The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (981 page)

IAGO

O sweet England!

O sweet England!

King Stephen was a worthy peer,

King Stephen was a good king,

His breeches cost him but a crown;

And his pants were very cheap.

He held them sixpence all too dear,

He thought he spent sixpence too much

With that he call'd the tailor lown.

And called his tailor a rascal.

He was a wight of high renown,

He was a man of great reputation,

And thou art but of low degree:

And you are a man of low rank:

'Tis pride that pulls the country down;

It’s pride that destroys the country,

Then take thine auld cloak about thee.

So be happy with your old cloak

Some wine, ho!

More wine!

CASSIO

Why, this is a more exquisite song than the other.

Why, that is an even better song than the last one.

IAGO

Will you hear't again?

Would you like me to sing it again?

CASSIO

No; for I hold him to be unworthy of his place that

No, I don’t think it is right for us to be

does those things. Well, God's above all; and there

doing those things. Well, God’s in charge, and there

be souls must be saved, and there be souls must not be saved.

must be some souls that get saved, and some that don’t

IAGO

It's true, good lieutenant.

Very true, lieutenant.

CASSIO

For mine own part,--no offence to the general, nor

For me – and no offense to the general or

any man of quality,--I hope to be saved.

anyone else – I hope I am saved.

IAGO

And so do I too, lieutenant.

As do I, lieutenant.

CASSIO

Ay, but, by your leave, not before me; the

Yes, but please, not before me. The

lieutenant is to be saved before the ancient. Let's

lieutenant must be saved before the ensign. But

have no more of this; let's to our affairs.--Forgive

no more of this, let’s go to the watch. Forgive

us our sins!--Gentlemen, let's look to our business.

us our sins! Gentlemen, let’s do our work.

Do not think, gentlemen, I am drunk: this is my

Do not think, men, that I am drunk. Look: this is my

ancient; this is my right hand, and this is my left:

ensign, this is my right hand, this is my left hand – 

I am not drunk now; I can stand well enough, and

you can see I am not drunk. I can stand and

speak well enough.

speak well enough.

All

Excellent well.

Yes, very well.

CASSIO

Why, very well then; you must not think then that I am drunk.

Yes, very well. You must not think I am drunk.

Exit

MONTANO

To the platform, masters; come, let's set the watch.

Let’s go to the platform, everyone, and get to the watch.

IAGO

You see this fellow that is gone before;

You see that man who just left?

He is a soldier fit to stand by Caesar

He is a good enough soldier to stand next to Caesar

And give direction: and do but see his vice;

And give orders, but you see his vice,

'Tis to his virtue a just equinox,

Which is an extreme opposite to his virtue.

The one as long as the other: 'tis pity of him.

The one is as great as the other, it’s too bad.

I fear the trust Othello puts him in

I am afraid that Othello trusts him too much

On some odd time of his infirmity,

And that at some time this weakness

Will shake this island.

Will be bad for the island.

MONTANO

But is he often thus?

Is he often this drunk?

IAGO

'Tis evermore the prologue to his sleep:

It’s usually what he does before going to bed.

He'll watch the horologe a double set,

He would stay awake for a full day

If drink rock not his cradle.

If he does not have a drink to put him to sleep.

MONTANO

It were well

It would be good

The general were put in mind of it.

If the general knew about this.

Perhaps he sees it not; or his good nature

Perhaps he doesn’t see it, or his trusting

Prizes the virtue that appears in Cassio,

Sees only Cassio’s virtues,

And looks not on his evils: is not this true?

And not his evils. Doesn’t that make sense?

Enter RODERIGO

IAGO

[Aside to him] How now, Roderigo!

What is it, Roderigo!

I pray you, after the lieutenant; go.

Please, go after the lieutenant, now.

Exit RODERIGO

MONTANO

And 'tis great pity that the noble Moor

It’s too bad that the good Moor

Should hazard such a place as his own second

Should be so risky with his second-in-command by appointing

With one of an ingraft infirmity:

Someone with such a vice.

It were an honest action to say

It would be honest to tell this

So to the Moor.

To the Moor.

IAGO

Not I, for this fair island:

I won’t tell him, not if you have me the whole island.

I do love Cassio well; and would do much

I love Cassio and would rather do what I can

To cure him of this evil--But, hark! what noise?

