Othello

---

'Tis certain, then, for Cyprus.

But who shall lead our business

against the Turkish fleet?

Othello.

Another of his fathom

we have none.

The fortitude of the place

is best known to him.

I take it much unkindly

that thou, lago...

...who hast had my purse

as if the strings were thine...

...shouldst know of this.

By the faith of man,

I know my price.

I am worth no worse a place.

But he, one Michael Cassio...

...a Florentine,

must his lieutenant be.

And I, of whom

his eyes had seen the proof...

- God bless the mark!...

his Moorship's ensign.

O by heaven, I rather

would have been his hangman.

Why, there's no remedy.

'Tis the curse of service.

I would not follow him then.

O, sir, content you.

I follow him

to serve my turn upon him.

We cannot all be masters, nor

all masters cannot be truly followed.

You shall mark...

...heaven is my judge,

not I for love and duty...

...but seeming so for my peculiar end.

I am not what I am.

What a full fortune does the thick-

lips owe, if he can carry it thus.

Call up her father.

Awake! Thieves! Signor!

Thieves! Look to your house,

your daughter and your bags!

Signor Brabantio!

Ho!

- Awake!

- Sir!

Thieves! Look to your house, your

daughter and your bags!

Thieves! Thieves!

What is the reason

of this terrible summons?

What is the matter here?

Signor...

...is all your family within?

I know you, Roderigo...

...and have charged thee

not to haunt about my doors.

In honest plainness,

thou has heard me say...

...my daughter is not for thee.

Are your doors locked?

Why? Wherefore ask you this?

Even now, now, very now...

...an old black ram

is tupping your white ewe.

What profane wretch art thou?

I am one

that comes to tell you...

...your daughter and the Moor are

making the beast with two backs.

Thou art a villain.

You are a senator.

This thou shalt answer, Roderigo.

Ay, sir!

I will answer anything.

But I beseech you,

straight satisfy yourself:

If she be in her chamber

or your house...

...let loose on me the justice

of the state for thus deluding you.

Strike on the tinder, ho!

Give me a taper!

Call up all my people!

This accident is not unlike my dream.

Belief of it oppresses me already.

Light, I say!

Light!

Get weapons, ho!

Farewell, for I must leave you.

The goodness of the night

upon you, friends.

I pray you, sir,

are you fast married?

Sir, you've been hotly called for.

Have with you.

- Halt!

- You!

IKeep up your bright swords,

for the dew will rust them.

O, thou foul thief!

Where hast thou stowed my daughter?

Damned as thou art,

thou hast enchanted her...

...to run from her garden to the sooty

bosom of such a thing as thou.

Lay hold upon him.

Hold your hands...

...both you of my inclining

and the rest.

Were it my cue to fight, I should have

known it without a prompter.

Good signor...

...where will you that I go

to answer this, your charge?

To prison...

...till fit time of law and course of

direct session call thee to answer.

What if I do obey?

How may the Duke

be therewith satisfied...

...whose messengers are

here about my side to bring me to him?

'Tis true,

most worthy signor.

The Duke's in council, and your

noble self, surely, is sent for.

How? The Duke in council?

In this time of night?

Bring him away.

Valiant Othello...

...we must straight employ you

against the general Turkish foe.

Welcome, gentle signor.

We lacked your counsel

and your help tonight.

So did I yours.

Good Your Grace, pardon me.

Neither my place,

nor aught I heard of business...

...has raised me from my bed.

My daughter!

O, my daughter!

Dead?

She is abused,

stolen from me and corrupted.

For nature so preposterously to err,

sans witchcraft could not.

Whoever he be

that in this foul proceeding...

...hath thus beguiled your daughter

of herself, and you of her...

...the bloody book of law you

shall yourself read...

...in the bitter letter after

your own sense.

Humbly, I thank Your Grace.

Here is the man.

Othello?

What in your own part can you

say to this?

Nothing, but this is so.

Most potent, grave

and reverend signors...

...my very noble

and approved good masters...

...that I have taken away this

old man's daughter...

...'tis most true.

True, I have married her.

The very head and front of my offending

hath this extent, no more.

Rude am I in my speech...

...and little blessed

with the soft phrase of peace.

For since these arms of mine

had seven years' pith...

...till now some nine moons wasted...

...they have used their dearest action

in the tented field.

And little of this great world

can I speak...

...more than pertains to feats

of broil and battle.

Therefore, little shall I

grace my cause...

...in speaking of myself.

Yet, by your gracious patience...

...I will a round,

unvarnished tale deliver...

...of my whole course of love:

What drugs, what charms...

...what conjuration

and what mighty magic...

- for such proceedings am I

charged withal... I won his daughter.

A maiden never bold...

...of spirit so still and quiet

that her motion blushed at herself...

...and she, in spite of nature,

to fall in love...

...with what she feared to look on!

I do beseech you, send for the lady...

...and let her speak of me

before her father.

If you do find me foul in her report...

...the trust, the office I do hold

of you, not only take away...

...but let your sentence even

fall upon my life.

Fetch Desdemona.

Her father loved me...

...oft invited me...

...still questioned me the story

of my life from year to year...

...the battles, sieges, fortunes

that I have passed.

Even from my boyish days...

...to the moment

he bade me tell it.

Wherein I spoke of

most disastrous chances...

...of moving accidents by

flood and field...

...hair-breadth escapes

in the imminent deadly breach...

...of being taken by the insolent foe...

...and sold to slavery.

And of the cannibals that

each other eat...

...the Anthropophagi...

...and men whose heads do grow

beneath their shoulders.

These things to hear

would Desdemona seriously incline.

And with a greedy ear

devour up my discourse...

...which I observing...

...took once a pliant hour...

...and found means to draw

from her a prayer of earnest heart...

...which I would

all my pilgrimage dilate.

She gave me for my pains...

...a world of sighs.

She swore, in faith, 'twas strange...

...'twas passing strange,

'twas pitiful...

...'twas wondrous pitiful.

She loved me

for the dangers I had passed...

...and I loved her

that she did pity them.

This only is

the witchcraft I have used.

Come hither, gentle mistress.

Do you perceive in all this company

where most you owe obedience?

My noble father...

...to you I am bound

for life and education.

My life and education both

do learn me how to respect you.

You are lord of all my duty.

I am hitherto your daughter.

But here's my husband.

And so much duty

as my mother showed to you...

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes