ACT 5. SCENE I. Cyprus. A street.
Enter Iago and Roderigo
Iago
- Here, stand behind this bulk; straight will he come:
- Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home:
- Quick, quick; fear nothing; I'll be at thy elbow:
- It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
- And fix most firm thy resolution.
Roderigo
- Be near at hand; I may miscarry in't.
Iago
- Here, at thy hand: be bold, and take thy stand.
Retires
Roderigo
- I have no great devotion to the deed;
- And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons:
- 'Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.
Iago
- I have rubb'd this young quat almost to the sense,
- And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,
- Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
- Every way makes my gain: live Roderigo,
- He calls me to a restitution large
- Of gold and jewels that I bobb'd from him,
- As gifts to Desdemona;
- It must not be: if Cassio do remain,
- He hath a daily beauty in his life
- That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
- May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril:
- No, he must die. But so: I hear him coming.
Enter Cassio
Roderigo
- I know his gait, 'tis he.--Villain, thou diest!
Makes a pass at Cassio
Cassio
- That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
- But that my coat is better than thou know'st
- I will make proof of thine.
Draws, and wounds Roderigo
Roderigo
- O, I am slain!
Iago from behind wounds Cassio in the leg, and exit
Cassio
- I am maim'd for ever. Help, ho! murder! murder!
Falls Enter Othello
Othello
- The voice of Cassio: Iago keeps his word.
Roderigo
- O, villain that I am!
Othello
- It is even so.
Cassio
- O, help, ho! light! a surgeon!
Othello
- 'Tis he:--O 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 unblest fate hies: strumpet, I come.
- Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
- Thy bed, lust-stain'd, shall with lust's blood be spotted.
Exit Enter Lodovico and GRATIANO
Cassio
- What, ho! no watch? no passage? murder! murder!
Gratiano
- 'Tis some mischance; the cry is very direful.
Cassio
- O, help!
Lodovico
- Hark!
Roderigo
- O wretched villain!
Lodovico
- Two or three groan: it is a heavy night:
- These may be counterfeits: let's think't unsafe
- To come in to the cry without more help.
Roderigo
- Nobody come? then shall I bleed to death.
Lodovico
- Hark!
Re-enter Iago, with a light
Gratiano
- Here's one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons.
Iago
- Who's there? whose noise is this that ones on murder?
Lodovico
- We do not know.
Iago
- Did not you hear a cry?
Cassio
- Here, here! for heaven's sake, help me!
Iago
- What's the matter?
Gratiano
- This is Othello's ancient, as I take it.
Lodovico
- The same indeed; a very valiant fellow.
Iago
- What are you here that cry so grievously?
Cassio
- Iago? O, I am spoil'd, undone by villains!
- Give me some help.
Iago
- O me, lieutenant! what villains have done this?
Cassio
- I think that one of them is hereabout,
- And cannot make away.
Iago
- O treacherous villains!
- What are you there? come in, and give some help.
To Lodovico and GRATIANO
Roderigo
- O, help me here!
Cassio
- That's one of them.
Iago
- O murderous slave! O villain!
Stabs Roderigo
Roderigo
- O damn'd Iago! O inhuman dog!
Iago
- Kill men i' the dark!--Where be these bloody thieves?--
- How silent is this town!--Ho! murder! murder!--
- What may you be? are you of good or evil?
Lodovico
- As you shall prove us, praise us.
Iago
- Signior Lodovico?
Lodovico
- He, sir.
Iago
- I cry you mercy. Here's Cassio hurt by villains.
Gratiano
- Cassio!
Iago
- How is't, brother!
Cassio
- My leg is cut in two.
Iago
- Marry, heaven forbid!
- Light, gentlemen; I'll bind it with my shirt.
Enter BIANCA
Bianca
- What is the matter, ho? who is't that cried?
Iago
- Who is't that cried!
Bianca
- 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 many led you?
Cassio
- No.
Gratiano
- I am to find you thus: I have been to seek you.
Iago
- Lend me a garter. So. O, for a chair,
- To bear him easily hence!
Bianca
- Alas, he faints! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio!
Iago
- Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash
- To be a party in this injury.
- Patience awhile, good Cassio. Come, come;
- Lend me a light. Know we this face or no?
- Alas my friend and my dear countryman
- Roderigo! no:--yes, sure: O heaven! Roderigo.
Gratiano
- What, of Venice?
Iago
- Even he, sir; did you know him?
Gratiano
- Know him! ay.
Iago
- Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon;
- These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
- That so neglected you.
Gratiano
- I am glad to see you.
Iago
- How do you, Cassio? O, a chair, a chair!
Gratiano
- Roderigo!
Iago
- He, he 'tis he.
A chair brought in
- O, that's well said; the chair!
Gratiano
- Some good man bear him carefully from hence;
- I'll fetch the general's surgeon.
To BIANCA
- For you, mistress,
- Save you your labour. He that lies slain
- here, Cassio,
- Was my dear friend: what malice was between you?
Cassio
- None in the world; nor do I know the man.
Iago
- To BIANCA What, look you pale? O, bear him out
- o' the air.
Cassio and Roderigo 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
Emilia
- 'Las, what's the matter? what's the matter, husband?
Iago
- Cassio hath here been set on in the dark
- By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped:
- He's almost slain, and Roderigo dead.
Emilia
- Alas, good gentleman! alas, good Cassio!
Iago
- This is the fruit of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,
- Go know of Cassio where he supp'd to-night.
To BIANCA
- What, do you shake at that?
Bianca
- He supp'd at my house; but I therefore shake not.
Iago
- O, did he so? I charge you, go with me.
Emilia
- Fie, fie upon thee, strumpet!
Bianca
- I am no strumpet; but of life as honest
- As you that thus abuse me.
Emilia
- As I! foh! fie upon thee!
Iago
- Kind gentlemen, let's go see poor Cassio dress'd.
- Come, mistress, you must tell's another tale.
- Emilia run you to the citadel,
- And tell my lord and lady what hath happ'd.
- Will you go on? I pray.
Aside
- This is the night
- That either makes me or fordoes me quite.
Exeunt