Scene III

[Another room in the castle.]

Enter Othello, Desdemona, Lodovico, Emilia, and Attendants.

LODOVICO:

I do beseech you, sir, trouble yourself no further.

LODOVICO:

I do beg you, sir, trouble yourself no further.

OTHELLO:

O, pardon me; ‘twill do me good to walk.

OTHELLO:

O, pardon me; it will do me good to walk.

LODOVICO:

Madam, good night; I humbly thank your
ladyship.

LODOVICO:

Madam, good night; I humbly thank your ladyship.

DESD:

Your honor is most welcome.(5)

DESD:

Your honor is very welcome.

OTHELLO:

Will you walk, sir? O—Desdemona—

OTHELLO:

Will you walk, sir?
O, Desdemona.

DESD:

My lord?

DESD:

My lord?

OTHELLO:

Get you to bed on the instant; I will be returned
forthwith: Dismiss your attendant there; look it be done.

OTHELLO:

Get you to bed instantly. I’ll be back soon.
Dismiss your attendant there. See that it’s done.

Exeunt [Othello, Lodovico, and Attendants.]

DESD:

I will, my lord.(10)

DESD:

I will, my lord.

EMILIA:

How goes it now? He looks gentler than he did.

EMILIA:

How goes it now? He looks gentler than he did.

DESD:

He says he will return incontinent:
He hath commanded me to go to bed,
And bade me to dismiss you.

DESD:

He says he will return soon.
He has commanded me to go to bed,
And told me to dismiss you.

EMILIA:

Dismiss me?(15)

EMILIA:

Dismiss me?

DESD:

It was his bidding; therefore, good Emilia,
Give me my nightly wearing, and adieu.
We must not now displease him.

DESD:

It was his bidding; therefore, good Emilia,
Give me my nightgown, and goodbye.
We must not now displease him.

EMILIA:

I would you had never seen him!

EMILIA:

I wish you had never seen him!

DESD:

So would not I. My love doth so approve him,(20)
That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns—
Prithee, unpin me—have grace and favor in them.

DESD:

So do I. My love forgives him so,
That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns,
I beg you, unpin my hair, have grace and favor in them.

EMILIA:

I have laid those sheets you bade me on the bed.

EMILIA:

I have put on those sheets you asked me to.

DESD:

All's one. Good faith, how foolish are our minds!
If I do die before thee, prithee shroud me(25)
In one of those same sheets.

DESD:

Makes no difference. Good faith, how foolish are our
minds! If I die before you, I beg you, shroud me
In one of those same sheets.

EMILIA:

Come, come, you talk.

EMILIA:

Come, come, how you talk.

DESD:

My mother had a maid call'd Barbara;
She was in love, and he she loved proved mad
And did forsake her. She had a song of “willow”;(30)
An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune,
And she died singing it. That song tonight
Will not go from my mind; I have much to do,
But to go hang my head all at one side
And sing it like poor Barbara. Prithee, dispatch.(35)

DESD:

My mother had a maid called Barbara;
She was in love; and the man she loved went crazy
And left her. She had a song of "willow,"
It was an old thing but it expressed her fortune,
And she died singing it. I can’t get that song out of my
Head tonight. I have a lot to do
Besides going to hang my head all at one side,
And sing it like poor Barbara. I beg you, leave.

EMILIA:

Shall I go fetch your nightgown?

EMILIA:

Shall I go get your nightgown?

DESD:

No, unpin me here.
This Lodovico is a proper man.

DESD:

No, unpin my hair.
This Lodovico is a proper man.

EMILIA:

A very handsome man.

EMILIA:

A very handsome man.

DESD:

He speaks well.(40)

DESD:

He speaks well.

EMILIA:

I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot to
Palestine for a touch of his nether lip.

EMILIA:

I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot to
Palestine for a touch of his lower lip.

[Sings.]

DESD:

“The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow;
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,(45)
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones”—
Lay by these:—(50)
Sing willow, willow, willow”
Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:—
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve
Nay, that's not next. Hark, who is't that knocks?(55)

DESD:

"The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow;
Her hand on her breast, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow.
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmured her moans;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Her salt tears fell from her, and softened the stones;"
Let these be.
"Sing willow, willow, willow;"
Pr'ythee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--
"Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
Let nobody blame him; I earned his scorn."
No, that's not next. Listen! Who is it?

EMILIA:

It's the wind.

EMILIA:

It's the wind.

[Sings.]

