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Othello

Act 5, Scene 1

Enter IAGO and RODERIGO	IAGO and RODERIGO enter.
IAGO Here, stand behind this bulk, straight will he come. Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home. Quick, quick! Fear nothing. I’ll be at thy elbow. It makes us, or it mars us. Think on that, And fix most firm thy resolution.	IAGO Here, stand behind this wall; he’ll come right away. Keep your sword out, and then stick it in as far as it’ll go. Quick, quick. Don’t be afraid. I’ll be right next to you. This will either make us or break us. Keep that in mind, and be steady.
RODERIGO Be near at hand, I may miscarry in ’t.	RODERIGO Stay right near me. I may mess it up.
IAGO Here, at thy hand. Be bold, and take thy stand.	IAGO I’m right behind you. Be bold, and get ready.
Withdraws	IAGO moves aside.
RODERIGO I have no great devotion to the deed And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons. ’Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.	RODERIGO I don’t really want to do this, but he’s given me good reasons. I guess it’s only one man—no big deal. My sword comes out, and he dies.
IAGO (aside) I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense, And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo, He calls me to a restitution large Of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him As gifts to Desdemona. It must not be. If Cassio do remain He hath a daily beauty in his life That makes me ugly. And besides, the Moor May unfold me to him—there stand I in much peril. No, he must die. But so, I hear him coming.	IAGO (to himself) I’ve rubbed this young pimple until he’s ready to pop, and now he’s angry. Whether he kills Cassio, or Cassio kills him, or they kill each other, it all works in my favor. If Roderigo survives, though, he’ll ask me for all the gold and jewelry that I stole from him and said I gave to Desdemona. I can’t let that happen. If Cassio survives,he’s so handsome and well-spoken that he makes me look ugly. And besides, the Moor might tell him about my lies about him.—That would be very dangerous for me. No, he’s got to die. Let it be so. I hear him coming.
Enter CASSIO	CASSIO enters.
RODERIGO I know his gait, ’tis he.—Villain, thou diest!	RODERIGO I know the sound of his walk.—Die, villain!
Thrusts at CASSIO	RODERIGO thrusts his sword at CASSIO.
CASSIO That thrust had been mine enemy indeed But that my coat is better than thou know’st I will make proof of thine.	CASSIO That thrust might really have hurt me if I didn’t have this armor on under my cloak. Now let’s see what you’ve got on.
Draws, and wounds RODERIGO	CASSIOdraws his sword and stabs Roderigo.
RODERIGO Oh, I am slain!	RODERIGO Oh, I’m dead!
IAGO from behind wounds CASSIO in the legs, exits	From behind, IAGO stabs CASSIO in the leg and then exits.
CASSIO I am maimed for ever. Help, ho! Murder! Murder!	CASSIO I’ll be crippled forever! Help! Murder! murder!
Enter OTHELLO	OTHELLO enters.
OTHELLO The voice of Cassio. Iago keeps his word.	OTHELLO That’s Cassio’s voice. Iago has kept his word.
RODERIGO Oh, villain that I am!	RODERIGO Oh, what a villain I am!
OTHELLO It is even so.	OTHELLO That’s the truth.
CASSIO Oh, help, ho! Light! A surgeon!	CASSIO Help me! Get some light! Get me a surgeon!
OTHELLO ’Tis he. Oh, brave Iago, honest and just, That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong! Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead, And your unblest fate hies. Strumpet, I come. For, of my heart, those charms, thine eyes, are blotted. Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood be spotted.	OTHELLO It’s him! Brave Iago, how honest and trustworthy you are! You even went as far as murder to help your friend in his misfortune. You teach me how I should act. Whore, your lover’s dead now, and you’ll be going to hell soon. I’m coming, slut! I’ve shut the memory of your beautiful eyes out of my heart. You’ve already stained our sheets with your lust; now I’ll stain them with your whore’s blood.
Exit	OTHELLO exits.
Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO	LODOVICO and GRATIANO enter.
CASSIO What, ho! No watch? No passage? Murder! Murder!	CASSIO Help! Isn’t there a guard around? No one passing by? Murder! Murder!
GRATIANO ’Tis some mischance, the cry is very direful.	GRATIANO Something’s wrong, the man sounds panicked.
CASSIO Oh, help!	CASSIO Oh, help!
LODOVICO Hark!	LODOVICO Listen!
