The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (987 page)

And so she did.

Yes, she did.

IAGO

Why, go to then;

Well, there it is:

She that, so young, could give out such a seeming,

She who was so young put on such an act

To seal her father's eyes up close as oak-

To trick her father

He thought 'twas witchcraft--but I am much to blame;

That he thought it was witchcraft – but I shouldn’t say that.

I humbly do beseech you of your pardon

I ask for your forgiveness for speaking

For too much loving you.

Which I do only because I love you too much.

OTHELLO

I am bound to thee for ever.

I owe you forever.

IAGO

I see this hath a little dash'd your spirits.

I see this has upset you a little.

OTHELLO

Not a jot, not a jot.

Not at all, not at all.

IAGO

I' faith, I fear it has.

Truly, I am afraid it has.

I hope you will consider what is spoke

I hope that you know that what I said

Comes from my love. But I do see you're moved:

Came from love. But I see that you are sad.

I am to pray you not to strain my speech

Please do not take what I have said so seriously

To grosser issues nor to larger reach

That you stretch it to greater imaginations and situations

Than to suspicion.

Than the appropriate suspicion it deserves.

OTHELLO

I will not.

I will not.

IAGO

Should you do so, my lord,

If you do, my lord,

My speech should fall into such vile success

Then what I have said has had awful effects

As my thoughts aim not at. Cassio's my worthy friend--

That I did not intend. Cassio is a good friend – 

My lord, I see you're moved.

My lord, I see that you are upset.

OTHELLO

No, not much moved:

No, not that upset.

I do not think but Desdemona's honest.

I think that Desdemona is very honest.

IAGO

Long live she so! and long live you to think so!

And may she be her whole life! And may your whole life you think so!

OTHELLO

And yet, how nature erring from itself,--

And yet, one can act against one’s true nature –

IAGO

Ay, there's the point: as--to be bold with you--

Ah, that is what I meant. To be bold,

Not to affect many proposed matches

She was not affected by any proposals

Of her own clime, complexion, and degree,

From men who are more similar to her, as in country, skin color, and status,

Whereto we see in all things nature tends--

Which nature tends to respect most –

Foh! one may smell in such a will most rank,

Oh! One can almost sense such a disgusting will

Foul disproportion thoughts unnatural.

In evilly overestimating such unnatural things!

But pardon me; I do not in position

But excuse me, I don’t mean

Distinctly speak of her; though I may fear

To speak specifically of her. Though, still, I worry

Her will, recoiling to her better judgment,

That her desires, against her better judgement,

May fall to match you with her country forms

Will compare you to her countrymen

And happily repent.

And choose them instead.

OTHELLO

Farewell, farewell:

Goodbye, goodbye –

If more thou dost perceive, let me know more;

If you see more, let me know,

Set on thy wife to observe: leave me, Iago:

And ask your wife to watch her. Go now, Iago.

IAGO

[Going] My lord, I take my leave.

My lord, I will go now.

OTHELLO

Why did I marry? This honest creature doubtless

Why did I even marry? This honest man must

Sees and knows more, much more, than he unfolds.

See and know much more than he says.

IAGO

[Returning] My lord, I would I might entreat your honour

My lord, I must ask you

To scan this thing no further; leave it to time:

To stop thinking about this thing. Give it time.

Though it be fit that Cassio have his place,

Though it is right that Cassio get his rank back,

For sure, he fills it up with great ability,

After all he is very able and talented,

Yet, if you please to hold him off awhile,

But if you hold him from accepting him for a while

You shall by that perceive him and his means:

You will see how he handles it.

Note, if your lady strain his entertainment

If your lady continues to insist on his return

With any strong or vehement importunity;

By strongly begging you –

Much will be seen in that. In the mean time,

You will see a lot in that. Meanwhile,

Let me be thought too busy in my fears--

Think of me as too paranoid –

As worthy cause I have to fear I am--

For I often am –

And hold her free, I do beseech your honour.

And hold her as blameless, please.

OTHELLO

Fear not my government.

Do not worry about my judgment.

IAGO

I once more take my leave.

