ACT 1
[Enter RODERIGO and IAGO]
RODERIGO
Tush! Never tell me; I take it much unkindly
Shut up! Don’t tell me that! I take it badly
That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse
That you, Iago, who can use my wallet
As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.
As if it were your own, should know of this.
IAGO
'Sblood, but you will not hear me:
For God’s blood, you’re not listening!
If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me.
If I so much as dreamt that, you should hate me.
RODERIGO
Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.
You told me that you absolutely hate him.
IAGO
Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,
Well, hate me if I don’t. Three city leaders
In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Had recommended me as his lieutenant
Off-capped to him: and, by the faith of man,
By telling him directly. And, I tell you,
I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:
I know I’m worth a role no worse than this.
But he; as loving his own pride and purposes,
But he, so full of pride and self-importance,
Evades them, with a bombast circumstance
Avoids what they are saying, waffling on
Horribly stuffed with epithets of war;
With over-wordy military jargon.
And, in conclusion,
And, in the end,
Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he,
He shuns their tip for me; “For sure,” he says,
'I have already chose my officer.'
“I have already chosen my lieutenant.”
And what was he?
And who’d he choose?
Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
Indeed, a man who’s merely good at maths,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
One Michael Cassio, who comes from Florence,
A fellow almost damned in a fair wife;
A man whose wife’s so hot, he’s almost cursed;
That never set a squadron in the field,
He’s never led an army into battle
Nor the division of a battle knows
And knows about the strategies of war
More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,
As well as an old lady; it’s all theory
Wherein the toged consuls can propose
He’s learned from senators dressed up in togas
As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise,
That talk as well as him: all talk, no action
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:
Is all he knows of warfare. Yet, he’s chosen;
And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof
And me, someone he’s seen with his own eyes
At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds
On battlefields in Cyprus, Rhodes and other
Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calmed
Christian and Pagan wars, must be appeased
By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,
By an accountant! He who counts the beans
He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,
Will soon become his chief commanding officer
And I--God bless the mark!--his Moorship's ancient.
Whilst I – for goodness sake! – just wave his flag.
RODERIGO
By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.
Good grief, I’d rather be his executioner.
IAGO
Why, there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of service,
I’m powerless; this pain comes with the job.
Preferment goes by letter and affection,
Promotion comes through cronies’ favouritism
And not by old gradation, where each second
And not by rank, whereby subordinates
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Reported to their master. So, decide
Whether I in any just term am affined
If there is any reason I’m obliged
To love the Moor.
To love the Moor.
RODERIGO
I would not follow him then.
If I were you, I wouldn’t.
IAGO
O, sir, content you;
Oh sir, don’t worry:
I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
I only work for him to get revenge:
We cannot all be masters, nor all masters
Not everyone can lead, nor all those leading
Cannot be truly followed. You shall mark
Cannot lead everyone. I’m sure you’ve noticed
Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,
Many obedient, hardworking soldiers
That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,
That act like slaves and blindly do their jobs,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
And let time pass, just like their master’s donkey,
For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashiered:
Just to be fed; then when they’re old, they’re fired.
Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are
I’d whip those honest fools. But there are others
Who, trimmed in forms and visages of duty,
That, though they’re dressed in soldier’s uniform,
Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,
Do secretly think only of themselves,
And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,
And through some empty gestures for their leaders,
Do well thrive by them and when they have lined
They take their money and when they have earned
their coats
their fill,
Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;
Hoard all of it themselves. These guys have soul,
And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,
And, proudly, I am one of them myself. For, sir,
It is as sure as you are Roderigo,
I’m certain, just as you are called Roderigo,
Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:
If I were him, I’d not want to be me.
In following him, I follow but myself;
By working for him, I work for myself;
Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,
God is my only judge: the work I do
But seeming so, for my peculiar end:
That seems sincere, I do to sort myself out.
For when my outward action doth demonstrate
For if my outer actions represented
The native act and figure of my heart
The way I really felt within my heart
In compliment extern, 'tis not long after
So one could see it for themselves, then not long
But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve
After I’d worn my heart upon my sleeve,
For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.
The crows would peck it; I’m not who I seem.
RODERIGO
What a full fortune does the thicklips owe
How lucky old big-lips is then if he
If he can carry't thus!
Can carry this one off!
