060 othello

OthelloWilliam Shakespeare

Three WatsonIrvine, CA 92618-2767Website: www.sdlback.com

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ISBN 1-59905-149-4


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William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-on-Avon, England, the third child of John Shakespeare, a well-to-do merchant, and Mary Arden, his wife. Young William probably attended the Stratford grammar school, where he learned English, Greek, and a great deal of Latin. Historians aren’t sure of the exact date of Shakespeare’s birth.

In 1582, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway. By 1583 the couple had a daughter, Susanna, and two years later the twins, Hamnet and Judith. Somewhere between 1585 and 1592 Shakespeare went to London, where he became first an actor and then a playwright. His acting company, The King’s Men, appeared most often in the Globe theater, a part of which Shakespeare himself owned.

In all, Shakespeare is believed to have written thirty-seven plays, several nondramatic poems, and a number of sonnets. In 1611 when he left the active life of the theater, he returned to Stratford and became a country gentleman, living in the second-largest house in town. For five years he lived a quiet life. Then, on April 23, 1616, William Shakespeare died and was buried in Trinity Church in Stratford. From his own time to the present, Shakespeare is considered one of the greatest writers of the English-speaking world.

William Shakespeare

�

OthelloWilliam Shakespeare

Desdemona Iago

CassioOthello Emilia

othello �

VeniceisthefamousItalianCitybuiltalongcanals*bordered**with

beautifulhomes.Manyyearsago,lateatnight,twomenwerewalking

together.

Youareastrange

man,Iago!yousay

youhateOthello,the

generalyouserveso

well?

Yes,Roderigo,

Ido.

Othellohadfirst

comeasasoldier

fromanother

countrytoserve

thepeopleof

Venice.Sincethen

hehadbecomea

greathero.

* man-made waterways** set along the side of something

10

EventhoughIamabettersoldier,

hechoseMichaelCassiotobehis

nextincommand!

SonowIamonlyoneofhis

officersinsteadofareal

leader.IhateOthelloforthis!

Well,Iwouldn’t

continueto

servehimifI

feltthatway.

Oh,butIhaveaplan,

Roderigo.Inservinghim,I

willreallybetakingcare

ofmyself!Hewillpay

dearlyforthis.

Andnowthemischiefstarts!Here

isSignior*Brabantio’shouse—let

uswakehimandlethimknow

thathisdaughterhasbeentaken

away!

SigniorBrabantio!Signior

Brabantio!

* a title given to a noble (and usually rich) Italian citizen

othello 11

Whatisthemeaningofallthisnoise

atthishourofthenight?

Yourdaughter,

Desdemona,has

beenstolenawayby

Othello,theMoor!*

What,haveyou

lostyourwits?

Whoareyou?

Iam

Roderigo.

Ihavetoldyoubeforethatmy

daughterisnotforyou!Youwill

bepunishedforthistrick!

Sir,check

Desdemona’s

room.Ifyour

daughteris

inside,then

punishmeany

waythatyou

choose!

Servants!Bring

mealight!

* a person from the northern part of Africa

12

WhileBrabantiowenttolookfor

hisdaughter,Iagomadeother

plans.

Brabantiowasevenmoreupset

whenhereturned.

Imustleavenow

sothatOthello

doesn’tknowI’ve

hadanypartof

this.

Sheisgone!

Roderigo,tell

me,arethey

married?

Ithinkso,sir!

Thenhelpme,

Roderigo!Iwillget

mysoldiersandwe

willlookforthem.

Meanwhile,IagohurriedtoOthelloand

toldhimthathislifewasindanger.

Iwantedtokill

Brabantioforthe

badthingshesaid

aboutyou!

It’sgoodthat

youdidn’t,

Iago.Ilove

hisdaughter

Desdemona,and

Ithinkthathe

willcometo

seemysideof

things.

othello 13

JustthenCas-

sioarrivedwitha

message.

TheDukeofVeniceiscallingforyou,General

Othello.ThereistroublewiththeTurksin

Cyprus*.TheSenate**ismeetingnow.

HerecomesSenator

Brabantio!Becare-

ful,Othello!

GoodSignior

Brabantio,this

isnotimefor

fighting!

Youhave

takenawaymy

daughterwith

yourmagic!I

willhaveyou

punished!

Iwillbeglad

totalkto

youabout

thislater.

ButnowI

mustmeet

withtheDuke.

Thisistrue,

Signior.Iam

surethat

youhave

alsobeen

sentfor.

