Oth. Though tongues were out of use. Emil. 'Las, what's the matter; what's the matter, husband? Iago. Cassio hath here been set on in the dark, By Roderigo, and fellows that are 'scap'd; He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead." Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio! lago. This is the fruit of whoring.-Pr'ythee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night:-- Bian. He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not. Iago. O, did he so? I charge you, go with me. Emil. Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet! Bian. I am no strumpet; but of life as honest, As you that thus abuse me. Émil. As I? foh! fie upon thee! Iago. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd: Come, mistress, you must tell us another tale.- And tell my lord and lady what has happ'd.- asleep. A light burning. Enter Othello. [Takes off his sword. Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men. Put out the light, and then put out the light:2 If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, I can again thy former light restore, Should I repent me:-but once put out thine, Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature, I know not where is that Promethean heat, Amen, with all my heart! Des. If you say so, I hope you will not kill me. Oth. Humph! Des. And yet I fear you for you are fatal then, When your eyes roll so': Why I should fear, I know not, Since guiltiness I know not; but yet, I feel, I fear. Oth. Think on thy sins. Des. They are loves I bear to you. Oth. Ay, and for that thou diest. Des. That death's unnatural, that kills for loving. Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip? Some bloody passion shakes your very frame: These are portents; but yet, I hope, I hope, They do not point on me. Oth. Peace, and be still. Des. I will so: What's the matter? Oth. That handkerchief, which I so lov'd, and gave thee, Thou gav'st to Cassio. Des. No, by my life and soul; Send for the man, and ask him. Sweet soul, take heed, Oth. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in his hand. O perjur'd woman! thou dost stone my heart, He found it then; That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd thy I never gave it him :-Send for him hither, [Kissing her. O balmy breath, that dost almost persuade Ay, Desdemona. Oth. If you bethink yourself of any crime, Unreconcil'd as yet to heaven and grace, Solicit for it straight. Des. Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that? I would not kill thy unprepared spirit; Oth. Ay, I do. Then heaven (2) i. e. The light of life. No, his mouth is stopp'd; Honest Iago hath ta'en order for't." Des. My fear interprets then,-What, is he dead? Oth. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge Had stomach for them all. Des. Alas! he is betray'd, and I undone. Des. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not. Des. Kill me to-morrow, let me live to-night. Oth. What noise is this?-Not dead? not yet quite dead? I, that am cruel, am yet merciful; I would not have thee linger in thy pain.- Emil. [Within.] What ho! my lord, my lord! a word with you. Oth. Yes;-'tis Emilia :-by and by.-She's 'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death: Of sun and moon; and that the affrighted globe Emil. [Within.] I do beseech you I may speak O, good my lord! Oth. I had forgot thee: 0, come in, Emilia:Soft,-by and by:-Let me the curtains draw.Where art thou? What's the matter with thee now ? [Unlocks the docr. Enter Emilia. Emil. O, good my lord, yonder's foul murder done. Oth. What? now? Emil. But now, my lord! Oth. It is the very error of the moon; Emil. Cassio, my lord, has killed a young Ve- Call'd-Roderigo. Oth. And Cassio kill'd? Emil. Roderigo kill'd! No, Cassio is not kill'd. Emil. My husband? Oth. What needs this iterance,' woman? I say, thy husband. Emil. O mistress, villany hath made mocks with My husband say, that she was false? He, woman; Oth. As I have to be hurt. O gull! O dolt! As ignorant as dirt! Thou hast done a deed, I care not for thy sword; I'll make thee known, Though I lost twenty lives :-Help! help, ho! help! Oth. Not Cassio kill'd? Then murder's out of The Moor has kill'd my mistress; Murder! murder! tune, Gra. 'Tis a strange truth. Villany, villany, villany!- Iago. What, are you mad? I charge you, get Emil. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to 'Tis proper I obey him, but not now :- O, she was foul!-[Rising.| I know, this act shows horrible and grim. Gra. Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's dead; Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief And fall to reprobation. Oth. 'Tis pitiful: but yet Iago knows, That she with Cassio hath the act of shame Oth. Come, guard the door without; let him not pass, Emil. What did thy song bode, lady? [Dies. Thou hast no weapon, and perforce must suffer. Gra. What is the mater? Behold! I have a weapon; A better never did itself sustain A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'd it: Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now. And she did gratify his amorous works Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers! sir? no; No, I will speak as liberal' as the air; Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all, Gra. I will not. Be not afraid, though you do see me weapon'd; O cursed, cursed slave!-Whip me, ye devils, [lago offers to stab his wife. Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!— Your sword upon a woman? Fie!! Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief thou Enter Lodovico, Montano, Cassio, carried in a speak'st of, I found by fortune, and did give my husband; But often, with a solemn earnestness (More than, indeed, belong'd to such a trifle,) He begg'd of me to steal it. lago. Villanous whore! no, alas; I found it, Filth, thou liest. Emil. She gave it Cassio! Oth. [lago stabs Emilia, then runs out. Are there no stones in heaven, But what serve for the thunder ?-Precious villain! Gra. The woman falls; sure he has kill'd his wife. Emil. Ay, ay; O lay me by my mistress' side! Mon. 'Tis a notorious villain. Take you this Which I have here recover'd from the Moor: (1) Free. Steel is hardened by being put red-hot into very cold water. chair, and Officers, with Iago, prisoner. Lod. Where is this rash and most unfortunate man? Oth. That's he, that was Othello; here I am. If that thou be'st a devil, I cannot kill thee. [Othello wounds lago. Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good, Oth. Ay. Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause. From this time forth I never will speak word. Torments will ope your lips. Which, as I think, you know not: Here is a letter, By Roderigo. Oth. O villain! Most heathenish, and most gross! Oth. Oth. I kiss'd thee, ere I kill'd thee;-No way but this, [Falling upon Desdemona. Killing myself, to die upon a kiss. Cas. This did I fear, but thought he had no weapon; For he was great of heart. [Dies. Lod. The beauties of this play impress themselves so strongly upon the attention of the reader, that they can draw no aid from critical illustration. The fiery openness of Othello, magnanimous, artless, and credulous, boundless in his confidence, ardent O the pernicious caitiff!-in his affection, inflexible in his resolution, and How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief obdurate in his revenge; the cool malignity of lago, That was iny wife's? silent in his resentment, subtle in his designs, and Cas. I found it in my chamber: studious at once of his interest and his vengeance; And he himself confess'd, but even now, the soft simplicity of Desdemona, confident of mer That there he dropp'd it, for a special purpose, it, and conscious of innocence, her artless perseveWhich wrought to his desire. rance in her suit, and her slowness to suspect that she can be suspected, are such proofs of Shakepeare's skill in human nature, as, I suppose, it is vain to seek in any modern writer. The gradual progress which Iago makes in the Moor's conviction, and the circumstances which he employs to inflame him, are so artfully natural, that, though it will, perhaps, not be said of him as he says of himself, that he is a man not easily jealous, yet we cannot but pity him, when at last we find him perplexed in the extreme. Oth. Lod. You must forsake this room, and go with us; That can torment him much, and hold him long, Oth. Soft you; a word or two, before you go. Albeit unused to the melting mood, Lod. O bloody period! [Stabs himself. All, that's spoke, is marr'd. (1) Judgment. There is always danger, lest wickedness, conjoined with abilities, should steal upon esteem, though it misses of approbation; but the character of lago is so conducted, that he is from the first scene to to the last hated and despised. Even the inferior characters of this play would be very conspicuous in any other piece, not only for their justness, but their strength. Cassio is brave, benevolent, and honest, ruined only by his want of stubbornness to resist an insidious invita tion. Roderigo's suspicious credulity, and impatient submission to the cheats which he sees praetised upon him, and which, by persuasion, he suf fers to be repeated, exhibit a strong picture of a weak mind, betrayed by unlawful desires, to a false friend; and the virtue of Emilia is such as we often find, worn loosely, but not cast off, easy to commit small crimes, but quickened and alarmed at atrocious villanies. The scenes from the beginning to the end are busy, varied by happy interchanges, and regularly promoting the progression of the story; and the narrative in the end, though it tells but what is known already, yet is necessary to produce the death of Othello. Had the scene opened in Cyprus, and the prece ding incidents been occasionally related, there had been little wanting to a drama of the most exact and scrupulous regularity. JOHNSON. FINIS. |