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ROD. O, help me there!

CAS. That's one of them.

IAGO.

O, murderous slave! O, villain!

ROD. O, damn'd Iago! O, inhuman dog!—

[Stabs RODERIGO.

IAGO. Kill men i' the dark!-Where be these bloody thieves?

How silent is this town!-Ho! murder! murder!

What may you be? are you of good or evil?

LOD. As you shall prove us, praise us.

IAGO. Signior Lodovico?

LOD. He, sir.

IAGO. I cry you mercy. Here's Cassio hurt by villains.

GRA. Cassio!

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Marry, heaven forbid!

Light, gentlemen-I'll bind it with my shirt.

Enter BIANCA.

BIAN. What is the matter, ho? who is 't that cried?
IAGO. Who is 't that cried?

BIAN. O, my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio!

O, Cassio! Cassio! Cassio!

IAGO. O, notable strumpet!-Cassio, may you suspect Who they should be that have thus mangled you?

CAS. No.

GRA. I am sorry to find you thus: I have been to seek you.
IAGO. Lend me a garter:-so.-O, for a chair,

To bear him easily hence!

BIAN. Alas, he faints!-O, Cassio! Cassio! Cassio!
LAGO. Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash

To be a party in this injury.

Patience awhile, good Cassio.-Come, come;
Lend me a light.-Know we this face or no?
Alas! my friend and my dear countryman,

Roderigo? no:-yes, sure; O, heaven!* Roderigo.
GRA. What, of Venice?

IAGO. Even he, sir: did you know him?

GRA.

Know him ay.

IAGO. Signior Gratiano? I cry your gentle pardon; These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,

That so neglected you.

GRA.

I am glad to see you.

IAGO. How do you, Cassio?-O, a chair, a chair!

GRA. Roderigo!

IAGO. He, he, 't is he :-O, that's well said;-the chair:

[A chair brought in.

Some good man bear him carefully from hence;
I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress,

(*) First folio, in place of 0, reaven, has, Yes 'tis,

[TO BIANCA.

Save you your labour.-He that lies slain here, Cassio,
Was my dear friend: what malice was between you?
CAS. None in the world; nor do I know the man.

IAGO. [TO BIAN.] What, look you pale ?-O, bear him out o' the air.[CASSIO and RODERIGO are borne off.

Stay you, good gentlemen.-Look you pale, mistress?

Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?

Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon:-
Behold her well; I pray you look upon her;

Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

Enter EMILIA.

EMIL. 'Las, what's the matter? what is 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!

IAGO. This is the fruits of whoring.-Pr'ythee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night :

What, do you shake at that?

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.

EMIL.

As I? foh! fie upon thee!

IAGO. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd.—

Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.

Emilia, run you to the citadel,

And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.—

Will you go on afore?-This is the night

That either makes me or fordoes me quite.

[Aside.

[Exeunt.

SCENE II.—A Bedchamber in the Castle: DESDEMONA in bed

asleep. A light burning.

Enter OTHELLO.

ОTH. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,a————

Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!-
It is the cause.—
-Yet I'll not shed her blood;
Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow,
And smooth as monumental alabaster.
Yet she must die, else she 'll betray more men.

(*) First folio inserts, quite.

(+) First folio, Oh.

() First folio omits, foh!

It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,-] "Othello, full of horror at the cruel action which he is about to perpetrate, seems at this instant to be seeking his justification, from representing to himself the cause, i. e. the greatness of the provocation he had received."-STEEVENS.

Put out the light, and then

put out the light!a

If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,

I can again thy former light restore,

Should I repent me:-but once put out thy light,
Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,

I know not where is that Promethean heat

That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd thy rose,

I cannot give it vital growth again,

It needs must wither:-I'll smell it* on the tree.-
O, balmy breath, that dost almost persuade

Justice to break her sword!-One more, one more :-
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after.-One more, and that's the last:
So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,

But they are cruel tears: this sorrow's heavenly;
It strikes where it doth love.-She wakes.
DES. Who's there? Othello?

