The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (988 page)

In exchange for the handkerchief?

IAGO

What handkerchief?

What handkerchief?

EMILIA

What handkerchief?

What handkerchief?

Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona;

The same one that the Moor gave to Desdemona

That which so often you did bid me steal.

Which you have wanted me to steal.

IAGO

Hast stol'n it from her?

And you stole it?

EMILIA

No, 'faith; she let it drop by negligence.

No, of course not. She let it drop in passing

And, to the advantage, I, being here, took't up.

And, fortunately, I was here, and picked it up.

Look, here it is.

Here it is.

IAGO

A good wench; give it me.

You are a good woman. Give it to me.

EMILIA

What will you do with 't, that you have been so earnest

What will you do with it? Why were you so intent

To have me filch it?

On me taking it?

IAGO

[Snatching it] Why, what's that to you?

How is that your business?

EMILIA

If it be not for some purpose of import,

If it is not for some important business

Give't me again: poor lady, she'll run mad

Then give it back. The poor lady will go mad

When she shall lack it.

When she sees she does not have it.

IAGO

Be not acknown on 't; I have use for it.

Do not admit you know where it is. I need it for a reason.

Go, leave me.

Go, leave me.

Exit EMILIA

I will in Cassio's lodging lose this napkin,

I will place this napkin in Cassio’s place

And let him find it. Trifles light as air

And make sure he finds it. Such a little thing

Are to the jealous confirmations strong

Becomes the confirmation of a jealous man’s thoughts,

As proofs of holy writ: this may do something.

As if they were holy proof. This might work.

The Moor already changes with my poison:

The Moor is already affected by what I said to him.

Dangerous conceits are, in their natures, poisons.

Evil ideas are really just like poisons:

Which at the first are scarce found to distaste,

At first, they aren’t even distasted,

But with a little act upon the blood.

But then they get into the blood.

Burn like the mines of Sulphur. I did say so:

There they burn like mines of sulphur.

Look, where he comes!

Look, here he comes!

Re-enter OTHELLO

Not poppy, nor mandragora,

No flower

Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,

Or medicine in all the world

Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep

Will ever force you into the sweet sleep

Which thou owedst yesterday.

That you had yesterday.

OTHELLO

Ha! ha! false to me?

Ah! Is she cheating on me?

IAGO

Why, how now, general! no more of that.

What? Now, general, no more of that!

OTHELLO

Avaunt! be gone! thou hast set me on the rack:

Go away! You have place me on the torture rack.

I swear 'tis better to be much abused

It is better to be taken advantage of completely

Than but to know't a little.

Than to know about it at all.

IAGO

How now, my lord!

What are you saying, my lord!

OTHELLO

What sense had I of her stol'n hours of lust?

Did I know anything of the hours she spent cheating on me?

I saw't not, thought it not, it harm'd not me:

I didn’t see it or think it, and it didn’t hurt me.

I slept the next night well, was free and merry;

I slept well, and was happy.

I found not Cassio's kisses on her lips:

I never tasted Cassio on her lips.

He that is robb'd, not wanting what is stol'n,

Whoever is robbed but does not notice it

Let him not know't, and he's not robb'd at all.

Should never be told, since he is not really robbed at all.

IAGO

I am sorry to hear this.

I am sorry to hear this.

OTHELLO

I had been happy, if the general camp,

I would have been happier if the entire squadron,

Pioners and all, had tasted her sweet body,

Even the lowest ranking soldiers, had had sex with her,

So I had nothing known. O, now, for ever

As long as I didn’t know. And now, forever,

Farewell the tranquil mind! farewell content!

Goodbye peaceful mind! Goodbye happiness!

Farewell the plumed troop, and the big wars,

Goodbye to the soldiers and wars

That make ambition virtue! O, farewell!

That make one great! O, goodbye!

Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump,

Goodbye to the neighing horse and loud trumpet,

The spirit-stirring drum, the ear-piercing fife,

The patriotic drum, the flute,

The royal banner, and all quality,

The royal flag and all the glory,

Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!

The pride, festivity, and situations of war!

