Did I but speak thy deeds.—What committed!
Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks;
The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets,
Is hush’d within the hollow mine of earth,
And will not hear it.—What committed!—
Impudent strumpet!
DESDEMONA
By heaven, you do me wrong.
OTHELLO
Are not you a strumpet?
DESDEMONA
No, as I am a Christian:
If to preserve this vessel for my lord
From any other foul unlawful touch
Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.
OTHELLO
What, not a whore?
DESDEMONA
No, as I shall be sav’d.
OTHELLO
Is’t possible?
DESDEMONA
O, heaven forgive us!
OTHELLO
I cry you mercy then:
I took you for that cunning whore of Venice
That married with Othello.—You, mistress,
That have the office opposite to Saint Peter,
And keep the gate of hell!
SCENE X
[Re-enter Emilia.]
OTHELLO
You, you, ay, you!
We have done our course; there’s money for your pains:
I pray you, turn the key, and keep our counsel.
[Exit.]
EMILIA
Alas, what does this gentleman conceive?—
How do you, madam? how do you, my good lady?
DESDEMONA
Faith, half asleep.
EMILIA
Good madam, what’s the matter with my lord?
DESDEMONA
With who?
EMILIA
Why, with my lord, madam.
DESDEMONA
Who is thy lord?
EMILIA
He that is yours, sweet lady.
DESDEMONA
I have none: do not talk to me, Emilia;
I cannot weep; nor answer have I none
But what should go by water. Pr’ythee, tonight
Lay on my bed my wedding sheets,—remember;—
And call thy husband hither.
EMILIA
Here’s a change indeed!
[Exit.]
DESDEMONA
‘Tis meet I should be us’d so, very meet.
How have I been behav’d, that he might stick
The small’st opinion on my least misuse?
SCENE XI
[Re-enter Emilia with Iago.]
IAGO
What is your pleasure, madam? How is’t with you?
DESDEMONA
I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes
Do it with gentle means and easy tasks:
He might have chid me so; for in good faith,
I am a child to chiding.
IAGO
What’s the matter, lady?
EMILIA
Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhor’d her,
Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her,
As true hearts cannot bear.
DESDEMONA
Am I that name, Iago?
IAGO
What name, fair lady?
DESDEMONA
Such as she says my lord did say I was.
EMILIA
He call’d her whore: a beggar in his drink
Could not have laid such terms upon his callet.
IAGO
Why did he so?
DESDEMONA
I do not know; I am sure I am none such.
IAGO
Do not weep, do not weep:—alas the day!
EMILIA
Hath she forsook so many noble matches,
Her father, and her country, and her friends,
To be call’d whore? would it not make one weep?
DESDEMONA
It is my wretched fortune.
IAGO
Beshrew him for’t!
How comes this trick upon him?
DESDEMONA
Nay, heaven doth know.
EMILIA
I will be hang’d, if some eternal villain,
Some busy and insinuating rogue,
Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office,
Have not devis’d this slander; I’ll be hang’d else.
IAGO
Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible.
DESDEMONA
If any such there be, heaven pardon him!
EMILIA
A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones!
Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company?
What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave,
Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow:—
O heaven, that such companions thou’dst unfold,