Othello Page #4

Othello is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603. It is based on the story Un Capitano Moro by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565.

• Drama

								


Enter Desdemona, Iago, Attendants.

  Duke. I thinke this tale would win my Daughter too, Good Brabantio, take vp this mangled matter at the best: Men do their broken Weapons rather vse, Then their bare hands

   Bra. I pray you heare her speake? If she confesse that she was halfe the wooer, Destruction on my head, if my bad blame Light on the man. Come hither gentle Mistris, Do you perceiue in all this Noble Companie, Where most you owe obedience?
  Des. My Noble Father, I do perceiue heere a diuided dutie. To you I am bound for life, and education: My life and education both do learne me, How to respect you. You are the Lord of duty, I am hitherto your Daughter. But heere's my Husband; And so much dutie, as my Mother shew'd To you, preferring you before her Father: So much I challenge, that I may professe Due to the Moore my Lord

   Bra. God be with you: I haue done. Please it your Grace, on to the State Affaires; I had rather to adopt a Child, then get it. Come hither Moore; I here do giue thee that with all my heart, Which but thou hast already, with all my heart I would keepe from thee. For your sake (Iewell) I am glad at soule, I haue no other Child, For thy escape would teach me Tirranie To hang clogges on them. I haue done my Lord

   Duke. Let me speake like your selfe: And lay a Sentence, Which as a grise, or step may helpe these Louers. When remedies are past, the griefes are ended By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended. To mourne a Mischeefe that is past and gon, Is the next way to draw new mischiefe on. What cannot be preseru'd, when Fortune takes: Patience, her Iniury a mock'ry makes. The rob'd that smiles, steales something from the Thiefe, He robs himselfe, that spends a bootelesse griefe

   Bra. So let the Turke of Cyprus vs beguile, We loose it not so long as we can smile: He beares the Sentence well, that nothing beares, But the free comfort which from thence he heares. But he beares both the Sentence, and the sorrow, That to pay griefe, must of poore Patience borrow. These Sentences, to Sugar, or to Gall, Being strong on both sides, are Equiuocall. But words are words, I neuer yet did heare: That the bruized heart was pierc'd through the eares. I humbly beseech you proceed to th' Affaires of State

   Duke. The Turke with a most mighty Preparation makes for Cyprus: Othello, the Fortitude of the place is best knowne to you. And though we haue there a Substitute of most allowed sufficiencie; yet opinion, a more soueraigne Mistris of Effects, throwes a more safer voice on you: you must therefore be content to slubber the glosse of your new Fortunes, with this more stubborne, and boystrous expedition

   Othe. The Tirant Custome, most Graue Senators, Hath made the flinty and Steele Coach of Warre My thrice-driuen bed of Downe. I do agnize A Naturall and prompt Alacratie, I finde in hardnesse: and do vndertake This present Warres against the Ottamites. Most humbly therefore bending to your State, I craue fit disposition for my Wife, Due reference of Place, and Exhibition, With such Accomodation and besort As leuels with her breeding

   Duke. Why at her Fathers?
  Bra. I will not haue it so

   Othe. Nor I

   Des. Nor would I there recide, To put my Father in impatient thoughts By being in his eye. Most Gracious Duke, To my vnfolding, lend your prosperous eare, And let me finde a Charter in your voice T' assist my simplenesse

   Duke. What would you Desdemona?
  Des. That I loue the Moore, to liue with him, My downe-right violence, and storme of Fortunes, May trumpet to the world. My heart's subdu'd Euen to the very quality of my Lord; I saw Othello's visage in his mind, And to his Honours and his valiant parts, Did I my soule and Fortunes consecrate. So that (deere Lords) if I be left behind A Moth of Peace, and he go to the Warre, The Rites for why I loue him, are bereft me: And I a heauie interim shall support By his deere absence. Let me go with him

   Othe. Let her haue your voice. Vouch with me Heauen, I therefore beg it not To please the pallate of my Appetite: Nor to comply with heat the yong affects In my defunct, and proper satisfaction. But to be free, and bounteous to her minde: And Heauen defend your good soules, that you thinke I will your serious and great businesse scant When she is with me. No, when light wing'd Toyes Of feather'd Cupid, seele with wanton dulnesse My speculatiue, and offic'd Instrument: That my Disports corrupt, and taint my businesse: Let House-wiues make a Skillet of my Helme, And all indigne, and base aduersities, Make head against my Estimation

   Duke. Be it as you shall priuately determine, Either for her stay, or going: th' Affaire cries hast: And speed must answer it

   Sen. You must away to night

   Othe. With all my heart

   Duke. At nine i'th' morning, here wee'l meete againe. Othello, leaue some Officer behind And he shall our Commission bring to you: And such things else of qualitie and respect As doth import you

   Othe. So please your Grace, my Ancient, A man he is of honesty and trust: To his conueyance I assigne my wife, With what else needfull, your good Grace shall think To be sent after me

   Duke. Let it be so: Good night to euery one. And Noble Signior, If Vertue no delighted Beautie lacke, Your Son-in-law is farre more Faire then Blacke

   Sen. Adieu braue Moore, vse Desdemona well

   Bra. Looke to her (Moore) if thou hast eies to see: She ha's deceiu'd her Father, and may thee. Enter.

  Othe. My life vpon her faith. Honest Iago, My Desdemona must I leaue to thee: I prythee let thy wife attend on her, And bring them after in the best aduantage. Come Desdemona, I haue but an houre Of Loue, of wordly matter, and direction To spend with thee. We must obey the time. Enter.

  Rod. Iago

   Iago. What saist thou Noble heart?
  Rod. What will I do, think'st thou?
  Iago. Why go to bed and sleepe

   Rod. I will incontinently drowne my selfe

   Iago. If thou do'st, I shall neuer loue thee after. Why thou silly Gentleman?
  Rod. It is sillynesse to liue, when to liue is torment: and then haue we a prescription to dye, when death is our Physition

   Iago. Oh villanous: I haue look'd vpon the world for foure times seuen yeares, and since I could distinguish betwixt a Benefit, and an Iniurie: I neuer found man that knew how to loue himselfe. Ere I would say, I would drowne my selfe for the loue of a Gynney Hen, I would change my Humanity with a Baboone

   Rod. What should I do? I confesse it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my vertue to amend it

   Iago. Vertue? A figge, 'tis in our selues that we are thus, or thus. Our Bodies are our Gardens, to the which, our Wills are Gardiners. So that if we will plant Nettels, or sowe Lettice: Set Hisope, and weede vp Time: Supplie it with one gender of Hearbes, or distract it with many: either to haue it sterrill with idlenesse, or manured with Industry, why the power, and Corrigeable authoritie of this lies in our Wills. If the braine of our liues had not one Scale of Reason, to poize another of Sensualitie, the blood, and basenesse of our Natures would conduct vs to most prepostrous Conclusions. But we haue Reason to coole our raging Motions, our carnall Stings, or vnbitted Lusts: whereof I take this, that you call Loue, to be a Sect, or Seyen
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