ACT 3
[Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown]
DESDEMONA
Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?
Do you know, matey, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?
CLOWN
I dare not say he lies any where.
I dare not say he’s lying anywhere.
DESDEMONA
Why, man?
You what now?
CLOWN
He's a soldier, and for one to say a soldier lies,
He is a soldier, and if one says a soldier is a liar,
is stabbing.
he will be stabbed.
DESDEMONA
Go to: where lodges he?
Get on with it: where is he staying?
CLOWN
To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie.
By saying where he’s staying, I’m telling you where I’m lying.
DESDEMONA
Can any thing be made of this?
What are you going on about?
CLOWN
I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a
I don’t know where he’s staying, and by coming up with a
lodging and say he lies here or he lies there, were
place and saying he is lying here or there, means
to lie in mine own throat.
I am lying to you.
DESDEMONA
Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?
Can you ask around and report back to me?
CLOWN
I will catechise the world for him; that is, make
I will interrogate the people; that is, I’ll ask
questions, and by them answer.
the questions, soliciting their answers.
DESDEMONA
Seek him, bid him come hither: tell him I have
Find him, and ask him to come here: tell him I have
moved my lord on his behalf, and hope all will be well.
convinced my husband for him, and everything will be fine.
CLOWN
To do this is within the compass of man's wit: and
That’s something any man can do, and
therefore I will attempt the doing it.
therefore I will give it a try.
[Exit]
DESDEMONA
Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia?
Where could I have lost that handkerchief, Emilia?
EMILIA
I know not, madam.
I don’t know, madam.
DESDEMONA
Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse
Believe me, I’d have rather lost my purse
Full of crusadoes: and, but my noble Moor
Full of gold coins; and, had my husband not been
Is true of mind and made of no such baseness
A decent man who hasn’t been afflicted
As jealous creatures are, it were enough
With jealousy, like others, it’s enough
To put him to ill thinking.
To make him be suspicious.
EMILIA
Is he not jealous?
He isn’t jealous?
DESDEMONA
Who, he? I think the sun where he was born
Who, him? I think the sunshine in his country
Drew all such humours from him.
Has burnt the fluids that might make him jealous.
EMILIA
Look, where he comes.
Look, here he comes.
DESDEMONA
I will not leave him now till Cassio
I won’t stop hassling him till Cassio
Be called to him.
Is reinstated.
[Enter OTHELLO]
How is't with you, my lord?
How are you, my lord?
OTHELLO
Well, my good lady.
I’m well, my lady.
[Aside]
O, hardness to dissemble!--
Oh, it’s so hard to pretend I’m well!
How do you, Desdemona?
How are you, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA
Well, my good lord.
I’m well, my lord.
OTHELLO
Give me your hand: this hand is moist, my lady.
Give me your hand: your hand is moist, my lady.
DESDEMONA
It yet hath felt no age nor known no sorrow.
Because I’m young and haven’t suffered sorrow.
OTHELLO
This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart:
Well, that suggests you’re fertile and flirtatious:.
Hot, hot, and moist: this hand of yours requires
Hot, hot and moist. This hand implies you need
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
To be confined, so you can fast and pray,
Much castigation, exercise devout;
Corrective punishment to foil temptation;
For here's a young and sweating devil here,
For young and sweaty hands imply the devil
That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand,
Invariably will tempt you. It’s a good hand,
A frank one.
An open one.
DESDEMONA
You may, indeed, say so;
Of course it’s fair to say that,
For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart.
For it’s the hand that gave my heart to you.
OTHELLO
A liberal hand: the hearts of old gave hands;
You gave your hand; before, hearts gave their hand;
But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.
But now, one gives their hand and not their heart.
DESDEMONA
I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise.
I do not know about that. Now, your promise.
OTHELLO
What promise, chuck?
What promise, dear?
DESDEMONA
I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you.
I’ve asked for Cassio to come and see you.
OTHELLO
I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me;
I have a runny nose and awful cough;
Lend me thy handkerchief.
Lend me your handkerchief.
