SCENE IV. Before the castle. Othello, the Moore of Venice  Shakespeare homepage  |  Othello  | Act 3, Scene 4 

 Previous scene  |  Next scene  SCENE IV. Before the castle. 

 Enter DESDEMONA, EMILIA, and Clown  DESDEMONA  Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies? 

 Clown  I dare not say he lies any where. 

 DESDEMONA  Why, man? 

 Clown  He's a soldier, and for one to say a soldier lies, 

 is stabbing. 

 DESDEMONA  Go to: where lodges he? 

 Clown  To tell you where he lodges, is to tell you where I lie. 

 DESDEMONA  Can any thing be made of this? 

 Clown  I know not where he lodges, and for me to devise a 

 lodging and say he lies here or he lies there, were 

 to lie in mine own throat. 

 DESDEMONA  Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report? 

 Clown  I will catechise the world for him; that is, make 

 questions, and by them answer. 

 DESDEMONA  Seek him, bid him come hither: tell him I have 

 moved my lord on his behalf, and hope all will be well. 

 Clown  To do this is within the compass of man's wit: and 

 therefore I will attempt the doing it. 



 Exit  DESDEMONA  Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia? 

 EMILIA  I know not, madam. 

 DESDEMONA  Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse 

 Full of crusadoes: and, but my noble Moor 

 Is true of mind and made of no such baseness 

 As jealous creatures are, it were enough 

 To put him to ill thinking. 

 EMILIA  Is he not jealous? 

 DESDEMONA  Who, he? I think the sun where he was born 

 Drew all such humours from him. 

 EMILIA  Look, where he comes. 

 DESDEMONA  I will not leave him now till Cassio 

 Be call'd to him. 



 Enter OTHELLO  How is't with you, my lord 

 OTHELLO  Well, my good lady. 



 Aside  O, hardness to dissemble!-- 

 How do you, Desdemona? 

 DESDEMONA  Well, my good lord. 

 OTHELLO  Give me your hand: this hand is moist, my lady. 

 DESDEMONA  It yet hath felt no age nor known no sorrow. 

 OTHELLO  This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart: 

 Hot, hot, and moist: this hand of yours requires 

 A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer, 

 Much castigation, exercise devout; 

 For here's a young and sweating devil here, 

 That commonly rebels. 'Tis a good hand, 

 A frank one. 

 DESDEMONA  You may, indeed, say so; 

 For 'twas that hand that gave away my heart. 

 OTHELLO  A liberal hand: the hearts of old gave hands; 

 But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts. 

 DESDEMONA  I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise. 

 OTHELLO  What promise, chuck? 

 DESDEMONA  I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you. 

 OTHELLO  I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me; 

 Lend me thy handkerchief. 

 DESDEMONA  Here, my lord. 

 OTHELLO  That which I gave you. 

 DESDEMONA  I have it not about me. 

 OTHELLO  Not? 

 DESDEMONA  No, indeed, my lord. 

 OTHELLO  That is a fault. 

 That handkerchief 

 Did an Egyptian to my mother give; 

 She was a charmer, and could almost read 

 The thoughts of people: she told her, while 

 she kept it, 

 'Twould make her amiable and subdue my father 

 Entirely to her love, but if she lost it 

 Or made gift of it, my father's eye 

 Should hold her loathed and his spirits should hunt 

 After new fancies: she, dying, gave it me; 

 And bid me, when my fate would have me wive, 

 To give it her. I did so: and take heed on't; 

 Make it a darling like your precious eye; 

 To lose't or give't away were such perdition 

 As nothing else could match. 

 DESDEMONA  Is't possible? 

 OTHELLO  'Tis true: there's magic in the web of it: 

 A sibyl, that had number'd in the world 

 The sun to course two hundred compasses, 

 In her prophetic fury sew'd the work; 

 The worms were hallow'd that did breed the silk; 

 And it was dyed in mummy which the skilful 

 Conserved of maidens' hearts. 

 DESDEMONA  Indeed! is't true? 

 OTHELLO  Most veritable; therefore look to't well. 

 DESDEMONA  Then would to God that I had never seen't! 

 OTHELLO  Ha! wherefore? 

 DESDEMONA  Why do you speak so startingly and rash? 

 OTHELLO  Is't lost? is't gone? speak, is it out 

 o' the way? 

 DESDEMONA  Heaven bless us! 

 OTHELLO  Say you? 

 DESDEMONA  It is not lost; but what an if it were? 

 OTHELLO  How! 

 DESDEMONA  I say, it is not lost. 

 OTHELLO  Fetch't, let me see't. 

 DESDEMONA  Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now. 

 This is a trick to put me from my suit: 

 Pray you, let Cassio be received again. 

 OTHELLO  Fetch me the handkerchief: my mind misgives. 

 DESDEMONA  Come, come; 

 You'll never meet a more sufficient man. 

 OTHELLO  The handkerchief! 

 DESDEMONA  I pray, talk me of Cassio. 

 OTHELLO  The handkerchief! 

 DESDEMONA  A man that all his time 

 Hath founded his good fortunes on your love, 

 Shared dangers with you,-- 

 OTHELLO  The handkerchief! 

 DESDEMONA  In sooth, you are to blame. 

