Scene I

Here, stand behind this bulka projecting shopfront or stall that provides a hiding place; straight will he come:
Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home:
Quick, quick; fear nothing; I’ll be at thy elbow:
It makes us, or it mars us; think on that,
And fix most firm thy resolution.

I have no great devotion to the deed;
And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons:
’Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword: he dies.

I have rubb’d this young quat almost to the sense,
And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio,
Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other,
Every way makes my gain: live Roderigo,
He calls me to a restitution large
Of gold and jewels that I bobb’dcheated or swindled from him,
As gifts to Desdemona;
It must not be: if Cassio do remain,
He hath a daily beauty in his life
That makes me ugly; and, besides, the Moor
May unfold me to him; there stand I in much peril:
No, he must die. But so: I hear him coming.

That thrust had been mine enemy indeed,
But that my coat is better than thou know’st
I will make proof of thine. Draws, and wounds Roderigo.

’Tis he:⁠—O brave Iago, honest and just,
That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong!
Thou teachest me. Minion, your dear lies dead,
And your unblest fate hies: strumpet, I come.
Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted;
Thy bed, lust-stain’d, shall with lust’s blood be spotted. Exit.

Two or three groan: it is a heavy night:
These may be counterfeits: let’s think’t unsafe
To come in to the cry without more help.

Iago? O, I am spoil’d, undone by villains!
Give me some help.

I think that one of them is hereabout,
And cannot make away.

O treacherous villains!
What are you there? come in, and give some help. To Lodovico and Gratiano.

Kill men i’ the dark!⁠—Where be these bloody thieves?⁠—
How silent is this town!⁠—Ho! murder! murder!⁠—
What may you be? are you of good or evil?

Marry, heaven forbid!
Light, gentlemen; I’ll bind it with my shirt.

O my dear Cassio! my sweet Cassio! O Cassio,
Cassio, Cassio!

O notable strumpet! Cassio, may you suspect
Who they should be that have thus many led you?

Lend me a garter. So. O, for a chair,
To bear him easily hence!

Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash
To be a party in this injury.
Patience awhile, good Cassio. Come, come;
Lend me a light. Know we this face or no?
Alas my friend and my dear countryman
Roderigo! no:⁠—yes, sure: O heaven! Roderigo.

Signior Gratiano? I cry you gentle pardon;
These bloody accidents must excuse my manners,
That so neglected you.

He, he ’tis he. A chair brought in. O, that’s well said; the chair!
Some good man bear him carefully from hence;
I’ll fetch the general’s surgeon. To Bianca. For you, mistress,
Save you your labour. He that lies slain here, Cassio,
Was my dear friend: what malice was between you?

To Bianca. What, look you pale? O, bear him out o’ the air. Cassio and Roderigo are borne off.
Stay you, good gentlemen. Look you pale, mistress?
Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?
Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.
Behold her well; I pray you, look upon her:
Do you see, gentlemen? nay, guiltiness will speak,
Though tongues were out of use.

Cassio hath here been set on in the dark
By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped:
He’s almost slain, and Roderigo dead.

This is the fruit of whoring. Prithee, Emilia,
Go know of Cassio where he supp’d to-night.
To Bianca. What, do you shake at that?

I am no strumpet; but of life as honest
As you that thus abuse me.

Kind gentlemen, let’s go see poor Cassio dress’d.
Come, mistress, you must tell’s another tale.
Emilia run you to the citadel,
And tell my lord and lady what hath happ’d.
Will you go on? I pray. Aside. This is the night
That either makes me or fordoesruins or destroys me quite. Exeunt.