DESDEMONA
Here, my lord.
Here you are, my lord.
OTHELLO
That which I gave you.
That one I gave you.
DESDEMONA
I have it not about me.
I don’t have it with me.
OTHELLO
Not?
You don’t?
DESDEMONA
No, indeed, my lord.
No, I do not, my lord.
OTHELLO
That is a fault.
That’s not good.
That handkerchief
That handkerchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give;
Was given to my mother by an Egyptian;
She was a charmer, and could almost read
She was a sorceress, and she could read
The thoughts of people: she told her, while she kept it,
The minds of people: she said, whilst she owned it,
'Twould make her amiable and subdue my father
She would be lovely, and my father would
Entirely to her love, but if she lost it
Be hopelessly in love with her, but if lost
Or made gift of it, my father's eye
Or given as a gift, my father would
Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt
Detest her and he’d start to hit upon
After new fancies: she, dying, gave it me;
Some other girls. She gave it to me, dying,
And bid me, when my fate would have me wive,
And told me that when I have got a wife,
To give it her. I did so: and take heed on't;
To give it to her. So I did; protect it;
Make it a darling like your precious eye;
So treat it preciously, just like your eyes;
To lose't or give't away were such perdition
To lose it or to gift it would be hell
As nothing else could match.
That nothing else could match.
DESDEMONA
Is't possible?
Is that the truth?
OTHELLO
'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it:
It’s true: there’s magic in that hanky’s fabric;
A sibyl, that had numbered in the world
A prophet woman, who had been alive
The sun to course two hundred compasses,
To see each season pass two hundred times,
In her prophetic fury sewed the work;
Had sewn it in a mad, hypnotic trance;
The worms were hallowed that did breed the silk;
The worms that spun the silk were mystical;
And it was dyed in mummy which the skilful
And it was smartly coloured from embalmed
Conserved of maidens' hearts.
Bodies of virgins’ hearts.
DESDEMONA
Indeed! Is't true?
Is that the truth?
OTHELLO
Most veritable; therefore look to't well.
The perfect truth; so take good care of it.
DESDEMONA
Then would to God that I had never seen't!
Well then, I wish to God I’d never seen it!
OTHELLO
Ha! Wherefore?
Ha! Why?
DESDEMONA
Why do you speak so startingly and rash?
Why are you snarling and all irritated?
OTHELLO
Is't lost? Is't gone? Speak, is it out o' the way?
You’ve gone and lost it? Tell me, is it missing?
DESDEMONA
Heaven bless us!
God help me!
OTHELLO
Say you?
What did you say?
DESDEMONA
It is not lost; but what an if it were?
It isn’t lost, but so what if it was?
OTHELLO
How!
You what!
DESDEMONA
I say, it is not lost.
I tell you, it’s not lost.
OTHELLO
Fetch't, let me see't.
Then fetch it.
DESDEMONA
Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now.
I could do, but I will not do that now.
This is a trick to put me from my suit:
You’re trying to trick me so I might forget:
Pray you, let Cassio be received again.
So please, let Cassio be reinstated.
OTHELLO
Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives.
Fetch me the handkerchief, for now I’m worried.
DESDEMONA
Come, come;
Come on,
You'll never meet a more sufficient man.
You won’t get one more qualified than him.
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
I pray, talk me of Cassio.
Please talk to me of Cassio.
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
A man that all his time
Someone through his career
Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,
Who has done very well because you love him,
Shared dangers with you,--
And he’s shared danger with you…
OTHELLO
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
DESDEMONA
In sooth, you are to blame.
In truth, it’s all your fault.
OTHELLO
Away!
Get out!
[Exit]
EMILIA
Is not this man jealous?
Isn’t that a jealous man?
DESDEMONA
I ne'er saw this before.
I’ve never seen him act like this before.
Sure, there's some wonder in this handkerchief:
There’s magic in that handkerchief, for sure:
I am most unhappy in the loss of it.
I’m absolutely gutted that it’s lost.