 OTHELLO  Away! 



 Exit  EMILIA  Is not this man jealous? 

 DESDEMONA  I ne'er saw this before. 

 Sure, there's some wonder in this handkerchief: 

 I am most unhappy in the loss of it. 

 EMILIA  'Tis not a year or two shows us a man: 

 They are all but stomachs, and we all but food; 

 To eat us hungerly, and when they are full, 

 They belch us. Look you, Cassio and my husband! 



 Enter CASSIO and IAGO  IAGO  There is no other way; 'tis she must do't: 

 And, lo, the happiness! go, and importune her. 

 DESDEMONA  How now, good Cassio! what's the news with you? 

 CASSIO  Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you 

 That by your virtuous means I may again 

 Exist, and be a member of his love 

 Whom I with all the office of my heart 

 Entirely honour: I would not be delay'd. 

 If my offence be of such mortal kind 

 That nor my service past, nor present sorrows, 

 Nor purposed merit in futurity, 

 Can ransom me into his love again, 

 But to know so must be my benefit; 

 So shall I clothe me in a forced content, 

 And shut myself up in some other course, 

 To fortune's alms. 

 DESDEMONA  Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio! 

 My advocation is not now in tune; 

 My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him, 

 Were he in favour as in humour alter'd. 

 So help me every spirit sanctified, 

 As I have spoken for you all my best 

 And stood within the blank of his displeasure 

 For my free speech! you must awhile be patient: 

 What I can do I will; and more I will 

 Than for myself I dare: let that suffice you. 

 IAGO  Is my lord angry? 

 EMILIA  He went hence but now, 

 And certainly in strange unquietness. 

 IAGO  Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon, 

 When it hath blown his ranks into the air, 

 And, like the devil, from his very arm 

 Puff'd his own brother:--and can he be angry? 

 Something of moment then: I will go meet him: 

 There's matter in't indeed, if he be angry. 

 DESDEMONA  I prithee, do so. 



 Exit IAGO  Something, sure, of state, 

 Either from Venice, or some unhatch'd practise 

 Made demonstrable here in Cyprus to him, 

 Hath puddled his clear spirit: and in such cases 

 Men's natures wrangle with inferior things, 

 Though great ones are their object. 'Tis even so; 

 For let our finger ache, and it indues 

 Our other healthful members even to that sense 

 Of pain: nay, we must think men are not gods, 

 Nor of them look for such observances 

 As fit the bridal. Beshrew me much, Emilia, 

 I was, unhandsome warrior as I am, 

 Arraigning his unkindness with my soul; 

 But now I find I had suborn'd the witness, 

 And he's indicted falsely. 

 EMILIA  Pray heaven it be state-matters, as you think, 

 And no conception nor no jealous toy 

 Concerning you. 

 DESDEMONA  Alas the day! I never gave him cause. 

 EMILIA  But jealous souls will not be answer'd so; 

 They are not ever jealous for the cause, 

 But jealous for they are jealous: 'tis a monster 

 Begot upon itself, born on itself. 

 DESDEMONA  Heaven keep that monster from Othello's mind! 

 EMILIA  Lady, amen. 

 DESDEMONA  I will go seek him. Cassio, walk hereabout: 

 If I do find him fit, I'll move your suit 

 And seek to effect it to my uttermost. 

 CASSIO  I humbly thank your ladyship. 



 Exeunt DESDEMONA and EMILIA 

 Enter BIANCA  BIANCA  Save you, friend Cassio! 

 CASSIO  What make you from home? 

 How is it with you, my most fair Bianca? 

 I' faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house. 

 BIANCA  And I was going to your lodging, Cassio. 

 What, keep a week away? seven days and nights? 

 Eight score eight hours? and lovers' absent hours, 

 More tedious than the dial eight score times? 

 O weary reckoning! 

 CASSIO  Pardon me, Bianca: 

 I have this while with leaden thoughts been press'd: 

 But I shall, in a more continuate time, 

 Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca, 



 Giving her DESDEMONA's handkerchief  Take me this work out. 

 BIANCA  O Cassio, whence came this? 

 This is some token from a newer friend: 

 To the felt absence now I feel a cause: 

 Is't come to this? Well, well. 

 CASSIO  Go to, woman! 

 Throw your vile guesses in the devil's teeth, 

 From whence you have them. You are jealous now 

 That this is from some mistress, some remembrance: 

 No, in good troth, Bianca. 

 BIANCA  Why, whose is it? 

 CASSIO  I know not, sweet: I found it in my chamber. 

 I like the work well: ere it be demanded-- 

 As like enough it will--I'ld have it copied: 

 Take it, and do't; and leave me for this time. 

 BIANCA  Leave you! wherefore? 

 CASSIO  I do attend here on the general; 

 And think it no addition, nor my wish, 

 To have him see me woman'd. 

 BIANCA  Why, I pray you? 

 CASSIO  Not that I love you not. 

 BIANCA  But that you do not love me. 

 I pray you, bring me on the way a little, 

 And say if I shall see you soon at night. 

 CASSIO  'Tis but a little way that I can bring you; 

 For I attend here: but I'll see you soon. 

 BIANCA  'Tis very good; I must be circumstanced. 



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