and EMILIA]
OTHELLO	You have seen nothing then?
EMILIA	Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect.
OTHELLO	Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together.
EMILIA	But then I saw no harm, and then I heard Each syllable that breath made up between them.	5
OTHELLO	What, did they never whisper?
EMILIA	Never, my lord.
OTHELLO	Nor send you out o' the way?
EMILIA	Never.
OTHELLO	To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing?	10
EMILIA	Never, my lord.
OTHELLO	That's strange.
EMILIA	I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Lay down my soul at stake: if you think other, Remove your thought; it doth abuse your bosom. If any wretch have put this in your head, Let heaven requite it with the serpent's curse! For, if she be not honest, chaste, and true, There's no man happy; the purest of their wives Is foul as slander.	15 20
OTHELLO	Bid her come hither: go.
	[Exit EMILIA]
	She says enough; yet she's a simple bawd That cannot say as much. This is a subtle whore, A closet lock and key of villanous secrets And yet she'll kneel and pray; I have seen her do't.	25
	[Enter DESDEMONA with EMILIA]
DESDEMONA	My lord, what is your will?
OTHELLO	Pray, chuck, come hither.
DESDEMONA	What is your pleasure?
OTHELLO	Let me see your eyes; Look in my face.	30
DESDEMONA	What horrible fancy's this?
OTHELLO	[To EMILIA] Some of your function, mistress; Leave procreants alone and shut the door; Cough, or cry 'hem,' if any body come: Your mystery, your mystery: nay, dispatch.	35
	[Exit EMILIA]
DESDEMONA	Upon my knees, what doth your speech import? I understand a fury in your words. But not the words.
OTHELLO	Why, what art thou?	40
DESDEMONA	Your wife, my lord; your true and loyal wife.
OTHELLO	Come, swear it, damn thyself Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves Should fear to seize thee: therefore be double damn'd: Swear thou art honest.	45
DESDEMONA	Heaven doth truly know it.
OTHELLO	Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.
DESDEMONA	To whom, my lord? with whom? how am I false?
OTHELLO	O Desdemona! away! away! away!	50
DESDEMONA	Alas the heavy day! Why do you weep? Am I the motive of these tears, my lord? If haply you my father do suspect An instrument of this your calling back, Lay not your blame on me: If you have lost him, Why, I have lost him too.	55
OTHELLO	Had it pleased heaven To try me with affliction; had they rain'd All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head. Steep'd me in poverty to the very lips, Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes, I should have found in some place of my soul A drop of patience: but, alas, to make me A fixed figure for the time of scorn To point his slow unmoving finger at! Yet could I bear that too; well, very well: But there, where I have garner'd up my heart, Where either I must live, or bear no life; The fountain from the which my current runs, Or else dries up; to be discarded thence! Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads To knot and gender in! Turn thy complexion there, Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd cherubin,-- Ay, there, look grim as hell!	60 65 70
DESDEMONA	I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.	75
OTHELLO	O, ay; as summer flies are in the shambles, That quicken even with blowing. O thou weed, Who art so lovely fair and smell'st so sweet That the sense aches at thee, would thou hadst ne'er been born!	80
DESDEMONA	Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
OTHELLO	Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write 'whore' upon? What committed! Committed! O thou public commoner! I should make very forges of my cheeks, That would to cinders burn up modesty, Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed! Heaven stops the nose at it and the moon winks, The bawdy wind that kisses all it meets Is hush'd within the hollow mine of earth, And will not hear it. What committed! Impudent strumpet!	85 90
DESDEMONA	By heaven, you do me wrong.
OTHELLO	Are you not a strumpet?
DESDEMONA	No, as I am a Christian: If to preserve this vessel for my lord From any other foul unlawful touch Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.	95
OTHELLO	What, not a whore?
DESDEMONA	No, as I shall be saved.	100
OTHELLO	Is't possible?
DESDEMONA	O, heaven forgive us!
OTHELLO	I cry you mercy, then: I took you for that cunning whore of Venice That married with Othello. You, mistress,	105
	[Raising his voice]
	That have the office opposite to Saint Peter, And keep the gate of hell! You, you, ay, you!
	[Re-enter EMILIA]
	We have done our course; there's money for your pains: I pray you, turn the key and keep our counsel.	110
	[Exit]
EMILIA	Alas, what does this gentleman conceive? How do you, madam? how do you, my good lady?
DESDEMONA	'Faith, half asleep.
EMILIA	Good madam, what's the matter with my lord?
DESDEMONA	With who?	115
EMILIA	Why, with my lord, madam.
DESDEMONA	Who is thy lord?
EMILIA	He that is yours, sweet lady.
DESDEMONA	I have none: do not talk to me, Emilia; I cannot weep; nor answer have I none, But what should go by water. Prithee, tonight Lay on my bed my wedding sheets: remember; And call thy husband hither.	120
EMILIA	Here's a change indeed!