EMILIA
'Tis not a year or two shows us a man:
It takes a year or two to know a man:
They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
They’re empty stomachs; all we are is food,
To eat us hungerly, and when they are full,
That they eat when they’re hungry, and when full,
They belch us. Look you, Cassio and my husband!
They spit us out. Look, Cassio and my husband!
[Enter CASSIO and IAGO]
IAGO
There is no other way; 'tis she must do't:
There is no other way; she has to do it;
And, lo, the happiness! Go, and importune her.
And, look, how lucky! Go, insist she does it.
DESDEMONA
How now, good Cassio! What's the news with you?
Hello, good Cassio! What’s news with you?
CASSIO
Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you
Only my former problem: I must ask you
That by your virtuous means I may again
To use your moral character so I
Exist, and be a member of his love
Can get my role back, and regain his love
Whom I with all the office of my heart
As someone whom I love with all my heart
Entirely honour: I would not be delayed.
And want to serve; I do not want to wait.
If my offence be of such mortal kind
If what I have done wrong is just so awful
That nor my service past, nor present sorrows,
That neither my past service, nor my sorrow,
Nor purposed merit in futurity,
Nor what I’ve promised I’ll do in the future,
Can ransom me into his love again,
Is not enough to win his love again,
But to know so must be my benefit;
At least I’d like to know so I can learn;
So shall I clothe me in a forced content,
In that case, I’ll pretend that I am happy
And shut myself up in some other course,
And throw myself into some other job
To fortune's alms.
And take what I can get.
DESDEMONA
Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio!
Oh dear, kind Cassio!
My advocation is not now in tune;
My pleading is not working at the moment;
My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him,
My husband’s not himself; I wouldn’t know him
Were he in favour as in humour altered.
If his face changed as much as his behaviour.
So help me every spirit sanctified,
So help me God and every holy spirit,
As I have spoken for you all my best
For I’ve endorsed your strengths the best I can
And stood within the blank of his displeasure
And, blankly, I’ve been faced by his displeasure
For my free speech! You must awhile be patient:
For speaking openly! You must be patient:
What I can do I will; and more I will
What I can do I will; and I’ll do more
Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you.
For you than for myself; let that suffice.
IAGO
Is my lord angry?
Is my lord angry?
EMILIA
He went hence but now,
He just left right now,
And certainly in strange unquietness.
And he was in a strangely stroppy mood.
IAGO
Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon,
Can he ever get angry? I’ve seen cannons
When it hath blown his ranks into the air,
Blow his own soldiers into smithereens,
And, like the devil, from his very arm
And, as calm as the devil, from his arms
Puffed his own brother:--and can he be angry?
His brother was blown up…but was he angry?
Something of moment then: I will go meet him:
Something important’s happened then; I’ll meet him:
There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry.
There’s something very wrong if he is angry.
DESDEMONA
I prithee, do so.
Yes, please do that.
[Exit IAGO]
Something, sure, of state,
An issue in this country,
Either from Venice, or some unhatched practise
Either from Venice, or some secret plan
Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him,
That’s been unearthed in Cyprus that he now knows,
Hath puddled his clear spirit: and in such cases
Has clouded his clear vision; when this happens
Men's natures wrangle with inferior things,
Then little things will irritate a man,
Though great ones are their object. 'Tis even so;
Although a bigger issue caused it. That’s true;
For let our finger ache, and it indues
For when our fingers hurt, it seems to make
Our other healthful members even to that sense
Our other healthy limbs begin to share
Of pain: nay, we must think men are not gods,
The pain. No, we must not think men are gods, nor
Nor of them look for such observances
Expect them to behave as well as they did
As fit the bridal. Beshrew me much, Emilia,
Upon their wedding day. Damn me, Emilia,
I was, unhandsome warrior as I am,
I was, because I am so inexperienced,
Arraigning his unkindness with my soul;
Condemning him for being so unkind;
But now I find I had suborned the witness,
But I’ve incriminated one not guilty,
And he's indicted falsely.
And falsely blamed him.