Отн.

Ay, Desdemona.

DES. Will you come to bed, my lord?
Отн. Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemon?
DES.

OTH. If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconcil❜d as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.

[Kissing her.

Ay, my lord.

DES. Alack, my lord, what may you mean by that?
OTH. Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:

I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;

No,-heaven forfend!-I would not kill thy soul.
DES. Talk you of killing?

OTH.

DES.

Have mercy on me!

Отн.

Ay, I do.

Then heaven

Amen, with all my heart!

DES. If you say so,† I hope you will not kill me.
OтH. Hum!

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.

ОTH. 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.

(*) First folio, thee.

Peace, and be still!

(†) First folio omits, so.

Put out the light, and then-put out the light!] This regulation of the line, which certainly imparts to it a spirit and beauty we miss in the old punctuation, was suggested both by Upton and Warburton, and is now very generally adopted.

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OTH. That handkerchief, which I so lov'd and gave thee,

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Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy death-bed.

DES. Ay, but not yet to die.

Отн.

Yes,* presently;

Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;

For to deny each article with oath

Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception
That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.

DES. Then Lord† have mercy on me!

Отн.

I say, amen!
DES. And have you mercy too!-I never did
Offend you in my life; never lov'd Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven
As I might love; I never gave him token.

OTH. By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in 's hand!

O, perjur'd woman! thou dost stone my heart,

And mak'st me call what I intend to do,

A murder, which I thought a sacrifice:

I saw the handkerchief.

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No, his mouth is stopp'd;

Honest Iago hath ta'en order for 't.

DES. O, my fear interprets!-what, is he dead?

ОTH. Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge

Had stomach for them all.

DES. Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone!

ОTH. Out, strumpet! weep'st thou for him to my face?
DES. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!

OTH. Down, strumpet!

DES. Kill me to-morrow; let me live to-night!

Отн. Nay, if you strive,―

DES.

OTH.

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But half an hour!

But while I say one prayer!

Being done,

OTH. It is too late.

[Smothers her.

(*) First folio omits, Yes.

(†) First folio, O Heaven.

EMIL. [Without.] My lord! my lord! what ho! my lord! my lord!

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:

So, so.

EMIL. [Without.] What ho! my lord! my lord!

Отн.

Who's there?

EMIL. [Without.] O, good my lord, I would speak a word with you! OTH. Yes:-'t is Emilia;-by and by.-She's dead.

'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death;

The noise was high.-Ha! no more moving?

Still as the grave.-Shall she come in? were 't good?—

I think she stirs again :-no.-What's best to do?

If she come in, she'll sure speak to my wife:

My wife! my wife! what wife?-I have no wife!
O, insupportable! O, heavy hour!

Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse

Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should* yawn at alteration.

EMIL. [Without.] I do beseech you that I may speak with you,

O, good my lord!

ОTH. I had forgot thee :-0, come in, Emilia :

Soft,-by and by:-let me the curtains draw.—

Where art thou?

Enter EMILIA.

[Unlocks the door

What's the matter with thee now?

EMIL. O, my good lord, yonder 's foul murder done!

Отн. What, now?

EMIL.

But now, my lord!

ОTH. It is the very error of the moon ;

She comes more nearer earth than she was wont,

And makes men mad.

EMIL. Cassio, my lord, hath kill'd a young Venetian, Call'd Roderigo.

Отн.

And Cassio kill'd!

EMIL.

Roderigo kill'd!

No, Cassio is not kill'd.

OTH. Not Cassio kill'd! then murder's out of tune,

And sweet revenge grows harsh.

DES. O, falsely, falsely murder'd!

EMIL.

ОTH. That! what?

Alas, what cry is that?

EMIL. Out, and alas! that was my lady's voice.-

Help! help, ho! help!-O, lady, speak again!

Sweet Desdemona! O, sweet mistress, speak!

DES. A guiltless death I die.

EMIL. O, who hath done this deed?

(*) First folio, Did.

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