IAGO
Call up her father,
Go call her father,
Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight,
Wake him up: shake him up, destroy his sleep,
Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,
And shout his name out loud; wind-up his family,
And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,
And, though he lives within a lovely house,
Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy,
We’ll pester him. And though he may stay happy,
Yet throw such changes of vexation on't,
We will be so incredibly annoying
As it may lose some colour.
His happiness will fade a bit.
RODERIGO
Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud.
Here is her father’s house; I’ll shout to him.
IAGO
Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell
Do it! And shout like someone terrified
As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Like, when at night through negligence, a fire
Is spied in populous cities.
Is spotted in a busy city.
RODERIGO
What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho!
Hey up, Brabantio! Mister Brabantio, hey!
IAGO
Awake! What, ho, Brabantio! Thieves! Thieves! Thieves!
Wake up! Oi, you, Brabantio! You’re being robbed!
Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!
Secure your house, your daughter and your bags!
Thieves! Thieves!
Thieves! Thieves!
[BRABANTIO appears above, at a window]
BRABANTIO
What is the reason of this terrible summons?
What is the reason for this awful shouting?
What is the matter there?
Whatever’s going on?
RODERIGO
Signior, is all your family within?
Sir, are your family home?
IAGO
Are your doors locked?
Are your doors locked?
BRABANTIO
Why, wherefore ask you this?
Why? Why do you ask this?
IAGO
'Zounds, sir, you're robbed; for shame, put on your gown;
By Christ’s wounds, you’ve been robbed! Put on your clothes;
Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;
Your heart will break, for you’ve lost half your soul;
Even now, now, very now, an old black ram
For at this very moment, an old black ram
Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise;
Is sleeping with your white ewe. So, get up;
Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,
Wake all the sleeping people with your bell,
Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:
Or else the devil will make you a granddad.
Arise, I say.
Get up, I say.
BRABANTIO
What, have you lost your wits?
What, have you lost your mind?
RODERIGO
Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?
Fine sir, do you not recognise my voice?
BRABANTIO
Not I what are you?
I don’t; who are you?
RODERIGO
My name is Roderigo.
My name is Roderigo.
BRABANTIO
The worser welcome:
You are not welcome here:
I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors:
I’ve told you not to hang around my house.
In honest plainness thou hast heard me say
With honest openness, you’ve heard me say
My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,
You can’t be with my daughter. And now, madly,
Being full of supper and distempering draughts,
Full up from dinner and intoxicated,
Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come
You arrogantly come here to upset me
To start my quiet.
And break my sleep.
RODERIGO
Sir, sir, sir,--
Sir, sir, sir,–
BRABANTIO
But thou must needs be sure
But you must understand
My spirit and my place have in them power
I have resilience and wherewithal
To make this bitter to thee.
To make this bad for you.
RODERIGO
Patience, good sir.
Wait up, good sir.
BRABANTIO
What tell'st thou me of robbing? This is Venice;
Why do you talk of robbery? This is Venice;
My house is not a grange.
My home is not a farm house.
RODERIGO
Most grave Brabantio,
Brabantio,
In simple and pure soul I come to you.
I come to you with pure and good intentions.
IAGO
'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not
For Christ’s sake, you’re so stubborn, you would not
serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to
serve God if told to by the devil. So, though we’ve come to
do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll
help you and you think we’re bad guys, you’ll
have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse;
let your daughter be shagged by an African horse;
you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have
your descendants will neigh to you; your family
coursers for cousins and gennets for germans.
will consist of ponies and colts.
BRABANTIO
What profane wretch art thou?
What foul-mouth fool are you?
IAGO
I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter
I am the man to tell you that your daughter
and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.
and the Moor are currently laid down together, having sex.
BRABANTIO
Thou art a villain.
You are a villain.
IAGO
You are--a senator.
You are…a senator.
BRABANTIO
This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.
You’ll pay for this, Roderigo; I know what you’re like.
RODERIGO
Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,
I’ll pay for what I’ve done. But, hear me out:
If't be your pleasure and most wise consent,
If it’s your wish, and she has your permission,
As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter,
As it appears, that your beautiful daughter,
At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,
At this strange time, between midnight and one,
Transported, with no worse nor better guard
Has gone, with no one better to protect her
But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,
Than your boy-servant who propels your boat,
To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor--
Into the hands of a vile, lustful Moor –
If this be known to you and your allowance,
If you know this and this has got your blessing,
We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;
Well then, our boldness must have caused offence.
