Othello, with line numbers E-Book

William Shakespeare

• Herausgeber: Seltzer Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Seitenzahl: 142

Beschreibung

The classic tragedy. According to Wikipedia: "Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, based on the short story "Moor of Venice" by Cinthio. The work revolves around four central characters: Othello, his wife Desdemona, his lieutenant Cassio, and his trusted advisor Iago. Attesting to its enduring popularity, the play appeared in 7 editions between 1622 and 1705. Because of its varied themes — racism, love, jealousy and betrayal — it remains relevant to the present day and is often performed in professional and community theatres alike. The play has also been the basis for numerous operatic, film and literary adaptations."

Leseprobe

Othello By William Shakespeare

published by Samizdat Express, Orange, CT, USA

established in 1974, offering over 14,000 books

Other tragedies by William Shakespeare:

Antony and Cleopatra

Coriolanus

Hamlet

Julius Caesar

King Lear

Macbeth

Romeo and Juliet

Timon of Athens

Titus Andronicus

Troilus and Cressida

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Dramatis Personae

Othello

Act I

Scene I Venice. A street.

Scene II Another street.

Scene III A council-chamber.

Act II

Scene I A Sea-port in Cyprus. An open place near the quay.

Scene II A street.

Scene III A hall in the castle.

Act III

Scene I Before the castle.

Scene II A room in the castle.

Scene III The garden of the castle.

Scene IV Before the castle.

Act IV

Scene I Cyprus. Before the castle.

Scene II A room in the castle.

Scene III Another room In the castle.

Act V

Scene I Cyprus. A street.

Scene II A bedchamber in the castle: Desdemona in bed asleep; a light burning.

DRAMATIS PERSONAE

Duke of Venice:

Brabantio, a senator.

Other Senators.

 (Senator:)

 (First Senator:)

 (Second Senator:)

Gratiano, brother to Brabantio.

Lodovico, kinsman to Brabantio.

Othello, a noble Moor in the service of the Venetian state.

Cassio, his lieutenant.

Iago, his ancient.

Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman.

Montano, Othello's predecessor in the government of Cyprus.

Clown, servant to Othello. (Clown:)

Desdemona, daughter to Brabantio and wife to Othello.

Emilia, wife to Iago.

Bianca, mistress to Cassio.

 Sailor, Messenger, Herald, Officers, Gentlemen,

 Musicians, and Attendants.

 (Sailor:)

 (First Officer:)

 (Messenger:)

 (Gentleman:)

 (First Gentleman:)

 (Second Gentleman:)

 (Third Gentleman:)

 (First Musician:)

SCENE Venice: a Sea-port in Cyprus.

OTHELLO

ACT I

SCENE I Venice. A street.

 [Enter RODERIGO and IAGO]

(1) RODERIGO Tush! never tell me; I take it much unkindly

 That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse

 As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this.

IAGO 'Sblood, but you will not hear me:

 If ever I did dream of such a matter, Abhor me.

RODERIGO Thou told'st me thou didst hold him in thy hate.

IAGO Despise me, if I do not. Three great ones of the city,

(10) In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,

 Off-capp'd to him: and, by the faith of man,

 I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:

 But he; as loving his own pride and purposes,

 Evades them, with a bombast circumstance

 Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;

 And, in conclusion,

 Nonsuits my mediators; for, 'Certes,' says he,

 'I have already chose my officer.'

 And what was he?

(20) Forsooth, a great arithmetician,

 One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,

 A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wife;

 That never set a squadron in the field,

 Nor the division of a battle knows

 More than a spinster; unless the bookish theoric,

 Wherein the toged consuls can propose

 As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practise,

 Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:

 And I, of whom his eyes had seen the proof

(30) At Rhodes, at Cyprus and on other grounds

 Christian and heathen, must be be-lee'd and calm'd

 By debitor and creditor: this counter-caster,

 He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,

 And I--God bless the mark!--his Moorship's ancient.

RODERIGO By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.

IAGO Why, there's no remedy; 'tis the curse of service,

 Preferment goes by letter and affection,

 And not by old gradation, where each second

(40) Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,

 Whether I in any just term am affined

 To love the Moor.

RODERIGO I would not follow him then.

IAGO O, sir, content you;

 I follow him to serve my turn upon him:

 We cannot all be masters, nor all masters

 Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark

 Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,

 That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,

(50) Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,

 For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd:

 Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are

 Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,

 Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,

 And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,

 Do well thrive by them and when they have lined

 their coats

 Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;

 And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,

(60) It is as sure as you are Roderigo,

 Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:

 In following him, I follow but myself;

 Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,

 But seeming so, for my peculiar end:

 For when my outward action doth demonstrate

 The native act and figure of my heart

 In compliment extern, 'tis not long after

 But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

 For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

(70) RODERIGO What a full fortune does the thicklips owe

 If he can carry't thus!

IAGO Call up her father,

 Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight,

 Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,

 And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,

 Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy,

 Yet throw such changes of vexation on't,

 As it may lose some colour.

