The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (985 page)

DESDEMONA

Do not doubt that; before Emilia here

Do not think about that. Before Emilia as my witness,

I give thee warrant of thy place: assure thee,

I promise you your position. Rest assured,

If I do vow a friendship, I'll perform it

If I vow someone my friendship, I act on it

To the last article: my lord shall never rest;

To my fullest. Othello shall never gain rest

I'll watch him tame and talk him out of patience;

Since I will watch him and talk to him until his patience is gone,

His bed shall seem a school, his board a shrift;

And his bed and dinner table will seem like a school for all of my talking.

I'll intermingle every thing he does

I will mix everything he does

With Cassio's suit: therefore be merry, Cassio;

With your case, so be happy, Cassio.

For thy solicitor shall rather die

I, your attorney, would rather die

Than give thy cause away.

Than forget your cause.

EMILIA

Madam, here comes my lord.

Madam, here comes Othello.

CASSIO

Madam, I'll take my leave.

I will take my leave, madam.

DESDEMONA

Why, stay, and hear me speak.

No, stay, and hear what I will say.

CASSIO

Madam, not now: I am very ill at ease,

Madam, not now. I do not feel comfortable

Unfit for mine own purposes.

And that will not help my case.

DESDEMONA

Well, do your discretion.

As you will.

Exit CASSIO

Enter OTHELLO and IAGO

IAGO

Ha! I like not that.

Well! I don’t like that.

OTHELLO

What dost thou say?

What is it?

IAGO

Nothing, my lord: or if--I know not what.

Nothing, my lord – or it – I don’t know.

OTHELLO

Was not that Cassio parted from my wife?

Was that Cassio leaving my wife?

IAGO

Cassio, my lord! No, sure, I cannot think it,

Cassio! No, I don’t think so.

That he would steal away so guilty-like,

He would not leave looking so guilty

Seeing you coming.

From seeing you coming.

OTHELLO

I do believe 'twas he.

I think it was him.

DESDEMONA

How now, my lord!

Hello, my lord!

I have been talking with a suitor here,

I have been talking with a man with a suit

A man that languishes in your displeasure.

Who suffers from your anger at him.

OTHELLO

Who is't you mean?

Who are you talking about?

DESDEMONA

Why, your lieutenant, Cassio. Good my lord,

Why, Cassio, your lieutenant. Good lord,

If I have any grace or power to move you,

If I have power to influence you,

His present reconciliation take;

Please accept his desire to reconcile.

For if he be not one that truly loves you,

He is someone who truly loves you

That errs in ignorance and not in cunning,

And his mistakes come from ignorance, not from deviousness –

I have no judgment in an honest face:

If I am wrong, I am an awful judge of character.

I prithee, call him back.

Please, call him back.

OTHELLO

Went he hence now?

Did he leave just now?

DESDEMONA

Ay, sooth; so humbled

Yes, he went away humbled

That he hath left part of his grief with me,

And left some of his sadness with me

To suffer with him. Good love, call him back.

So that I suffer with him. My love, call him back.

OTHELLO

Not now, sweet Desdemona; some other time.

Not yet, sweet Desdemona. Another time.

DESDEMONA

But shall't be shortly?

But will it be shortly?

OTHELLO

The sooner, sweet, for you.

Sooner than later, because you ask, sweetheart.

DESDEMONA

Shall't be to-night at supper?

Perhaps tonight at dinner?

OTHELLO

No, not to-night.

No, not tonight.

DESDEMONA

To-morrow dinner, then?

Tomorrow at dinner, then?

OTHELLO

I shall not dine at home;

I will not be eating at home,

I meet the captains at the citadel.

But meeting with the captains at the castle.

DESDEMONA

Why, then, to-morrow night; or Tuesday morn;

Then tomorrow night, or Tuesday morning,

On Tuesday noon, or night; on Wednesday morn:

Or Tuesday at noon, or night, or on Wednesday morning,

I prithee, name the time, but let it not

But please name the time, and do not let it

Exceed three days: in faith, he's penitent;

Go past three days because, truly, he is remorseful.

