ACT 2. SCENE I. A Sea-port in Cyprus. An open place near the quay.

by William Shakespeare

　　Enter MONTANO and two Gentlemen

　　Montano

　　What from the cape can you discern at sea?First gentleman

　　Nothing at all: it is a highwrought flood;I cannot, 'twixt the heaven and the main,Descry a sail.Montano

　　Methinks the wind hath spoke aloud at land;A fuller blast ne'er shook our battlements:If it hath ruffian'd so upon the sea,What ribs of oak, when mountains melt on them,Can hold the mortise? What shall we hear of this?Second gentleman

　　A segregation of the Turkish fleet:For do but stand upon the foaming shore,The chidden billow seems to pelt the clouds;The wind-shaked surge, with high and monstrous mane,seems to cast water on the burning bear,And quench the guards of the ever-fixed pole:I never did like molestation viewOn the enchafed flood.Montano

　　If that the Turkish fleetBe not enshelter'd and embay'd, they are drown'd:It is impossible they bear it out.Enter a third Gentleman

　　Third gentleman

　　News, lads! our wars are done.The desperate tempest hath so bang'd the Turks,That their designment halts: a noble ship of VeniceHath seen a grievous wreck and sufferanceOn most part of their fleet.Montano

　　How! is this true?Third gentleman

　　The ship is here put in,A Veronesa; Michael Cassio,Lieutenant to the warlike Moor Othello,Is come on shore: the Moor himself at sea,And is in full commission here for Cyprus.Montano

　　I am glad on't; 'tis a worthy governor.Third gentleman

　　But this same Cassio, though he speak of comfortTouching the Turkish loss, yet he looks sadly,And prays the Moor be safe; for they were partedWith foul and violent tempest.Montano

　　Pray heavens he be;For I have served him, and the man commandsLike a full soldier. Let's to the seaside, ho!As well to see the vessel that's come inAs to throw out our eyes for brave Othello,Even till we make the main and the aerial blueAn indistinct regard.Third gentleman

　　Come, let's do so:For every minute is expectancyOf more arrivance.Enter CASSIO

　　Cassio

　　Thanks, you the valiant of this warlike isle,That so approve the Moor! O, let the heavensGive him defence against the elements,For I have lost us him on a dangerous sea.Montano

　　Is he well shipp'd?Cassio

　　His bark is stoutly timber'd, his pilotOf very expert and approved allowance;Therefore my hopes, not surfeited to death,Stand in bold cure.A cry within 'A sail, a sail, a sail!' Enter a fourth Gentleman

　　Cassio

　　What noise?Fourth gentleman

　　The town is empty; on the brow o' the seaStand ranks of people, and they cry 'A sail!'Cassio

　　My hopes do shape him for the governor.Guns heard

　　Second gentlemen

　　They do discharge their shot of courtesy:Our friends at least.Cassio

　　I pray you, sir, go forth,And give us truth who 'tis that is arrived.Second gentleman

　　I shall.Exit

　　Montano

　　But, good lieutenant, is your general wived?Cassio

　　Most fortunately: he hath achieved a maidThat paragons description and wild fame;One that excels the quirks of blazoning pens,And in the essential vesture of creationDoes tire the ingener.Re-enter second Gentleman

　　How now! who has put in?Second gentleman

　　'Tis one Iago, ancient to the general.Cassio

　　Has had most favourable and happy speed:Tempests themselves, high seas, and howling winds,The gutter'd rocks and congregated sands--Traitors ensteep'd to clog the guiltless keel,--As having sense of beauty, do omitTheir mortal natures, letting go safely byThe divine Desdemona.Montano

　　What is she?Cassio

　　She that I spake of, our great captain's captain,Left in the conduct of the bold Iago,Whose footing here anticipates our thoughtsA se'nnight's speed. Great Jove, Othello guard,And swell his sail with thine own powerful breath,That he may bless this bay with his tall ship,Make love's quick pants in Desdemona's arms,Give renew'd fire to our extincted spiritsAnd bring all Cyprus comfort!Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, IAGO, RODERIGO, and Attendants

　　O, behold,The riches of the ship is come on shore!Ye men of Cyprus, let her have your knees.Hail to thee, lady! and the grace of heaven,Before, behind thee, and on every hand,Enwheel thee round!Desdemona

　　I thank you, valiant Cassio.What tidings can you tell me of my lord?Cassio

　　He is not yet arrived: nor know I aughtBut that he's well and will be shortly here.Desdemona

　　O, but I fear--How lost you company?Cassio

　　The great contention of the sea and skiesParted our fellowship--But, hark! a sail.Within 'A sail, a sail!' Guns heard

