Othello

A Tragedy

William Shakespeare

• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Year: 2014
• eBook ISBN: 9781443443449
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Shakespeare Drama
• Index: Literature

Othello, a Moorish captain, secretly falls in love with and marries Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian nobleman. While the two live happily at first, a spurned suitor of Desdemona's and Iago, an ambitious officer under Othello's command, plan to tear the couple apart out of revenge for perceived slights suffered at their hands.

Known as "The Bard of Avon," William Shakespeare is arguably the greatest English-language writer known. Enormously popular during his life, Shakespeare's works continue to resonate more than three centuries after his death, as has his influence on theatre and literature. Shakespeare's innovative use of character, language, and experimentation with romance as tragedy served as a foundation for later playwrights and dramatists, and some of his most famous lines of dialogue have become part of everyday speech.

HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

ACT THREE

SCENE I. Cyprus. Before the citadel.

Enter CASSIO, with Musicians.

CASSIO Masters, play here; I will content your pains.

Something that’s brief; and bid ‘Good morrow, General’. [Music.

Enter Clown.

CLOWN Why masters, ha your instruments been in Naples, that they speak i’ th’ nose thus?

[5]

1 MUSICIAN How, sir, how?

CLOWN Are these, I pray, call’d wind instruments?

1 MUSICIAN Ay, marry, are they, sir.

CLOWN O, thereby hangs a tail.

[9]

1 MUSICIAN Whereby hangs a tale, sir?

CLOWN Marry, sir, by many a wind instrument that I know. But, masters, here’s money for you; and the General so likes your music that he desires you, of all loves, to make no more noise with it.

[14]

1 MUSICIAN Well, sir, we will not.

CLOWN If you have any music that may not be heard, to’t again; but, as they say, to hear music the General does not greatly care.

[18]

1 MUSICIAN We have none such, sir.

CLOWN Then put up your pipes in your bag, for I’ll away. Go; vanish into air; away.

[Exeunt Musicians.

CASSIO Dost thou hear, my honest friend?

[22]

CLOWN No, I hear not your honest friend; I hear you.

[26]

CASSIO Prithee keep up thy quillets. There’s a poor piece of gold for thee. If the gentlewoman that attends the General’s wife be stirring, tell her there’s one Cassio entreats her a little favour of speech. Wilt thou do this?

CLOWN She is stirring, sir; if she will stir hither, I shall seem to notify unto her.

CASSIO Do, good my friend. [Exit Clown.

Enter IAGO.

In happy time, Iago.

[30]

IAGO You have not been abed, then?

CASSIO Why, no; the day had broke before we parted.

I have made bold, Iago,

To send in to your wife: my suit to her

Is that she will to virtuous Desdemona

Procure me some access.

[35]

IAGO I’ll send her to you presently;

And I’ll devise a mean to draw the Moor

Out of the way, that your converse and business

May be more free.

CASSIO I humbly thank you for’t. [Exit Iago]

I never knew

[40]

A Florentine more kind and honest.

Enter EMILIA.

EMILIA Good morrow, good Lieutenant. I am sorry

For your displeasure; but all will sure be well.

The General and his wife are talking of it;

And she speaks for you stoutly: the Moor replies

[45]

That he you hurt is of great fame in Cyprus

And great affinity, and that in wholesome wisdom

He might not but refuse you; but he protests he loves you,

And needs no other suitor but his likings

To take the safest occasion by the front

To bring you in again.

[50]

CASSIO Yet, I beseech you,

If you think fit, or that it may be done,

Give me advantage of some brief discourse

With Desdemona alone.

EMILIA Pray you come in.

I will bestow you where you shall have time

To speak your bosom freely.

CASSIO I am much bound to you.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II. Cyprus. The citadel.

Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Gentlemen.

OTHELLO These letters give, Iago, to the pilot;

And by him do my duties to the Senate.

That done, I will be walking on the works;

Repair there to me.

IAGO Well, my good lord, I’ll do’t.

[5]

OTHELLO This fortification, gentlemen – shall we see’t?

GENTLEMAN We’ll wait upon your lordship.

[Exeunt.

SCENE III. Cyprus. The garden of the citadel.

Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA.

DESDEMONA Be thou assur’d, good Cassio, I will do

All my abilities in thy behalf.

EMILIA Good madam, do. I warrant it grieves my husband

As if the case were his.

[5]

DESDEMONA O, that’s an honest fellow. Do not doubt, Cassio,

But I will have my lord and you again

As friendly as you were.

CASSIO Bounteous madam,

Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio,

He’s never any thing but your true servant.

[10]

DESDEMONA I know’t – I thank you. You do love my lord;

You have known him long; and be you well assur’d

He shall in strangeness stand no farther off

Than in a politic distance.

CASSIO Ay, but, lady,

That policy may either last so long,

[15]

Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet,

Or breed itself so out of circumstances,

That, I being absent, and my place supplied,

My general will forget my love and service.

DESDEMONA Do not doubt that; before Emilia here

[20]

I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee,

If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it

To the last article. My lord shall never rest;

I’ll watch him tame, and talk him out of patience;

His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift;

[25]

I’ll intermingle everything he does

With Cassio’s suit. Therefore be merry, Cassio;

For thy solicitor shall rather die

Than give thy cause away.

Enter OTHELLO and IAGO.

EMILIA Madam, here comes my lord.

[30]

CASSIO Madam, I’ll take my leave.

DESDEMONA Why, stay, and hear me speak.

CASSIO Madam, not now. I am very ill at ease,

Unfit for mine own purposes.

DESDEMONA Well, do your discretion.

Exit Cassio.

IAGO Ha! I like not that.

[35]

OTHELLO What dost tho...

Table of contents

• Contents
• Othello
• Dramatis Personae
• Act One
• Act Two
• Act Three
• Act Four
• Act Five
• About the Author
• About the Series
• Copyright
• About the Publisher