Act 4, Scene 3
Cyprus. Another Room in the Castle.
- [Enter Othello, Lodovico, Desdemona, Emilia, and Attendants.]
- Lodovico
- 2792 I do beseech you, sir, trouble yourself no further.
- Othello
- 2793 O, pardon me; 'twill do me good to walk.
- Lodovico
- 2794 Madam, good night; I humbly thank your ladyship.
- Desdemona
- 2795 Your honour is most welcome.
- Othello
- 2796 Will you walk, sir?—
- 2797 O,—Desdemona,—
- Desdemona
- 2798 My lord?
- Othello
- 2799 Get you to bed on the instant; I will be returned
- 2800 forthwith: dismiss your attendant there: look't be done.
- Desdemona
- 2801 I will, my lord.
- [Exeunt Othello, Lodovico, and Attendants.]
- Emilia
- 2802 How goes it now? he looks gentler than he did.
- Desdemona
- 2803 He says he will return incontinent:
- 2804 He hath commanded me to go to bed,
- 2805 And bade me to dismiss you.
- Emilia
- 2806 Dismiss me!
- Desdemona
- 2807 It was his bidding; therefore, good Emilia,
- 2808 Give me my nightly wearing, and adieu:
- 2809 We must not now displease him.
- Emilia
- 2810 I would you had never seen him!
- Desdemona
- 2811 So would not I: my love doth so approve him,
- 2812 That even his stubbornness, his checks, his frowns,—
- 2813 Pr'ythee, unpin me,—have grace and favour in them.
- Emilia
- 2814 I have laid those sheets you bade me on the bed.
- Desdemona
- 2815 All's one.—Good faith, how foolish are our minds!—
- 2816 If I do die before thee, pr'ythee, shroud me
- 2817 In one of those same sheets.
- Emilia
- 2818 Come, come, you talk.
- Desdemona
- 2819 My mother had a maid call'd Barbara;
- 2820 She was in love; and he she lov'd prov'd mad
- 2821 And did forsake her: she had a song of "willow";
- 2822 An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune,
- 2823 And she died singing it: that song to-night
- 2824 Will not go from my mind; I have much to do
- 2825 But to go hang my head all at one side,
- 2826 And sing it like poor Barbara. Pr'ythee, despatch.
- Emilia
- 2827 Shall I go fetch your night-gown?
- Desdemona
- 2828 No, unpin me here.—
- 2829 This Lodovico is a proper man.
- Emilia
- 2830 A very handsome man.
- Desdemona
- 2831 He speaks well.
- Emilia
- 2832 I know a lady in Venice would have walked barefoot to
- 2833 Palestine for a touch of his nether lip.
- [Sings.]
- Desdemona
- 2834 "The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
- 2835 Sing all a green willow;
- 2836 Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
- 2837 Sing willow, willow, willow:
- 2838 The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
- 2839 Sing willow, willow, willow;
- 2840 Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;—"
- Desdemona
- 2841 Lay by these:—
- [Sings.]
- Desdemona
- 2842 "Sing willow, willow, willow;—"
- Desdemona
- 2843 Pr'ythee, hie thee; he'll come anon:—
- [Sings.]
- Desdemona
- 2844 "Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
- 2845 Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,—"
- Desdemona
- 2846 Nay, that's not next.—Hark! who is't that knocks?
- Emilia
- 2847 It's the wind.
- [Sings.]
- Desdemona
- 2848 "I call'd my love false love; but what said he then?
- 2849 Sing willow, willow, willow:
- 2850 'If I court mo women, you'll couch with mo men.'"
- Desdemona
- 2851 So get thee gone; good night. Mine eyes do itch;
- 2852 Doth that bode weeping?
- Emilia
- 2853 'Tis neither here nor there.
- Desdemona
- 2854 I have heard it said so.—O, these men, these men!—
- 2855 Dost thou in conscience think,—tell me, Emilia,—
- 2856 That there be women do abuse their husbands
- 2857 In such gross kind?
- Emilia
- 2858 There be some such, no question.
- Desdemona
- 2859 Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?
- Emilia
- 2860 Why, would not you?
- Desdemona
- 2861 No, by this heavenly light!
- Emilia
- 2862 Nor I neither by this heavenly light; I might do't as well
- 2863 i' the dark.
- Desdemona
- 2864 Wouldst thou do such a deed for all the world?
- Emilia
- 2865 The world's a huge thing; it is a great price
- 2866 For a small vice.
- Desdemona
- 2867 In troth, I think thou wouldst not.
- Emilia
- 2868 In troth, I think I should; and undo't when I had done. Marry,
- 2869 I would not do such a thing for a joint-ring, nor for measures
- 2870 of lawn, nor for gowns, petticoats, nor caps, nor any petty
- 2871 exhibition; but, for the whole world—why, who would not make
- 2872 her husband a cuckold to make him a monarch? I should venture
- 2873 purgatory for't.
- Desdemona
- 2874 Beshrew me, if I would do such a wrong for the whole world.
- Emilia
- 2875 Why, the wrong is but a wrong i' the world; and having the
- 2876 world for your labour, 'tis a wrong in your own world, and you
- 2877 might quickly make it right.
- Desdemona
- 2878 I do not think there is any such woman.
- Emilia
- 2879 Yes, a dozen; and as many to the vantage as would store
- 2880 the world they play'd for.
- 2881 But I do think it is their husbands' faults
- 2882 If wives do fall: say that they slack their duties
- 2883 And pour our treasures into foreign laps;
- 2884 Or else break out in peevish jealousies,
- 2885 Throwing restraint upon us; or say they strike us,
- 2886 Or scant our former having in despite;
- 2887 Why, we have galls; and though we have some grace,
- 2888 Yet have we some revenge. Let husbands know
- 2889 Their wives have sense like them: they see and smell
- 2890 And have their palates both for sweet and sour,
- 2891 As husbands have. What is it that they do
- 2892 When they change us for others? Is it sport?
- 2893 I think it is: and doth affection breed it?
- 2894 I think it doth: is't frailty that thus errs?
- 2895 It is so too. And have not we affections,
- 2896 Desires for sport, and frailty, as men have?
- 2897 Then let them use us well: else let them know
- 2898 The ills we do their ills instruct us so.
- Desdemona
- 2899 Good-night, good-night: heaven me such usage send,
- 2900 Not to pick bad from bad, but by bad mend!
- [Exeunt.]