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The Arden Shakespeare Complete Works

Page 414

by William Shakespeare


  The duke’s in council, and your noble self

  I am sure is sent for.

  BRABANTIO How? the duke in council?

  In this time of the night? Bring him away:

  Mine’s not an idle cause, the duke himself,

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  Or any of my brothers of the state,

  Cannot but feel this wrong as ’twere their own.

  For if such actions may have passage free

  Bond-slaves and pagans shall our statesmen be.

  Exeunt.

  1.3 Enter DUKE and Senators, set at a table, with lights and attendants.

  DUKE There is no composition in these news

  That gives them credit.

  1 SENATOR Indeed, they are disproportioned.

  My letters say a hundred and seven galleys.

  DUKE And mine a hundred forty.

  2 SENATOR And mine two hundred.

  But though they jump not on a just account –

  5

  As in these cases, where the aim reports,

  ’Tis oft with difference – yet do they all confirm

  A Turkish fleet, and bearing up to Cyprus.

  DUKE Nay, it is possible enough to judgement:

  I do not so secure me in the error

  10

  But the main article I do approve

  In fearful sense.

  SAILOR [within] What ho, what ho, what ho!

  Enter Sailor.

  OFFICER A messenger from the galleys.

  DUKE Now? what’s the business?

  SAILOR The Turkish preparation makes for Rhodes,

  15

  So was I bid report here to the state

  By Signior Angelo.

  DUKE How say you by this change?

  1 SENATOR This cannot be,

  By no assay of reason: ’tis a pageant

  To keep us in false gaze. When we consider

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  Th’importancy of Cyprus to the Turk,

  And let ourselves again but understand

  That as it more concerns the Turk than Rhodes

  So may he with more facile question bear it,

  For that it stands not in such warlike brace

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  But altogether lacks th’abilities

  That Rhodes is dressed in. If we make thought of this

  We must not think the Turk is so unskilful

  To leave that latest which concerns him first,

  Neglecting an attempt of ease and gain

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  To wake and wage a danger profitless.

  DUKE Nay, in all confidence, he’s not for Rhodes.

  OFFICER Here is more news.

  Enter a Messenger.

  MESSENGER The Ottomites, reverend and gracious,

  Steering with due course toward the isle of Rhodes,

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  Have there injointed with an after fleet –

  1 SENATOR Ay, so I thought; how many, as you guess?

  MESSENGER Of thirty sail; and now they do re-stem

  Their backward course, bearing with frank appearance

  Their purposes toward Cyprus. Signior Montano,

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  Your trusty and most valiant servitor,

  With his free duty recommends you thus

  And prays you to relieve him.

  DUKE ’Tis certain then for Cyprus.

  Marcus Luccicos, is not he in town?

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  1 SENATOR He’s now in Florence.

  DUKE Write from us to him; post-post-haste, dispatch.

  1 SENATOR

  Here comes Brabantio and the valiant Moor.

  EnterBRABANTIO, OTHELLO, CASSIO, IAGO, RODERIGO and officers.

  DUKE Valiant Othello, we must straight employ you

  Against the general enemy Ottoman.

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  [to Brabantio] I did not see you: welcome, gentle signior,

  We lacked your counsel and your help tonight.

  BRABANTIO

  So did I yours. Good your grace, pardon me,

  Neither my place nor aught I heard of business

  Hath raised me from my bed, nor doth the general care

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  Take hold on me, for my particular grief

  Is of so flood-gate and o’erbearing nature

  That it engluts and swallows other sorrows

  And it is still itself.

  DUKE Why? What’s the matter?

  BRABANTIO

  My daughter, O my daughter!

  1 SENATOR Dead?

  BRABANTIO Ay, to me:

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  She is abused, stolen from me and corrupted

  By spells and medicines bought of mountebanks,

  For nature so preposterously to err

  Being not deficient, blind, or lame of sense,

  Sans witchcraft could not.

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  DUKE Whoe’er he be, that in this foul proceeding

  Hath thus beguiled your daughter of herself,

  And you of her, the bloody book of law

  You shall yourself read, in the bitter letter,

  After your own sense, yea, though our proper son

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  Stood in your action.

  BRABANTIO Humbly I thank your grace.

  Here is the man, this Moor, whom now it seems

  Your special mandate for the state affairs

  Hath hither brought.

  ALL We are very sorry for’t.

  DUKE [to Othello]

  What in your own part can you say to this?

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  BRABANTIO Nothing, but this is so.

  OTHELLO Most potent, grave, and reverend signiors,

  My very noble and approved good masters:

  That I have ta’en away this old man’s daughter

  It is most true; true, I have married her.