Thislateat

night?Well,

letusgo.

* an island in the Mediterranean Sea near Turkey** a group of men elected to help govern a state or country

14

Meanwhile,the

dukeandhis

advisOrswere

waitingfor

Othello.

Sir,thereports

allsaythata

fleetofships

fromTurkeyis

headedforCyprus.

BraveOthello,we

begyoutosailfor

Cyprusrightaway!

DearSir,forgive

me.Ihavenotcome

aboutthisbusi-

ness,butabouta

personalproblem.

Itconcerns*my

daughter!

Why,whatisthe

matter?

Isshe

dead?

* has something to do with

othello 15

Sheisas

goodas

deadtome.

Shehasbeen

stolenaway

bymagic.

Whoeverhas

donethiswillbe

punished—evenif

itshouldbymy

ownson!

Ithankyou,sir!Hereisthe

man,thisMoor!

Othello,whatdoyouhavetosay?

ItistruethatIhave

marriedthisman’s

daughter—andthatI

loveher.

ButIbegyou,sendfor

Desdemonaandlether

tellyouwhetherIused

magictowinherlove.

BringDesdemona

here!

16

GoodIago,Please

goforDesdemona.

Untilshecomes,I

willtellmypartof

thestory.

Tellus

Othello.

ManytimesBrabantio,herfather,

invitedmetohishouse.Healways

askedmequestionsaboutmylife

andthebattlesIhavefoughtall

overtheworld.

Desdemonalistened

asoftenasshe

could.Hereyes,as

theylookedupon

me,begantoshow

herlove.

Ithinkmyveryown

daughterwould

havedonethesame.

Pleasehear

Desdemona

speak.Come,

child,tellthis

groupabout

thepersonyou

shouldmost

obey.

othello 17

Mygoodfather,Iwillalways

respectyou.Butnowmyduty

istomyhusband,justasmy

mother’swastoyou.

That’senoughforme.Othello,my

daughterisyours.Nowletusgeton

withourproblemswithTurkey.

Othello,youmustsailat

onceforCyprustoprotectit

fromtheTurks.

Iwillsir.ButIwill

needaplacefor

Desdemonatostay.

Oh,Yes!Iwantto

gowithmyhusband!

Ishallleaveittoyou,Othello.

Butyoumustleavetonight.

Iwillentrust*

mywifetogood

Iago.Heandhis

wifeEmiliawill

bringDesdemona

toCyprus.

* place something or someone in another’s care

1�

Goodbye,

Othello.

Watchoutforher,Moor!

Ifshehasdeceived*her

father,shemayalso

deceiveyou!

No,sheisfaithfultome.Come,

Desdemona,wehaveonlyalittle

timelefttospendtogether.

SoonnoonewasleftbutIago

andRoderigo.

Isuffertoo

muchwhenIsee

Desdemona’slove

forOthello!I

thinkIwilldrown

myself.

Come,be

aman!A

manwould

never

drown

himself

forlove!

* fooled, tricked

othello 1�

Desdemonawillnotlovethe

Moorforlong.Shewillbeyours,

andIwillhelpyougether.Gather

allthemoneyyouhaveandbring

ittometomorrow.

Iwill.

ThenIagowasleftalone.

WhatafoolRoderigois!YetI

canusehimandhismoneyinmy

revenge*onOthello.AndmaybeI

canuseCassiotomaketheMoor

crazywithjealousy!**

AfewdayslaterinCyprus,somemenstood

talking.

Goodnews!The

stormthatstruckus

yesterdayhassunk

mostoftheenemy

ships!

Howdoyou

know?

AshipfromVen-

icecommandedby

MichaelCassiohas

justlandedwith

thenews!

* getting even with someone** wanting what someone else has

20

Andnotlong

afterwardthe

remainingships

arrivedfrom

Venice.

Mydear

Othello!

Desdemona!Ifonly

lifealwayshadsuch

sweetcalmsafterall

itsstorms.Youmust

haveheardthatthe

warisover!Letus

celebrate!*

Atthis,everyoneleftforthecastle—everyone

butIagoandRoderigo.

Ihavenewsforyou,

Roderigo!Desdemonaisin

lovewithMichaelCassio!Idon’tbelieve

it!

Shefallsinlove

easily.Shemustbe

tiredofOthello,and

Cassioisyounger

andmorehandsome.

* rejoice, have a good time

othello 21

It’shard

tobelieve!