RODERIGO Oh, wretched villain!	RODERIGO I’ve acted like such a villain!
LODOVICO Two or three groan. ’Tis heavy night, These may be counterfeits. Let’s think ’t unsafe To come in to the cry without more help.	LODOVICO Two or three men are groaning. But it’s dark out, and it could be a trap. It’s not safe to go near them till we get more help.
RODERIGO Nobody come? Then shall I bleed to death.	RODERIGO Nobody’s coming? I’ll bleed to death.
LODOVICO Hark!	LODOVICO Look!
Enter IAGO	IAGO enters.
GRATIANO Here’s one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.	GRATIANO Here’s someone coming in his pajamas, with a candle and weapons.
IAGO Who’s there? Whose noise is this that ones on murder?	IAGO Who’s there? Who’s shouting “murder”?
LODOVICO We do not know.	LODOVICO We don’t know.
IAGO Do not you hear a cry?	IAGO Didn’t you hear someone shouting?
CASSIO Here, here! For heaven’s sake, help me!	CASSIO I’m here, here! For heaven’s sake, help me!
IAGO What’s the matter?	IAGO What’s the matter?
GRATIANO (to LODOVICO) This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it.	GRATIANO (to LODOVICO) That’s Othello’s ensign, I think.
LODOVICO The same indeed, a very valiant fellow.	LODOVICO It is. He’s a good man.
IAGO (to CASSIO) What are you here that cry so grievously?	IAGO (to CASSIO) Who’s shouting so loudly?
CASSIO Iago? Oh, I am spoiled, undone by villains! Give me some help.	CASSIO Is that you, Iago? I’m here, I’ve been destroyed by villains! Help me.
IAGO Oh, me, lieutenant! What villains have done this?	IAGO Oh, lieutenant! What villains did this to you?
CASSIO I think that one of them is hereabout, And cannot make away.	CASSIO I think one of them is nearby and can’t get away.
IAGO Oh, treacherous villains!— (to LODOVICO and GRATIANO) What are you there? Come in, and give some help.	IAGO The treacherous criminals!—(to LODOVICO and GRATIANO) Who’s there? Come here and help!
RODERIGO Oh, help me there!	RODERIGO Somebody help me over here!
CASSIO That’s one of them.	CASSIO That’s one of them.
IAGO O murd’rous slave! O villain!	IAGO (to RODERIGO) Murderer! Villain!
Stabs RODERIGO	IAGO stabs RODERIGO.
RODERIGO O damned Iago! O inhuman dog!	RODERIGO Damned Iago! You inhuman dog!
IAGO Kill men i’ th’ dark! Where be these bloody thieves? How silent is this town!—Ho! murder! murder!— What may you be? Are you of good or evil?	IAGO Killing men in the dark? Where are these murderers? This is such a quiet, sleepy town!—Murder, murder!—Who’s that coming? Are you good or evil?
LODOVICO As you shall prove us, praise us.	LODOVICO Judge for yourself.
IAGO Signior Lodovico?	IAGO Signor Lodovico?
LODOVICO He, sir.	LODOVICO That’s me.
IAGO I cry you mercy. Here’s Cassio hurt by villains.	IAGO I beg your pardon. Cassio’s been wounded.
GRATIANO Cassio!	GRATIANO Cassio!
IAGO How is ’t, brother!	IAGO How are you doing, brother?
CASSIO My leg is cut in two.	CASSIO My leg’s been cut in two.
IAGO Marry, heaven forbid! Light, gentlemen, I’ll bind it with my shirt.	IAGO God forbid! Bring me some light, gentlemen, I’ll bind the wound with my shirt.
Enter BIANCA	BIANCA enters.
BIANCA What is the matter, ho? Who is ’t that cried?	BIANCA What’s the matter? Who’s shouting?
IAGO Who is ’t that cried?	IAGO Who’s shouting?
BIANCA Oh, my dear Cassio! My sweet Cassio! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!	BIANCA Oh, my dear Cassio! My sweet Cassio! Oh, Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!
IAGO O notable strumpet! Cassio, may you suspect Who they should be that have thus mangled you?	IAGO You notorious whore! Cassio, do you know who might have stabbed you like this?
CASSIO No.	CASSIO No.
GRATIANO I am sorry to find you thus. I have been to seek you.	GRATIANO I’m sorry to find you like this. I’ve been looking all over for you.
