Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her, As true hearts cannot bear. DESDEMONA Am I that name, Iago? IAGO What name, fair lady? DESDEMONA Such as she says my lord did say I was. EMILIA He call'd her whore: a beggar in his drink Could not have laid such terms upon his callat. IAGO Why did he so? DESDEMONA I do not know; I am sure I am none such. IAGO Do not weep, do not weep. Alas the day! EMILIA Hath she forsook so many noble matches, Her father and her country and her friends, To be call'd whore? would it not make one weep? DESDEMONA It is my wretched fortune. IAGO Beshrew him for't!
How comes this trick upon him? DESDEMONA Nay, heaven doth know. EMILIA I will be hang'd, if some eternal villain, Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, Have not devised this slander; I'll be hang'd else. IAGO Fie, there is no such man; it is impossible. DESDEMONA If any such there be, heaven pardon him! EMILIA A halter pardon him! and hell gnaw his bones!
Why should he call her whore? who keeps her company?
What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
The Moor's abused by some most villanous knave, Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.
O heaven, that such companions thou'ldst unfold, And put in every honest hand a whip To lash the rascals naked through the world Even from the east to the west! IAGO Speak within door. EMILIA O, fie upon them! Some such squire he was That turn'd your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor. IAGO You are a fool; go to. DESDEMONA O good Iago, What shall I do to win my lord again?
Good friend, go to him; for, by this light of heaven, I know not how I lost him. Here I kneel:
If e'er my will did trespass 'gainst his love, Either in discourse of thought or actual deed, Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense, Delighted them in any other form;
Or that I do not yet, and ever did.
And ever will--though he do shake me off To beggarly divorcement--love him dearly, Comfort forswear me! Unkindness may do much;
And his unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love. I cannot say 'whore:'
It does abhor me now I speak the word;
To do the act that might the addition earn Not the world's mass of vanity could make me. IAGO I pray you, be content; 'tis but his humour:
The business of the state does him offence, And he does chide with you. DESDEMONA If 'twere no other-- IAGO 'Tis but so, I warrant.
Trumpets within Hark, how these instruments summon to supper!
The messengers of Venice stay the meat;
Go in, and weep not; all things shall be well.
Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA
Enter RODERIGO
How now, Roderigo! RODERIGO I do not find that thou dealest justly with me. IAGO What in the contrary? RODERIGO Every day thou daffest me with some device, Iago; and rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conveniency than suppliest me with the least advantage of hope. I will indeed no longer endure it, nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly suffered. IAGO Will you hear me, Roderigo? RODERIGO 'Faith, I have heard too much, for your words and performances are no kin together. IAGO You charge me most unjustly. RODERIGO With nought but truth. I have wasted myself out of my means. The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist: you have told me she hath received them and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintance, but I find none. IAGO Well; go to; very well. RODERIGO Very well! go to! I cannot go to, man; nor 'tis not very well: nay, I think it is scurvy, and begin to find myself fobbed in it. IAGO Very well. RODERIGO I tell you 'tis not very well. I will make myself known to Desdemona: if she will return me my jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my unlawful solicitation; if not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction of you. IAGO You have said now. RODERIGO Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing. IAGO Why, now I see there's mettle in thee, and even from this instant to build on thee a better opinion than ever before. Give me thy hand, Roderigo: thou hast taken against me a most just exception; but yet, I protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair. RODERIGO It hath not appeared. IAGO I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and your suspicion is not without wit and judgment. But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever, I mean purpose, courage and valour, this night show it: if thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery and devise engines for my life. RODERIGO Well, what is it? is it within reason and compass? IAGO Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice to depute Cassio in Othello's place. RODERIGO Is that true? why, then Othello and Desdemona return again to Venice. IAGO O, no; he goes into Mauritania and takes away with him the fair Desdemona, unless his abode be lingered here by some accident: wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio. RODERIGO How do you mean, removing of him? IAGO Why, by making him uncapable of Othello's place; knocking out his brains. RODERIGO And that you would have me to do? IAGO Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit and a right.
He sups to-night with a harlotry, and thither will I go to him: he knows not yet of his horrorable fortune. If you will watch his going thence, which I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one, you may take him at your pleasure: I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us. Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with me; I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him. It is now high suppertime, and the night grows to waste: about it. RODERIGO I will hear further reason for this. IAGO And you shall be satisfied.