And yet his trespass, in our common reason--

And anyway, his offense, in all reason –

Save that, they say, the wars must make examples

Though, of course in wartime examples must be made

Out of their best--is not almost a fault

Out of the best of men – is not a fault

To incur a private cheque. When shall he come?

So great that it deserves such punishment. When should he come?

Tell me, Othello: I wonder in my soul,

Tell me, Othello. I wonder:

What you would ask me, that I should deny,

Is there anything you could ask me that I would deny you

Or stand so mammering on. What! Michael Cassio,

Or stand muttering about? This is Michael Cassio,

That came a-wooing with you, and so many a time,

He who came with you to woo me so many times,

When I have spoke of you dispraisingly,

Who, when I criticized you to him,

Hath ta'en your part; to have so much to do

Took your side and defended you, and now I have to make so much noise

To bring him in! Trust me, I could do much,--

just so you will bring him back! Trust me, I can do much more –

OTHELLO

Prithee, no more: let him come when he will;

Please, no more. He can come back when he wants,

I will deny thee nothing.

I will deny you nothing.

DESDEMONA

Why, this is not a boon;

It’s not like you are doing me a favor:

'Tis as I should entreat you wear your gloves,

It’s just like if I were to tell you to wear gloves in the cold

Or feed on nourishing dishes, or keep you warm,

Or eat healthy food, or stay warm

Or sue to you to do a peculiar profit

Or request you to do anything that will profit

To your own person: nay, when I have a suit

yourself. No, when I have a request

Wherein I mean to touch your love indeed,

Where I need to appeal to your love for me,

It shall be full of poise and difficult weight

It will be one that is very difficult

And fearful to be granted.

And terrible to be granted.

OTHELLO

I will deny thee nothing:

I will deny you nothing,

Whereon, I do beseech thee, grant me this,

But please, grant me one thing:

To leave me but a little to myself.

Leave me a lone for a little while.

DESDEMONA

Shall I deny you? no: farewell, my lord.

Would I deny you? No. Goodbye, my lord.

OTHELLO

Farewell, my Desdemona: I'll come to thee straight.

Goodbye, my Desdemona. I will come to you soon.

DESDEMONA

Emilia, come. Be as your fancies teach you;

Emilia, come. Othello, do what you feel like,

Whate'er you be, I am obedient.

Whatever you do, I will obey you.

Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA

OTHELLO

Excellent wretch! Perdition catch my soul,

Wonderful woman! Heaven help me,

But I do love thee! and when I love thee not,

But I love you! And if I stop loving you,

Chaos is come again.

May the universe return to Chaos, as it was before the world was made.

IAGO

My noble lord--

My noble lord–

OTHELLO

What dost thou say, Iago?

What is it, Iago?

IAGO

Did Michael Cassio, when you woo'd my lady,

Did Michael Cassio, when you courted Desdemona,

Know of your love?

Know about your love for her?

OTHELLO

He did, from first to last: why dost thou ask?

He did, right from the beginning, why?

IAGO

But for a satisfaction of my thought;

Just for my own curiosity,

No further harm.

No other reason.

OTHELLO

Why of thy thought, Iago?

What are you curious about, Iago?

IAGO

I did not think he had been acquainted with her.

I did not know that he knew her.

OTHELLO

O, yes; and went between us very oft.

O yes, and he talked to her for me often.

IAGO

Indeed!

Really!

OTHELLO

Indeed! ay, indeed: discern'st thou aught in that?

Yes, really: is there something wrong with that?

Is he not honest?

Don’t you think he is honest?

IAGO

Honest, my lord!

Honest, my lord!

OTHELLO

Honest! ay, honest.

Honest! yes, honest.

IAGO

My lord, for aught I know.

For all I know, my lord.

OTHELLO

What dost thou think?

And what do you think?

IAGO

Think, my lord!

What do I think, my lord?

OTHELLO

Think, my lord!

What do I think, my lord?

By heaven, he echoes me,

By God, he repeats what I say

As if there were some monster in his thought

As if he is thinking something so monstrous

Too hideous to be shown. Thou dost mean something:

That he must hide hit. You must mean something that you won’t tell me:

I heard thee say even now, thou likedst not that,

I heard you comment as if you did not like it

When Cassio left my wife: what didst not like?