Enter Othello, at a distance. Oth. The voice of Cassio.—Iago keeps his word. Rod. O, villain that I am! Oth. Hark! 'Tis even so. Cas. O, help! ho! light! a surgeon! Oth. 'Tis he ;-0 brave Iago, honest, and just, That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong! Thou teachest me,-minion, your dear lies dead And your fate hies’ apace.-Strumpet, I come. Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted; Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust's blood be spotted. Exit OTHELLO. Enter Lodovico and GRATIANO, at a distance. Cas. What, ho! no watch ! no passage ?murder ! murder! Gra. 'Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful. Cas. O, help! Lod. Hark! Rod. O wretched villain ! Lod. Two or three groans ;—it is a heavy 4 night. These may be counterfeits ; let's think’t unsafe To come into the cry without more help. Rod. Nobody come ? then shall I bleed to death. Enter Lago, with a light. Lod. Hark! Gra. Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons. Iago. Who's there? whose noise is this, that cries on murder ? 5 1 Thus the first quarto. The second quarto and the folio read “ And your unblest fate hies." 2. The folio reads " for of ;” the quarto reads forth of, i. e. out of. 5 This phrase, to cry on, for cry out on, has already occurred in Hamle: Act v. Sc. 2. Lod. We do not know. Did you not hear a cry? Cas. Here, here; for Heaven's sake, help me. lago. What's the matter? Gra. This is Othello's ancient, as I take it. Lod. The same, indeed; a very raliant fellow. Iago. What are you here that cry so grievously? Cas. lago! O, I am spoiled, undone by villains ! Give me some help. Iago. O me, lieutenant! what villains have done this? Cas. I think that one of them is hereabout, O treacherous villains !- [To Lodovico and GRATIANO. Rod. O, help me here! Cas. That's one of them. Iago. O murderous slave! O villain ! [Iago stabs RODERIGO. Rod. O damned lago! O inhuman dog! 0! 0! 0! Iago. Kill men i'the dark !—Where be these bloody thieves ? Lod. As you shall prove us, praise us. Seignior Lodovico ! Lod. He, sir. Iago. I cry you mercy; here's Cassio hurt How is it, brother ? Marry, Heaven forbid !Light, gentlemen ; I'll bind it with my shirt. Enter BIANCA. Bian. What is the matter, ho? who is't that cried ? Iago. Who is't that cried ? Bian. O my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio ! O Cassio! Cassio! Cassio! Iago. O notable strumpet!—Cassio, may you suspect Who they should be, that have thus mangled you ? Cas. No. seek you. Cassio! Gra. What, of Venice ? Know him ? ay, I am glad to see you. Iago. How do you, Cassio ? -0, a chair, a chair! Gra. Roderigo ! Iago. He, he, 'tis he.-0, that's well said ;-the chair. [A chair brought in. Some good man bear him carefully from hence; I'll fetch the general's surgeon.-For you, mistress, [To BIANCA. Save you your labor. He that lies slain here, Cassio, Was my dear friend. What malice was between Gru. you? Cas. None in the world ; nor do I know the man. i This speech is not in the first quarto. 3 This passage incontestably proves that Iago was meant for a Venetian. Iago. [To Bian.] What, look you pale ?-0, bear him out o'the air. [Cassio a!id Rod, are borne off. Stay you, good gentlemen.'— Look you pale, mistress? Do you perceive the gastness of her eye ? ? Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her ; Do you see, gentlemen ? Nay, guiltiness will speak, Though tongues were out of use. Enter Emilia. husband ? Emil. Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio! Iago. This is the fruit of whoring.—'Prythee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supped to-night.3What, do you shake at that ? Bian. He supped at my house ; but I therefore shake not. Bian. I am no strumpet; but of life as honest, As I? foh! fie upon thee! 1 Thus the folio. The quarto reads, Stay you, good gentlewoman. It seems probable that Jago addresses Lodovico and Gratiano, who are going away to assist Cassio, and to see him properly taken care of. The subsequent appeal and address of Iago to them appears to confirm this supposition. Malone follows the quarto. 2 The quarto, instead of gastness, reads jestures; and instead of stare, in the next line, has stirre. 3 In the second scene of the preceding act, Iago informs Roderigo that Cassio was to sup with Bianca; that he would go to him there, and bring him away between twelve and one. Indeed, Cassio had himself told lago that he would sup with Bianca, and Iago had promised to meet him at her house. We must suppose, therefore, that this consummate villain thought it more secure to waylay him, as we find he does, without actually joining him at supper-time. lago. Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dressed.Come, mistress, you must tell us another tale.— Emilia, run you to the citadel, And tell my lord and lady what has happened.Will you go on, I pray ? This is the night, [Aside. That either makes me, or foredoes' me quite. [Exeunt. SCENE II. A Bedchamber : DESDEMONA in bed asleep. A light burning. Enter OTHELLO. [Takes off his sword. 1 To foredo is to undo, to ruin, to destroy. 2 Othello, full of horror at the cruel action which he is about to perpetrate, seems at this instant to be seeking his justification, from representing to himself the cause, i. e. the greatness of the provocation he had received. 3 The old copy gives this line thus : “Put out the light, and then put out the light.” The present regulation of the passage, by which so much beauty and spirit is added to it, was proposed by Mr. Upton, but it is to be found in Ayres's Life of Pope ; it may, therefore, have originated with Warburton, who thus explains it :-“The meaning is, I will put out the light, and then proceed to the execution of my purpose. But the expression of putting out the light bringing to mind the effects of the extinction of the light of life, he breaks short, and questions himself about the effects of this metaphorical extinction, introduced by a repetition of his first words, as much as to say,,But hold, let me first weigh the reflection which this expression naturally excites." 4 Thus the quarto. The folio reads, put out thy light. Steevens adopted the present reading for the sake of the measure, and to avoid the useless repetition of the word light. |