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Modern English
You have seen nothing, then?
You did not see anything, then?
Nor ever heard, nor ever did suspect.
No, I didn’t hear or suspect anything.
Yes, you have seen Cassio and she together.
But you have seen Cassio and Desdemona together, right?
But then I saw no harm, and then I heard Each syllable that breath made up between them.
But I didn’t see anything wrong then, and I heard every syllable they uttered to each other and felt every breath they took.
What, did they never whisper?
What, did they never whisper so you may not have heard?
Never, my lord.
Never, my lord.
Nor send you out o’the way?
Nor they ever sent you away?
Never.
Never.
To fetch her fan, her gloves, her mask, nor nothing?
Maybe to get her fan, her gloves, her mask, or something?
Never, my lord.
Never, my lord.
That’s strange.
That’s strange.
I durst, my lord, to wager she is honest, Lay down my soul at stake:
I dare to swear on my soul, Desdemona is honest.
if you think other, Remove your thought, it doth abuse your bosom.
If you think otherwise, please stop thinking because you are thinking wrong. - it is poisoning your heart.
If any wretch have put this in your head, Let heaven requite it with the serpent’s curse,
If any jerk has tried to put these evil thoughts in your head, let heaven take its revenge by serpent’s curse.
For if she be not honest, chaste, and true, There’s no man happy.
If she is not honest, and have an extramarital affair, and is unfaithful, then no woman is and hence there is no man happy with his wife.
The purest of their wives Is foul as slander.
Even the most faithful wives are believed to be as foul as a curse.
Bid her come hither. Go.
Ask her to come here. Go.
She says enough. Yet she’s a simple bawd That cannot say as much.
She says the right words but even the stupidest girl would say the same thing.
This is a subtle whore, A closet lock and key of villainous secrets. And yet she’ll kneel and pray. I have seen her do’t.
Desdemona is a sneaky whore, and has a closet full of villainous secrets. She will still kneel and cry and pray like a faithful woman. I have seen her do it.
My lord, what is your will?
My lord, what do you want?
Pray, chuck, come hither.
Please dear, come here.
What is your pleasure?
What can I do for you?
Let me see your eyes. Look in my face.
Look straight in my face, let me see your eyes.
What horrible fancy’s this?
What horrible thoughts you are having?
[
] Go and do your chores, madam.
] Some of your function, mistress,
] Go and do your chores, madam.
Leave procreants alone, and shut the door.
Leave us alone so we can make love, and shut the door behind you.
Cough, or cry hem, if anybody come. Your mystery, your mystery. Nay, dispatch.
If anybody comes, cough or give us a shout. That’s your job, your job! Go now.
Upon my knees, what doth your speech import?
I kneel before you and urge you to tell me, what your words mean?
I understand a fury in your words, But not the words.
I understand that you are angry but I do not understand what do you mean.
Why, what art thou?
Well, what are you?
Your wife, my lord, your true and loyal wife.
Your wife, my lord, your true and loyal wife.
Come, swear it, damn thyself, Lest, being like one of heaven,
Come, swear it, and damn yourself to hell for lying.
the devils themselves Should fear to seize thee.
Or else the devils can mistake you for an angel and would fear to touch you.
Therefore be double-damn’d. Swear thou art honest.
Go ahead and doubly damn yourself by swearing on your honesty.
Heaven doth truly know it.
God knows I am.
Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.
God truly knows how unfaithful you are.
To whom, my lord? With whom? How am I false?
To whom, my lord? With whom? How am I unfaithful?
O Desdemona, away! away! away!
Oh Desdemona, Go away! away!
Alas the heavy day, why do you weep? Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?
What a terrible day! Why are you crying? Am I the reason for your tears, my lord?
If haply you my father do suspect An instrument of this your calling back, Lay not your blame on me.
If you suspect my father to be the reason for you being called back to Venice, don’t blame me for that.
If you have lost him, Why, I have lost him too.
You have lost respect for him but so have I.
Had it pleas’d heaven To try me with affliction, had they rain’d All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head, Steep’d me in poverty to the very lips, Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes, I should have found in some place of my soul A drop of patience.
If God decided to give me pain, making me sick, covered with sores, bare head, in deep poverty, selling me into slavery, and destroying all my hopes, I would have found some way to find peace with it.
But, alas, to make me A fixed figure for the time of scorn To point his slow unmoving finger at. Yet could I bear that too, well, very well:
But, instead, to make me a laughing stock for everyone and express contempt, I would still accept it.
But there, where I have garner’d up my heart, Where either I must live or bear no life, The fountain from the which my current runs, Or else dries up, to be discarded thence, Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads To knot and gender in!—turn thy complexion there,
But to do something to my heart, on which my life depends, instead, my wife who is like my veins, has rejected me. Worse than that, she polluted herself. Her fountain became a place where bastard toads reproduce.
Patience, thou young and rose-lipp’d cherubin, Ay, there, look grim as hell!