EMILIA
Pray heaven it be state-matters, as you think,
I hope it’s state related, as you think,
And no conception nor no jealous toy
And not some made-up, silly jealousy
Concerning you.
About you.
DESDEMONA
Alas the day! I never gave him cause.
Heaven forbid! He doesn’t have a reason.
EMILIA
But jealous souls will not be answered so;
But jealous people always find a reason;
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But they are never jealous for that reason,
But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster
But jealous for the sake of jealousy:
Begot upon itself, born on itself.
It’s a self-breeding monster.
DESDEMONA
Heaven keep that monster from Othello's mind!
Dear God, please keep that monster from Othello!
EMILIA
Lady, amen.
Amen to that, my lady.
DESDEMONA
I will go seek him. Cassio, walk hereabout:
I’ll go and find him. Cassio, stay here:
If I do find him fit, I'll move your suit
If he is happy, I will state your case
And seek to effect it to my uttermost.
And try my best to get you reinstated.
CASSIO
I humbly thank your ladyship.
Well, thank you very much, your ladyship.
[Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA]
[Enter BIANCA]
BIANCA
Save you, friend Cassio!
Hello my friend, Cassio!
CASSIO
What make you from home?
What brings you here?
How is it with you, my most fair Bianca?
How are you then, my beautiful Bianca?
I' faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house.
My love, I was just coming round to see you.
BIANCA
And I was going to your lodging, Cassio.
And I was on my way to your house, Cassio.
What, keep a week away? Seven days and nights?
Why stay away a week? Seven days and nights?
Eight score eight hours? And lovers' absent hours,
One hundred and sixty-eight hours? Lovers know
More tedious than the dial eight score times?
That hours apart take eight times more than normal.
O weary reckoning!
It’s tiresome counting!
CASSIO
Pardon me, Bianca:
I am sorry, Bianca:
I have this while with leaden thoughts been pressed:
I have been overwhelmed with heavy thoughts.
But I shall, in a more continuate time,
But I will promise, when the time allows,
Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,
I’ll make it up to you. My sweet Bianca,
[Giving her DESDEMONA's handkerchief]
Take me this work out.
Go copy this embroidery.
BIANCA
O Cassio, whence came this?
Where’s this from?
This is some token from a newer friend:
This is a token gift from your new lover.
To the felt absence now I feel a cause:
And now I understand why you’ve been absent.
Is't come to this? Well, well.
So, has it come to this? Oh, well.
CASSIO
Go to, woman!
Oh, please, girl!
Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth,
Send your offensive guesses back to hell
From whence you have them. You are jealous now
From where they came. You’re being jealous now
That this is from some mistress, some remembrance:
By thinking this is from some other girlfriend:
No, in good troth, Bianca.
I swear it’s not, Bianca.
BIANCA
Why, whose is it?
Well, whose is it?
CASSIO
I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber.
I do not know: I found it in my bedroom.
I like the work well: ere it be demanded--
I like it, and before I give it back –
As like enough it will--I'ld have it copied:
As I am sure I must – I’ll have it copied.
Take it, and do't; and leave me for this time.
Take it and copy it; then leave me be.
BIANCA
Leave you! Wherefore?
Leave you! Why?
CASSIO
I do attend here on the general;
I’m waiting for the general, Othello;
And think it no addition, nor my wish,
And think it doesn’t help, nor do I want,
To have him see me womaned.
For him to see me womanising.
BIANCA
Why, I pray you?
Why not?
CASSIO
Not that I love you not.
It’s not because I do not love you.
BIANCA
But that you do not love me.
It’s just that you don’t love me.
I pray you, bring me on the way a little,
Come on, just come with me a little way,
And say if I shall see you soon at night.
And tell me if I’ll see you soon at night.
CASSIO
'Tis but a little way that I can bring you;
I can just go a little way with you,
For I attend here: but I'll see you soon.
For I am waiting here; but soon I’ll see you.
BIANCA
'Tis very good; I must be circumstanced.
That’s good enough, I will make do with that.
[Exeunt]
