EMILIA
She give it Cassio! no, alas, I found it,
And I did give’t my husband.
IAGO
Filth, thou liest!
EMILIA
By heaven, I do not, I do not, gentlemen.—
O murderous coxcomb! What should such a fool
Do with so good a wife?
OTHELLO
Are there not stones in heaven
But what serve for thunder?—Precious villain!
[Iago stabs Emilia, and then runs out.]
GRATIANO
The woman falls; sure, he hath kill’d his wife.
EMILIA
Ay, ay:—O, lay me by my mistress’ side.
GRATIANO
He’s gone, but his wife’s kill’d.
MONTANO
‘Tis a notorious villain. Take you this weapon,
Which I have here recover’d from the Moor:
Come, guard the door without; let him not pass,
But kill him rather. I’ll after that same villain,
For ‘tis a damnèd slave.
[Exit Montano and Gratiano.]
OTHELLO
I am not valiant neither,
But every puny whipster gets my sword:—
But why should honour outlive honesty?
Let it go all.
EMILIA
What did thy song bode, lady?
Hark, canst thou hear me? I will play the swan,
And die in music:—
[Sings.]
“Willow, willow, willow.”
Moor, she was chaste; she lov’d thee, cruel Moor;
So come my soul to bliss, as I speak true;
So speaking as I think, I die,—I die.
[Dies.]
OTHELLO
I have another weapon in this chamber;
It is a sword of Spain, the ice-brook’s temper:—
O, here it is.—Uncle, I must come forth.
GRATIANO
[Within.] If thou attempt it, it will cost thee dear:
Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer.
OTHELLO
Look in upon me then, and speak with me,
Or, naked as I am, I will assault thee.
[Re-enter Gratiano.]
GRATIANO
What is the matter?
OTHELLO
Behold, I have a weapon;
A better never did itself sustain
Upon a soldier’s thigh: I have seen the day
That with this little arm and this good sword
I have made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop:—but, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? ‘tis not so now.—
Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon’d;
Here is my journey’s end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.
Do you go back dismay’d? ‘tis a lost fear;
Man but a rush against Othello’s breast,
And he retires:—where should Othello go?—
Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr’d wench!
Pale as thy smock! When we shall meet at compt,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl!
Even like thy chastity.—
O cursèd, cursèd slave!—Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! roast me in sulphur!
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!—
O Desdemon! dead, Desdemon! dead! O!
[Enter Lodovico, Montano, Cassio carried in a chair, and Officers with Iago prisoner.]
LODOVICO
Where is this rash and most unfortunate man?
OTHELLO
That’s he that was Othello;—here I am.
LODOVICO
Where is that viper? bring the villain forth.
OTHELLO
I look down towards his feet;—but that’s a fable.—
If that thou be’st a devil, I cannot kill thee.
[Wounds Iago.]
LODOVICO
Wrench his sword from him.
IAGO
I bleed, sir, but not kill’d.
OTHELLO
I am not sorry neither: I’d have thee live;
For, in my sense, ‘tis happiness to die.
LODOVICO
O thou Othello, that wert once so good,
Fall’n in the practice of a damnèd slave,
What shall be said to thee?
OTHELLO
Why, anything;
An honourable murderer, if you will;
For naught did I in hate, but all in honour.
LODOVICO
This wretch hath part confess’d his villany:
Did you and he consent in Cassio’s death?
OTHELLO
Ay.
CASSIO
Dear general, I never gave you cause.
OTHELLO
I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I pray, demand that demi-devil
Why he hath thus ensnar’d my soul and body?
IAGO
Demand me nothing: what you know, you know:
From this time forth I never will speak word.
LODOVICO
What, not to pray?
GRATIANO
Torments will ope your lips.
OTHELLO
Well, thou dost best.
LODOVICO
Sir, you shall understand what hath befall’n,
Which, as I think, you know not. Here is a letter
Found in the pocket of the slain Roderigo,
And here another: the one of them imports
The death of Cassio to be undertook