OTHELLO.

Act First.

Scene First.-VENICE. A DARK STREET. FULL STAGE

Rod.

[Enter Roderigo and Iago.

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.

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,
Off-capped 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 stuffed with epithets of war;

And, in conclusion,

Nonsuits my mediators: for, "certes," says he, "I have already chose my officer."

And what was he?

Forsooth, a great arithmetician,

One Michael Cassio, a Florentine,

A fellow

That never set a squadron in the field,
Nor the division of a battle knows

More than a spinster :

He, in good time, must his lieutenant be,

And I, sir (bless the mark !), his Moorship's ancient.

Rod.

By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman,

Iago.

Now, sir, be judge yourself,

Whether I in any just term am affined

To love the Moor.

Rod.

I would not follow him, then.

O, sir, content you;

Iago.

I follow him to serve my turn upon him:
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, 't is 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 owe
If he can carry 't thus!

Call up her father,

Iago.

Rouse him :-make after him, poison his delight;

Though that his joy be joy,

Yet throw such changes of vexation on't,

As it may lose some colour.

Rod.

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

Iago.

Do; with like timorous accent and dire yell
As when, by night and negligence, the fire
Is spied in populous cities.

Rod.

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.

Bra.

What is the reason of this terrible summons?
What is the matter there?

Awake the snorting citizens with the bell

Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you.

Bra.

What! have you lost your wits?

Rod.

Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?

Bra.

Not I: what are you?

Rod.

My name is Roderigo.

Bra.

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,
Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come
To start my quiet.

Sir, sir, sir

Rod.

Bra.

But thou must needs be sure

My spirit and my place have in them power

To make this bitter to thee.

Rod.

Patience, good sir.

Bra.

What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;
My house is not a grange.

Most grave Brabantio,

Rod.

In simple and pure soul I come to you.

Iago.

Sir, you are one of those that will not serve God, if the devil bid you.

Bra.

What profane wretch art thou?

Iago.

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

with the Moor.

This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.

Rod.

Sir, I will answer anything. But, I beseech you,
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.

Bra.

This accident is not unlike my dream;

Belief of it oppresses me already.—

Light, I say! light!

Iago.

[Exit above.

[To Roderigo.

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 check,-
Cannot with safety cast him; for he 's embarked
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,
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,