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Othello: Act III, Scene 4

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Othello
Act III, Scene 4

Cyprus. Before the castle.

Ben Humphrey as the Clown in the 2017 Worcester Repertory Company production of Othello

Ben Humphrey as the Clown in the 2017 Worcester Repertory Company production of Othello

2017

  1. Enter Desdemona, Emilia, and Clown.

Desdemona

1
  1. Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?

Clown

2
  1. I dare not say he lies any where.

Desdemona

3
  1. Why, man?

Clown

4 - 5
  1. He’s a soldier, and for me to say a soldier lies, ’tis
  2. stabbing.

Desdemona

6
  1. Go to! Where lodges he?

Clown

7
  1. To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie.

Desdemona

8
  1. Can any thing be made of this?

Clown

9 - 11
  1. I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a lodging
  2. and say he lies here, or he lies there, were to lie in mine
  3. own throat.

Desdemona

12
  1. Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?

Clown

13 - 14
  1. I will catechize the world for him, that is, make questions,
  2. and by them answer.

Desdemona

15 - 16
  1. Seek him, bid him come hither. Tell him I have mov’d my lord
  2. on his behalf, and hope all will be well.

Clown

17 - 18
  1. To do this is within the compass of man’s wit, and therefore
  2. I will attempt the doing it.
  1. Exit Clown.

Desdemona

19
  1. Where should I lose the handkerchief, Emilia?

Emilia

20
  1. I know not, madam.

Desdemona

21 - 25
  1. Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse
  2. Full of crusadoes; and but my noble Moor
  3. Is true of mind, and made of no such baseness
  4. As jealous creatures are, it were enough
  5. To put him to ill thinking.

Emilia

26
  1.                             Is he not jealous?

Desdemona

27 - 28
  1. Who, he? I think the sun where he was born
  2. Drew all such humors from him.

Emilia

29
  1.                                Look where he comes.
  1. Enter Othello.

Desdemona

30 - 31
  1. I will not leave him now till Cassio
  2. Be call’d to him.—How is’t with you, my lord?

Othello

32 - 34
  1. Well, my good lady.
  2. Aside.
  3.                     O, hardness to dissemble!—
  4. How do you, Desdemona?

Desdemona

35
  1.                        Well, my good lord.

Othello

36
  1. Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my lady.

Desdemona

37
  1. It yet hath felt no age nor known no sorrow.

Othello

38 - 44
  1. This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart;
  2. Hot, hot, and moist. This hand of yours requires
  3. A sequester from liberty: fasting and prayer,
  4. Much castigation, exercise devout,
  5. For here’s a young and sweating devil here
  6. That commonly rebels. ’Tis a good hand,
  7. A frank one.

Desdemona

45 - 46
  1.              You may, indeed, say so;
  2. For ’twas that hand that gave away my heart.

Othello

47 - 48
  1. A liberal hand. The hearts of old gave hands;
  2. But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.

Desdemona

49
  1. I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise.

Othello

50
  1. What promise, chuck?

Desdemona

51
  1. I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you.

Othello

52 - 53
  1. I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me;
  2. Lend me thy handkerchief.

Desdemona

54
  1.                           Here, my lord.

Othello

55
  1. That which I gave you.

Desdemona

56
  1.                        I have it not about me.

Othello

57
  1. Not?
Thomas W. Keene in Othello

Thomas W. Keene in Othello

W.J. Morgan & Co., 1884

Desdemona

58
  1.      No, faith, my lord.

Othello

59 - 72
  1. That’s a fault. That handkerchief
  2. Did an Egyptian to my mother give;
  3. She was a charmer, and could almost read
  4. The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it,
  5. ’Twould make her amiable, and subdue my father
  6. Entirely to her love; but if she lost it,
  7. Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye
  8. Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt
  9. After new fancies. She, dying, gave it me,
  10. And bid me, when my fate would have me wiv’d,
  11. To give it her. I did so; and take heed on’t,
  12. Make it a darling like your precious eye.
  13. To lose’t or give’t away were such perdition
  14. As nothing else could match.

Desdemona

73
  1.                              Is’t possible?

Othello

74 - 80
  1. ’Tis true; there’s magic in the web of it.
  2. A sibyl, that had numb’red in the world
  3. The sun to course two hundred compasses,
  4. In her prophetic fury sew’d the work;
  5. The worms were hallowed that did breed the silk,
  6. And it was dy’d in mummy which the skillful
  7. Conserv’d of maidens’ hearts.

Desdemona

81
  1.                               I’ faith! Is’t true?

Othello

82
  1. Most veritable, therefore look to’t well.

Desdemona

83
  1. Then would to God that I had never seen’t!

Othello

84
  1. Ha? Wherefore?

Desdemona

85
  1. Why do you speak so startingly and rash?

Othello

86
  1. Is’t lost? Is’t gone? Speak, is’t out o’ th’ way?

Desdemona

87
  1. Heaven bless us!

Othello

88
  1. Say you?

Desdemona

89
  1. It is not lost; but what and if it were?

Othello

90
  1. How?

Desdemona

91
  1. I say, it is not lost.

Othello

92
  1.                        Fetch’t, let me see’t.

Desdemona

93 - 95
  1. Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now.
  2. This is a trick to put me from my suit.
  3. Pray you let Cassio be receiv’d again.

Othello

96
  1. Fetch me the handkerchief, my mind misgives.

Desdemona

97 - 98
  1. Come, come;
  2. You’ll never meet a more sufficient man.

Othello

99
  1. The handkerchief!

Desdemona

100
  1.                   I pray talk me of Cassio.

Othello

101
  1. The handkerchief!

Desdemona

102 - 104
  1.                   A man that all his time
  2. Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,
  3. Shar’d dangers with you—

Othello

105
  1. The handkerchief!

Desdemona

106
  1. I’ faith, you are to blame.

Othello

107
  1. ’Zounds!
  1. Exit Othello.

Emilia

108
  1. Is not this man jealous?

Desdemona

109 - 111
  1. I nev’r saw this before.
  2. Sure, there’s some wonder in this handkerchief;
  3. I am most unhappy in the loss of it.

Emilia

112 - 116
  1. ’Tis not a year or two shows us a man:
  2. They are all but stomachs, and we all but food;
  3. They eat us hungerly, and when they are full
  4. They belch us.
  5. Enter Iago and Cassio.
  6.                Look you, Cassio and my husband!

How now, good Cassio, what’s the news with you?

L. Marchetti, circa 1900

Iago

117 - 118
  1. There is no other way: ’tis she must do’t;
  2. And lo the happiness! Go, and importune her.

Desdemona

119
  1. How now, good Cassio, what’s the news with you?

Cassio

120 - 132
  1. Madam, my former suit. I do beseech you
  2. That by your virtuous means I may again
  3. Exist, and be a member of his love
  4. Whom I, with all the office of my heart,
  5. Entirely honor. I would not be delay’d.
  6. If my offense be of such mortal kind
  7. That nor my service past, nor present sorrows,
  8. Nor purpos’d merit in futurity,
  9. Can ransom me into his love again,
  10. But to know so must be my benefit;
  11. So shall I clothe me in a forc’d content,
  12. And shut myself up in some other course,
  13. To fortune’s alms.

Desdemona

133 - 142
  1.                    Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio,
  2. My advocation is not now in tune.
  3. My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him
  4. Were he in favor as in humor alter’d.
  5. So help me every spirit sanctified,
  6. As I have spoken for you all my best,
  7. And stood within the blank of his displeasure
  8. For my free speech! You must awhile be patient.
  9. What I can do, I will; and more I will
  10. Than for myself I dare. Let that suffice you.

Iago

143
  1. Is my lord angry?

Emilia

144 - 145
  1.                   He went hence but now;
  2. And certainly in strange unquietness.

Iago

146 - 151
  1. Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon
  2. When it hath blown his ranks into the air,
  3. And like the devil from his very arm
  4. Puff’d his own brother—and is he angry?
  5. Something of moment then. I will go meet him.
  6. There’s matter in’t indeed, if he be angry.