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  The very head and front of my offending

  Hath this extent, no more. Rude am I in my speech

  And little blest with the soft phrase of peace,

  For since these arms of mine had seven years’ pith

  Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used

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  Their dearest action in the tented field,

  And little of this great world can I speak

  More than pertains to feats of broil and battle,

  And therefore little shall I grace my cause

  In speaking for myself. Yet, by your gracious patience,

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  I will a round unvarnished tale deliver

  Of my whole course of love, what drugs, what charms,

  What conjuration and what mighty magic –

  For such proceeding I am charged withal –

  I won his daughter.

  BRABANTIO A maiden never bold,

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  Of spirit so still and quiet that her motion

  Blushed at herself; and she, in spite of nature,

  Of years, of country, credit, everything,

  To fall in love with what she feared to look on?

  It is a judgement maimed and most imperfect

  100

  That will confess perfection so could err

  Against all rules of nature, and must be driven

  To find out practices of cunning hell

  Why this should be. I therefore vouch again

  That with some mixtures powerful o’er the blood

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  Or with some dram conjured to this effect

  He wrought upon her.

  DUKE To vouch this is no proof,

  Without more certain and more overt test

  Than these thin habits and poor likelihoods

  Of modern seeming do prefer against him.

  110

  1 SENATOR But, Othello, speak:

  Did you by indirect and forced courses

  Subdue and poison this young maid’s affections?

  Or came it by request and such fair question

  As soul to soul affordeth?
r />   OTHELLO I do beseech you,

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  Send for the lady to the Sagittary,

  And let her speak of me before her father.

  If you do find me foul in her report

  The trust, the office I do hold of you

  Not only take away, but let your sentence

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  Even fall upon my life.

  DUKE Fetch Desdemona hither.

  OTHELLO

  Ancient, conduct them, you best know the place.

  And till she come, as truly as to heaven

  Exeunt Iago and two or three.

  I do confess the vices of my blood

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  So justly to your grave ears I’ll present

  How I did thrive in this fair lady’s love

  And she in mine.

  DUKE Say it, Othello.

  OTHELLO Her father loved me, oft invited me,

  Still questioned me the story of my life

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  From year to year – the battles, sieges, fortunes

  That I have passed.

  I ran it through, even from my boyish days

  To th’ very moment that he bade me tell it,

  Wherein I spake of most disastrous chances,

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  Of moving accidents by flood and field,

  Of hair-breadth scapes i’th’ imminent deadly breach,

  Of being taken by the insolent foe

  And sold to slavery; of my redemption thence

  And portance in my travailous history;

  140

  Wherein of antres vast and deserts idle,

  Rough quarries, rocks and hills whose heads touch heaven

  It was my hint to speak – such was my process –

  And of the cannibals that each other eat,

  The Anthropophagi, and men whose heads

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  Do grow beneath their shoulders. This to hear

  Would Desdemona seriously incline,

  But still the house affairs would draw her thence,

  Which ever as she could with haste dispatch

  She’d come again, and with a greedy ear

  150

  Devour up my discourse; which I, observing,

  Took once a pliant hour and found good means

  To draw from her a prayer of earnest heart

  That I would all my pilgrimage dilate,

  Whereof by parcels she had something heard

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  But not intentively. I did consent,

  And often did beguile her of her tears

  When I did speak of some distressful stroke

  That my youth suffered. My story being done

  She gave me for my pains a world of sighs,

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  She swore in faith ’twas strange, ’twas passing strange,

  ’Twas pitiful, ’twas wondrous pitiful;

  She wished she had not heard it, yet she wished

  That heaven had made her such a man. She thanked me

  And bade me, if I had a friend that loved her,

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  I should but teach him how to tell my story

  And that would woo her. Upon this hint I spake:

  She loved me for the dangers I had passed

  And I loved her that she did pity them.

  This only is the witchcraft I have used:

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  EnterDESDEMONA, IAGO, attendants.

  Here comes the lady, let her witness it.

  DUKE I think this tale would win my daughter too.

  Good Brabantio, take up this mangled matter at the best:

  Men do their broken weapons rather use

  Than their bare hands.

  BRABANTIO I pray you, hear her speak.

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  If she confess that she was half the wooer,

  Destruction on my head if my bad blame

  Light on the man. Come hither, gentle mistress:

  Do you perceive, in all this noble company,

  Where most you owe obedience?

  DESDEMONA My noble father,

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  I do perceive here a divided duty.

  To you I am bound for life and education:

  My life and education both do learn me

  How to respect you; you are the lord of duty,

  I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband:

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  And so much duty as my mother showed

  To you, preferring you before her father,

  So much I challenge that I may profess

  Due to the Moor my lord.

  BRABANTIO God be with you, I have done.

  190

  Please it your grace, on to the state affairs;

  I had rather to adopt a child than get it.

  Come hither, Moor:

 

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