The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (982 page)

Worthy Montano, you were wont be civil;

Worthy Montano, you have been so polite.

The gravity and stillness of your youth

As a young man, your seriousness and calmness

The world hath noted, and your name is great

Was noted by the world, and your name is mentioned

In mouths of wisest censure: what's the matter,

By the wisest men. What happened

That you unlace your reputation thus

That you ruin your reputation like this

And spend your rich opinion for the name

And destroy these good estimations to become

Of a night-brawler? give me answer to it.

Someone who fights at night? Give me an answer.

MONTANO

Worthy Othello, I am hurt to danger:

Worthy Othello, I am badly injured.

Your officer, Iago, can inform you,--

Your officer, Iago, can tell you –

While I spare speech, which something now offends me,--

I should save my breath, it hurts me to talk –

Of all that I do know: nor know I aught

He can tell you everything I know. I have done

By me that's said or done amiss this night;

Nothing wrong tonight,

Unless self-charity be sometimes a vice,

Unless it is wrong to look out for ourselves

And to defend ourselves it be a sin

And a sin to defend ourselves

When violence assails us.

Against attack.

OTHELLO

Now, by heaven,

As God is my witness,

My blood begins my safer guides to rule;

I am beginning to lose my temper.

And passion, having my best judgment collied,

Passion is dirtying my sound judgment

Assays to lead the way: if I once stir,

And wants to be in charge of my decision making. If I move

Or do but lift this arm, the best of you

Or lift this arm, everyone

Shall sink in my rebuke. Give me to know

Will suffer at my hands. Tell me

How this foul rout began, who set it on;

How this fighting started, and who began it.

And he that is approved in this offence,

Whoever is proved the offender,

Though he had twinn'd with me, both at a birth,

Even if he were my twin at birth,

Shall lose me. What! in a town of war,

Shall lose my respect. Really! In a town already avoiding a war,

Yet wild, the people's hearts brimful of fear,

Where the people’s hearts are already scared,

To manage private and domestic quarrel,

You have created this private fight

In night, and on the court and guard of safety!

At night, when you were supposed to be on guard!

'Tis monstrous. Iago, who began't?

This is awful. Iago, who started it.

MONTANO

If partially affined, or leagued in office,

If you speak from partiality or are in league with the offender

Thou dost deliver more or less than truth,

And thus do not speak the real truth,

Thou art no soldier.

You are no soldier.

IAGO

Touch me not so near:

Do not say such things to me.

I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth

I would rather cut my tongue out of my mouth

Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;

Than speak ill of Michael Cassio.

Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth

Yes, I believe that by telling the truth

Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general.

I do not do anything wrong to him. So here it is, general.

Montano and myself being in speech,

Montano and I were talking,

There comes a fellow crying out for help:

And a fellow came crying out for help.

And Cassio following him with determined sword,

Cassio was following him with a sword,

To execute upon him. Sir, this gentleman

Intent on executing him. Sir, this gentelman Montano

Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause:

Stepped in to stop Cassio,

Myself the crying fellow did pursue,

And I followed after the man crying out for help,

Lest by his clamour--as it so fell out--

So that his awful shouting

The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,

Would not terrify the town. He, being very fast,

Outran my purpose; and I return'd the rather

Outran me, and I came back

For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,

Hearing the sound of swordfighting

And Cassio high in oath; which till to-night

And Cassio swearing, which until tonight

I ne'er might say before. When I came back--

I have never heard before. When I returned – 

For this was brief--I found them close together,

This was quick – I found them together

At blow and thrust; even as again they were

Fighting, just as they were

When you yourself did part them.

When you separated them.

More of this matter cannot I report:

I have nothing more to say

But men are men; the best sometimes forget:

Except that men are men, we forget this sometimes,

Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,

And though Cassio injured Montano,

As men in rage strike those that wish them best,

Striking out of rage at whoever is close no matter who they are or their intentions are,

Yet surely Cassio, I believe, received

I am also certain that Cassio received

From him that fled some strange indignity,

A cruel insult from the man who fled

Which patience could not pass.

