Enter Desdemona, Emilia, and Clown.DESDEMONA Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?CLOWN I dare not say he lies anywhere.DESDEMONA Why, man?CLOWN 5He’s a soldier, and for me to say a soldier lies, ’tis stabbing.
DESDEMONA Go to! Where lodges he?[CLOWN To tell you where he lodges is to tell you where I lie.DESDEMONA 10Can anything be made of this?]CLOWN I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging and say he lies here, or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.DESDEMONA Can you inquire him out, and be edified15 by report?CLOWN I will catechize the world for him—that is, make questions, and by them answer.DESDEMONA Seek him, bid him come hither. Tell him I have moved my lord on his behalf and hope all will20 be well.CLOWN To do this is within the compass of man’s wit, and therefore I will attempt the doing it.Clown exits.DESDEMONA Where should I lose ⟨that⟩ handkerchief, Emilia?EMILIA I know not, madam.DESDEMONA 25 Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse Full of crusadoes. And but my noble Moor Is true of mind and made of no such baseness As jealous creatures are, it were enough To put him to ill thinking.EMILIA 30 Is he not jealous?DESDEMONA Who, he? I think the sun where he was born Drew all such humors from him.EMILIA Look where he comes.Enter Othello.DESDEMONA 35 I will not leave him now till Cassio Be called to him.—How is ’t with you, my lord?
OTHELLO Well, my good lady. ⌜Aside.⌝ O, hardness to dissemble!— How do you, Desdemona?DESDEMONA 40 Well, my good lord.OTHELLO Give me your hand. ⌜He takes her hand.⌝ This hand is moist, my lady.DESDEMONA It ⟨yet has⟩ felt no age nor known no sorrow.OTHELLO This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart.45 Hot, hot, and moist. This hand of yours requires A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer, Much castigation, exercise devout; For here’s a young and sweating devil here That commonly rebels. ’Tis a good hand,50 A frank one.DESDEMONA You may indeed say so, For ’twas that hand that gave away my heart.OTHELLO A liberal hand! The hearts of old gave hands, But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.DESDEMONA 55 I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise.OTHELLO What promise, chuck?DESDEMONA I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you.OTHELLO I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me. Lend me thy handkerchief.DESDEMONA 60 Here, my lord.OTHELLO That which I gave you.DESDEMONA I have it not about me.OTHELLO Not?
DESDEMONA No, ⟨faith,⟩ my lord.OTHELLO 65That’s a fault. That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer, and could almost read The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it,70 ’Twould make her amiable and subdue my father Entirely to her love. But if she lost it, Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathèd, and his spirits should hunt After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me,75 And bid me, when my fate would have me wived, To give it her. I did so; and take heed on ’t, Make it a darling like your precious eye. To lose ’t or give ’t away were such perdition As nothing else could match.DESDEMONA 80 Is ’t possible?OTHELLO ’Tis true. There’s magic in the web of it. A sybil that had numbered in the world The sun to course two hundred compasses, In her prophetic fury sewed the work.85 The worms were hallowed that did breed the silk, And it was dyed in mummy, which the skillful Conserved of maidens’ hearts.DESDEMONA ⟨I’ faith,⟩ is ’t true?OTHELLO Most veritable. Therefore, look to ’t well.DESDEMONA 90 Then would to ⟨God⟩ that I had never seen ’t!OTHELLO Ha? Wherefore?DESDEMONA Why do you speak so startingly and rash?OTHELLO Is ’t lost? Is ’t gone? Speak, is ’t out o’ th’ way?DESDEMONA ⟨Heaven⟩ bless us!OTHELLO 95Say you?
DESDEMONA It is not lost, but what an if it were?OTHELLO How?DESDEMONA I say it is not lost.OTHELLO Fetch ’t. Let me see ’t!DESDEMONA 100 Why, so I can. But I will not now. This is a trick to put me from my suit. Pray you, let Cassio be received again.OTHELLO Fetch me the handkerchief! ⌜Aside.⌝ My mind misgives.DESDEMONA 105Come, come. You’ll never meet a more sufficient man.OTHELLO The handkerchief!⟨DESDEMONA I pray, talk me of Cassio.OTHELLO The handkerchief!⟩DESDEMONA 110 A man that all his time Hath founded his good fortunes on your love; Shared dangers with you—OTHELLO The handkerchief!DESDEMONA ⟨I’ faith,⟩ you are to blame.OTHELLO 115⟨Zounds!⟩Othello exits.EMILIA Is not this man jealous?DESDEMONA I ne’er saw this before. Sure, there’s some wonder in this handkerchief! I am most unhappy in the loss of it.EMILIA 120 ’Tis not a year or two shows us a man. They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; They eat us hungerly, and when they are full They belch us.Enter Iago and Cassio. Look you—Cassio and my husband.