IAGO Lend me a garter. So.—Oh, for a chair, To bear him easily hence!	IAGO Lend me your sash—Oh, if we only had a stretcher to carry him out of here!
BIANCA Alas, he faints! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!	BIANCA He’s fainted! Oh Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!
IAGO 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! Yes, ’tis Roderigo.	IAGO Sir, I believe this piece of trash, Bianca, has something to do with all this trouble.—Hang in there, Cassio.—Come here, bring the light. Do you recognize this face? Oh, no, it’s my friend and countryman, Roderigo.—Yes, it’s Roderigo!
GRATIANO What, of Venice?	GRATIANO What, Roderigo from Venice?
IAGO Even he, sir. Did you know him?	IAGO That’s the one, sir. Do you know him?
GRATIANO Know him? Ay.	GRATIANO Know him? Yes.
IAGO Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon, These bloody accidents must excuse my manners That so neglected you.	IAGO Signor Gratiano, I beg your pardon. I didn’t mean to ignore you—it’s just because of this bloody uproar.
GRATIANO I am glad to see you.	GRATIANO I’m glad to see you.
IAGO How do you, Cassio?—Oh, a chair, a chair!	IAGO How are you doing, Cassio?—Someone bring me a stretcher!
GRATIANO Roderigo!	GRATIANO Roderigo!
IAGO He, he, ’tis he.	IAGO It’s him, it’s him.
A chair is brought in	A stretcher is brought in.
Oh, that’s well said—the chair! Some good man bear him carefully from hence. I’ll fetch the general’s surgeon.—(to BIANCA) For you, mistress, Save you your labor.—He that lies slain here, Cassio, Was my dear friend. What malice was between you?	Good—here’s the stretcher. Get somebody strong to carry him out of here. I’ll get the general’s surgeon. (to BIANCA) As for you, ma’am, don’t bother. The man lying here was my dear friend, Roderigo.—What was the problem between you?
CASSIO None in the world, nor do I know the man.	CASSIO There wasn’t any problem. I don’t even know him.
IAGO (to BIANCA) What, look you pale?—Oh, bear him out o’ the air.—	IAGO (to BIANCA) You’re pale?—Get Cassio out of here.—You look awfully pale, Bianca.
CASSIO and RODERIGO are borne off	CASSIO and RODERIGO are carried away.
Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?—Stay you, good gentlemen.—Look you pale, mistress?— 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.	Do you see how afraid she is? Watch her, we’ll get the whole story. Keep an eye on her. Do you see? The guilty speak volumes even when they’re silent.
Enter EMILIA	EMILIA enters.
EMILIA Alas, what is the matter? What is the matter, husband?	EMILIA 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 ’scaped. He’s almost slain, and Roderigo dead.	IAGO Cassio was attacked here in the dark by Roderigo and men who escaped. He’s near death, and Roderigo’s dead already.
EMILIA Alas, good gentleman! Alas, good Cassio!	EMILIA Oh, no, good gentleman! Oh no, good Cassio!
IAGO This is the fruits of whoring. Prithee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supped tonight.— (to BIANCA) What, do you shake at that?	IAGO This is what happens when you visit whores. Please, Emilia, ask Cassio where he was at dinner tonight.—(to BIANCA) What, does that make you nervous?
BIANCA He supped at my house, but I therefore shake not.	BIANCA He ate at my house, but that doesn’t make me nervous.
IAGO Oh, did he so? I charge you, go with me.	IAGO Oh, did he? I order you to come with me.
EMILIA Oh, fie upon thee, strumpet!	EMILIA Go to hell, you whore!
BIANCA I am no strumpet, but of life as honest As you that thus abuse me.	BIANCA I’m no whore. I’m as moral as you are.
EMILIA As I! Fie upon thee!	EMILIA As moral as me! Damn you!
IAGO Kind gentlemen, let’s go see poor Cassio dressed.— Come, mistress, you must tell ’s another tale. Emilia, run you to the citadel And tell my lord and lady what hath happed.— Will you go on afore? (aside) This is the night That either makes me or fordoes me quite.	IAGO Gentlemen, let’s go make sure Cassio’s wounds are properly dressed.—Come on, ma’am, you can tell us another story. Emilia, go to the castle and tell Othello and Desdemona what happened.—Will you please go now? (to himself) This is the night that’ll either make me or break me.
Exeunt	They all exit.