　　Second gentleman

　　They give their greeting to the citadel;This likewise is a friend.Cassio

　　See for the news.Exit Gentleman

　　Good ancient, you are welcome.To EMILIA

　　Welcome, mistress.Let it not gall your patience, good Iago,That I extend my manners; 'tis my breedingThat gives me this bold show of courtesy.Kissing her

　　Iago

　　Sir, would she give you so much of her lipsAs of her tongue she oft bestows on me,You'll have enough.Desdemona

　　Alas, she has no speech.Iago

　　In faith, too much;I find it still, when I have list to sleep:Marry, before your ladyship, I grant,She puts her tongue a little in her heart,And chides with thinking.Emilia

　　You have little cause to say so.Iago

　　Come on, come on; you are pictures out of doors,Bells in your parlors, wild-cats in your kitchens,Saints in your injuries, devils being offended,Players in your housewifery, and housewives in your beds.Desdemona

　　O, fie upon thee, slanderer!Iago

　　Nay, it is true, or else I am a Turk:You rise to play and go to bed to work.Emilia

　　You shall not write my praise.Iago

　　No, let me not.Desdemona

　　What wouldst thou write of me, if thou shouldstpraise me?Iago

　　O gentle lady, do not put me to't;For I am nothing, if not critical.Desdemona

　　Come on assay. There's one gone to the harbour?Iago

　　Ay, madam.Desdemona

　　I am not merry; but I do beguileThe thing I am, by seeming otherwise.Come, how wouldst thou praise me?Iago

　　I am about it; but indeed my inventionComes from my pate as birdlime does from frize;It plucks out brains and all: but my Muse labours,And thus she is deliver'd.If she be fair and wise, fairness and wit,The one's for use, the other useth it.Desdemona

　　Well praised! How if she be black and witty?Iago

　　If she be black, and thereto have a wit,She'll find a white that shall her blackness fit.Desdemona

　　Worse and worse.Emilia

　　How if fair and foolish?Iago

　　She never yet was foolish that was fair;For even her folly help'd her to an heir.Desdemona

　　These are old fond paradoxes to make fools laugh i'the alehouse. What miserable praise hast thou forher that's foul and foolish?Iago

　　There's none so foul and foolish thereunto,But does foul pranks which fair and wise ones do.Desdemona

　　O heavy ignorance! thou praisest the worst best.But what praise couldst thou bestow on a deservingwoman indeed, one that, in the authority of hermerit, did justly put on the vouch of very malice itself?Iago

　　She that was ever fair and never proud,Had tongue at will and yet was never loud,Never lack'd gold and yet went never gay,Fled from her wish and yet said 'Now I may,'She that being anger'd, her revenge being nigh,Bade her wrong stay and her displeasure fly,She that in wisdom never was so frailTo change the cod's head for the salmon's tail;She that could think and ne'er disclose her mind,See suitors following and not look behind,She was a wight, if ever such wight were,--Desdemona

　　To do what?Iago

　　To suckle fools and chronicle small beer.Desdemona

　　O most lame and impotent conclusion! Do not learnof him, Emilia, though he be thy husband. How sayyou, Cassio? is he not a most profane and liberalcounsellor?Cassio

　　He speaks home, madam: You may relish him more inthe soldier than in the scholar.Iago

　　Aside He takes her by the palm: ay, well said,whisper: with as little a web as this will Iensnare as great a fly as Cassio. Ay, smile uponher, do; I will gyve thee in thine own courtship.You say true; 'tis so, indeed: if such tricks asthese strip you out of your lieutenantry, it hadbeen better you had not kissed your three fingers sooft, which now again you are most apt to play thesir in. Very good; well kissed! an excellentcourtesy! 'tis so, indeed. Yet again your fingersto your lips? would they were clyster-pipes for your sake!Trumpet within

　　The Moor! I know his trumpet.Cassio

　　'Tis truly so.Desdemona

　　Let's meet him and receive him.Cassio

　　Lo, where he comes!Enter OTHELLO and Attendants

　　Othello

　　O my fair warrior!Desdemona

　　My dear Othello!Othello

　　It gives me wonder great as my contentTo see you here before me. O my soul's joy!If after every tempest come such calms,May the winds blow till they have waken'd death!And let the labouring bark climb hills of seasOlympus-high and duck again as lowAs hell's from heaven! If it were now to die,'Twere now to be most happy; for, I fear,My soul hath her content so absoluteThat not another comfort like to thisSucceeds in unknown fate.Desdemona

　　The heavens forbidBut that our loves and comforts should increase,Even as our days do grow!Othello

　　Amen to that, sweet powers!I cannot speak enough of this content;It stops me here; it is too much of joy:And this, and this, the greatest discords beKissing her

　　That e'er our hearts shall make!Iago

　　Aside O, you are well tuned now!But I'll set down the pegs that make this music,As honest as I am.Othello

