The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (973 page)

To wake and wage a danger profitless.

And instead would attack a dangerous place like Rhodes.

DUKE OF VENICE

Nay, in all confidence, he's not for Rhodes.

I agree, the Turks are certainly not heading to Rhodes.

First Officer

Here is more news.

Another messenger is coming.

Enter a Messenger

Messenger

The Ottomites, reverend and gracious,

The Turks, my revered and gracious leader,

Steering with due course towards the isle of Rhodes,

Went to the island of Rhodes

Have there injointed them with an after fleet.

Where they have joined with another fleet.

First Senator

Ay, so I thought. How many, as you guess?

I thought so. How many ships, do you think?

Messenger

Of thirty sail: and now they do restem

Thirty ships, and now they are turning around

Their backward course, bearing with frank appearance

To their original course and clearly seem to

Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,

Be heading to Cyprus. Sir Montano,

Your trusty and most valiant servitor,

Your trustworthy and brave servant,

With his free duty recommends you thus,

Sent me to give you this report and asks for reinforcements,

And prays you to believe him.

And asks you to believe him.

DUKE OF VENICE

'Tis certain, then, for Cyprus.

That settles it: the Turks are going to Cyprus.

Marcus Luccicos, is not he in town?

Is Marcus Luccicos here in town?

First Senator

He's now in Florence.

No, he’s in Florence.

DUKE OF VENICE

Write from us to him; post-post-haste dispatch.

Write to him and send it immediately, as fast as possible.

First Senator

Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.

Here comes Brabantio and Othello, the courageous Moor.

Enter BRABANTIO, OTHELLO, IAGO, RODERIGO, and Officers

DUKE OF VENICE

Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you

Brave Othello, we must order you to go

Against the general enemy Ottoman.

Against the Turkish enemy.

To BRABANTIO

I did not see you; welcome, gentle signior;

I did not see you there – welcome, good sir.

We lack'd your counsel and your help tonight.

We have lacked your insight and help tonight.

BRABANTIO

So did I yours. Good your grace, pardon me;

And I lacked yours. Please, your grace, forgive me:

Neither my place nor aught I heard of business

It was not from hearing of this war business

Hath raised me from my bed, nor doth the general care

That made me get out of bed, nor was it general worry over the city

Take hold on me, for my particular grief

That woke me. My personal grief

Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature

Is so overbearing, like a flood,

That it engluts and swallows other sorrows

That it overtakes and swallows all other sorrows and concerns

And it is still itself.

Without being satisfied.

DUKE OF VENICE

Why, what's the matter?

What has happened?

BRABANTIO

My daughter! O, my daughter!

My daughter! O, my daughter!

ALL

Dead?

Dead?

BRABANTIO

Ay, to me;

Yes, she is dead to me at least.

She is abused, stol'n from me, and corrupted

She has been abused, stolen from me, and corrupted

By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks;

By black magic and drugs given to her by deceivers.

For nature so preposterously to err,

Nature itself could not have made such a preposterous mistake,

Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,

Since she is not mentally ill, or blind, or paralyzed,

Sans witchcraft could not.

So it must be the fault of witchcraft.

DUKE OF VENICE

Whoe'er he be that in this foul proceeding

Whoever the criminal is

Hath thus beguiled your daughter of herself

Who has tricked your daughter

And you of her, the bloody book of law

And taken her from you, you will use the full, deadly laws

You shall yourself read in the bitter letter

To prosecute him in its harsh solutions

After your own sense, yea, though our proper son

As you see fit – even if it were my own son

Stood in your action.

Who did what you have said.

BRABANTIO

Humbly I thank your grace.

I humbly thank you, your grace.

Here is the man, this Moor, whom now, it seems,

Here is the criminal: this Moor, who, it seems,

Your special mandate for the state-affairs

Your national interest problems

Hath hither brought.

Have brought here.

ALL

We are very sorry for't.

We are sorry to hear this.

DUKE OF VENICE

[To OTHELLO] What, in your own part, can you say to this?