Which even patience could not let pass.

OTHELLO

I know, Iago,

I know, Iago,

Thy honesty and love doth mince this matter,

That your honest and love affect your judgment

Making it light to Cassio. Cassio, I love thee

And seek to lighten Cassio’s sin. Cassio, I love you,

But never more be officer of mine.

But you are no longer my officer.

Re-enter DESDEMONA, attended

Look, if my gentle love be not raised up!

Look, you have woken my gentle love!

I'll make thee an example.

I will make an example out of you.

DESDEMONA

What's the matter?

What happened?

OTHELLO

All's well now, sweeting; come away to bed.

All is well, sweetheart. Come back to bed.

Sir, for your hurts, myself will be your surgeon:

Sir, for your injuries, I will make sure you are treated.

Lead him off.

Lead him away.

To MONTANO, who is led off

Iago, look with care about the town,

Iago, go care for the townspeople

And silence those whom this vile brawl distracted.

And calm them whom were woken by this fight.

Come, Desdemona: 'tis the soldiers' life

Come Desdemona: it’s the soldier’s life

To have their balmy slumbers waked with strife.

To have their sleep interrupted by fighting.

Exeunt all but IAGO and CASSIO

IAGO

What, are you hurt, lieutenant?

Are you hurt, lieutenant?

CASSIO

Ay, past all surgery.

Yes, past all recovery.

IAGO

Marry, heaven forbid!

No, I hope not!

CASSIO

Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lost

Reputation, reputation, reputation! O, I have lose

my reputation! I have lost the immortal part of

my reputation! I have lost the eternal part of

myself, and what remains is bestial. My reputation,

myself and only this animal side remains. My reputation,

Iago, my reputation!

Iago, my reputation!

IAGO

As I am an honest man, I thought you had received

I honestly thought that you had received

some bodily wound; there is more sense in that than

a physical injury – that means much more than

in reputation. Reputation is an idle and most false

your reputation. Reputation is a lazy and fake quality

imposition: oft got without merit, and lost without

that others impose. Often it has no merit, and it can be lost without

deserving: you have lost no reputation at all,

warrant. You have lost no reputation

unless you repute yourself such a loser. What, man!

unless you think you have. What!

there are ways to recover the general again: you

There are many ways to get back on the general’s good side, right now

are but now cast in his mood, a punishment more in

you are dealing with a mood of his, but the punishment came from

policy than in malice, even so as one would beat his

policy, not from ill-will, just as someone would beat

offenceless dog to affright an imperious lion: sue

his dog to frighten off a lion. Go to him and ask,

to him again, and he's yours.

and he will change his mind.

CASSIO

I will rather sue to be despised than to deceive so

I would rather ask him to hate me than to trick

good a commander with so slight, so drunken, and so

a good commander to allow a worthless, drunken,

indiscreet an officer. Drunk? and speak parrot?

stupid officer back. Drunk? Speaking nonsense?

and squabble? swagger? swear? and discourse

And swearing? Raving

fustian with one's own shadow? O thou invisible

At one’s own shadow? O invisible

spirit of wine, if thou hast no name to be known by,

demon of wine, if you have no other name,

let us call thee devil!

i will call you devil!

IAGO

What was he that you followed with your sword? What

Who was he whom you were chasing with your sword? What

had he done to you?

did he say to you?

CASSIO

I know not.

I don’t know.

IAGO

Is't possible?

Is that possible?

CASSIO

I remember a mass of things, but nothing distinctly;

I remember a number of things, but nothing distinctly:

a quarrel, but nothing wherefore. O God, that men

a fight, but nothing else. O God, how awful that men

should put an enemy in their mouths to steal away

would put an enemy into their mouths through wine that steals

their brains! that we should, with joy, pleasance

their minds! How horrible that we should joyfully

revel and applause, transform ourselves into beasts!

party and thus transform ourselves into animals!

IAGO

Why, but you are now well enough: how came you thus

You seem very sober now, how did you

recovered?

recover so quickly?

CASSIO