Again, I will go now.

Exit

OTHELLO

This fellow's of exceeding honesty,

Iago is incredibly honest

And knows all qualities, with a learned spirit,

And speaks wisely of the qualities

Of human dealings. If I do prove her haggard,

Of other men. If I do find out she has been cheating on me,

Though that her jesses were my dear heartstrings,

Even though she is tied to my very heartstrings

I'ld whistle her off and let her down the wind,

I will send her off

To pray at fortune. Haply, for I am black

To her own luck. Maybe because I am black

And have not those soft parts of conversation

And do not have the skilled softness of speech

That chamberers have, or for I am declined

That mannered men have, or because I have aged

Into the vale of years,--yet that's not much--

And am now old – yet not too old – 

She's gone. I am abused; and my relief

She leaves me. I have been wronged and my only hope

Must be to loathe her. O curse of marriage,

Is to hate her. Marriage is such a curse:

That we can call these delicate creatures ours,

We think we can own these beautiful women,

And not their appetites! I had rather be a toad,

And yet we cannot own their desires! I would rather be a frog

And live upon the vapour of a dungeon,

Living on the germ-ridden air and mold of a dungeon

Than keep a corner in the thing I love

Than to have only part of the woman I love

For others' uses. Yet, 'tis the plague of great ones;

And share her with others. This is the plague of great men:

Prerogatived are they less than the base;

They are less favored than lower men,

'Tis destiny unshunnable, like death:

It’s an unshakeable destiny, like death.

Even then this forked plague is fated to us

We are fated to walk down this plagued path

When we do quicken. Desdemona comes:

From our birth. Here is Desdemona.

Re-enter DESDEMONA and EMILIA

If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself!

If she has lied, then God is mocking himself!

I'll not believe't.

I will not believe it.

DESDEMONA

How now, my dear Othello!

How are you, dear Othello!

Your dinner, and the generous islanders

Your dinner is waiting for you, and the islanders

By you invited, do attend your presence.

Whom you invited want to see you at dinner.

OTHELLO

I am to blame.

It is my fault.

DESDEMONA

Why do you speak so faintly?

Why do you speak so quietly?

Are you not well?

Are you sick?

OTHELLO

I have a pain upon my forehead here.

I have a headache.

DESDEMONA

'Faith, that's with watching; 'twill away again:

That’s from the guard and not sleeping. It will go away.

Let me but bind it hard, within this hour

Let me wrap it tightly and in an hour

It will be well.

It will be alright.

OTHELLO

Your napkin is too little:

This is a little too tight.

He puts the handkerchief from him; and it drops

Let it alone. Come, I'll go in with you.

Leave it alone. Come on, I will go with you.

DESDEMONA

I am very sorry that you are not well.

I am sorry that you are not feeling well.

Exeunt OTHELLO and DESDEMONA

EMILIA

I am glad I have found this napkin:

I am glad I found this napkin –

This was her first remembrance from the Moor:

It is her first keepsake from the Moor.

My wayward husband hath a hundred times

My evil husband has asked me a hundred times

Woo'd me to steal it; but she so loves the token,

To steal it from her, but she loves it,

For he conjured her she should ever keep it,

Since Othello asked her to keep it,

That she reserves it evermore about her

So she keeps it near her

To kiss and talk to. I'll have the work ta'en out,

In order to talk to it and kiss it. I will have the pattern copied

And give't Iago: what he will do with it

And given to Iago. What he does with it

Heaven knows, not I;

Heaven knows, but I don’t.

I nothing but to please his fantasy.

I do whatever I can to please him.

Re-enter Iago

IAGO

How now! what do you here alone?

What’s going on? Why are you here alone?

EMILIA

Do not you chide; I have a thing for you.

Do not be mean to me. I have something for you.

IAGO

A thing for me? it is a common thing--

Something for me? Well you give that to everyone...

EMILIA

Ha!

Ha!

IAGO

To have a foolish wife.

O, to have a dumb wife.

EMILIA

O, is that all? What will you give me now

Are you done? What will you give me

For the same handkerchief?