Othello: Act 5, Scene 1
Enter IAGO and RODERIGO.
IAGO
1 Here, stand behind this bulk; straight will he come.
1. bulk: market stall.
2 Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home:
2. put it home: thrust strongly into your target.
3 Quick, quick; fear nothing; I'll be at thy elbow:
Illustrator: Sir John Gilbert
4 It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
5 And fix most firm thy resolution.
RODERIGO
6 Be near at hand; I may miscarry in't.
IAGO
7 Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.
[Retires.]
RODERIGO
8 I have no great devotion to the deed;
9 And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons:
10 'Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.
IAGO
11 I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense,
11. quat: pimple, small boil. sense: quick.
12 And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,
13 Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
14 Every way makes my gain: live Roderigo,
15 He calls me to a restitution large
16 Of gold and jewels that I bobb'd from him,
16. bobb'd: swindled.
17 As gifts to Desdemona;
18 It must not be: if Cassio do remain,
19 He hath a daily beauty in his life
20 That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
21 May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril:
20-21. the Moor / May unfold me to him: i.e., Othello may tell Cassio what I have said.
22 No, he must die. But so: I hear him coming.
Enter CASSIO.
RODERIGO
23 I know his gait, 'tis he.—Villain, thou diest!
[Makes a pass at Cassio.]
CASSIO
24 That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
25 But that my coat is better than thou know'st
26 I will make proof of thine.
26. I will make proof of thine: i.e., I will test how well your coat protects you.
[Draws, and wounds Roderigo.]
RODERIGO
O, I am slain!
[From behind, Iago wounds Cassio
in the leg, and runs away.]
CASSIO
27 I am maim'd for ever. Help, ho! murder! murder!
[Falls.]
Enter OTHELLO.
OTHELLO
28 The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word.
RODERIGO
29 O, villain that I am!
OTHELLO
It is even so.
CASSIO
30 O, help, ho! light! a surgeon!
OTHELLO
31 'Tis he:—O brave Iago, honest and just,
31. brave: excellent, noble.
32 That hast such noble sense of thy friend's wrong!
32. thy friend's wrong: i.e., the wrong done to me.
33 Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead,
33. Minion: hussy; i.e., Desdemona.
34 And your unblest fate hies: strumpet, I come.
34. hies: approaches rapidly, hastens on.
35 Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
35. Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted: i.e., the seductive image of your eyes is wiped out of my heart.
36 Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted.
Exit Othello.
Enter LODOVICO and GRATIANO.
CASSIO
37 What, ho! no watch? no passage? murder! murder!
37. watch: night watchmen, security patrol. passage: passers-by.
GRATIANO
38 'Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful.
CASSIO
39 O, help!
LODOVICO
40 Hark!
RODERIGO
41 O wretched villain!
LODOVICO
42 Two or three groan: it is a heavy night:
42. heavy: thick, dark.
43 These may be counterfeits: let's think't unsafe
43. counterfeits: fakes.
44 To come in to the cry without more help.
44. cry: a shout of pain or fear.
RODERIGO
45 Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death.
LODOVICO
46 Hark!
Enter IAGO [with a light].
GRATIANO
47 Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.
47. in his shirt: Without a jacket or cloak, Iago appears to have just gotten out of bed.
IAGO
48 Who's there? Whose noise is this that cries on murder?
48. cries on: cries out.
LODOVICO
49 We do not know.
IAGO
Did not you hear a cry?
CASSIO
50 Here, here! for heaven sake, help me!
50. heaven: heaven's.
IAGO
What's the matter?
GRATIANO
51 This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
LODOVICO
52 The same indeed; a very valiant fellow.
IAGO
53 What are you here that cry so grievously?
CASSIO
54 Iago? O, I am spoil'd, undone by villains!
54. spoil'd: destroyed.
55 Give me some help.
IAGO
56 O me, lieutenant! what villains have done this?
CASSIO
57 I think that one of them is hereabout,
58 And cannot make away.
58. make: get
IAGO
O treacherous villains!
[To Lodovico and Gratiano.]
59 What are you there? Come in, and give some help.
59. What: Who.
RODERIGO
60 O, help me here!
CASSIO
61 That's one of them.
IAGO
O murderous slave! O villain!
