ACT 5. SCENE I. Cyprus. A street.

by William Shakespeare

　　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 largeOf 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 lifeThat makes me ugly; and, besides, the MoorMay 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'stI 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 unsafeTo 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 darkHow silent is this townWhat 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 suspectWho 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 trashTo 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 countrymanRoderigo! 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 slainhere, 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 outo' 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 darkBy 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 honestAs 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 nightThat either makes me or fordoes me quite.Exeunt