606
OTHELLO.
[Act V.
Oth. Out, strumpet! Weep’st thou for him tomy face ?
Des. O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not.Oth. Down, strumpet!
Des. Kill me to-morrow, let me live to-night.Oth. Nay, if you strive,—
Des. But half an hour.
Oth. Being done,
There is no pause.
Des. But while I say one prayer.
Oth. It is too late. £//e smothers her.
Emil. £ Within .]] My lord, my lord 1 whatho ! my lord! my lord!
Oth. What noise is this ?—Not dead! not yetquite dead ?
I, that am cruel, am yet merciful;
I would not have thee linger in thy pain.—
So, so.
Emil. £ Within.'} What ho! my lord, my lord!Oth. Who’s there?
Emil. ^l¥ilhin.'2 0, good my lord, I wouldspeak a word with you.
Oth. Yes;—’tis Emilia:—by and by.—She’sdead.
’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’tgood ?
I think, she stirs again:—No.—What’s the best?If she come in, she’ll sure speak to my wife:Mywife! mywife! what wife?—I have no wife:O, insupportable ! O heavy hour!
Methinks it should be now a huge eclipseOf sun and moon ; and that the affrighted globeShould yawn at alteration.
Emil. £ Within^ I do beseech you, I mayspeak with you,
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 theenow ? \Ehilocks the door.
Enter Emilia.
Emil. O, good my lord, yonder’s foul murderdone.
Oth. What ? now ?
Emil. But now, my lord !
Oth. It is the very error of the moon;
She comes more near the earth than she was wont;And makes men mad.
Emil. Cassio, my lord, has kill’d a young Ve-netian,
Call’d—Roderigo.
Oth. Roderigo kill’d!
And Cassio kill’d ?
Emil. No, Cassio is not kill’d.
Oth. Not Cassio kill’d ? Then murder’s out oftune,
And sweet revenge grows harsh.
Des. O, falsely, falsely murder’d!
Emil, Alas ! what cry is that ?
Oth. That! what ?
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 doneThis deed ?
Des. Nobody; I myself; farewell:
Commend me to my kind lord; O, farewell.
rm,-.,.
Oth. Why, how should she be murder’d ?Emil. Alas, who knows ?
Oth. You heard her say herself it was not I.Emil. She said so; I must needs report thetruth.
Oth. She’s, like a liar, gone to burning hell;’Twas I that kill’d her.
Emil. 0, the more angel she,
And you the blacker devil!
Oth. She turn’d to folly, and she was a whore.Emil. Thou dost belie, her. and thou art a devil.Oth. She was false as water.
Emil. Thou art rash as fire, to sayThat she was false; <0, she was heavenly true!
Oth. Cassio did tup her: ask thy husband else.O, I were damn’d beneath all depth in hell,
But that I did proceed upon just groundsTo this extremity: Thy husband knew it all.Emil. My husband ?
Oth. Thy husband.
Emil. That she was false to wedlock ?
Oth. Ay, with Cassio.
Nay, had she been true,
If heaven would make me such another worldOf one entire and perfect chrysolite,
I’d not have sold her for it.
Emil. My husband ?
Oth. Ay, 'twas he that told me first;
An honest man he is, and hates the slimeThat sticks on filthy deeds.
Emil. My husband ?
Oth. What needs this iterance, woman ? I say,thy husband.
Emil. O mistress, villainy hath made mockswith love!—
My husband say, that she was false ?
Oth. He, woman;
I say, thy husband: Dost understand the word ?My friend, thy husband, honest, honest Iago .
Emil. If he say so, may his pernicious soulRot half a grain a day ! he lies to the heart;She was too fond of her most filthy bargain.
Oth. Ha!
Emil. Do thy worst;
This deed of thine is no more worthy heaven,Than thou wast worthy her.
Oth. Peace, you were best.
Emil. Thou hast not half the power to do meMum,
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.