[Stabs Roderigo.]
RODERIGO
62 O damn'd Iago! O inhuman dog!
IAGO
63 Kill men i' the dark!—Where be these bloody thieves?—
64 How silent is this town!—Ho! murder! murder!—
65 What may you be? are you of good or evil?
LODOVICO
66 As you shall prove us, praise us.
66. As you shall prove us, praise us: i.e., judge us according to our actions.
IAGO
67 Signior Lodovico?
LODOVICO
68 He, sir.
IAGO
69 I cry you mercy. Here's Cassio hurt by villains.
GRATIANO
70 Cassio!
IAGO
71 How is't, brother!
CASSIO
72 My leg is cut in two.
IAGO
Marry, heaven forbid!
73 Light, gentlemen; I'll bind it with my shirt.
Illustrator: Sir John Gilbert
Enter BIANCA.
BIANCA
74 What is the matter, ho? who is't that cried?
IAGO
75 Who is't that cried?
BIANCA
76 O my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio! O Cassio,
77 Cassio, Cassio!
IAGO
78 O notable strumpet! Cassio, may you suspect
79 Who they should be that have thus mangled you?
CASSIO
80 No.
GRATIANO
81 I am sorry to find you thus; I have been to seek you.
IAGO
82 Lend me a garter. So. O, for a chair,
82. garter: Men wore garters to keep their hose up. Iago wants one to bind up Cassio's wound. chair: litter chair.
83 To bear him easily hence!
BIANCA
84 Alas, he faints! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!
IAGO
85 Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash
85. this trash: i.e., Bianca.
86 To be a party in this injury.
87 Patience awhile, good Cassio. Come, come;
88 Lend me a light. Know we this face or no?
89 Alas my friend and my dear countryman
90 Roderigo! No—yes, sure—O heaven, Roderigo!
GRATIANO
91 What, of Venice?
IAGO
92 Even he, sir; did you know him?
GRATIANO
Know him! ay.
IAGO
93 Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon;
94 These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
95 That so neglected you.
GRATIANO
I am glad to see you.
IAGO
96 How do you, Cassio? O, a chair, a chair!
GRATIANO
97 Roderigo!
IAGO
98 He, he 'tis he.
[A litter chair brought in.]
98. well said: well done.
O, that's well said; the chair!
99 Some good man bear him carefully from hence;
100 I'll fetch the general's surgeon.
To Bianca.
For you, mistress,
101 Save you your labor.
101. Save you your labor: Apparently Bianca is trying to comfort Cassio.
[To Cassio.]
He that lies slain here, Cassio,
102 Was my dear friend. What malice was between you?
102. malice: enmity.
CASSIO
103 None in the world; nor do I know the man.
IAGO [To Bianca.]
104 What, look you pale? O, bear him out o' the air.
104. out o' the air: Fresh air was considered bad for wounds.
[Cassio and Roderigo are borne off.]
105 Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, mistress?
106 Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?
106. gastness: terror.
107 Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.
108 Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:
109 Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
110 Though tongues were out of use.
[Enter EMILIA.]
EMILIA
111 Alas, what's the matter? what's the matter, husband?
IAGO
112 Cassio hath here been set on in the dark
113 By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped:
114 He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead.
EMILIA
115 Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio!
IAGO
116 This is the fruits of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,
117 Go know of Cassio where he supp'd tonight.
[To Bianca.]
118 What, do you shake at that?
BIANCA
119 He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not.
IAGO
120 O, did he so? I charge you, go with me.
EMILIA
121 Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet!
BIANCA
122 I am no strumpet; but of life as honest
123 As you that thus abuse me.
EMILIA
As I! foh! fie upon thee!
IAGO
124 Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd.
124. see poor Cassio dress'd: i.e., see that Cassio's wound is dressed.
125 Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.
125. you must tell's another tale: i.e., you're going to have to tell us the truth.
126 Emilia run you to the citadel,
127 And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.
128 Will you go on? I pray.
[Aside.]
This is the night
129. foredoes: undoes, ruins, destroys.
129 That either makes me or fordoes me quite.
Exeunt.