RODERIGO Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud.

(80) IAGO Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell

 As when, by night and negligence, the fire

 Is spied in populous cities.

RODERIGO What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho!

IAGO Awake! what, ho, Brabantio! thieves! thieves! thieves!

 Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!

 Thieves! thieves!

 [BRABANTIO appears above, at a window]

BRABANTIO What is the reason of this terrible summons?

 What is the matter there?

(90) RODERIGO Signior, is all your family within?

IAGO Are your doors lock'd?

BRABANTIO Why, wherefore ask you this?

IAGO 'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on

 your gown;

 Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;

 Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

 Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise;

 Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,

 Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:

(100) Arise, I say.

BRABANTIO                   What, have you lost your wits?

RODERIGO Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?

BRABANTIO Not I what are you?

RODERIGO My name is Roderigo.

BRABANTIO The worser welcome:

 I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors:

 In honest plainness thou hast heard me say

 My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,

 Being full of supper and distempering draughts,

(110) Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come

 To start my quiet.

RODERIGO Sir, sir, sir,--

BRABANTIO                   But thou must needs be sure

 My spirit and my place have in them power

 To make this bitter to thee.

RODERIGO Patience, good sir.

BRABANTIO What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;

 My house is not a grange.

RODERIGO Most grave Brabantio,

(120) In simple and pure soul I come to you.

IAGO 'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not

 serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to

 do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll

 have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse;

 you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have

 coursers for cousins and gennets for germans.

BRABANTIO What profane wretch art thou?

IAGO I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter

(130) and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

BRABANTIO Thou art a villain.

IAGO You are--a senator.

BRABANTIO This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.

RODERIGO Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,

 If't be your pleasure and most wise consent,

 As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter,

 At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,

 Transported, with no worse nor better guard

 But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,

(140) To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor--

 If this be known to you and your allowance,

 We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;

 But if you know not this, my manners tell me

 We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe

 That, from the sense of all civility,

 I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:

 Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,

 I say again, hath made a gross revolt;

 Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes

(150) In an extravagant and wheeling stranger

 Of here and every where. Straight satisfy yourself:

 If she be in her chamber or your house,

 Let loose on me the justice of the state

 For thus deluding you.

BRABANTIO Strike on the tinder, ho!

 Give me a taper! call up all my people!

 This accident is not unlike my dream:

 Belief of it oppresses me already.

 Light, I say! light!

 [Exit above]

(160) IAGO Farewell; for I must leave you:

 It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place,

 To be produced--as, if I stay, I shall--

 Against the Moor: for, I do know, the state,

 However this may gall him with some cheque,

 Cannot with safety cast him, for he's embark'd

 With such loud reason to the Cyprus wars,

 Which even now stand in act, that, for their souls,

 Another of his fathom they have none,

 To lead their business: in which regard,

(170) Though I do hate him as I do hell-pains.

 Yet, for necessity of present life,

 I must show out a flag and sign of love,

 Which is indeed but sign. That you shall surely find him,

 Lead to the Sagittary the raised search;

 And there will I be with him. So, farewell.

 [Exit]

 [Enter, below, BRABANTIO, and Servants with torches]

BRABANTIO It is too true an evil: gone she is;

 And what's to come of my despised time

 Is nought but bitterness. Now, Roderigo,

 Where didst thou see her? O unhappy girl!

(180) With the Moor, say'st thou? Who would be a father!

 How didst thou know 'twas she? O she deceives me

 Past thought! What said she to you? Get more tapers:

 Raise all my kindred. Are they married, think you?

RODERIGO Truly, I think they are.

BRABANTIO O heaven! How got she out? O treason of the blood!

 Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters' minds

 By what you see them act. Is there not charms

 By which the property of youth and maidhood

(190) May be abused? Have you not read, Roderigo,

 Of some such thing?

RODERIGO Yes, sir, I have indeed.

BRABANTIO Call up my brother. O, would you had had her!

 Some one way, some another. Do you know

 Where we may apprehend her and the Moor?

RODERIGO I think I can discover him, if you please,

 To get good guard and go along with me.

BRABANTIO Pray you, lead on. At every house I'll call;

 I may command at most. Get weapons, ho!

(200) And raise some special officers of night.

 On, good Roderigo: I'll deserve your pains.

 [Exeunt]

SCENE II Another street.

 [Enter OTHELLO, IAGO, and Attendants with torches]

(1) IAGO Though in the trade of war I have slain men,

 Yet do I hold it very stuff o' the conscience

 To do no contrived murder: I lack iniquity

 Sometimes to do me service: nine or ten times

 I had thought to have yerk'd him here under the ribs.

OTHELLO 'Tis better as it is.

IAGO Nay, but he prated,

 And spoke such scurvy and provoking terms

 Against your honour

(10) That, with the little godliness I have,

 I did full hard forbear him. But, I pray you, sir,

 Are you fast married? Be assured of this,

 That the magnifico is much beloved,

 And hath in his effect a voice potential

 As double as the duke's: he will divorce you;

 Or put upon you what restraint and grievance

 The law, with all his might to enforce it on,

 Will give him cable.