IAGO, ⌜to Cassio⌝ 125 There is no other way; ’tis she must do ’t, And, lo, the happiness! Go and importune her.DESDEMONA How now, good Cassio, what’s the news with you?CASSIO Madam, my former suit. I do beseech you That by your virtuous means I may again130 Exist, and be a member of his love Whom I with all the office of my heart Entirely honor. I would not be delayed. If my offense be of such mortal kind That nor my service past nor present sorrows135 Nor purposed merit in futurity Can ransom me into his love again, But to know so must be my benefit. So shall I clothe me in a forced content, And shut myself up in some other course140 To fortune’s alms.DESDEMONA Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio, My advocation is not now in tune. My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him Were he in favor as in humor altered.145 So help me every spirit sanctified As I have spoken for you all my best, And stood within the blank of his displeasure For my free speech! You must awhile be patient. What I can do I will; and more I will150 Than for myself I dare. Let that suffice you.IAGO Is my lord angry?EMILIA He went hence but now, And certainly in strange unquietness.IAGO Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon
155 When it hath blown his ranks into the air And, like the devil, from his very arm Puffed his own brother—and is he angry? Something of moment then. I will go meet him. There’s matter in ’t indeed if he be angry.DESDEMONA 160 I prithee do so.He exits. Something, sure, of state, Either from Venice, or some unhatched practice Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him, Hath puddled his clear spirit; and in such cases165 Men’s natures wrangle with inferior things, Though great ones are their object. ’Tis even so. For let our finger ache, and it endues Our other healthful members even to a sense Of pain. Nay, we must think men are not gods,170 Nor of them look for such observancy As fits the bridal. Beshrew me much, Emilia, I was—unhandsome warrior as I am!— Arraigning his unkindness with my soul. But now I find I had suborned the witness,175 And he’s indicted falsely.EMILIA Pray heaven it be State matters, as you think, and no conception Nor no jealous toy concerning you.DESDEMONA Alas the day, I never gave him cause!EMILIA 180 But jealous souls will not be answered so. They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster Begot upon itself, born on itself.DESDEMONA Heaven keep ⟨that⟩ monster from Othello’s mind!EMILIA 185Lady, amen.
DESDEMONA I will go seek him.—Cassio, walk hereabout. If I do find him fit, I’ll move your suit And seek to effect it to my uttermost.CASSIO I humbly thank your Ladyship.⟨Desdemona and Emilia⟩ exit.Enter Bianca.BIANCA 190 ’Save you, friend Cassio!CASSIO What make you from home? How is ’t with you, my most fair Bianca? ⟨I’ faith,⟩ sweet love, I was coming to your house.BIANCA 195 And I was going to your lodging, Cassio. What, keep a week away? Seven days and nights, Eightscore eight hours, and lovers’ absent hours More tedious than the dial eightscore times? O weary reck’ning!CASSIO 200 Pardon me, Bianca. I have this while with leaden thoughts been pressed, But I shall in a more continuate time Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,⌜Giving her Desdemona’s handkerchief.⌝ Take me this work out.BIANCA 205 O, Cassio, whence came this? This is some token from a newer friend. To the felt absence now I feel a cause. Is ’t come to this? Well, well.CASSIO Go to, woman!210 Throw your vile guesses in the devil’s teeth, From whence you have them. You are jealous now That this is from some mistress, some remembrance. No, ⟨by my faith,⟩ Bianca.
BIANCA 215 Why, whose is it?CASSIO I know not neither. I found it in my chamber. I like the work well. Ere it be demanded, As like enough it will, I would have it copied. Take it, and do ’t, and leave me for this time.BIANCA 220Leave you? Wherefore?CASSIO I do attend here on the General, And think it no addition, nor my wish, To have him see me womaned.[BIANCA Why, I pray you?CASSIO 225Not that I love you not.]BIANCA But that you do not love me! I pray you bring me on the way a little, And say if I shall see you soon at night.CASSIO ’Tis but a little way that I can bring you,230 For I attend here. But I’ll see you soon.BIANCA ’Tis very good. I must be circumstanced.⟨They exit.⟩
