Othello Page #21

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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 here. 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!

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'ld 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 iteration, woman? I say thy husband.

EMILIA:

O mistress, villany 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, IAGO, and others

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.

OTHELLO:

O! O! O!

He falls on the bed

EMILIA:

Nay, lay thee down and roar;

For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent

That e'er did lift up eye.

OTHELLO:

[Rising] O, she was foul!

I scarce did know you, uncle: there lies your niece,

Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd:

I know this act shows horrible and grim.

GRATIANO:

Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's dead:

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief

Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now,

This sight would make him do a desperate turn,

Yea, curse his better angel from his side,

And fall to reprobation.

OTHELLO:

'Tis pitiful; but yet Iago knows

That she with Cassio hath the act of shame

A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'd it:

And she did gratify his amorous works

With that recognizance and pledge of love

Which I first gave her; I saw it in his hand:

It was a handkerchief, an antique token

My father gave my mother.

EMILIA:

O heaven! O heavenly powers!

IAGO:

Come, hold your peace.

EMILIA:

'Twill out, 'twill out: I peace!

No, I will speak as liberal as the north:

Let heaven and men and devils, let them all,

All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.

IAGO:

Be wise, and get you home.

EMILIA:

I will not.

IAGO offers to stab EMILIA

GRATIANO:

Fie!

Your sword upon a woman?

EMILIA:

O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou speak'st of

I found by fortune and did give my husband;

For often, with a solemn earnestness,

More than indeed belong'd to such a trifle,

He begg'd of me to steal it.

IAGO:

Villanous whore!

EMILIA:

She give it Cassio! no, alas! I found it,

And I did give't my husband.

IAGO:

Filth, thou liest!

EMILIA:

By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen.

O murderous coxcomb! what should such a fool

Do with so good a woman?

OTHELLO:

Are there no stones in heaven

But what serve for the thunder?--Precious villain!

He runs at IAGO IAGO, from behind, stabs EMILIA, and exit

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