Scene II

[A bedchamber in the castle.]

Desdemona in bed asleep; a light burning.

Enter Othello.

OTHELLO:

It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul.
Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!
It is the cause. Yet I'll not shed her blood,
Nor scar that whiter skin of hers than snow
And smooth as monumental alabaster.(5)
Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.
Put out the light, and then put out the light.
If I quench thee, thou flaming minister,
I can again thy former light restore,
Should I repent me; but once put out thy light,(10)
Thou cunning'st pattern of excelling nature,
I know not where is that Promethean heat
That can thy light relume. When I have pluck'd the rose,
I cannot give it vital growth again,
It must needs wither; I'll smell it on the tree.(15)

[Kisses her.]

O, balmy breath, that dost almost persuade
Justice to break her sword! One more, one more;
Be thus when thou art dead, and I will kill thee,
And love thee after. One more, and this the last:
So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,(20)
But they are cruel tears; this sorrow's heavenly,
It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.

OTHELLO:

It is the cause, it is the cause, my soul,
Let me not name it to you, you chaste stars!
It is the cause. Still I won’t shed her blood;
Or scar that skin of hers whiter than snow,
And as smooth as the marble that makes monuments.
Yet she must die, or else she'll betray more men.
Put out the light, and then put out the light.
If I put you out, you flaming minister,
I can again restore your former light,
If I change my mind. But once I put out your light,
You cunning pattern of excelling nature,
I don’t know where the stolen fire from Olympus is
That can relight your fire. When I have plucked your rose,
I cannot give it vital growth again,
It has to wither. I'll smell it on the tree. O, balmy breath, that almost persuades
Justice to break her sword! One more, one more;
Be like this when you are dead, and I will kill you,
And love you after. One more, and this is the last;
So sweet was never so fatal. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears. This sorrow's heavenly;
It strikes where it loves. She awakes.

DESD:

Who's there? Othello?

DESD:

Who's there? Othello?

OTHELLO:

Ay, Desdemona.

OTHELLO:

Yes, Desdemona.

DESD:

Will you come to bed, my lord?(25)

DESD:

Will you come to bed, my lord?

OTHELLO:

Have you pray'd tonight, Desdemona?

OTHELLO:

Have you prayed tonight, Desdemona?

DESD:

Ay, my lord.

DESD:

Yes, my lord.

OTHELLO:

If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.(30)

OTHELLO:

If you can think of any crime
Not yet confessed to heaven and grace,
Do it right away.

DESD:

Alas, my lord, what may you mean by that?

DESD:

Alas, my lord, what do you mean by that?

OTHELLO:

Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
No, heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul.

OTHELLO:

Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk over here.
I would not kill your unprepared spirit;
No, heaven forbid! I would not kill your soul.

DESD:

Talk you of killing?(35)

DESD:

You talk about killing?

OTHELLO:

Ay, I do.

OTHELLO:

Yes, I do.

DESD:

Then heaven have mercy on me!

DESD:

Then heaven
Have mercy on me!

OTHELLO:

Amen, with all my heart!

OTHELLO:

Amen, with all my heart!

DESD:

If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.

DESD:

If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.

OTHELLO:

Hum!(45)

OTHELLO:

Hum!

DESD:

And yet I fear you, for you are fatal then
When your eyes roll so. Why I should fear I know not,
Since guiltiness I know not; but yet I feel I fear.

DESD:

And yet I fear you; because you are deadly
When your eyes roll so. Why I should fear, I don’t know,
Since I don’t know guiltiness, but yet I feel I fear.

OTHELLO:

Think on thy sins.

OTHELLO:

Think on your sins.

DESD:

They are loves I bear to you.

DESD:

They are loves I bear to you.

OTHELLO:

Ay, and for that thou diest.

OTHELLO:

Yes, and for that you die.

DESD:

That death's unnatural that kills for loving.
Alas, why gnaw you so your nether lip?
Some bloody passion shakes your very frame:
These are portents; but yet I hope, I hope,(50)
They do not point on me.

DESD:

That death is unnatural that kills for loving.
Alas, why do you chew your nether lip so?
Some bloody passion shakes your very frame.
These are omens, but yet I hope, I hope,
They don’t point to me.

OTHELLO:

Peace, and be still!

OTHELLO:

Peace, and be quiet!

DESD:

I will so. What's the matter?

DESD:

I will do so. What's the matter?

OTHELLO:

That handkerchief which I so loved and gave thee
Thou gavest to Cassio.(55)

OTHELLO:

That handkerchief which I so loved and gave you,
You gave to Cassio.

DESD:

No, by my life and soul!
Send for the man, and ask him.

DESD:

No, by my life and soul!
Send for the man and ask him.

OTHELLO:

Sweet soul, take heed,
Take heed of perjury; thou are on thy deathbed.

OTHELLO:

Sweet soul, take care,
Take care of perjury; you are on your death-bed.

DESD:

Ay, but not yet to die.(60)

DESD:

Yes, but not to die yet.

OTHELLO:

Yes, presently:
Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;
For to deny each article with oath
Cannot remove nor choke the strong conception
That I do groan withal. Thou art to die.(65)

OTHELLO:

Yes, soon.
Therefore confess your sin freely;
Because to deny each article with swearing it is true
Cannot remove nor kill the strong ideas
That I groan with besides. You are to die.

DESD:

Then Lord have mercy on me!

DESD:

Then, Lord have mercy on me!

OTHELLO:

I say, amen.

OTHELLO:

I say, amen.

DESD:

And have you mercy too! I never did
Offend you in my life; never loved Cassio
But with such general warranty of heaven(70)
As I might love. I never gave him token.

DESD:

And you have mercy too! I never
Offended you in my life; never loved Cassio
Except with such general lawfulness of heaven
As I might love. I never gave him gifts.