But if you know not this, my manners tell me
But if you do not know of this, good manners
We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe
State you are wrong to tell us off. Don’t think
That, from the sense of all civility,
That I’d forgo all sense of decency
I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:
To mess about with your respect of me.
Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,
So if your daughter left without permission,
I say again, hath made a gross revolt;
I’ll say again, she’s grossly disobeyed you,
Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes
Wedding herself, her beauty and her wealth
In an extravagant and wheeling stranger
To an exuberant, exotic nomad
Of here and every where. Straight satisfy yourself:
From God knows where. Go, see it for yourself:
If she be in her chamber or your house,
If she is in her bedroom in your house,
Let loose on me the justice of the state
Then sue me to bring justice from the law
For thus deluding you.
For lying to you like this.
BRABANTIO
Strike on the tinder, ho!
Strike a match!
Give me a taper! Call up all my people!
Give me a candle! Wake up everyone!
This accident is not unlike my dream:
This ghastly scene is similar to my dream:
Belief of it oppresses me already.
Believing it is already upsetting.
Light, I say! Light!
Get me some light!
[Exit above]
IAGO
Farewell; for I must leave you:
Goodbye; I have to leave you.
It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,
It won’t be right, nor helpful to my role,
To be produced--as, if I stay, I shall--
To testify – for if I stay, I’ll have to –
Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state,
Against the Moor. For I’m aware the state –
However this may gall him with some cheque,
Although rebuking him might irritate him –
Cannot with safety cast him, for he's embarked
Can’t safely fire him, for he has departed
With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,
With credibility to fight with Cyprus
Which even now stand in act, that, for their souls,
Within the current war, they well know
Another of his fathom they have none,
There is no other person of his stature
To lead their business: in which regard,
To lead their battles. And I must accept,
Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains.
Although I hate him just as much as hell,
Yet, for necessity of present life,
I must, to keep the current life I have,
I must show out a flag and sign of love,
Show indication that I do support him,
Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him,
Although it’s just an act. You’re sure to find him
Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;
By searching in the Sagittary Inn;
And there will I be with him. So, farewell.
And I will be there with him. So, goodbye.
[Exit]
[Enter, below, BRABANTIO, and Servants with torches]
BRABANTIO
It is too true an evil: gone she is;
It is an evil truth, for she has gone;
And what's to come of my despised time
And all my wretched time on earth that’s left
Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,
Is full of bitterness. Now, Roderigo,
Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!
Where did you see her? Oh, unhappy girl!
With the Moor, say'st thou? Who would be a father!
With the Moor, you said? Who’d be a father!
How didst thou know 'twas she? O she deceives me
How did you know it was her? Oh, she’s tricked me
Past thought! What said she to you? Get more tapers:
Beyond belief! What did she say? Get candles,
Raise all my kindred. Are they married, think you?
And wake my family. Do you think they’re married?
RODERIGO
Truly, I think they are.
In truth, I think they are.
BRABANTIO
O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood!
How did she leave the house? And cheat her family!
Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds
From now on, fathers, do not trust your daughters
By what you see them act. Is there not charms
Except by their behaviour. Aren’t there spells
By which the property of youth and maidhood
That can be used on young and youthful virgins
May be abused? Have you not read, Roderigo,
To rape them? Have you read of that, Roderigo?
Of some such thing?
Have you read such a thing?
RODERIGO
Yes, sir, I have indeed.
Yes, sir, I have.
BRABANTIO
Call up my brother. O, would you had had her!
Call up my brother. I wish you had wed her!
Some one way, some another. Do you know
Some go this way; and some go that. Do you know
Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?
Where we might apprehend her with the Moor?
RODERIGO
I think I can discover him, if you please,
I think that I can find him, if you will
To get good guard and go along with me.
Provide me guards to go along with me.
BRABANTIO
Pray you, lead on. At every house I'll call;
Please, lead the way. I’ll stop at every house;
I may command at most. Get weapons, ho!
At most of them I’ll tell them to get weapons,
And raise some special officers of night.
And I will form a fighting force tonight.
On, good Roderigo: I'll deserve your pains.
Lead on Roderigo. I will compensate you.
[Exeunt]