　　Come, let us to the castle.News, friends; our wars are done, the Turksare drown'd.How does my old acquaintance of this isle?Honey, you shall be well desired in Cyprus;I have found great love amongst them. O my sweet,I prattle out of fashion, and I doteIn mine own comforts. I prithee, good Iago,Go to the bay and disembark my coffers:Bring thou the master to the citadel;He is a good one, and his worthinessDoes challenge much respect. Come, Desdemona,Once more, well met at Cyprus.Exeunt OTHELLO, DESDEMONA, and Attendants

　　Iago

　　Do thou meet me presently at the harbour. Comehither. If thou be'st valiant,-- as, they say, basemen being in love have then a nobility in theirnatures more than is native to them--list me. Thelieutenant tonight watches on the court ofguard:--first, I must tell thee this--Desdemona isdirectly in love with him.Roderigo

　　With him! why, 'tis not possible.Iago

　　Lay thy finger thus, and let thy soul be instructed.Mark me with what violence she first loved the Moor,but for bragging and telling her fantastical lies:and will she love him still for prating? let notthy discreet heart think it. Her eye must be fed;and what delight shall she have to look on thedevil? When the blood is made dull with the act ofsport, there should be, again to inflame it and togive satiety a fresh appetite, loveliness in favour,sympathy in years, manners and beauties; all whichthe Moor is defective in: now, for want of theserequired conveniences, her delicate tenderness willfind itself abused, begin to heave the gorge,disrelish and abhor the Moor; very nature willinstruct her in it and compel her to some secondchoice. Now, sir, this granted,--as it is a mostpregnant and unforced position--who stands soeminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassiodoes? a knave very voluble; no furtherconscionable than in putting on the mere form ofcivil and humane seeming, for the better compassingof his salt and most hidden loose affection? why,none; why, none: a slipper and subtle knave, afinder of occasions, that has an eye can stamp andcounterfeit advantages, though true advantage neverpresent itself; a devilish knave. Besides, theknave is handsome, young, and hath all thoserequisites in him that folly and green minds lookafter: a pestilent complete knave; and the womanhath found him already.Roderigo

　　I cannot believe that in her; she's full ofmost blessed condition.Iago

　　Blessed fig's-end! the wine she drinks is made ofgrapes: if she had been blessed, she would neverhave loved the Moor. Blessed pudding! Didst thounot see her paddle with the palm of his hand? didstnot mark that?Roderigo

　　Yes, that I did; but that was but courtesy.Iago

　　Lechery, by this hand; an index and obscure prologueto the history of lust and foul thoughts. They metso near with their lips that their breaths embracedtogether. Villanous thoughts, Roderigo! when thesemutualities so marshal the way, hard at hand comesthe master and main exercise, the incorporateconclusion, Pish! But, sir, be you ruled by me: Ihave brought you from Venice. Watch you to-night;for the command, I'll lay't upon you. Cassio knowsyou not. I'll not be far from you: do you findsome occasion to anger Cassio, either by speakingtoo loud, or tainting his discipline; or from whatother course you please, which the time shall morefavourably minister.Roderigo

　　Well.Iago

　　Sir, he is rash and very sudden in choler, and haplymay strike at you: provoke him, that he may; foreven out of that will I cause these of Cyprus tomutiny; whose qualification shall come into no truetaste again but by the displanting of Cassio. Soshall you have a shorter journey to your desires bythe means I shall then have to prefer them; and theimpediment most profitably removed, without thewhich there were no expectation of our prosperity.Roderigo

　　I will do this, if I can bring it to anyopportunity.Iago

　　I warrant thee. Meet me by and by at the citadel:I must fetch his necessaries ashore. Farewell.Roderigo

　　Adieu.Exit

　　Iago

　　That Cassio loves her, I do well believe it;That she loves him, 'tis apt and of great credit:The Moor, howbeit that I endure him not,Is of a constant, loving, noble nature,And I dare think he'll prove to DesdemonaA most dear husband. Now, I do love her too;Not out of absolute lust, though peradventureI stand accountant for as great a sin,But partly led to diet my revenge,For that I do suspect the lusty MoorHath leap'd into my seat; the thought whereofDoth, like a poisonous mineral, gnaw my inwards;And nothing can or shall content my soulTill I am even'd with him, wife for wife,Or failing so, yet that I put the MoorAt least into a jealousy so strongThat judgment cannot cure. Which thing to do,If this poor trash of Venice, whom I traceFor his quick hunting, stand the putting on,I'll have our Michael Cassio on the hip,Abuse him to the Moor in the rank garb--For I fear Cassio with my night-cap too--Make the Moor thank me, love me and reward me.For making him egregiously an assAnd practising upon his peace and quietEven to madness. 'Tis here, but yet confused:Knavery's plain face is never seen till used.Exit