The Tragedy of Othello; or, The Moor of Venice (1603-4)

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Act V, Scene 1

Cyprus. A street.

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.

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.

Roderigo
I know his gait, 'tis he.--Villain, thou diest!

Cassio
That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
But that my coat is better than thou know'st
I will make proof of thine.

Roderigo
O, I am slain!

Cassio
I am maim'd for ever. Help, ho! murder! murder!

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.

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!

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.

Roderigo
O, help me here!

Cassio
That's one of them.

Iago
O murderous slave! O villain!

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.

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.

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.

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The Tragedy of Othello; or, The Moor of Venice (1603-4)

Act V, Scene 1

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