The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (992 page)

Enter OTHELLO and IAGO

IAGO

Will you think so?

Do you think so?

OTHELLO

Think so, Iago!

Think so! Iago!

IAGO

What,

What,

To kiss in private?

Did they kiss in private?

OTHELLO

An unauthorized kiss.

A wrong, secret kiss.

IAGO

Or to be naked with her friend in bed

Or perhaps they were naked together in bed

An hour or more, not meaning any harm?

For an hour or so, but didn’t do anything?

OTHELLO

Naked in bed, Iago, and not mean harm!

Naked in bed, and not do anything! Absurd!

It is hypocrisy against the devil:

That would be like the devil being a hypocrite and not really doing evil.

They that mean virtuously, and yet do so,

If they meant to not have sex, and yet laid together like that,

The devil their virtue tempts, and they tempt heaven.

Then they are asking to be tempted, and condemned.

IAGO

So they do nothing, 'tis a venial slip:

Then if they do not do anything, it is only a minor slip-up.

But if I give my wife a handkerchief,--

But, if I give my wife a handkerchief–

OTHELLO

What then?

Then what?

IAGO

Why, then, 'tis hers, my lord; and, being hers,

Well, then it is hers, my lord. And since it is hers,

She may, I think, bestow't on any man.

She can give it to anyone.

OTHELLO

She is protectress of her honour too:

She is also the owner of her honor, though –

May she give that?

Can she give that to anyone?

IAGO

Her honour is an essence that's not seen;

Her honor is a quality, not a tangible object.

They have it very oft that have it not:

Many times people do not even have the honor they think they do.

But, for the handkerchief,--

But a handkerchief–

OTHELLO

By heaven, I would most gladly have forgot it.

By God, I wish I could forget about it

Thou said'st, it comes o'er my memory,

What you said clouds my thinking

As doth the raven o'er the infected house,

And, like a raven flying over a cursed house,

Boding to all--he had my handkerchief.

Foreshadows evil. He has my handkerchief!

IAGO

Ay, what of that?

So, what of it?

OTHELLO

That's not so good now.

That is no good.

IAGO

What,

Well

If I had said I had seen him do you wrong?

What if I said that I had seen him do something wrong?

Or heard him say,--as knaves be such abroad,

Or if I heard him say – like evil men,

Who having, by their own importunate suit,

Who of their own forceful manipulation

Or voluntary dotage of some mistress,

Or the love of some woman

Convinced or supplied them, cannot choose

Get what they are after, cannot help themselves

But they must blab--

But talk about it–

OTHELLO

Hath he said any thing?

Did he say something?

IAGO

He hath, my lord; but be you well assured,

He did, my lord, but you should know

No more than he'll unswear.

That he will only deny it.

OTHELLO

What hath he said?

What did he say?

IAGO

'Faith, that he did--I know not what he did.

Well, that he did– I don’t know what he did.

OTHELLO

What? what?

What? Tell me.

IAGO

Lie--

That he laid

OTHELLO

With her?

With her?

IAGO

With her, on her; what you will.

With her, on her, whatever you think.

OTHELLO

Lie with her! lie on her! We say lie on her, when

Lay with her! On her! I would rather hear, instead of “lie on her”

they belie her. Lie with her! that's fulsome.

that people were lying about her. Lay with her! That’s disgusting.

--Handkerchief--confessions--handkerchief!--To

–Handkerchief–confessions–handkerchief! He must

confess, and be hanged for his labour;--first, to be

confess and then be hung for his confession. –No, first

hanged, and then to confess.--I tremble at it.

hung, and then he can confess. – I am shaking with anger.

Nature would not invest herself in such shadowing

Nature would not let me feel like this, in such

passion without some instruction. It is not words

passion, if there was no truth to the matter. Simple words

that shake me thus. Pish! Noses, ears, and lips.

can’t shake me like this. Bah! Noses, ears, lips.

--Is't possible?--Confess--handkerchief!--O devil!--

Is it possible? – Confess – handkerchief! – O devil!

