The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (983 page)

It hath pleased the devil drunkenness to give place

The devil called drunkenness went away and gave his spot

to the devil wrath; one unperfectness shows me

to the devil called wrath. One vice opens up to

another, to make me frankly despise myself.

another, and makes me hate myself.

IAGO

Come, you are too severe a moraler: as the time,

You are much to hard on yourself. Given the time.

the place, and the condition of this country

and your rank, and the condition of the island,

stands, I could heartily wish this had not befallen;

I of course wish this had not happened –

but, since it is as it is, mend it for your own good.

but since it has, try to work it for your own good.

CASSIO

I will ask him for my place again; he shall tell me

If I ask him for my rank again he shall tell me

I am a drunkard! Had I as many mouths as Hydra,

that I am an alcoholic! Even if I had as many mouths as the Hydra of myth,

such an answer would stop them all. To be now a

an answer like that would quiet them all. First I was a

sensible man, by and by a fool, and presently a

reasonable person, and then I was a fool, and now I am

beast! O strange! Every inordinate cup is

an animal! How strange! Every cup of wine

unblessed and the ingredient is a devil.

is an evil curse of the devil.

IAGO

Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature,

Come now, wine is a good substance

if it be well used: exclaim no more against it.

if it is used appropriately. Stop speaking against it,

And, good lieutenant, I think you think I love you.

And, good lieutenant, I think you know that I am your friend.

CASSIO

I have well approved it, sir. I drunk!

I know that well, sir. Me! A drunkard!

IAGO

You or any man living may be drunk! at a time, man.

You or any man might become drunk at any time, my man.

I'll tell you what you shall do. Our general's wife

This is what you shall now do: Othello’s wife

is now the general: may say so in this respect, for

is his general, which I say because

that he hath devoted and given up himself to the

he has so devoted himself to her and given himself away

contemplation, mark, and denotement of her parts and

to thinking about and noting her bodyparts and

graces: confess yourself freely to her; importune

qualities. Tell your story to her and beg

her help to put you in your place again: she is of

her to help you regain your rank. She is

so free, so kind, so apt, so blessed a disposition,

so kind and has such a gracious nature

she holds it a vice in her goodness not to do more

that she considers it wrongdoing to not help someone

than she is requested: this broken joint between

as much as they ask. The brokenness between

you and her husband entreat her to splinter; and, my

you and Othello can be mended by her, and I

fortunes against any lay worth naming, this

would bet that

crack of your love shall grow stronger than it was before.

the love between you two will grow to be even stronger than it was before.

CASSIO

You advise me well.

You have good advice.

IAGO

I protest, in the sincerity of love and honest kindness.

No, only the sincerity of my love and kindness for you.

CASSIO

I think it freely; and betimes in the morning I will

I believe you. Early tomorrow morning I will

beseech the virtuous Desdemona to undertake for me:

go to good Desdemona and plead my case.

I am desperate of my fortunes if they cheque me here.

I am desperate to turn my fortunes around.

IAGO

You are in the right. Good night, lieutenant; I

That’s the right thing to do. Goodnight lieutenant. I

must to the watch.

must go to keep the watch.

CASSIO

Good night, honest Iago.

Goodnight, honest Iago.

Exit

IAGO

And what's he then that says I play the villain?

And who says I am the villain?

When this advice is free I give and honest,

My advice is so good and honest,

Probal to thinking and indeed the course

And it probably is the best course

To win the Moor again? For 'tis most easy

To get back in the Moor’s good favor. It is very easy

The inclining Desdemona to subdue

To convince the willing Desdemona to help

In any honest suit: she's framed as fruitful

Any case since she has the best wishes for others.

As the free elements. And then for her

And then, for her

To win the Moor--were't to renounce his baptism,

To convince the Moor – it could be as serious as renouncing his baptism

All seals and symbols of redeemed sin,

And all the other marks of his salvation,

His soul is so enfetter'd to her love,

But he is so completely in love with her

That she may make, unmake, do what she list,

That she can do whatever she wants

Even as her appetite shall play the god

And through her desires have as much control as God

With his weak function. How am I then a villain

Compared to his weak resistance. So how am I a villain

To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,

To suggest to Cassio to take this course,

Directly to his good? Divinity of hell!

Which is for his benefit? I am like Satan himself!

When devils will the blackest sins put on,

When devils are looking to do the most evil sins they can,

They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,

They first take on a heavenly appearance

As I do now: for whiles this honest fool

Just as I am doing. While this honest fool

Plies Desdemona to repair his fortunes

Seeks to get Desdemona to help him

And she for him pleads strongly to the Moor,

And she pleads his case to the Moor,

I'll pour this pestilence into his ear,

I will poison his ear

That she repeals him for her body's lust;

With talk of her being disgusted at his appearance

And by how much she strives to do him good,

And so the stronger she strives to help Cassio,

She shall undo her credit with the Moor.

The more she will become suspicious to the Moor.

So will I turn her virtue into pitch,

So I will turn her goodness into evil,

And out of her own goodness make the net

And out of it create a net

That shall enmesh them all.

To trap them all.

Re-enter RODERIGO

How now, Roderigo!

How are you, Roderigo?

RODERIGO

I do follow here in the chase, not like a hound that

I am spent from the chase, not like the hound

hunts, but one that fills up the cry. My money is

hunting, but like the hunted. My money is

almost spent; I have been to-night exceedingly well

nearly gone and tonight I have been very brutally

cudgelled; and I think the issue will be, I shall

beaten. I think that in return I have

have so much experience for my pains, and so, with

gained more experience for my sufferings, so with

no money at all and a little more wit, return again to Venice.

no money, and a little more wisdom, I am going back to Venice.

IAGO

How poor are they that have not patience!

How pathetic they are who do not have patience!

What wound did ever heal but by degrees?

Don’t wounds heal slowly, not all at once?

Thou know'st we work by wit, and not by witchcraft;

You know that we are working through trickery, not magic,

And wit depends on dilatory time.

And such tricks require time.

Does't not go well? Cassio hath beaten thee.

Aren’t you alright? Cassio beat you,

And thou, by that small hurt, hast cashier'd Cassio:

But because of that small injury, you have gotten Cassio discounted!

Though other things grow fair against the sun,

Our work is making the right things grow under the sun,

Yet fruits that blossom first will first be ripe:

And the fruits of this work will soon be ripe,

Content thyself awhile. By the mass, 'tis morning;

So be patient. My God, it’s already morning:

Pleasure and action make the hours seem short.

Partying and action made time fly.

Retire thee; go where thou art billeted:

Go to sleep back where you are staying.

Away, I say; thou shalt know more hereafter:

Go now, you will know more later.

Nay, get thee gone.

No, get going.

Exit RODERIGO

Two things are to be done:

Two things still must be done:

My wife must move for Cassio to her mistress;

My wife must plead Cassio’s case to Desdemona.

I'll set her on;

Which I can convince her to do.

Myself the while to draw the Moor apart,

Meanwhile I must go to the Moor

And bring him jump when he may Cassio find

And make sure he sees Cassio

Soliciting his wife: ay, that's the way

Pleading to his wife. Yes, thats what needs to happen,

Dull not device by coldness and delay.

And I must not ruin the plan through stupidity or slowness.

Exit