Desdemona

152 - 167
  1. I prithee do so.
  2. Exit Iago.
  3.                  Something sure of state,
  4. Either from Venice, or some unhatch’d practice
  5. Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him,
  6. Hath puddled his clear spirit; and in such cases
  7. Men’s natures wrangle with inferior things,
  8. Though great ones are their object. ’Tis even so;
  9. For let our finger ache, and it endues
  10. Our other healthful members even to a sense
  11. Of pain. Nay, we must think men are not gods,
  12. Nor of them look for such observancy
  13. As fits the bridal. Beshrew me much, Emilia,
  14. I was (unhandsome warrior as I am)
  15. Arraigning his unkindness with my soul;
  16. But now I find I had suborn’d the witness,
  17. And he’s indicted falsely.

Emilia

168 - 170
  1. Pray heaven it be state matters, as you think,
  2. And no conception nor no jealous toy
  3. Concerning you.

Desdemona

171
  1. Alas the day, I never gave him cause.

Emilia

172 - 175
  1. But jealous souls will not be answer’d so;
  2. They are not ever jealous for the cause,
  3. But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a monster
  4. Begot upon itself, born on itself.
Scene design for Kote Marjanishvili's staging of Othello

Scene design for Kote Marjanishvili's staging of Othello

Petre Otskheli, 1933

Desdemona

176
  1. Heaven keep the monster from Othello’s mind!

Emilia

177
  1. Lady, amen.

Desdemona

178 - 180
  1. I will go seek him. Cassio, walk hereabout;
  2. If I do find him fit, I’ll move your suit
  3. And seek to effect it to my uttermost.

Cassio

181
  1. I humbly thank your ladyship.
  1. Exeunt Desdemona and Emilia.
  1. Enter Bianca.

Bianca

182
  1. ’Save you, friend Cassio!

Cassio

183 - 185
  1.                           What make you from home?
  2. How is’t with you, my most fair Bianca?
  3. I’faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house.

Bianca

186 - 190
  1. And I was going to your lodging, Cassio.
  2. What? Keep a week away? Seven days and nights?
  3. Eightscore eight hours? And lovers’ absent hours,
  4. More tedious than the dial eightscore times?
  5. O weary reck’ning!

Cassio

191 - 195
  1.                    Pardon me, Bianca.
  2. I have this while with leaden thoughts been press’d,
  3. But I shall in a more continuate time
  4. Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,
  5. Giving her Desdemona’s handkerchief.
  6. Take me this work out.

Bianca

196 - 199
  1.                        O Cassio, whence came this?
  2. This is some token from a newer friend;
  3. To the felt absence now I feel a cause.
  4. Is’t come to this? Well, well.

Cassio

200 - 204
  1.                                Go to, woman!
  2. Throw your vild guesses in the devil’s teeth,
  3. From whence you have them. You are jealous now
  4. That this is from some mistress, some remembrance;
  5. No, by my faith, Bianca.

Bianca

205
  1.                          Why, whose is it?

Cassio

206 - 209
  1. I know not, neither; I found it in my chamber.
  2. I like the work well; ere it be demanded
  3. (As like enough it will) I would have it copied.
  4. Take it, and do’t, and leave me for this time.

Bianca

210
  1. Leave you? Wherefore?

Cassio

211 - 213
  1. I do attend here on the general,
  2. And think it no addition, nor my wish,
  3. To have him see me woman’d.

Bianca

214
  1.                             Why, I pray you?

Cassio

215
  1. Not that I love you not.

Bianca

216 - 218
  1.                          But that you do not love me.
  2. I pray you bring me on the way a little,
  3. And say if I shall see you soon at night.

Cassio

219 - 220
  1. ’Tis but a little way that I can bring you,
  2. For I attend here; but I’ll see you soon.

Bianca

221
  1. ’Tis very good; I must be circumstanc’d.
  1. Exeunt omnes.
Othello, Desdemona and Emilia

Othello, Desdemona and Emilia

Daniel Maclise, 19th century

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