DESD:

I call'd my love false love; but what said he then?
Sing willow, willow, willow:
If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men
So get thee gone; good night. Mine eyes do itch;(60)
Doth that bode weeping?

DESD:

"I called my love false love; but what said he then?
Sing willow, willow, willow.
If I court more women, you'll couch with more men."
So get going; good night. My eyes itch;
Does that predict tears?

EMILIA:

'Tis neither here nor there.

EMILIA:

it is neither here nor there.

DESD:

I have heard it said so. O, these men, these men!
Dost thou in conscience think—tell me, Emilia—
That there be women do abuse their husbands(65)
In such gross kind?

DESD:

I have heard it said so. O, these men, these men!
Do you in conscience think, tell me, Emilia,
That there are women who abuse their husbands
In such a disgusting way?

EMILIA:

There be some such, no question.

EMILIA:

There are some such, no doubt.

DESD:

Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?

DESD:

Would you do such a deed for all the world?

EMILIA:

Why, would not you?

EMILIA:

Why, wouldn’t you?

DESD:

No, by this heavenly light!(70)

DESD:

No, by this heavenly light!

EMILIA:

Nor I neither by this heavenly light; I might do't as
well i' the dark.

EMILIA:

Nor I neither by this heavenly light; I might do it as
well in the dark.

DESD:

Wouldst thou do such a thing for all the world?

DESD:

Would you do such a deed for all the world?

EMILIA:

The world's a huge thing; it is a great price
For a final vice.(75)

EMILIA:

The world's a huge thing; it is a great price to pay
For a small sin.

DESD:

In troth, I think thou wouldst not.

DESD:

In truth, I think you wouldn’t.

EMILIA:

In troth, I think I should, and undo't when I had
done. Marry, I would not do such a thing for a jointring,
nor for measures of lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor
caps, nor any petty exhibition; but, for the whole world(80)
why, who would not make her husband a cuckold to
make him a monarch? I should venture purgatory for't.

EMILIA:

In truth, I think I should; and undo it when I had done. By
Mary, I wouldn’t do such a thing for a gold ring, or for
measures of soft cotton, or for gowns, petticoats, or caps,
or any little show; but, for the whole world -why, who
wouldn’t unfaithful to her husband to make him a king? I
would risk purgatory for it.

DESD:

Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong
For the whole world.

DESD:

Curse me, if I would do such a wrong thing for the whole world.

EMILIA:

Why, the wrong is but a wrong i' the world; and hav-(85)
ing the world for your labor, 'tis a wrong in your own
world, and you might quickly make it right.

EMILIA:

Why, the wrong is but a wrong in the world; and having
the world for your work, it is a wrong in your own world,
and you might quickly make it right.

DESD:

I do not think there is any such woman.

DESD:

I don’t think there is any such woman.

EMILIA:

Yes, a dozen, and as many to the vantage as would
store the world they played for.(90)
But I do think it is their husbands' faults
If wives do fall; say that they slack their duties
And pour our treasures into foreign laps,
Or else break out in peevish jealousies,
Throwing restraint upon us, or say they strike us,(95)
Or scant our former having in despite,
Why, we have galls, and though we have some grace,
Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know
Their wives have sense like them; they see and smell
And have their palates both for sweet and sour,(100)
As husbands have. What is it that they do
When they change us for others? Is it sport?
I think it is. And doth affection breed it?
I think it doth. Is't frailty that thus errs?
It is so too. And have not we affections,(105)
Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
Then let them use us well; else let them know,
The ills we do, their ills instruct us so.

EMILIA:

Yes, a dozen; and as many to profit as would store
the world they played for.
But I do think it is their husbands' faults
If wives do fall. Say that they are lazy about their duties
and pour our treasures into foreign laps,
or else break out in little jealousies,
throwing restraint on us, or say they strike us,
or cut back our allowance in spite;
Why, we have nerves, and although we have some grace,
still we have some revenge.
Let husbands know their wives have senses like them.
They see and smell And have their taste both for sweet and sour,
as husbands have. What is it that they
do when they exchange us for others?
Is it sport? I think it is, and does it breed affection?
I think it does. Is it frailty makes mistakes like this?
It’s so too. And haven’t we got affections,
desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
Then let them use us well. Or else let them know
Their mistakes teach us what mistakes we make.

DESD:

Good night, good night. Heaven me such uses send,
Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend!(110)

DESD:

Good-night, good-night. heaven me send such usage,
Not to pick bad from bad, but to change my ways by bad!

Exeunt.