OTHELLO Let him do his spite:

(20) My services which I have done the signiory

 Shall out-tongue his complaints. 'Tis yet to know,--

 Which, when I know that boasting is an honour,

 I shall promulgate--I fetch my life and being

 From men of royal siege, and my demerits

 May speak unbonneted to as proud a fortune

 As this that I have reach'd: for know, Iago,

 But that I love the gentle Desdemona,

 I would not my unhoused free condition

 Put into circumscription and confine

(30) For the sea's worth. But, look! what lights come yond?

IAGO Those are the raised father and his friends:

 You were best go in.

OTHELLO Not I I must be found:

 My parts, my title and my perfect soul

 Shall manifest me rightly. Is it they?

IAGO By Janus, I think no.

 [Enter CASSIO, and certain Officers with torches]

OTHELLO The servants of the duke, and my lieutenant.

 The goodness of the night upon you, friends!

(40) What is the news?

CASSIO                   The duke does greet you, general,

 And he requires your haste-post-haste appearance,

 Even on the instant.

OTHELLO What is the matter, think you?

CASSIO Something from Cyprus as I may divine:

 It is a business of some heat: the galleys

 Have sent a dozen sequent messengers

 This very night at one another's heels,

 And many of the consuls, raised and met,

(50) Are at the duke's already: you have been

 hotly call'd for;

 When, being not at your lodging to be found,

 The senate hath sent about three several guests

 To search you out.

OTHELLO 'Tis well I am found by you.

 I will but spend a word here in the house,

 And go with you.

 [Exit]

CASSIO                   Ancient, what makes he here?

IAGO 'Faith, he to-night hath boarded a land carack:

 If it prove lawful prize, he's made for ever.

(60) CASSIO I do not understand.

IAGO He's married.

CASSIO To who?

 [Re-enter OTHELLO]

IAGO Marry, to--Come, captain, will you go?

OTHELLO Have with you.

CASSIO Here comes another troop to seek for you.

IAGO It is Brabantio. General, be advised;

 He comes to bad intent.

 [Enter BRABANTIO, RODERIGO, and OFFICERS with torches and weapons]

OTHELLO Holla! stand there!

RODERIGO Signior, it is the Moor.

(70) BRABANTIO Down with him, thief!

 [They draw on both sides]

IAGO You, Roderigo! come, sir, I am for you.

OTHELLO Keep up your bright swords, for the dew will rust them.

 Good signior, you shall more command with years

 Than with your weapons.

BRABANTIO O thou foul thief, where hast thou stow'd my daughter?

 Damn'd as thou art, thou hast enchanted her;

 For I'll refer me to all things of sense,

(80) If she in chains of magic were not bound,

 Whether a maid so tender, fair and happy,

 So opposite to marriage that she shunned

 The wealthy curled darlings of our nation,

 Would ever have, to incur a general mock,

 Run from her guardage to the sooty bosom

 Of such a thing as thou, to fear, not to delight.

 Judge me the world, if 'tis not gross in sense

 That thou hast practised on her with foul charms,

 Abused her delicate youth with drugs or minerals

(90) That weaken motion: I'll have't disputed on;

 'Tis probable and palpable to thinking.

 I therefore apprehend and do attach thee

 For an abuser of the world, a practiser

 Of arts inhibited and out of warrant.

 Lay hold upon him: if he do resist,

 Subdue him at his peril.

OTHELLO Hold your hands,

 Both you of my inclining, and the rest:

 Were it my cue to fight, I should have known it

(100) Without a prompter. Where will you that I go

 To answer this your charge?

BRABANTIO To prison, till fit time

 Of law and course of direct session

 Call thee to answer.

OTHELLO What if I do obey?

 How may the duke be therewith satisfied,

 Whose messengers are here about my side,

 Upon some present business of the state

 To bring me to him?

(110) FIRST OFFICER 'Tis true, most worthy signior;

 The duke's in council and your noble self,

 I am sure, is sent for.

BRABANTIO How! the duke in council!

 In this time of the night! Bring him away:

 Mine's not an idle cause: the duke himself,

 Or any of my brothers of the state,

 Cannot but feel this wrong as 'twere their own;

 For if such actions may have passage free,

 Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be.

 [Exeunt]

SCENE III A council-chamber.

 [The DUKE and SENATORS sitting at a table; OFFICERS attending]

(1) DUKE OF VENICE There is no composition in these news

 That gives them credit.

FIRST SENATOR Indeed, they are disproportion'd;

 My letters say a hundred and seven galleys.

DUKE OF VENICE And mine, a hundred and forty.

SECOND SENATOR And mine, two hundred:

 But though they jump not on a just account,--

 As in these cases, where the aim reports,

 'Tis oft with difference--yet do they all confirm

(10) A Turkish fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus.

DUKE OF VENICE Nay, it is possible enough to judgment: