Othello

William Shakespeare

• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9780486132655
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Shakespeare Drama
• Index: Literature

One of the greatest of Shakespeare's tragedies, Othello tells the story of a Moorish general in command of the armed forces of Venice who earns the enmity of his ensign Iago by passing him over for a promotion. Partly for revenge and partly out of pure evil, Iago plots to convince Othello that Desdemona, his wife, has been unfaithful to him.
Iago succeeds in his evil aims only too well, for the enraged Othello murders Desdemona. When Othello later learns of her innocence, he takes his own life. Bleak and unsparing, this play offers a stunning portrait of an arch-villain and an astute psychological study of the nature of evil.

ACT V

SCENE I. Cyprus. A Street.

Enter IAGO and RODERIGO

IAGO.

Here, stand behind this bulk; straight will he come:
Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home:
Quick, quick; fear nothing; I ’ll be at thy elbow:
It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
And fix most firm thy resolution.

ROD.

Be near at hand; I may miscarry in ’t.

IAGO

Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.

[Retires.]

ROD.

I have no great devotion to the deed;
And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons:
’T is but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.

IAGO.

I have rubb’d this young quat¹⁴⁷ almost to the sense,
And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
Every way makes my gain: live Roderigo,
He calls me to a restitution large
Of gold and jewels that I bobb’d¹⁴⁸ from him,
As gifts to Desdemona:
It must not be: if Cassio do remain,
He hath a daily beauty in his life
That makes me ugly; and besides, the Moor
May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril:
No, he must die. Be’t so. I hear him coming.

Enter CASSIO

ROD.

I know his gait; ’t is he. Villain, thou diest!

[Makes a pass at CASSIO.]

CAS.

That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
But that my coat is better than thou know’st:
I will make proof of thine.

[Draws, and wounds RODERIGO.]

ROD.

O, I am slain!

[IAGO from behind wounds CASSIO in the leg, and exit.]

CAS.

I am maim’d for ever. Help, ho! murder! murder! [Falls.]

Enter OTHELLO

OTH.

The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word.

ROD.

O, villain that I am!

OTH.

It is even so.

CAS.

O, help, ho! light! a surgeon!

OTH.

’T is he. O brave Iago, honest and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong!
Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead,
And your unblest fate hies: strumpet, I come!
Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
Thy bed lust-stain’d shall with lust’s blood be spotted.

[Exit.]

Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO

CAS.

What, ho! no watch? no passage?¹⁴⁹ murder! murder!

GRA. ’

T is some mischance; the cry is very direful.

CAS.

O, help!

LOD.

Hark!

ROD.

O wretched villain!

LOD.

Two or three groan: it is a heavy night:
These may be counterfeits: let ’s think ’t unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.

ROD.

Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death.

LOD.

Hark!

Re-enter IAGO, with a light

GRA.

Here ’s one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.

IAGO.

Who ’s there? whose noise is this that cries on murder?

LOD.

We do not know.

IAGO.

Did not you hear a cry?

CAS.

Here, here! for heaven’s sake, help me!

IAGO.

What’s the matter?

GRA.

This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it.

LOD.

The same indeed; a very valiant fellow.

IAGO.

What are you here that cry so grievously?

CAS.

Iago? O, I am spoil’d, undone by villains!
Give me some help.

IAGO.

O me, lieut...