Trustme.

Cassio

willbeon

guardduty

tonight.

Makehim

angryso

thathe

strikesout

atyouwith

hissword.

Ifyoudo,

youwill

becloser

towinning

Desdemo-

na’slove.

WhenRoderigohadleft,Iago

continuedtoplan.

IamsurethatCassioisin

lovewithDesdemona.IthinkI

canmakeOthellosojealous

thathewillplayrightintomy

hands!

Thatnightthe

peopleofCyprus

wereinvitedtoa

greatfeastatthe

castle.Theywould

celebratetheend

ofthewarwith

Turkeyaswellas

Othello’srecent

marriage.

Cassio,youareinchargeoftheguard

tonight.Makesurethateverything

remainspeaceful.

22

Butlater,whenCassiometIago,

Iagohadplannedatrapforhim.

Welcome,Iago.Letusgotoour

watch.

Itistooearly.Letus

firsthaveadrinkwith

someoftheCyprus

soldiers.

Nottonight,Iago.

Igetdrunkvery

easily,andI’vehad

onedrinkalready.

Thisisanimportant

nightformeto

staysober.*

Nonsense!

Onemore

drink

won’thurt.

Beforelong,Cassio

wasdrunk.

Donotthink,gentleman,thatIhavehad

toomuchtodrink.Thisismylefthand,

andthisismyright.AndIthinkIcan

stillwalkandcangotomywatch.

* not drunk

othello 23

AfterCassiohadleftthem,Iago

mademattersstillworse.

It’stoobadOthelloputssomuch

trustinthisfellow.Hecancause

alotoftroubleonthisisland

becauseofhisdrinking.

You’reright!Someoneshould

warnGeneralOthelloabouthim.

Soonafterward,IagosentRoderigoafterCassio.AsIagohador-

dered,Roderigoshoutedinsults*atCassio.Theybegantofight,and

thesoldiersrushedtostopthem.

Ipraysir,youmuststopthis!You’redrunk!

Youdon’tknowwhatyou’redoing!

Drunk?Howcanyou

sayI’mdrunk?

* words that hurt or upset another person

24

Atthis,Cassiostartedfightingwiththesoldier.

Meanwhile,IagotoldRoderigotoruntothe

townsquareandsoundthealarm.Thisbrought

Othellotowherethetroublewastakingplace.

Whostartedthis

fight,Iago?

Sir,Idonotwant

tomaketroublefor

MichaelCassio.Butit

startedbecausehehad

toomuchtodrink.

Cassio,never

againwillyou

beanofficerof

mine!

WhenOthelloandtheothershadleft,Iago

andCassioremainedbehind.

Don’tlooksosad,Cassio.

SpeaktoOthello’swife,

Desdemona,inthemorn-

ing.Sheisverykindand

willplead*foryoubefore

Othello.

You’reright,Iwillask

hertomorrow.Good

night,honestIago.

* beg

othello 25

NowIwillfixitso

Othellothinksthat

DesdemonaandCas-

sioareinlove.

Thenextday,IagohadhiswifeEmiliaarrange

ameetingbetweenDesdemonaandCassio.

Cassio,Iwilltrytoget

myhusbandtoforgive

you.

Pleasedon’ttake

toolong,orhe

mayforgetmy

servicetohim.But

herehecomes.I

mustnotlethim

seeme!

Wasn’tthatCassiothatjustleft

yourwife?Helookedguilty*and

ranwhenhesawyou!

Dearhusband,Ibegyouto

forgiveCassio!Hetrulywants

toserveyouagain!

Idon’twantto

talkaboutitnow,

Desdemona.

* having committed a crime

26

ButIshallgiveyounorestuntil

youchangeyourmind!

Iwillnotdeny*

youanything,

Desdemona.But

leaveusalone

foralittle

whileandIwill

joinyousoon.

Just

asyou

wish,my

dearest.

Come,

Emilia,

letusgo

inside.

ButIagowasdetermined**to

makeOthellojealous.So,

whentheywerealoneagain,he

spoke.

Sir,whenyou

werefirst

courtingyour

lady,didMichael

Cassioknowof

yourlove?

Ohyes,he

wentbetween

usoftenwith

messages.Why

doyouask?

It’snothing,

sir.Ijust

can’tbelieve

thatCassio

wouldtryto

trickyou.

Iago,asmy

truefriend,are

youtryingto

tellmesome-

thingabout

Desdemonaand

Cassio?

* keep from having** made up one’s mind to do something

othello 27

Youmustbehonest

withme.Tellmewhat

isonyourmind!

Bewareofjealousy,

dearGeneral.

Iwillnotbe

jealouswithout

proof.Ilove

andtrustmy

wife.

Iamgladtohearit.

Myadvice,*then,is

this:watchDesdemona

andCassiowhenthey

aretogether.

Remember,

Desdemona

trickedher

fatherwhen

shemarried

yousecretly.

Well,tellEmiliatokeep

aclosewatchonher.

WhydidI

marry?Honest

Iagoseemsto

knowmorethan

heistellingme!

* help, warning

2�

Iago’sliesbegan

towork.Leftalone,

Othellothought

ofreasonsnotto

trusthiswife.When

Desdemonacameto

callhimfordinner

shefoundachanged

man.

Othello,yourdinnerandyourguests

arewaitingforyou!Areyouill?

Ihaveaheadache,

that’sall.

Letmetiemy

handkerchief

tightaround

yourhead,and

itwillgoaway.

No!Your

handkerchief

istoolittle.

Leaveitalone.

I’llcomewith

you.

AsOthelloandDesdemonaleft,

Emiliabentoverquicklytopick

upthehandkerchiefthathad

fallen.

I’mgladIfoundthis.Itwas

Desdemona’sfirstgiftfrom

Othelloandshelovesit.But

Iagoorderedmetostealit.I

havenoideawhy.

othello 2�

JustthenIagocameuptoEmilia.

Isthisthe

handkerchief

youwanted?

Yes!Give

ittome!

Thishadbetterbe

important.Desdemona

willbeveryupset

whenshelearnsthat

itisgone!

Iwillleavethishandkerchief

inCassio’sroomwherehewill

findit.Othellowillgocrazy

whenheseesCassiowithit.

Youcouldnothavefounda

betterwaytotorture*me

thantomakemebelievemywife

lovesanotherman!

Iamsorryto

hearthis.

* hurt greatly

30

Youhadbetter

showmeproof

thatwhatyou

sayistrue,or

youwilldie!

Oworld,take

note!Itdoes

notpayto

beanhonest

man!

Idon’tknow

whetherto

trustyou—my

goodfriend,

orher—my

darlingwife.

givemeproof

ofwhatyou

say!

Fortwo

nightsI

sleptin

Cassio’s

house.Twice

Iheardhim

cryoutin

hissleep,

“SweetDes-

demona!Let

ushideour

lovefrom

Othello!”

Andthereissomethingmore—a

handkerchiefwithstrawberriesonit.

Thatwasmyfirst

gifttoDesdemona.

Well,Iwouldn’tknow

that.ButIsawMichael

Cassiowipehisbeardwith

ittoday!

othello 31

Thisprovesit!Iwillgeteven

withthem!

Becalm,sir.Youmaystillchange

yourmind.

No!Iwillhavemy

revenge!

AndIwilldo

whateveryou

askme.

DearIago,trustedfriend,within

threedaysIwantyoutotellme

thatCassioisdead.Youarenow

mylieutenant!*

Iwillserveyou

forever!

* next in command

32

LaterDesdemonaandEmiliastood

togetheroutsidethecastle.

WherecouldIhave

lostit,Emilia?

Idon’t

know,

madam.

Iwouldratherhave

lostanythingbut

this!ButOthello

willunderstand.

JustthenOthello

drewnear.

Ihope

youwill

speakto

Cassio

now!

Ihave

acold.

Please

lendme

your

hand-

kerchief.

Here,dearhusband.

Thatisnotthe

oneImean!Get

methehandker-

chiefIgaveyou

andtoldyou

tocarrywith

youalways.

AnEgyptian*

charmer**gave

ittomymother.

Shetoldmeto

giveittomywife.

Toloseitwould

meanthatter-

riblethingswould

happen.Ihopeyou

haveitnearby!

* from Egypt, in northern Africa** someone who has supernatural powers

othello 33

AsOthello

stormed

away,Iago

andCassio

cameup.

Madam,please

keeptryingto

helpme!

Heisnothimselflately,Cassio.

Youmustwaitalittlelonger.

Isheangry?I

willtalkwithhim.

Ihopeheisworried

aboutbusinessmatters

andnotjealousofyou!

Igavehimnoreasontobe!

WhenDesdemona

andEmiliahadleft,

acommonlady

namedBianca,much

inlovewithCassio,

cameforward.

Ifoundthisbeautiful

handkerchiefinmyroom.

Wouldyoucopythe

stitching*onitforme?

Allright.But

won’tyou

walkpartway

homewithme?

* patterns worked into something with thread

34

Later,whenhemetOthelloagain,

Iagowantedtomakesurethat

Othellowasstillveryangry.

IfIgavemywife

ahandkerchief,

thenitwouldbe

herstogiveto

whomevershe

likes,wouldn’tit?

Iwouldmost

gladlyhave

forgotten

that!Buthedid

havemywife’s

handkerchief.

SupposeCassiowentabout

braggingthathesleptwith

her?

Hashedone

that?

Ohyes,sir!Didhe?Ican’tstand

thisanymore!

AndwiththesewordsOthellofainted.

othello 35

AtthatmomentCassiocameup.

What’s

wrong?

Othellofainted,but

I’mtakingcareof

him.Leaveusalone

forawhile,and

laterIwouldlike

tospeakwithyou.

Othellowokeinafewmoments.

Afteryoufainted,Cassiocame

by,butIsenthimaway.Ifyouwill

hideyourself,Iwillquestionhim

aboutDesdemonawhenhere-

turns.Youcanwatchhisfaceeven

ifyoucan’thearwhathesays.

Allright.

OthellodidasIagosaid.

Butworsethingswere

abouttohappen.

NowIwillquestionCassio

aboutthatwoman,Bianca,

wholoveshimsomuch.

Othellowillthinkheisspeak-

ingaboutDesdemona.

36

InamomentCassiowasback.

Cassio,youmust

keeponasking

Desdemona’shelp.

Now,ifBiancawere

helpingyou,how

quicklyallthis

wouldgetdone!

Ah,yes,

Goodold

Bianca.

Lookhowhesmilesandlaughs

intalkingaboutmywife’slove

forhim!

Ineversaw

awomanso

inlovewitha

man!

Alas,poorsilly

woman.Shedoes

seemtoloveme!

Iwillgeteven

withthemboth!

othello 37

Theysayyou

willsoonbe

marryingher!

Shethinksthat

becauseit’s

herdream,not

mine!

Iagothenmotioned*toOthello

tocomecloser.

Shefollowsmealloverthe

placeandhangsaboutmyneckI

can’tgetridofher!

JustthenBianca

drewnearwiththe

handkerchiefinher

hand.

Iamnotgoingto

spendmytimecopying

theworkthatsome

otherwomanhas

givenyou!

Why,thatisthe

handkerchiefI

gaveDesdemona!

* made a movement with one’s hand

3�

WhenBiancaand

Cassiohadleft,

Othellocame

forward.

HowshallImurder

him,Iago?

Didyouseehow

helaughedabout

Desdemona?

Oh,Iago! Anddidyouseehowhecaresforthe

handkerchief?Hehasgivenittoavery

commonwoman!

Iwouldliketoseehim

torturedfornineyears

beforeheisallowedtodie!

Oh,mysweetDesdemona!

No,youmustforgetabouther!

othello 3�

ButIonlysaywhat

sheis.Shesewsso

well,andhervoice

isbeautiful.Why,

shecouldsingthe

wildnessoutofa

bear!

Thatonly

makesitworse!

Getmesomepoison,

Iago.Iwillkillher

thisverynight!

No,do

notuse

poison.

Strangle*

herinher

bed!

AndletmetakecareofCassio.

Youshallhearmoreaboutthis

bymidnight.

Verygood!

Justthenatrumpetsounded.

Whatisthis?Itmustmean

avisitorfrom

Venice.

* choke

40

Atthatmoment,

Lodovico,one

ofDesdemona’s

relatives*from

Venice,came

forward.

Greetings,goodgeneral!

Thedukesendsyouthis

letter.

Andwhat’s

thenews,

goodcousin

Lodovico?

Iamgladto

seeyou,sir.

Welcometo

Cyprus.

Ithankyou.Howis

lieutenantCassio?

Heis

alive.

Therehasbeenaprob-

lembetweenhimandmy

husband.ButIamsure

thatyouwillmakeall

thingswellagain.

Areyouso

sureofthat?

* people belonging to the same family

othello 41

Pardonme? So—thereisa

problembetween

Othelloand

Cassio.

Amostunhappyone.Iwoulddo

muchtomakethemfriendsagain,

fortheloveIfeeltowardCas-

sio!

What?

Isheangry?

Itmaybethelet-

ter.Hehasjust

beenordered

backtoVen-

ice,andCassio

hasbeenputin

commandherein

Cyprus.

Oh,I’mglad!

42

Andatthat,beforeallthecompany,Othello

struckDesdemonaintheface.

Ihavenot

deserved

this!

Sir!Thiswouldnotbebelieved

inVenice!Begherpardon!She

weeps!

Theyarecrocodile

tears.*Getoutof

mysight,woman!I’ll

sendforyoulater.

Sir,Iobeytheorder.Iwill

returntoVeniceandleave

Cassiohereinmyplace.Now

pleaseexcuseme.

Lodovicowasshockedtosee

OthellostrikeDesdemona.He

spoketoIago.

Isthisthe

nobleMoor

oursenate

admiresso?

Heismuch

changed.Ionly

hopethisisthe

worsthedoes!

* false tears

othello 43

Later,OthelloquestionedEmiliaabout

Desdemona.

Haveyou

noticed

Desdemona

andCassio

tryingtobe

alone?Have

theysent

youawayon

somesmall

excuse?

Ofcoursenot!Sheisthe

mosthonest,faithful

womanIknow.Ifanyone

hasputthisthoughtinto

yourhead,asnakeshould

strikehim!

Allright.Go

now,andbring

Desdemonahere.

Idon’tbelieve

Emiliaeither.

AndwhenDes-

demonacame

beforehim,

Othellowas

stillinanangry

mood.

Letmelookinto

youreyes.

Icanseeyouranger,sir,

butIdonotunderstand

yourwords.Iamyour

loyalwife.

44

Areyounotan

unfaithfulwife

whohasfallen

inlovewith

anotherman?

Never!

Myonly

wishhas

beento

serveand

please

you!

ButOthello’sjealousyhad

gonetoofar.Desdemona

couldnolongerreachhim

withhersimplewords.

Goodlady,whatisthe

matterwithyourhusband?

Inolongerhavethe

husbandIoncehad.

PleasecallIago,Emilia.

Iwouldliketotalkwith

him.

othello 45

ButwhenIago

came,Desdemona

wasweeping.

Whatisthe

matter,lady?

Alas,Iago.Othellohas

toldherthatsheis

untruetohim.Heisvery

angry.

HaveIbeenuntrue

inanyway,Iago?

Donotweep,donot

weep!Ofcoursenot!

Desdemonahad

thechanceto

marrymanyno-

blemen.Shegave

themallupto

marryOthello!

Andnowhecalls

herunfaithful!

How

didthis

happen?

Perhaps

someevil

person—in

orderto

gainsome

highrank—

hasdone

thisawful

thing!

OgoodIago,what

shallIdotowinhim

backagain?Please

gotohimforme!

46

Iamsurethathis

badmoodcomes

fromsomebusi-

nessmatter.Ah,I

hearthetrumpets

callingyouto

supper.Goand

eat.Iwillmake

everythingwell

again!

WhenDesdemonaand

Emiliahadleft,Iago

metRoderigo.

Iago,Idonotthinkyouarebeingfair.

Youhaven’tspokenofmetoDesdemona

asyoupromised.Iamgoingtoseeher

myself.

Youhavetakenallmy

jewelsaswellasmy

money.Yousaidyou

gavethejewelsto

Desdemona,butIhave

hadnowordfromher.

Iwantmyjewelsback!

othello 47

Well,Roderigo,you

dohavesomenerve

afterall!Ithinkthe

betterofyouforit.

ButIhavebeen

workingforyou!

NotthatIcansee!

Well,youmust

doonemore

thingbefore

Desdemona

isallyours.

Itwilltake

courage!*

Othellohasbeenordered

toMauritaniaandCassio

willtakehisplacehere.

OthellowillbringDesde-

monawithhimifhegoes.

Tokeepthemhere,Cassio

musthaveanaccident.

Whatdoyou

mean?Cassiomustbe

killed—otherwise

Desdemonawillbe

losttoyou.And

justasyouwere

abouttowinher!

* bravery, daring

4�

Meanwhile,

dinnerhad

beenfinished,

andpeople

wereleaving

thehall.

Madam,goodnight.

Ihumblythankyou.

Youaremost

welcome.

Gentlemen,Iwillwalkalittlewaywith

you.Desdemona,gorighttobed.Iwill

beupalittlelater.sendEmiliaaway!

Later,inthebedroom,Desdemo-

naspokewithEmilia.

Helpmewithmythings,Emilia,and

thenleave.Othellohasordered

it,andwemustnotdispleasehim.

Iwishyouhad

neverseenhim!

Ah,butIstilllovehim.Good

night,Emilia,goodnight.

othello 4�

Laterthatnight,IagoandRoderigowaited

forCassiotopassby.

Standbehindthiswall

andkeepyoursword

ready.Fearnothing,and

bequick!

Staynear

meincaseI

misshim.

I’vemadeRoderigomad

enoughtokillCassio.

Butwhetherhekills

CassioorCassiokills

him—ortheykilleach

other,Iwillgain.

IfCassiolives,

hewillfindout

aboutmeandtell

Othello.Hemust

die!

Herehecomes!

Die,Cassio!

Thatmissedme,

butI’vehurthim

instead.

Cassiowounded*Roderigo.But

frombehind,Iagodrovehis

swordintoCassio’sleg.

NowIamhurt!

Help!Murder!

* hurt, as with a knife

50

JustthenOthello

camebyonhis

waybacktothe

castle.

ThatisCassiocallingforhelp.Iagohas

kepthisword.NowImustkeepmypromise

tokillDesdemona.

Soonafterthis,Desdemona’scousinLodovicoandanotherrela-

tivenamedGratianocameby.Theyhadbeendrawntothesamespot

bycriesofCassioandRoderigo.Iagocameforthasthoughhehad

justarrived.

Whocries

murder?

Wedon’tknow! Iago,pleasehelpme!Ihave

beenstabbed.Oneofthemen

whodiditisnearbyandis

alsohurt.

Helpme,

here!

That’soneof

them!

othello 51

Quickly,andwithoutbeingseen,

IagostabbedRoderigo,and

Roderigogrewstill.

Whoarethesepeoplewhokill

meninthedark?Murder!Murder!

Wakethetownspeople!

Justthen,Biancacamebyand

foundCassio.

Whocalls

murder?

Oh,mydear

Cassio!

Cassio,doyou

knowwhotried

tokillyou?

Thiswoman

mayhavebeen

oneofthem!

Cassiomustbecarriedawaytobe

takencareof.Butgoodheavens!

TheothermanisRoderigo!

Iknowhim

fromVenice!

Men,carryhimcarefully!Cassio,

doyouknowwhyRoderigowanted

tokillyou?

Notatall.Idon’t

evenknowhim.

52

Gentlemen,lookhow

palethiswomanis.

Herguilt*showsin

herface.

JustthenEmilia

cameby.

Whatisthematter

here,Iago?

Cassiowas

attackedin

thedarkby

Roderigo.

Cassiois

hurt,and

Roderigo

isdead!

WasCassioat

yourhouse

earlier?Answer,

woman!

Cassiowasat

myhouse,but

Iamanhonest

woman.Ihave

donenothing

wrong.

Emilia,runtothe

castleandtell

Othellowhathas

happened?

Thisisthenightthat

eithersolvesmy

problemsorkillsme

fortrying!

* knowing that someone has done wrong

othello 53

Whileallthis

wastaking

placeoutside

thecastle,

Othellohad

returnedto

hisbedroom

andfound

Desdemona

asleep.

Youarethecauseofitall!But

Iwillnotshedyourblood,

foryouaretoobeautifulfor

that.Still...youmustdie!

Iweepforyou,buttheyaretears

thathavebroughtmetoomuch

suffering.Ah,she’swakingup.

Who’sthere?

Othello!

Haveyouprayedtonight,

Desdemona?

54

Yes,dearhusband.

Ifyouwantto

askGod’spardon

foranything,doit

now.Iwouldnot

wanttokillyour

soul!

Areyougoingtokillme?My

onlysinisthatoflovingyou

toomuch.

Whataboutthe

handkerchiefIgave

you?Yougaveitto

Cassio!

Ididnot!Sendforthemanand

askhim!

ButIsawthehandkerchief

inhishand.Healsobragged

thatyoulovedhim!

Heisdead!Iagohastaken

careofthat.

Sendforhim!

othello 55

Oh,husband!Letmelive

tonight...killmetomor-

row!Oratleastgiveme

moretimetopray!

No,thisistheend.Idare

notwaitanylonger.

AsOthello

smothered

Desdemona,

Emilia’svoice

washeard

outsidethe

door.

Whatnoiseisthat?

Sir!GeneralOthello!

ThatisEmilia.She’scometo

tellmeofCassio’sdeath.

Sir,Imustspeak

awordwithyou!

56

Ifshecomesin

she’llseethatmy

wifeisdead!My

wife—whatwife?

Inolongerhave

awife!

Sir,Ibeg

you.Imust

speakwith

you!

Iwillpullthecurtainsandopen

thedoor.

Comein,

Emilia.

What’sthe

matter?

Sir,Cassio

haskilleda

youngmanof

Venicecalled

Roderigo.

AndCassiois

killed?

No,Cassioisnot

killed.

Oh,wrongly,

wronglymurdered!

Whosecryisthat?

othello 57

ThatwasDesdemo-

na’svoice!Sweet

Desdemona,speak!

Whodidthistoyou?

I,myself.

Farewell!

No—Ikilledher!

Thensheisan

angelandyou

areadevil!

She

was

false!*

Shewas

true!

Yourhusband

provedtome

thatshewas

false.Heknew

itall!

Myhusband?

* unfaithful

5�

Ifmyhusbandsaidthat,

mayhissoulrotforever!

Youmaykillmetoo,butI

willspeakthetruth.Help!

Help!Othellohasmur-

deredhiswife!

Atthat,peoplerushedintotheroom.

Whatisthe

matter?

Iago,youhavedone

itnow.Thesemurders

allleadbacktoyour

planning!

Provethatyouare

honestifyoucan!

Othellosaidyou

toldhimthathiswife

wasfalse!

othello 5�

Didyoutellhimthat?

Ionlytold

himwhatI

thought.

Nowbe

quiet!

Iwillspeak!

Desdemonalies

here—murderedin

herbedbecause

ofyourlies!

Youhavekilledthe

mostinnocent*woman

whoeverlived!

Shewas

falsetome!

Shegave

Cassiothe

handkerchief

Igaveher.It

wasavery

specialthing

tous.

Oh,no!Ifitcostsmemy

life,Iwilltellthe

truth!

* having done nothing wrong

60

Iagobeggedmeto

stealthehandkerchief,

butIfounditandgave

ittohim.

Youlie!

Withthat,Iago

plungedhissword

intoEmiliaandran

outoftheroom.

Someonestandat

thedoorandguard

Othellowhilewego

afterIago!

OhDesdemona,

Desdemona!

Themensooncame

backwithIago.

Iknowyouarea

devil,soIcanonly

hurtyou—Ican’t

killyou.

TakeOthello’s

sword!

Atthis,Cassio

drewnearas

Lodovicoques-

tionedOthello.

Yes,wedid.

DidyouandIagoplanto

killCassio?

othello 61

DearOthello,Inever

gaveyoureasonto

hatemeso!

Idobelieveit

now.Butwhydid

Iagodothisto

me?

Whatyouknow,you

know.Iwillnever

speakagain.

Wewill

make

him

talk.

Wait!Theletters

foundinRoderigo’s

pocketshowhow

Iagousedhimtostir

uptroubleforCassio.

Theysayalsothat

IagotookRoderigo’s

moneyandjewels,

pretendingtogive

themtoDesdemona.

Cassio,howdidyougetmywife’s

handkerchief?

Ifounditin

myroom.Iago

confessed*that

heputitthere.

* admitted

62

Nowyoumustcome

withus,Othello.Cassio

willbeinchargeherein

Cyprus.

Ihaveloyally*served

thestateofVenice.

Whenyoutellthem

whatIhavedone,

pleasespeakofmeas

onethatlovednot

wisely,buttoowell.

Once,inanotherland,Iprotected

amanofVenicefromaTurkwho

hadattackedhim.Ikilledthe

Turk—likethis.

ThenOthellopulled

ahiddenknifefrom

hisshirtandstabbed

himself.

* faithfully, well

othello 63

Iwasafraidofthis,

butIthoughthehad

noweapon.Hewasa

manofgreatheart!

Thishasbeenaterrible

night!Governor,*itis

yourjobtopunishIago.

IwillsailbacktoVenice

andtellthisstory.

* the ruler of a state

Othello

A beautiful love story turns to tragedy when jealousy takes root. The powerful general, Othello, finds himself hurting the one person he loves most in the world, his wife, Desdemona, when he misplaces his trust in Iago. Treacherous and vindictive, Iago is enraged at being passed over for a promotion and plots his revenge against Othello setting off a chain of events that ends in the ultimate sacrifice.

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