And, O you mortal engines, whose rude throats

And you, the cannons whose sounds

The immortal Jove's dead clamours counterfeit,

Rival Jove’s thunderbolts,

Farewell! Othello's occupation's gone!

Goodbye! My career is ruined!

IAGO

Is't possible, my lord?

Is that possible, my lord?

OTHELLO

Villain, be sure thou prove my love a whore,

Villain, you had better be sure that you can prove my love is a whore.

Be sure of it; give me the ocular proof:

Be sure of it and give me visible proof,

Or by the worth of man's eternal soul,

Or I swear by a man’s eternal soul

Thou hadst been better have been born a dog

That you would rather have been born a dog

Than answer my waked wrath!

Than stand in front of my anger!

IAGO

Is't come to this?

Has it come to this?

OTHELLO

Make me to see't; or, at the least, so prove it,

Make me see it, or at the least, prove it

That the probation bear no hinge nor loop

So that there is no possible explanation

To hang a doubt on; or woe upon thy life!

That doubts it, or your life will be destroyed!

IAGO

My noble lord,--

My noble lord –

OTHELLO

If thou dost slander her and torture me,

If you are speaking poorly of her in order to torture me,

Never pray more; abandon all remorse;

Then you should stop praying. Do not think you can repent.

On horror's head horrors accumulate;

On your head evil deeds will be numbered,

Do deeds to make heaven weep, all earth amazed;

So do such awful things that heaven cries and all of the earth is stunned.

For nothing canst thou to damnation add

Nothing can add to the damnation

Greater than that.

You would already receive.

IAGO

O grace! O heaven forgive me!

O God! O God forgive me!

Are you a man? have you a soul or sense?

Are you still a man, and do you still have sense?

God be wi' you; take mine office. O wretched fool.

Please, I resign my rank. I am a fool,

That livest to make thine honesty a vice!

For living to tell the truth and then seeing that it is a vice!

O monstrous world! Take note, take note, O world,

O awful world! O world, be forewarned:

To be direct and honest is not safe.

It is not safe to be honest and straightforward.

I thank you for this profit; and from hence

Thank you for teaching me this, and from now on

I'll love no friend, sith love breeds such offence.

I will give such love to no one, since it only hurts them.

OTHELLO

Nay, stay: thou shouldst be honest.

No, stay, you should be honest.

IAGO

I should be wise, for honesty's a fool

No, I should be wise. Honesty is foolish

And loses that it works for.

And loses the friendship it works to serve.

OTHELLO

By the world,

By God,

I think my wife be honest and think she is not;

I think my wife is honest and dishonest,

I think that thou art just and think thou art not.

And that you are trustworthy and untrustworthy.

I'll have some proof. Her name, that was as fresh

I need proof. Her name, that was as pure

As Dian's visage, is now begrimed and black

As the Goddess Diana, is now tainted and as black

As mine own face. If there be cords, or knives,

As my face. As long as there are ropes or knives

Poison, or fire, or suffocating streams,

Or poison or fire or streams to drown in,

I'll not endure it. Would I were satisfied!

I won’t stand for this. I wish I knew the truth!

IAGO

I see, sir, you are eaten up with passion:

Sir, you are consumed by passion and strong feeling,

I do repent me that I put it to you.

And I feel sorry that I did this.

You would be satisfied?

You really want to know?

OTHELLO

Would! nay, I will.

Want! No, I will know.

IAGO

And may: but, how? how satisfied, my lord?

And you might, but how? How will you know, my lord?

Would you, the supervisor, grossly gape on--

Will you try to hide and watch –

Behold her topp'd?

Watch her have sex?

OTHELLO

Death and damnation! O!

Curses!

IAGO

It were a tedious difficulty, I think,

It seems like it would be very difficult

To bring them to that prospect: damn them then,

To make sure you do that. Damn them

If ever mortal eyes do see them bolster

If anyone else’s eyes see them

More than their own! What then? how then?

Do what they shouldn’t be! So what can we do?

What shall I say? Where's satisfaction?

What can I say, how can you find proof?

It is impossible you should see this,

It seems impossible that you will see them having sex,

Were they as prime as goats, as hot as monkeys,

Even if they were as ready as goats or as hot as monkeys,