Othello · William Shakespeare
SCENE II. Cyprus. A Bedchamber in the castle.
Desdemona in bed asleep; a light burning. Enter Othello. OTHELLO. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul, Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars! It is the cause. Yet I’ll not shed her blood, Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow, And smooth as monumental alabaster. Yet she must die, else she’ll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light: If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me. But once put out thy light, Thou cunning’st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat That can thy light relume. When I have pluck’d thy rose, I cannot give it vital growth again, It must needs wither. I’ll smell it on the tree. [_Kissing her._] O, balmy breath, that dost almost persuade Justice to break her sword! One more, one more. Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee, And love thee after. One more, and this the last. So sweet was ne’er so fatal. I must weep, But they are cruel tears. This sorrow’s heavenly, It strikes where it doth love. She wakes. DESDEMONA. Who’s there? Othello? OTHELLO. Ay, Desdemona. DESDEMONA. Will you come to bed, my lord? OTHELLO. Have you pray’d tonight, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA. Ay, my lord. OTHELLO. If you bethink yourself of any crime Unreconcil’d as yet to heaven and grace, Solicit for it straight. DESDEMONA. Alack, my lord, what may you mean by that? OTHELLO. Well, do it, and be brief, I will walk by. I would not kill thy unprepared spirit, No, heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul. DESDEMONA. Talk you of killing? OTHELLO. Ay, I do. DESDEMONA. Then heaven have mercy on me! OTHELLO. Amen, with all my heart! DESDEMONA. If you say so, I hope you will not kill me. OTHELLO. Hum! DESDEMONA. And yet I fear you, for you are fatal then When your eyes roll so: why I should fear I know not, Since guiltiness I know not, but yet I feel I fear. OTHELLO. Think on thy sins. DESDEMONA. They are loves I bear to you. OTHELLO. Ay, and for that thou diest. DESDEMONA. That death’s unnatural that kills for loving. Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip? Some bloody passion shakes your very frame. These are portents; but yet I hope, I hope, They do not point on me. OTHELLO. Peace, and be still! DESDEMONA. I will so. What’s the matter? OTHELLO. That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee, Thou gav’st to Cassio. DESDEMONA. No, by my life and soul! Send for the man and ask him.
OTHELLO. Sweet soul, take heed, take heed of perjury, Thou’rt on thy death-bed. DESDEMONA. Ay, but not yet to die. OTHELLO. Yes, presently: Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin. For to deny each article with oath Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception That I do groan withal. Thou art to die. DESDEMONA. Then, Lord have mercy on me! OTHELLO. I say, amen. DESDEMONA. And have you mercy too! I never did Offend you in my life, never lov’d Cassio But with such general warranty of heaven As I might love. I never gave him token. OTHELLO. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in ’s hand. O perjur’d woman, thou dost stone my heart, And mak’st me call what I intend to do A murder, which I thought a sacrifice. I saw the handkerchief. DESDEMONA. He found it then. I never gave it him. Send for him hither. Let him confess a truth. OTHELLO. He hath confess’d. DESDEMONA. What, my lord? OTHELLO. That he hath us’d thee. DESDEMONA. How? Unlawfully? OTHELLO. Ay. DESDEMONA. He will not say so. OTHELLO. No, his mouth is stopp’d. Honest Iago hath ta’en order for ’t. DESDEMONA. O, my fear interprets! What, is he dead? OTHELLO. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge Had stomach for them all. DESDEMONA. Alas, he is betray’d, and I undone!
OTHELLO. Out, strumpet! Weep’st thou for him to my face? DESDEMONA. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not! OTHELLO. Down, strumpet! DESDEMONA. Kill me tomorrow, let me live tonight! OTHELLO. Nay, if you strive,— DESDEMONA. But half an hour! OTHELLO. Being done, there is no pause. DESDEMONA. But while I say one prayer! OTHELLO. It is too late. [_Smothers her._] EMILIA. [_Within._] My lord, my lord! what, ho! my lord, my lord! OTHELLO. What noise is this? Not dead? Not yet quite dead? I that am cruel am yet merciful, I would not have thee linger in thy pain. So, so. EMILIA. [_Within._] What, ho! my lord, my lord! OTHELLO. Who’s there? EMILIA. [_Within._] O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you! OTHELLO. Yes. ’Tis Emilia, by and by. She’s dead. ’Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio’s death; The noise was high.—Ha! no more moving? Still as the grave. Shall she come in? Were’t good? I think she stirs again; no. What’s best to do? If she come in, she’ll sure speak to my wife. My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife. O, insupportable! O heavy hour! Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe Should yawn at alteration. EMILIA. [_Within._] I do beseech you That I may speak with you, O, good my lord!
OTHELLO. I had forgot thee: O, come in, Emilia. Soft, by and by; let me the curtains draw. Where art thou? [_Unlocks the door._] Enter Emilia. What’s the matter with thee now? EMILIA. O, my good lord, yonder’s foul murders done! OTHELLO. What, now? EMILIA. But now, my lord. OTHELLO. It is the very error of the moon, She comes more nearer earth than she was wont And makes men mad. EMILIA. Cassio, my lord, hath kill’d a young Venetian Call’d Roderigo. OTHELLO. Roderigo kill’d? And Cassio kill’d? EMILIA. No, Cassio is not kill’d. OTHELLO. Not Cassio kill’d! Then murder’s out of tune, And sweet revenge grows harsh. DESDEMONA. O, falsely, falsely murder’d! EMILIA. Alas, what cry is that? OTHELLO. That? What? EMILIA. Out, and alas! That was my lady’s voice. Help! help, ho! help! O lady, speak again, Sweet Desdemona! O sweet mistress, speak! DESDEMONA. A guiltless death I die. EMILIA. O, who hath done this deed? DESDEMONA. Nobody; I myself. Farewell. Commend me to my kind lord. O, farewell! [_She dies._] OTHELLO. Why, how should she be murder’d? EMILIA. Alas, who knows? OTHELLO. You heard her say herself, it was not I. EMILIA. She said so. I must needs report the truth. OTHELLO. She’s like a liar, gone to burning hell. ’Twas I that kill’d her. EMILIA. O, the more angel she, And you the blacker devil!
OTHELLO. She turn’d to folly, and she was a whore. EMILIA. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil. OTHELLO. She was false as water. EMILIA. Thou art rash as fire, to say That she was false: O, she was heavenly true! OTHELLO. Cassio did top her; ask thy husband else. O, I were damn’d beneath all depth in hell, But that I did proceed upon just grounds To this extremity. Thy husband knew it all. EMILIA. My husband? OTHELLO. Thy husband. EMILIA. That she was false to wedlock? OTHELLO. Ay, with Cassio. Nay, had she been true, If heaven would make me such another world Of one entire and perfect chrysolite, I’d not have sold her for it. EMILIA. My husband? OTHELLO. Ay, ’twas he that told me first. An honest man he is, and hates the slime That sticks on filthy deeds. EMILIA. My husband? OTHELLO. What needs this iterance, woman? I say thy husband. EMILIA. O mistress, villainy hath made mocks with love! My husband say that she was false? OTHELLO. He, woman; I say thy husband: dost understand the word? My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago. EMILIA. If he say so, may his pernicious soul Rot half a grain a day! he lies to the heart. She was too fond of her most filthy bargain.
OTHELLO. Ha! EMILIA. Do thy worst: This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven Than thou wast worthy her. OTHELLO. Peace, you were best. EMILIA. Thou hast not half that 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 hath kill’d my mistress! Murder, murder! Enter Montano, Gratiano and Iago. MONTANO. What is the matter? How now, general? EMILIA. O, are you come, Iago? You have done well, That men must lay their murders on your neck. GRATIANO. What is the matter? EMILIA. Disprove this villain, if thou be’st a man. He says thou told’st him that his wife was false. I know thou didst not, thou’rt not such a villain. Speak, for my heart is full. IAGO. I told him what I thought, and told no more Than what he found himself was apt and true. EMILIA. But did you ever tell him she was false? IAGO. I did. EMILIA. 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? IAGO. With Cassio, mistress. Go to, charm your tongue.
EMILIA. I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak. My mistress here lies murder’d in her bed. ALL. O heavens forfend! EMILIA. And your reports have set the murder on. OTHELLO. Nay, stare not, masters, it is true indeed. GRATIANO. ’Tis a strange truth. MONTANO. O monstrous act! EMILIA. Villany, villany, villany! I think upon’t, I think I smell’t; O villany! I thought so then. I’ll kill myself for grief. O villany, villany! IAGO. What, are you mad? I charge you, get you home. EMILIA. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak. ’Tis proper I obey him, but not now. Perchance, Iago, I will ne’er go home.
Text from Project Gutenberg, public domain in the United States.