OTHELLO.

PERSONS REPRESENTED.

Duke of Venice.

Brabantio, a senator.

Two other Senators.

Gratiano, brother to Brabantio.

Lodovico, kinsman to Brabantio.

Othello, the Moor:

Cassio, his lieutenant;

Iago, his ancient.

Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman.

Montano, Othello's predecessor in the government

of Cyprus.

Clown, servant to Othello.

Herald.

Desdemona, daughter to Brabantio, and wife to

Othello.

Emilia, wife to Iago.

Bianca, a courtezan, mistress to Cassio.

Officers, Gentlemen, Messengers, Musicians, Sailors, Attendants, &c.

Scene, for the first Act, in Venice; during the rest of the play, at a sea-port in Cyprus.

OTHELLO,

THE MOOR OF VENICE.

ACT I.

SCENE I. Venice. A street.

Enter Roderigo and Iago.

Roderigo.

TUSH, never tell me, I take it much unkindly,
That thou, Jago,-who hast had my purse,
As if the strings were thine,-should'st know of this.
Iago. 'Sblood, but you will not hear me :-

If ever I did dream of such a matter,

Abhor me.

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

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

In personal suit to make me his lieutenant,
Oft 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,

* Saluted.

Evades them, with a bombast circumstance*,

Horribly stuff'd with epithets of war;
And, in conclusion, nonsuits

My mediators; for, certest, says he,
I have already chose my officer.
And what was he?

Forsooth, a great arithmetician,
One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,
A fellow almost damn'd in a fair wifet;
That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows.

More than a spinster; unless the bookish theorický,
Wherein the toged consuls can propose

As masterly as he: mere prattle, without practice,
Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had the election:
And I,-of whom his eyes had seen the proof,
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.

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

Iago. But there's no remedy, 'tis the curse of ser

vice;

Preferment goes by letter, and affection,

Not by the old gradation, where each second
Stood heir to the first. Now, sir, be judge yourself,
Whether I in any just term am affin'd**

To love the Moor.

Circumlocution..

+ Certainly.

For wife some read life, supposing it to allude to the denunciation in the. Gospel, woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you.

§ Theory.

Rulers of the state.

It was anciently the practice to reckon up sums

with counters.

**Related.

Rod.

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,
Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,
For nought but provender; and, when he's old, ca-
shier'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 lin'd
their coats,

Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;

And such a one do I profess myself.

For, sir,

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.
Rod. What a full fortune does the thick-lips owet,
If he can carry't thus !

Call up her father,

Iago. 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,

Outward show of civility.

† Own, possess.