O, the more angel she,

And you the blacker devil!.

Oth. She turn'd to folly, and she was a whore. Emil. Thou dost belie her, and thou art a devil. Oth. She was false as water.

Emil. Thou art rash as fire, to say That she was false; O, she was heavenly true! Oth. Cassio did tup her: ask thy husband else. O, I were damn'd beneath all depth in hell, But that I did proceed upon just grounds To this extremity; Thy husband knew it all. Emil. My husband?

Oth. Thy husband.

Iago. I told him what I thought; and told no

more

Than what he found himself was apt and true. Emil. But did you ever tell him she was false? Iago. I did.

Emil. You told a lie; an odious damned lie; Upon my soul, a lie; a wicked lie: She false with Cassio!

Did you say with Cassio? Iago. With Cassio, mistress; Go to, charm your

tongue.

Emil. I will not charm my tongue; I am bound to speak;

My mistress here lies murder'd in her bed.
All. O heavens forefend!

Emil. And your reports have set the murder on.
Oth. Nay, stare not, masters; it is true, indeed.
Gra. 'Tis a strange truth.

Iago. What, are you mad? I charge you, get you home.

Emil. Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak;

'Tis proper I obey him, but not now: Perchance, Iago, I will ne'er go home.

Oth. O! O! O! Emil.

[Hanging over his wife.

Nay, lay thee down, and roar ; For thou hast kill'd the sweetest innocent, That e'er did lift up eye.

I scarce did know you, uncle: There lies your niece,

Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd:

I know this act shows horrible and grim.

Gra. Poor Desdemona! I am glad thy father's dead;

Thy match was mortal to him, and pure grief
Shore his old thread in twain: did he live now,
This sight would make him do a desperate turn,
Yea, curse his better angel from his side,
And fall to reprobation.

Oth. 'Tis pitiful; but yet Iago knows,
That she with Cassio hath the act of shame

A thousand times committed; Cassio confess'd it:
And she did gratify his amorous works
With that recognizance and pledge of love
Which I first gave her; I saw it in his hand;
It was a handkerchief, an antique token
My father gave my mother.

Emil. O heaven! O heavenly powers!
Iago.
Come, hold your peace.
Emil. 'Twill out, 'twill out; - I hold my peace,
sir? no;

No, I will speak as liberal as the air;
Let heaven, and men, and devils, let them all,
All, all, cry shame against me, yet I'll speak.
Iago. Be wise, and get you home.
Emil.

Gra.

I will not. [IAGO offers to stab his wife. Fye!

Your sword upon a woman?

Emil. O thou dull Moor! that handkerchief that

speak'st of,

I found by fortune, and did give my husband

For often with a solemn earnestness, (More than, indeed, belong'd to such a trifle,) He begg'd of me to steal it.

Villainous whore !

Iago. Emil. She give it Cassio! no, alas; I found it, And I did give't my husband.

Iago. Filth, thou liest. Emil. By heaven, I do not; I do not, gentlemen: O murderous coxcomb!Jwhat should such a fool Do with so good a wife'

[IAGO stabs EMILIA, then runs out. Oth. Are there no stones in heaven, But what serve for the thunder?- Precious villain! Gra. The woman falls; sure he has kill'd his wife.

Emil. Ay, ay: O, lay me by my mistress' side!
Gra. He's gone, but his wife's kill'd.
Mon. 'Tis a notorious villain.

weapon,

Take you this

Re-enter GRATIANO.

Gra. What is the matter?
Oth.

Behold! I have a weapon;
A better never did itself sustain
Upon a soldier's thigh I have seen the day,
That with this little arm, and this good sword,
I have made my way through more impediments
Than twenty times your stop: - But, O vain boast!
Who can control his fate? 'tis not so now. -
Be not afraid though you do see me weapon'd;
Here is my journey's end, here is my butt,
And very sea-mark of my utmost sail.

Do you go back dismay'd? 'tis a lost fear; Man but a rush against Othello's breast, And he retires ; — Where should Othello go? Now, how dost thou look now? O ill-starr'd wench!

Pale as thy smock! when we shall meet at compt,
This look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven,
And fiends will snatch at it. Cold, cold, my girl?
Even like thy chastity.

O cursed, cursed slave! - Whip me, ye devils,
From the possession of this heavenly sight!
Blow me about in winds! roast me in sulphur!
Wash me in steep-down gulfs of liquid fire!
O Desdemona! Desdemo.a! dead?
Dead? O! O! O!

Iago. Oth. I am not sorry neither; I'd have thee live;

I bleed, sir; but not kill'd.

For, in my sense, 'tis happiness to die.
Lod. O thou Othello, that was once so good,
Fall'n in the practice of a cursed slave
What shall be said to thee?

Oth.

Why, any thing: An honourable murderer, if you will; For nought I did in hate, but all in honour. Lod. This wretch hath part confess'd his villainy : Did you and he consent in Cassio's death? Oth. Ay.

Cas. Dear general, I never gave you cause.
Oth. I do believe it, and I ask your pardon.
Will you, I pray you, demand that demi-devil,
Why he hath thus ensnar'd my soul and body?
Iago. Demand me nothing: What you know,
you know:

From this time forth I never will speak word.
Lod. What? not to pray?
Gra.

Torments will ope your lips.

Oth.

O the pernicious caitiff! How came you, Cassio, by that handkerchief That was my wife's?

Cas. I found it in my chamber: And he himself confess'd, but even now, That there he dropp'd it, for a special purpose, Which wrought to his desire.

Oth. O fool! fool! fool! Cas. There is, besides, in Roderigo's letter, How he upbraids lago, that he made him Brave me upon the watch; whereon it came That I was cast: And even but now he spake, After long seeraing dead, Iago hurt him, Iago set him on.

with us;

Lod. You must forsake this room, and go Your power and your command is taken off, And Cassio rules in Cyprus. For this slave, If there be any cunning cruelty,

That can torment him much, and hold him long,
It shall be his: You shall close prisoner rest,
Till that the nature of your fault be known
To the Venetian state: Come, bring fum away