A Sea-port in Cyprus．An open place near the quay

［Enter MONTANO and two Gentlemnen］

MONTANO

What from the capecan you discernat sea？

First Gentleman

Nothing at all：it is a highwroughtflood；

I cannot，’twixtthe heaven and the main，

Descrya sail．

MONTANO

Methinks the wind hath spoke aloud at land；

A fuller blast．ne’ershook our battlements：

If it hath ruffian’dso upon the sea，

What ribsof oak，when mountains melt on them，

Can hold the mortise？What shall we hear of this？

Second Gentleman

A segregationof the Turkish fleet：

For do but stand upon the foamingshore，

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 quenchthe guards of the ever-fixed pole：

I never did like molestationview

On the ehchafedflood

MONTANO

If that the Turkish fleet

Be not enshelter’dand 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 desperatetempest hath so bang’d．the Turks，

That their designment halts．：a noble ship of Venice

Hath seen a grievouswreckand sufferance

On 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 warlikeMoor 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 worthygovernor．

Third Gentleman

But this same Cassio，though he speak of comfort

Touchingthe Turkish loss，yet he looks sadly，

And prays the Moor be safe；for they were parted

With foul and violent tempest．

MONTANO

Pray heavens he be；

For I have served him，and the man commands

Like a full soldier Let’s to the seaside，ho！

As well to see the vessel that’s come in

As to throw out our eyes forbrave Othello，

Even till we make the main and the aerialblue

An indistinctregard．

Third Gentleman

Come，let’s do so：

For every minute is expectancy

Of more arrivance．

［Enter CASSIO］

CASSIO

Thanks，you the valiant of this warlike isle，

That so approve the Moor！O，let the heavens

Give him defence against the elements，

For I have lost us him on a dangerous sea．

MONTANO

Is he well shipp’d？

CASSIO

His barkis stoulytimber’d，his pilot

Of very expert and approved allowance；

Therefore my hope，not surfeitedto death，

Stand in boldcure．

［A cry within ‘A sail，a sail，a sail’！Enter a fourthGentleman］

CASSIO

What noise？

Fourth Gentleman

The town is empty；on the browo’the sea

Stand 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 prayyou，sir，go forth，

And give us truth who’tis that is arrived．

Second Gentleman

I shall．

［Exit］

MONTANO

But，good lieutenant，is general wived？

CASSIO

Most fortunately：he hath achieved a maid

That paragons descriptionand wildfame；

One that excelsthe quirksof blazoningpens，

And in the essentialvestureof creation

Does tirethe ingener

［Re-enter second Gentleman］

How now！who has put in

Second Gentleman

‘Tis one Iago，ancient to the general

CASSIO

Has had favourable and happy speed ：

Tempests themselves，high seas，and howling winds，

The gutter’drocks and congregatedsands——

Traitorsensteep’dto clogthe guiltlesskeel，——

As having sense of beauty，do omit

Their mortal natures，letting go safely by

The divineDesdemona．

MONTANO

What is she？

CASSIO

She that I spakeof，our great captain’s captain，

Left in the conduct of the boldIago，

Whose footing here anticipatesour thoughts

A se’nnight’sspeed．Great Jove，Othello guard，

And swellhis sail with thineown powerful breath，

That he may blessthis baywith his tall ship，

Make love’s quick pantsin Desdemona’s arms，

Give renew’d fire to our extinctedspirits

And 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，

Enwheelthee round！

DESDEMONA

I thank you，valiantCassio．

What tidingscan you tell me of my lord？

CASSIO

He is not yet arrived：nor know I aught

But 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 skies

Partedour fellowship——But，hark！a sail．

［Within’A sail，a sail！’Guns heard］

Second Gentleman

They give their greetingto the citadel；This likewiseis a friend

CASSIO

See fot the news．

［Exit Gentleman］

Good ancient，you are welcome．

［To EMILIA］

Welcome，mistress．

Let it not gallyour patience，good Iago，

That I extend my manners；’tismy breeding

That gives me this boldshow of courtesy．

［Kissing her］

IAGO

Sir，would she give you so much of her lips

As of her tongue she oftbestowson me，

You’ll have enough．

DESDEMONA

Alas，she has no speech．

IAGO

In faith，too much；

I find it still，when I have listto sleep：

Marry，before your ladyship，I grant ，

She puts her tongue a little in her heart，

And chideswith thinking．

EMILIM

You have little causeto say so．

IAGO

Come on，come on；you are pictures out of doors，

Bells in your parlors，wild-cats in your kitchens，

Saintsm 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 wouldstthouwrite of me，if thou shouldst prsise me？

IAGO

O gentle lady，do not put me to’t；

For I am nothing，if not critical．

DFSDEMONA

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

IAGO

Ay，madam．

DESDEMONA

I am not merry；but I do beguile

The thing I am，by seeming otherwise．

Come，how wouldst thou praise me？

IAGO

I am about it；but indeed my invention

Comes from my pate as birdlime does from frize;

It plucks out brains and all: but my Muse labours,

And thus She is deliver’d,

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 for

her 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 deserving womani

ndeed，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 revengebeing nigh，

Bade her wrong stay and her displeasure fly，

She that in wisdomnever was so frail

To change the cod’s head for the salmon’s tail；

She that could think and ne’er disclose her mind，

See suitorsfollowing 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 impotentconclusion！Do not learn

of him，Emilia，though he be thy husband．How say

you， Cassio？is he not a most profaneand liberal counsellor？

CASSIO

He speaks home，madam：You may relish him more in

the 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 I

ensnare as great a flyas Cassio．Ay，smile upon

her，do；I will gyve theein thine own courtship．

You say true；’tis so， indeed： if such tricks as

these strip you out of your lieutenantry，it had

been better you had not kissed your three fingers so

oft， which now again you are most apt to play the

sir in ．Very good；well kissed！an excellent

courtesy！’tis so， indeed．Yet again your fingers

to 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 receivehim．

CASSIO

Lo， where he comes！

[Enter OTHELLO and Attendants]

OTHELLO

O my fair warrior！

DESDEMONA

My dear Othello！

OTHELLO

It gives me wondergreat as my content

To see you here before me． O my soul’s joy！

If after every tempest come such calms，

May the winds blowtill they have waken’d death！

And let the labouring bark climb hills of seas

Olympus-high and duckagain as low

As hell’sfrom heaven！If it were now to die，

‘Twerenow to be most happy；for，I fear，

My soul hath her content so absolute

That not another comfort like to this

Succeedsin unknown fate．

DESDEMONA

The heavens forbid

But that our loves and comforts should increase，

Even as our days do grow！

OTHELLO

Amento that，sweet powers！

I cannot speak enought of this content；

It stops me here；it is too much of joy：

And this，and this， the greatest discords be

[kissing her]

That e’er our hearts shall make！

IAGO

[Aside] O，you are well tunednow！

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 Turks are drown’d ．

How does my old acquaintanceof this isle？

Honey，you shall be well desired in Cyprus；

I have found great love amongstthem．O my sweet，

I prattleout of fashion， and I dote

In 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 worthiness

Does 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．Come

hither． If thou be’st valiant，——as，they say，base

men being in love have then a nobility in their

natures more than is native to them ——list me．The

lieutenant tonight watches on the court of

guard ：——first，I must tell thee this——Desdemona is

directly 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 braggingand telling her fantasticallies：

and will she love him still for prating？let not

thy discreet heart think it．Her eye must be fed；

and what delight shall she have to look on the

devil？ When the blood is made dull with the act of

sport，there should be，again to in flame it and to

give satiety a fresh appetite，loveliness in favour，

sympathy in years，manners and beauties；all which

the Moor is defective in：now，for want of these

required conveniences， her delicate tendemess will

find itself abused，begin to heave the gorge，

disrelish and abhor the Moor；very nature will

instruct her in it and compel her to some second

choice．Now，sir，this granted，——as it is a most

pregnantand unforced position——who stands so

eminent in the degree of this fortune as Cassio

does？a knave very voluble； no further

conscionablethan in putting on the mere form of

civil and humane seeming ， for the better compassing

of his saltand most hidden loose affection？why，

none； why， none：a slipper and subtle knave，a

finder of occasions，that has an eye can stampand

counterfeitadvantages， though true advantage never

present itself；a devilish knave． Besides，the

knave is handsome，young，and hath all those

requisitesin him that folly and green minds look

after：a pestilentcomplete knave；and the woman

hath found him already．

RODERIGO

I cannot believe that in her； she’s full of

most blessed condition．

IAGO

Blessed fig’s-end！the wine she drinks is made of

grapes：if she had been blessed，she would never

have loved the Moor． Blessed pudding！Didst thou

not see her paddle with the palm of his hand？ didst not mark that？

RODERIGO

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

IAGO

Lechery， by this hand； an index and obscureprologue

to the history of lust and foul thoughts．They met

so near with their lips that their breaths embraced

together．Villanous thoughts， Roderigo！when these

mutualitiesso marshal the way，hard at hand comes

the master and main exercise，the incorporate

conclusion，Pish！But，sir，be you ruled by me：I

have brought you from Venice．Watch you to-night；

for the command，I’ll lay’t upon you． Cassio knows

you not．I’ll not be far from you：do you find

some occasion to anger Cassio，either by speaking

too loud，or taintinghis discipline；or from what

other course you please，which the time shall more

favourably minister．

RODERIGO

Well．

IAGO

Sir，he is rash and very sudden in choler，and haply

may strike at you：provokehim，that he may；for

even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to

mutiny； whose qualification shall come into no true

taste again but by the displantingof Cassio．So

shall you have a shorter journey to your desires by

the means I shall then have to prefer them； and the

impedimentmost profitably removed， without the

which there were no expectation of our prosperity

RODERIGO

I will do this，if I can bring it to any

opportunity

IAGO

I warrant thee．Meet me by and by at the citadel：

I must fetch his necessariesashore．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，howbeitthat I endurehim not，

Is of a constant， loving，noble nature，

And I dare think he’ll prove to Desdemona

A most dear husband．Now，I do love her too；

Not out of absolute lust， though peradventure

I stand accountantfor as great a sin，

But partly led to dietmy revenge，

For that I do suspect the lusty Moor

Hath leap’d into my seat；the thought whereof

Doth，like a poisonous mineral， gnawmy inwards；

And nothing can or shall content my soul

Till I even’d with him，wife for wife，

Or failing so， yet that I put the Moor

At least into a jealousyso strong

That judgment cannot cure．Which thing to do，

If this poor trashof Venice，whom I trash

For 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 rewardme．

For making him egregiouslyan ass

And practising upon his peace and quiet

Even to madness．’Tis here，but yet confused：

Knavery’splain face is never seen tinused．

[Exit]