Othello Read Free Page B

than the base,
    Â Â Â Â â€™Tis destiny, unshunnable , like death:
    Â Â Â Â Even then this forked plague is fated to us, [280]
    Â Â Â Â When we do quicken : Desdemona comes,
    Â Â Â Â If she be false, O, then heaven mocks itself,
    Â Â Â Â I’ll not believe it.
    (Enter Desdemona and Emilia.)
    DESDEMONA. How now, my dear Othello?
    Â Â Â Â Your dinner, and the generous islanders
    Â Â Â Â By you invited, do attend your presence. [285]
    OTHELLO. I am to blame.
    DESDEMONA. Why is your speech so faint? are you not well?
    OTHELLO. I have a pain upon my forehead, here.
    D ESDEMONA. Faith, that’s with watching, ’twill away again;
    Â Â Â Â Let me but bind your head, within this hour [290]
    Â Â Â Â It will be well again.
    OTHELLO. Your napkin is too little:
    (She drops her handkerchief.)
    Â Â Â Â Let it alone, come, I’ll go in with you.
    DESDEMONA. I am very sorry that you are not well.
    (Exeunt Othello and Desdemona.)
    EMILIA. I am glad I have found this napkin;
    Â Â Â Â This was her first remembrance from the Moor, [295]
    Â Â Â Â My wayward husband hath a hundred times
    Â Â Â Â Woo’d me to steal it, but she so loves the token ,
    Â Â Â Â For he conjur’d her she should ever keep it,
    Â Â Â Â That she reserves it evermore about her,
    Â Â Â Â To kiss, and talk to; I’ll ha’ the work ta’en out, [300]
    Â Â Â Â And give’t Iago: what he’ll do with it
    Â Â Â Â Heaven knows, not I,
    Â Â Â Â I nothing know, but for his fantasy.
    (Enter Iago . )
    IAGO. How now, what do you here alone?
    EMILI A. Do not you chide, I have a thing for you. [305]
    IAGO. A thing for me? it is a common thing –
    EMILIA. Ha?
    IAGO. To have a foolish wife.
    EMILIA. O, is that all? What will you give me now,
    Â Â Â Â For that same handkerchief?
    IAGO. What handkerchief? [310]
    EMILIA. What handkerchief?
    Â Â Â Â Why, that the Moor first gave to Desdemona,
    Â Â Â Â That which so often you did bid me steal.
    IAGO. Hast stole it from her?
    EMILIA. No, faith, she let it drop by negligence, [315]
    Â Â Â Â And, to the advantage, I being here took ’t up:
    Â Â Â Â Look, here it is.
    IAGO. A good wench , give it me.
    EMILIA. What will you do with it, that you have been
    Â Â Â Â So earnest to have me filch it?
    IAGO (snatching it). Why, what’s that to you? [320]
    EMILIA. If it be not for some purpose of import ,
    Â Â Â Â Give me ’t again, poor lady, she’ll run mad,
    Â Â Â Â When she shall lack it.
    IAGO. Be not you known on ’t, I have use for it: ...
    Â Â Â Â Go, leave me: [325]
    (Exit Emilia.)
    Â Â Â Â I will in Cassio’s lodging lose this napkin,
    Â Â Â Â And let him find it: trifle s light as air
    Â Â Â Â Are to the jealous, confirmation s strong
    Â Â Â Â As proofs of holy writ ; this may do something.
    Â Â Â Â The Moor already changes with my poison: [330]
    Â Â Â Â Dangerous conceits are in their natures poisons,
    Â Â Â Â Which at the first are scarce found to distaste ,
    Â Â Â Â But with a little act upon the blood
    Â Â Â Â Burn like the mines of sulphur : I did say so:
    (Enter Othello.)
    Â Â Â Â Look where he comes, not poppy , nor mandragora , [335]
    Â Â Â Â Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world,
    Â Â Â Â Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep
    Â Â Â Â Which thou owedst yesterday.
    OTHELLO. Ha, ha, false to me, to me?
    I AGO. Why, how now, general? no more of that. [340]
    OTHELLO. Avaunt , be gone, thou hast set me on the rack ,
    Â Â Â Â I swear, ’tis better to be much abus’d
    Â Â Â Â Than but to know’t a little.
    IAGO. How now, my lord?
    OTHELLO. What sense had I of her stol’n hours of lust?
    Â Â Â Â I saw’t not,