OTHELLO:

By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in ‘s hand.
O perjured woman! Thou dost stone my heart,
And makest me call what I intend to do
A murder, which I thought a sacrifice:(75)
I saw the handkerchief.

OTHELLO:

By heaven, I saw my handkerchief in his hand.
O lying woman! You stone my heart,
And make me call what I intend to do
A murder, which I thought was a sacrifice.
I saw the handkerchief.

DESD:

He found it then;
I never gave it him. Send for him hither;
Let him confess a truth.

DESD:

He found it then;
I never gave it to him. Send for him t come here.
Let him confess the truth.

OTHELLO:

He hath confess'd.(80)

OTHELLO:

He has confessed.

DESD:

What, my lord?

DESD:

What, my lord?

OTHELLO:

That he hath used thee.

OTHELLO:

That he has used you.

DESD:

How? unlawfully?

DESD:

How? Unlawfully?

OTHELLO:

Ay.

OTHELLO:

Yes.

DESD:

He will not say so.(85)

DESD:

He will not say so.

OTHELLO:

No, his mouth is stopp'd;
Honest Iago hath ta'en order for't.

OTHELLO:

No, his mouth is stopped;
Honest Iago has taken orders for it.

DESD:

O, my fear interprets! What, is he dead?

DESD:

O, my fear interprets! What, is he dead?

OTHELLO:

Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge
Had stomach for them all.(90)

OTHELLO:

Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge
Had stomach for them all.

DESD:

Alas, he is betray'd, and I undone!

DESD:

Alas, he is betrayed, and I have no hope!

OTHELLO:

Out, strumpet! Weep'st thou for him to my face?

OTHELLO:

Out, prostitute! You weep for him to my face?

DESD:

O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!

DESD:

O, banish me, my lord, but don’t kill me!

OTHELLO:

Down, strumpet!

OTHELLO:

Down, prostitute!

DESD:

Kill me tomorrow; let me live tonight!(95)

DESD:

Kill me tomorrow; let me live tonight!

OTHELLO:

Nay, if you strive—

OTHELLO:

No, if you strive…

DESD:

But half an hour!

DESD:

But half an hour!

OTHELLO:

Being done, there is no pause.

OTHELLO:

Being done, there is no pause.

DESD:

But while I say one prayer!

DESD:

But while I say one prayer!

OTHELLO:

It is too late.(100)

OTHELLO:

It is too late.

[He smothers her.]

EMILIA:

Without. My lord, my lord! What, ho! my lord, my
lord!

EMILIA:

My lord, my lord! what, ho! my lord, my lord!

OTHELLO:

What noise is this? Not dead? not yet quite dead?
I that am cruel am yet merciful;
I would not have thee linger in thy pain. So, so.(105)

OTHELLO:

What noise is this? Not dead? Not yet quite dead?
I who is cruel am yet merciful;
I would not have you linger in your pain. So, so.

EMILIA:

Without. What, ho! my lord, my lord!

EMILIA:

What, ho! my lord, my lord!

OTHELLO:

Who's there?

OTHELLO:

Who's there?

EMILIA:

Without. O, good my lord, I would speak a word
with you!

EMILIA:

O, my good lord, I would speak with you!

OTHELLO:

Yes, 'tis Emilia. By and by. She's dead.(110)
'Tis like she comes to speak of Cassio's death.
The noise was here. Ha! no more moving?
Still as the grave. Shall she come in? were't good?
I think she stirs again. No. What's best to do?
If she come in, she'll sure speak to my wife.(115)
My wife! My wife! What wife? I have no wife.
O, insupportable! O heavy hour!
Methinks it should be now a huge eclipse
Of sun and moon, and that the affrighted globe
Should yawn at alteration.(120)

OTHELLO:

Yes. It is Emilia. By and by. She's dead.
It’s likely she comes to speak about Cassio's death;
The noise was great. Ha! no more moving?
As still as the grave. Shall she come in? Were it good?
I think she moves again. No. What's best to do?
If she comes in, she'll surely speak to my wife.
My wife! my wife! what wife? I have no wife.
O, unbelievable! O heavy hour!
I think there should now be a huge eclipse
Of sun and moon, and that the frightened globe
Should yawn at changes.

EMILIA:

Without. I do beseech you
That I may speak with you, O, good my lord!

EMILIA:

I beg you
To let me speak with you, O, my good lord!

OTHELLO:

I had forgot thee. O, come in, Emilia.
Soft, by and by. Let me the curtains draw.
Where art thou?(125)

[Unlocks the door.]

Enter Emilia.

What's the matter with thee now?

OTHELLO:

I had forgotten about you. O, come in, Emilia.
Softly, by and by. Let me draw the curtains.
Where are you? What's the matter with you now?

EMILIA:

O, my good lord, yonder's foul murders done!

EMILIA:

O, my good lord, there's foul murders done over there!

OTHELLO:

What, now?

OTHELLO:

What, now?

EMILIA:

But now, my lord.

EMILIA:

Just now, my lord.

OTHELLO:

It is the very error of the moon;(130)
She comes more nearer earth than she was wont
And makes men mad.

OTHELLO:

It is the very mistake of the moon;
She comes more nearer earth than she usually does
And makes men mad.

EMILIA:

Cassio, my lord, hath kill'd a young Venetian
Call'd Roderigo.

EMILIA:

Cassio, my lord, has killed a young Venetian
Called Roderigo.

OTHELLO:

Roderigo kill'd?(135)
And Cassio kill'd?

OTHELLO:

Roderigo killed?
And Cassio killed?

EMILIA:

No, Cassio is not kill'd.

EMILIA:

No, Cassio is not killed.