Falls in a trance

IAGO

Work on,

Keep going,

My medicine, work! Thus credulous fools are caught;

My poisonous imaginations that I gave him! Naively trusting fools are easily caught

And many worthy and chaste dames even thus,

And many worthy, pure women are,

All guiltless, meet reproach. What, ho! my lord!

Even though they are blameless, punished. What, Othello!

My lord, I say! Othello!

Othello!

Enter CASSIO

How now, Cassio!

Hello, Cassio!

CASSIO

What's the matter?

What is going on?

IAGO

My lord is fall'n into an epilepsy:

Othello has fallen into an epileptic fit.

This is his second fit; he had one yesterday.

This is his second one – the first one was yesterday.

CASSIO

Rub him about the temples.

Rub his temples.

IAGO

No, forbear;

No, just wait –

The lethargy must have his quiet course:

The fit should run its course.

If not, he foams at mouth and by and by

If it doesn’t, he begins to foam at the mouth

Breaks out to savage madness. Look he stirs:

And become mad. Look, he wakes.

Do you withdraw yourself a little while,

Go away for a little while,

He will recover straight: when he is gone,

He will recover quickly. When he is gone,

I would on great occasion speak with you.

I greatly need to talk to you.

Exit CASSIO

How is it, general? have you not hurt your head?

General, how are you? Did you hurt your head?

OTHELLO

Dost thou mock me?

Are you mocking me?

IAGO

I mock you! no, by heaven.

Mocking you! Of course not.

Would you would bear your fortune like a man!

But I wish you could bear your misfortune like a man!

OTHELLO

A horned man's a monster and a beast.

A man who has been cheated on is more of a monster and an animal.

IAGO

There's many a beast then in a populous city,

Well there are many animals, then, in a crowded city,

And many a civil monster.

And many monsters are still polite.

OTHELLO

Did he confess it?

Did he confess to it?

IAGO

Good sir, be a man;

Good sir, act like a man.

Think every bearded fellow that's but yoked

Every married fellow

May draw with you: there's millions now alive

Has the same situation you do. There are millions

That nightly lie in those unproper beds

Who go to bed each night with their cheating wives

Which they dare swear peculiar: your case is better.

Whom they think are loyal to them. Your situation is better.

O, 'tis the spite of hell, the fiend's arch-mock,

O, it is indeed a curse, the worst kind of mocking,

To lip a wanton in a secure couch,

To kiss a loose woman

And to suppose her chaste! No, let me know;

And believe she is pure! No, I would rather know,

And knowing what I am, I know what she shall be.

And then I will know what I really am and what she really is.

OTHELLO

O, thou art wise; 'tis certain.

You are certainly wise.

IAGO

Stand you awhile apart;

Go away from the situation for a little

Confine yourself but in a patient list.

And calm down in patience.

Whilst you were here o'erwhelmed with your grief--

While you were overwhelmed here in a fit of sadness –

A passion most unsuiting such a man--

Which is not the proper response for a man –

Cassio came hither: I shifted him away,

Cassio came here. I ushered him away

And laid good 'scuse upon your ecstasy,

And made up an excuse for your fit,

Bade him anon return and here speak with me;

But asked him to come back and talk with me,

The which he promised. Do but encave yourself,

Which he agreed to do. So hide yourself

And mark the fleers, the gibes, and notable scorns,

And make a note of all of the sneers and scorns

That dwell in every region of his face;

That will show up on his face.

For I will make him tell the tale anew,

I will make him tell the story again –

Where, how, how oft, how long ago, and when

Where, how, how often, when it started, and when

He hath, and is again to cope your wife:

He plans again to go to your wife.

I say, but mark his gesture. Marry, patience;

Again, make a note of his actions. Be patient,

Or I shall say you are all in all in spleen,

Or I will think that you are taken up by your rage

And nothing of a man.

And not really a man.

OTHELLO

Dost thou hear, Iago?

Do you hear me, Iago?

I will be found most cunning in my patience;

I will be quiet and cunning in my patience,

But--dost thou hear?--most bloody.

But – and hear this – still very violent when the time comes.

IAGO

That's not amiss;

That’s not a wrong thing,

But yet keep time in all. Will you withdraw?

But it must be in the right time. Now go away.