To cure him instead of ruining him. But wait, what is that sound?

Cry within: 'Help! help!'

Re-enter CASSIO, driving in RODERIGO

CASSIO

You rogue! you rascal!

You villain and rascal!

MONTANO

What's the matter, lieutenant?

What is the matter, lieutenant?

CASSIO

A knave teach me my duty!

You fool, trying to teach me my duty!

I'll beat the knave into a twiggen bottle.

I will beat you until you are criss-crossed like a straw covered bottle.

RODERIGO

Beat me!

Beat me!?

CASSIO

Dost thou prate, rogue?

Are you talking, you villain?

Striking RODERIGO

MONTANO

Nay, good lieutenant;

Stop, good lieutenant.

Staying him

I pray you, sir, hold your hand.

Please, sir, hold yourself back.

CASSIO

Let me go, sir,

Let me go

Or I'll knock you o'er the mazzard.

Or I will knock on the head.

MONTANO

Come, come,

Now, now, come on,

you're drunk.

you are drunk.

CASSIO

Drunk!

Drunk!

They fight

IAGO

[Aside to RODERIGO] Away, I say; go out, and cry a mutiny.

Now go and cry out that there is a fight.

Exit RODERIGO

Nay, good lieutenant,--alas, gentlemen;--

No, lieutenant, stop – oh, gentlemen – 

Help, ho!--Lieutenant,--sir,--Montano,--sir;

Help! – Lieutenant – sir – Montano – sir –

Help, masters!--Here's a goodly watch indeed!

Help, someone! – Fine way to guard the night!

Bell rings

Who's that which rings the bell?--Diablo, ho!

Who is ringing the bell? – Oh, damn!

The town will rise: God's will, lieutenant, hold!

The whole town will come out. By God, lieutenant, stop!

You will be shamed for ever.

You will be ruined forever.

Re-enter OTHELLO and Attendants

OTHELLO

What is the matter here?

What is the matter here.

MONTANO

'Zounds, I bleed still; I am hurt to the death.

Oh I am bleeding! I am hurt to death.

Faints

OTHELLO

Hold, for your lives!

Stop, or your lives will be at stake!

IAGO

Hold, ho! Lieutenant,--sir--Montano,--gentlemen,--

Stop! – Lieutenant – sir – Montano – men – 

Have you forgot all sense of place and duty?

Have you all forgotten your sense of duty and honor?

Hold! the general speaks to you; hold, hold, for shame!

Stop! The general is speaking to you! Stop, how shameful!

OTHELLO

Why, how now, ho! from whence ariseth this?

Why, how! How did this happen?

Are we turn'd Turks, and to ourselves do that

Have we become the Turks ourselves, and thus

Which heaven hath forbid the Ottomites?

Do what heaven stopped the Turks from doing to us?

For Christian shame, put by this barbarous brawl:

For the sake of Christianity stop this fighting:

He that stirs next to carve for his own rage

Whoever moves next to unleash his anger

Holds his soul light; he dies upon his motion.

Is risking his own life: he will die once he moves.

Silence that dreadful bell: it frights the isle

Someone stop that awful bell, it is frightening

From her propriety. What is the matter, masters?

The islanders. What happened here, sirs?

Honest Iago, that look'st dead with grieving,

Good Iago, you look exhausted and upset.

Speak, who began this? on thy love, I charge thee.

Speak up, who started this? I’m asking you out of love.

IAGO

I do not know: friends all but now, even now,

I don’t know. We were all friends until now,

In quarter, and in terms like bride and groom

We were like bride and groom

Devesting them for bed; and then, but now--

Undressing for bed, and then, just now – 

As if some planet had unwitted men--

As if the alignment of the planets had made them crazy – 

Swords out, and tilting one at other's breast,

Swords came out, pointed at each other’s chest

In opposition bloody. I cannot speak

In order to fight. I can’t speak

Any beginning to this peevish odds;

To how this all began,

And would in action glorious I had lost

And I wish that in previous battles I had lost

Those legs that brought me to a part of it!

My legs so I wouldn’t have come to see this!

OTHELLO

How comes it, Michael, you are thus forgot?

What happened, Michael, that you lost yourself?

CASSIO

I pray you, pardon me; I cannot speak.

Please, forgive me. I cannot speak.

OTHELLO