The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Part 410

Come in and give some help.

RODERIGO. O, help me here!

Ca.s.sIO. That's one of them.

IAGO. O murtherous slave! O villain!

Stabs Roderigo.

RODERIGO. O d.a.m.n'd Iago! O inhuman dog!

IAGO. Kill men i' the dark! Where be these b.l.o.o.d.y thieves?

How silent is this town! Ho! Murther! Murther!

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

LODOVICO. As you shall prove us, praise us.

IAGO. Signior Lodovico?

LODOVICO. He, sir.

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

GRATIANO. Ca.s.sio?

IAGO. How is't, brother?

Ca.s.sIO. My leg is cut in two.

IAGO. Marry, heaven forbid!

Light, gentlemen; I'll bind it with my s.h.i.+rt.

Enter Bianca.

BIANCA. What is the matter, ho? Who is't that cried?

IAGO. Who is't that cried?

BIANCA. O my dear Ca.s.sio, my sweet Ca.s.sio! O Ca.s.sio, Ca.s.sio, Ca.s.sio!

IAGO. O notable strumpet! Ca.s.sio, may you suspect Who they should be that have thus mangled you?

Ca.s.sIO. No.

GRATIANO. 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!

BIANCA. Alas, he faints! O Ca.s.sio, Ca.s.sio, Ca.s.sio!

IAGO. Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash To be a party in this injury.

Patience awhile, good Ca.s.sio. 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.

GRATIANO. What, of Venice?

IAGO. Even he, sir. Did you know him?

GRATIANO. Know him! ay.

IAGO. Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon; These b.l.o.o.d.y accidents must excuse my manners, That so neglected you.

GRATIANO. I am glad to see you.

IAGO. How do you, Ca.s.sio? O, a chair, a chair!

GRATIANO. Roderigo!

IAGO. He, he, 'tis he. [A chair brought in.] O, 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, Ca.s.sio, Was my dear friend; what malice was between you?

Ca.s.sIO. None in the world; nor do I know the man.

IAGO. [To Bianca.] What, look you pale? O, bear him out o' the air.

Ca.s.sio 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.

EMILIA. 'Las, what's the matter? What's the matter, husband?

IAGO. Ca.s.sio hath here been set on in the dark By Roderigo, and fellows that are 'scaped; He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead.

EMILIA. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Ca.s.sio!

IAGO. This is the fruit of whoring. Prithee, Emilia, Go know of Ca.s.sio where he supp'd tonight.

What, do you shake at that?

BIANCA. He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not.

IAGO. O, did he so? I charge you, go with me.

EMILIA. Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet!

BIANCA. I am no strumpet, but of life as honest As you that thus abuse me.

EMILIA. As I! foh! fie upon thee!

IAGO. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Ca.s.sio 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? [Aside.] This is the night That either makes me or fordoes me quite. Exeunt.

SCENE II.

A bedchamber in the castle. Desdemona in bed asleep; a light burning.

Enter Oth.e.l.lo.

OTh.e.l.lO. It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul.

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.

Put out the light, and then put out the light.

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 the rose, I cannot give it vital growth again, It must needs wither; I'll smell it on the tree. Kisses her.

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 this 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.

DESDEMONA. Who's there? Oth.e.l.lo?

OTh.e.l.lO. Ay, Desdemona.

DESDEMONA. Will you come to bed, my lord?

OTh.e.l.lO. Have you pray'd tonight, Desdemona?

DESDEMONA. Ay, my lord.

OTh.e.l.lO. If you bethink yourself of any crime Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace, Solicit for it straight.

DESDEMONA. Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that?

OTh.e.l.lO. 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.

DESDEMONA. Talk you of killing?

OTh.e.l.lO. Ay, I do.

DESDEMONA. Then heaven have mercy on me!

OTh.e.l.lO. Amen, with all my heart!

DESDEMONA. If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.

OTh.e.l.lO. Hum!

DESDEMONA. 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.e.l.lO. Think on thy sins.