Reading Help THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO, MOOR OF VENICE

1605 `
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` THE TRAGEDY OF OTHELLO, MOOR OF VENICE `
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` by William Shakespeare `
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` Dramatis Personae `
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` OTHELLO, the Moor, general of the Venetian forces `
` DESDEMONA, his wife `
` IAGO, ensign to Othello `
` EMILIA, his wife, lady-in-waiting to Desdemona `
` CASSIO, lieutenant to Othello `
` THE DUKE OF VENICE `
` BRABANTIO, Venetian Senator, father of Desdemona `
` GRATIANO, nobleman of Venice, brother of Brabantio `
` LODOVICO, nobleman of Venice, kinsman of Brabantio `
` RODERIGO, rejected suitor of Desdemona `
` BIANCA, mistress of Cassio `
` MONTANO, a Cypriot official `
` A Clown in service to Othello `
` Senators, Sailors, Messengers, Officers, Gentlemen, Musicians, `
` and `
` Attendants `
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` SCENE: Venice and Cyprus `
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` ACT I. SCENE I. `
` Venice. A street. `
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` Enter Roderigo and Iago. `
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` RODERIGO. Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly `
` That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse `
` As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. `
` IAGO. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me. `
` If ever I did dream of such a matter, `
` Abhor me. `
` RODERIGO. Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate. `
` IAGO. Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city, `
` In personal suit to make me his lieutenant, `
` Off-capp'd to him; and, by the faith of man, `
` I know my price, I am worth no worse a place. `
` But he, as loving his own pride and purposes, `
` Evades them, with a bumbast circumstance `
` Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war, `
` And, in conclusion, `
` Nonsuits my mediators; for, "Certes," says he, `
` "I have already chose my officer." `
` And what was he? `
` Forsooth, a great arithmetician, `
` One Michael Cassio, a Florentine `
` (A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife) `
` That never set a squadron in the field, `
` Nor the division of a battle knows `
` More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric, `
` Wherein the toged consuls can propose `
` As masterly as he. Mere prattle without practice `
` Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election; `
` And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof `
` At Rhodes, at Cyprus, and on other grounds `
` Christian and heathen, must be belee'd and calm'd `
` By debitor and creditor. This counter-caster, `
` He, in good time, must his lieutenant be, `
` And I- God bless the mark!- his Moorship's ancient. `
` RODERIGO. By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman. `
` IAGO. Why, there's no remedy. 'Tis the curse of service, `
` Preferment goes by letter and affection, `
` And not by old gradation, where each second `
` Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself `
` Whether I in any just term am affined `
` To love the Moor. `
` RODERIGO. I would not follow him then. `
` IAGO. O, sir, content you. `
` I follow him to serve my turn upon him: `
` We cannot all be masters, nor all masters `
` Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark `
` Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave, `
` That doting on his own obsequious bondage `
` Wears out his time, much like his master's ass, `
` For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd. `
` Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are `
` Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty, `
` Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves, `
` And throwing but shows of service on their lords `
` Do well thrive by them; and when they have lined their coats `
` Do themselves homage. These fellows have some soul, `
` And such a one do I profess myself. `
` For, sir, `
` It is as sure as you are Roderigo, `
` Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago. `
` In following him, I follow but myself; `
` Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty, `
` But seeming so, for my peculiar end. `
` For when my outward action doth demonstrate `
` The native act and figure of my heart `
` In complement extern, 'tis not long after `
` But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve `
` For daws to peck at: I am not what I am. `
` RODERIGO. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owe, `
` If he can carry't thus! `
` IAGO. Call up her father, `
` Rouse him, make after him, poison his delight, `
` Proclaim him in the streets, incense her kinsmen, `
` And, though he in a fertile climate dwell, `
` Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy, `
` Yet throw such changes of vexation on't `
` As it may lose some color. `
` RODERIGO. Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud. `
` IAGO. Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell `
` As when, by night and negligence, the fire `
` Is spied in populous cities. `
` RODERIGO. What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho! `
` IAGO. Awake! What, ho, Brabantio! Thieves! Thieves! Thieves! `
` Look to your house, your daughter, and your bags! `
` Thieves! Thieves! `
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` Brabantio appears above, at a window. `
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` BRABANTIO. What is the reason of this terrible summons? `
` What is the matter there? `
` RODERIGO. Signior, is all your family within? `
` IAGO. Are your doors lock'd? `
` BRABANTIO. Why? Wherefore ask you this? `
` IAGO. 'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd! For shame, put on your gown; `
` Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul; `
` Even now, now, very now, an old black ram `
` Is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise! `
` Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, `
` Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you. `
` Arise, I say! `
` BRABANTIO. What, have you lost your wits? `
` RODERIGO. Most reverend signior, do you know my voice? `
` BRABANTIO. Not I. What are you? `
` RODERIGO. My name is Roderigo. `
` BRABANTIO. The worser welcome. `
` I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors. `
` In honest plainness thou hast heard me say `
` My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness, `
` Being full of supper and distempering draughts, `
` Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come `
` To start my quiet. `
` RODERIGO. Sir, sir, sir- `
` BRABANTIO. But thou must needs be sure `
` My spirit and my place have in them power `
` To make this bitter to thee. `
` RODERIGO. Patience, good sir. `
` BRABANTIO. What tell'st thou me of robbing? This is Venice; `
` My house is not a grange. `
` RODERIGO. Most grave Brabantio, `
` In simple and pure soul I come to you. `
` IAGO. 'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not serve `
` God, `
` if the devil bid you. Because we come to do you service and `
` you `
` think we are ruffians, you'll have your daughter covered with `
` a `
` Barbary horse; you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll `
` have `
` coursers for cousins, and gennets for germans. `
` BRABANTIO. What profane wretch art thou? `
` IAGO. I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter and `
` the `
` Moor are now making the beast with two backs. `
` BRABANTIO. Thou are a villain. `
` IAGO. You are- a senator. `
` BRABANTIO. This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo. `
` RODERIGO. Sir, I will answer anything. But, I beseech you, `
` If't be your pleasure and most wise consent, `
` As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter, `
` At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night, `
` Transported with no worse nor better guard `
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` But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier, `
` To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor- `
` If this be known to you, and your allowance, `
` We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs; `
` But if you know not this, my manners tell me `
` We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe `
` That, from the sense of all civility, `
` I thus would play and trifle with your reverence. `
` Your daughter, if you have not given her leave, `
` I say again, hath made a gross revolt, `
` Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes `
` In an extravagant and wheeling stranger `
` Of here and everywhere. Straight satisfy yourself: `
` If she be in her chamber or your house, `
` Let loose on me the justice of the state `
` For thus deluding you. `
` BRABANTIO. Strike on the tinder, ho! `
` Give me a taper! Call up all my people! `
` This accident is not unlike my dream; `
` Belief of it oppresses me already. `
` Light, I say, light! Exit `
` above. `
` IAGO. Farewell, for I must leave you. `
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