	[Exit]
DESDEMONA	'Tis meet I should be used so, very meet. How have I been behaved, that he might stick The small'st opinion on my least misuse?	125
	[Re-enter EMILIA with IAGO]
IAGO	What is your pleasure, madam? How is't with you?
DESDEMONA	I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes Do it with gentle means and easy tasks: He might have chid me so; for, in good faith, I am a child to chiding.	130
IAGO	What's the matter, lady?
EMILIA	Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhored her. Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her, As true hearts cannot bear.	135
DESDEMONA	Am I that name, Iago?
IAGO	What name, fair lady?
DESDEMONA	Such as she says my lord did say I was.	140
EMILIA	He call'd her whore: a beggar in his drink Could not have laid such terms upon his callat.
IAGO	Why did he so?
DESDEMONA	I do not know; I am sure I am none such.
IAGO	Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day!	145
EMILIA	Hath she forsook so many noble matches, Her father and her country and her friends, To be call'd whore? would it not make one weep?
DESDEMONA	It is my wretched fortune.	150
IAGO	Beshrew him for't! How comes this trick upon him?
DESDEMONA	Nay, heaven doth know.
EMILIA	I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain, Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, Have not devised this slander; I'll be hang'd else.	155
IAGO	Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible.
DESDEMONA	If any such there be, heaven pardon him!
EMILIA	A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones! Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company? What place? what time? what form? what likelihood? The Moor's abused by some most villanous knave, Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow. O heaven, that such companions thou'ldst unfold, And put in every honest hand a whip To lash the rascals naked through the world Even from the east to the west!	160 165
IAGO	Speak within door.	170
EMILIA	O, fie upon them! Some such squire he was That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor.
IAGO	You are a fool; go to.
DESDEMONA	O good Iago, What shall I do to win my lord again? Good friend, go to him; for, by this light of heaven, I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel: If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love, Either in discourse of thought or actual deed, Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense, Delighted them in any other form; Or that I do not yet, and ever did. And ever will--though he do shake me off To beggarly divorcement--love him dearly, Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do much; And his unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love. I cannot say 'whore:' It does abhor me now I speak the word; To do the act that might the addition earn Not the world's mass of vanity could make me.	175 180 185 190
IAGO	I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humour: The business of the state does him offence, And he does chide with you.	195
DESDEMONA	If 'twere no other--
IAGO	'Tis but so, I warrant.
	[Trumpets within]
	Hark, how these instruments summon to supper! The messengers of Venice stay the meat; Go in, and weep not; all things shall be well.	200
	[Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA]
	[Enter RODERIGO]
	How now, Roderigo!
RODERIGO	I do not find that thou dealest justly with me.
IAGO	What in the contrary?	205
RODERIGO	Every day thou daffest me with some de- vice, Iago; and rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conveniency than suppliest me with the least advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it, nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly suffered.	210
IAGO	Will you hear me, Roderigo?
RODERIGO	'Faith, I have heard too much, for your words and performances are no kin together.
IAGO	You charge me most unjustly.	215
RODERIGO	With nought but truth. I have wasted my- self out of my means. The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist: you have told me she hath received them and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintance, but I find none.	220
IAGO	Well; go to; very well.
RODERIGO	Very well! go to! I cannot go to, man; nor 'tis not very well: nay, I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it.	225
IAGO	Very well.
RODERIGO	I tell you 'tis not very well. I will make myself known to Desdemona: if she will return me my jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my unlawful solicitation; if not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction of you.	230
IAGO	You have said now.
RODERIGO	Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing.	235
IAGO	Why, now I see there's mettle in thee, and even from this instant to build on thee a better opinion than ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo: thou hast taken against me a most just exception; but yet, I protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair.	240
RODERIGO	It hath not appeared.
IAGO	I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and your suspicion is not without wit and judgment. But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever, I mean purpose, courage and valour, this night show it: if thou the next night following enjoy not Desde- mona, take me from this world with treachery and devise engines for my life.	245 250
RODERIGO	Well, what is it? is it within reason and compass?
IAGO	Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice to depute Cassio in Othello's place.
RODERIGO	Is that true? why, then Othello and Desdemona return again to Venice.	255
IAGO	O, no; he goes into Mauritania and takes away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered here by some accident: wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio.	260
RODERIGO	How do you mean, removing of him?
IAGO	Why, by making him uncapable of Othello's place; knocking out his brains.
RODERIGO	And that you would have me to do?
IAGO	Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit and a right. He sups to-night with a harlotry, and thither will I go to him: he knows not yet of his horrorable fortune. If you will watch his going thence, which I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one, you may take him at your pleasure: I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with me; I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him. It is now high suppertime, and the night grows to waste: about it.	265 270 275
RODERIGO	I will hear further reason for this.
IAGO	And you shall be satisfied.
	[Exeunt]