How do you respond to this, Othello?

BRABANTIO

Nothing, but this is so.

He can say nothing, it is true.

OTHELLO

Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors,

Powerful, serious, and revered sirs,

My very noble and approved good masters,

My noble and good masters,

That I have ta'en away this old man's daughter,

That I have taken this old man’s daughter from him

It is most true; true, I have married her:

Is true: I have married her.

The very head and front of my offending

The offenses Brabantio mentioned

Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech,

Are true only in this. I am not a skilled speaker

And little bless'd with the soft phrase of peace:

And do not know how to talk peacefully and smoothly:

For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith,

Since I was seven years old, and these arms had seven years of muscle,

Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used

Until nine months ago, I have used these arms

Their dearest action in the tented field,

For action in the battlefield.

And little of this great world can I speak,

I can’t say much about this great world

More than pertains to feats of broil and battle,

Unless it is about war and battle,

And therefore little shall I grace my cause

And therefore I will only say a little

In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience,

In speaking for my defense. But, by your patience, gracious Duke,

I will a round unvarnish'd tale deliver

I will tell you straightforwardly the story

Of my whole course of love; what drugs, what charms,

Of how we fell in love – including the drugs, magic charms,

What conjuration and what mighty magic,

Spells, and darks arts,

For such proceeding I am charged withal,

Since that is what I am charged of using,

I won his daughter.

I used to win his daughter.

BRABANTIO

A maiden never bold;

She was never bold,

Of spirit so still and quiet, that her motion

But always calm and quiet, so pure that

Blush'd at herself; and she, in spite of nature,

She would blush at herself. And you are saying that she, against nature,

Of years, of country, credit, every thing,

Against difference in age, and country, and upbringing, against everything,

To fall in love with what she fear'd to look on!

Would fall in love with who she was afraid to look at!

It is a judgment maim'd and most imperfect

Only a poor and imperfect judgment

That will confess perfection so could err

Could argue that a perfect person could do something so wrong

Against all rules of nature, and must be driven

Against all rules of nature – one must be forced

To find out practises of cunning hell,

To think that it is hell itself and the tricks of the devil

Why this should be. I therefore vouch again

That would make this happen. Therefore, I again hold

That with some mixtures powerful o'er the blood,

That some sort of powerful drug to change her desires

Or with some dram conjured to this effect,

Or magical spell

He wrought upon her.

Has been given to her by him.

DUKE OF VENICE

To vouch this, is no proof,

To hold to this is not proof –

Without more wider and more overt test

One needs clear evidence, more

Than these thin habits and poor likelihoods

Than the customs and poor accusations of going against

Of modern seeming do prefer against him.

What you think is acceptable must stand against him.

First Senator

But, Othello, speak:

But tell us, Othello:

Did you by indirect and forced courses

Did you use any underhanded or manipulative means

Subdue and poison this young maid's affections?

To persuade and poison this young girl’s desires?

Or came it by request and such fair question

Or did your marriage come from a simple request and a fair question,

As soul to soul affordeth?

Making it an equal decision?

OTHELLO

I do beseech you,

I beg you

Send for the lady to the Sagittary,

To bring the lady herself here to the Armory

And let her speak of me before her father:

So that she can speak plainly of me in front of her father.

If you do find me foul in her report,

If in her report you find me evil,

The trust, the office I do hold of you,

Then the position and rank you have given me

Not only take away, but let your sentence

Should be taken away, and your sentence

Even fall upon my life.

Should also cost me my life.

DUKE OF VENICE

Fetch Desdemona hither.

Bring Desdemona here.

OTHELLO

Ancient, conduct them: you best know the place.

Iago, lead them – you know where she is.

Exeunt IAGO and Attendants

And, till she come, as truly as to heaven

While we wait, as honestly

I do confess the vices of my blood,

As I confess my sins to God,

So justly to your grave ears I'll present

I will record to your serious listening

How I did thrive in this fair lady's love,

How I grew in this beautiful lady’s love,