Even the God of patience could look at my heart with her young, pink lips, and her fairness would turn grim as hell!
I hope my noble lord esteems me honest.
I hope my noble lord thinks I am faithful.
O, ay, as summer flies are in the shambles, That quicken even with blowing.
Yes as honest as swarm of flies giving birth to maggots, all together in the blowing wind.
O thou weed, Who art so lovely fair, and smell’st so sweet, That the sense aches at thee, Would thou hadst ne’er been born!
You are like a weed, looks so lovely and smells so sweet that my heart aches when I look at you. I wish you were never born!
Alas, what ignorant sin have I committed?
Lord, what crime I have committed without even knowing about it?
Was this fair paper, this most goodly book, Made to write“whore”upon?
You are so fair and so godly looking, how did you turn into a whore?
What committed? Committed! O thou public commoner!
What sin did you commit? What did you do? Oh, you prostitute!
I should make very forges of my cheeks, That would to cinders burn up modesty, Did I but speak thy deeds. What committed!
If I start narrating what you have done, my mouth would burn up the modesty itself just by uttering the words. what did you do?
Heaven stops the nose at it, and the moon winks; The bawdy wind, that kisses all it meets, Is hush’d within the hollow mine of earth, And will not hear it. What committed!
Heavens can’t smell you, and the moon shuts its eyes when it looks at you, even the wind which sexually blows over everyone goes into silence.
Impudent strumpet!
You shameless whore!
By heaven, you do me wrong.
For God Sake, you are wrongly accusing me.
Are not you a strumpet?
Are not you a whore?
No, as I am a Christian: If to preserve this vessel for my lord From any other foul unlawful touch Be not to be a strumpet, I am none.
No, I am a Christian. If the definition of whore is to save my body just for my lord and keep it untouched from anyone else, I am not a whore, I am not.
What, not a whore?
What, you are saying, you are not a whore?
No, as I shall be sav’d.
No, I swear as a good Christian.
Is’t possible?
Is that true?
O, heaven forgive us!
Oh God, please forgive us!
I cry you mercy then.
I am sorry then.
I took you for that cunning whore of Venice That married with Othello.—You, mistress,
I misunderstood you for that cunning whore, a Venetian woman who married Othello. - You mistress.
That have the office opposite to Saint Peter, And keeps the gate of hell. You, you, ay, you!
[To EMILIA] You have the office opposite to Saint Peter and is incharge of hell. You, Yes, You!
We have done our course; there’s money for your pains. I pray you turn the key, and keep our counsel.
[To EMILIA] talking as if Emilia runs the brothel and Desdemona was a whore there.] - We are done with our business. Here, take this money. Keep this as a secret.
Alas, what does this gentleman conceive? How do you, madam? How do you, my good lady?
What is he talking about? How are you madam? How are you doing, my lady?
Faith, half asleep.
Honestly, I am half asleep.
Good madam, what’s the matter with my lord?
My lady, what is the matter with my lord?
With who?
With who?
Why, with my lord, madam.
What? With my lord, madam.
Who is thy lord?
Who is my lord?
He that is yours, sweet lady.
The one who is your lord, your husband, my lady.
I have none. Do not talk to me, Emilia,
I have none. Do not talk to me, Emilia.
I cannot weep, nor answer have I none But what should go by water.
I cannot cry, though tears are all I have to answer your questions.
Prithee, tonight Lay on my bed my wedding sheets, remember, And call thy husband hither.
Please prepare my bed tonight with the sheets from my wedding night and remember to ask your husband to come here.
Here’s a change indeed!
Something has changed, indeed!
’Tis meet I should be us’d so, very meet.
It is fair for him to behave like this to me, very fair.
How have I been behav’d, that he might stick The small’st opinion on my least misuse?
I wonder what I do to deserve such behaviour from him?
What is your pleasure, madam? How is’t with you?
What is it I can do for you madam? How are you?
I cannot tell. Those that do teach young babes Do it with gentle means and easy tasks.
I cannot tell. When you scold a young baby, you do it gently and smoothly.
He might have chid me so, for, in good faith, I am a child to chiding.
He must have scolded me in that gentle way too, for I am that child who has been scolded.
What’s the matter, lady?
What’s the matter, lady?
Alas, Iago, my lord hath so bewhor’d her, Thrown such despite and heavy terms upon her, As true hearts cannot bear.
Oh Iago, my lord called her a whore, abused her and cursed her with words that someone with a heart can not bear to hear.
Am I that name, Iago?
Am I that name, Iago?
What name, fair lady?
What name, my lady?
Such as she says my lord did say I was.
The word that Emilia said my lord said.
He call’d her whore:
He called her a whore.
a beggar in his drink Could not have laid such terms upon his callet.
A drunken beggar would also not call her woman this way.
Why did he so?
Why did he call you so?
I do not know. I am sure I am none such.
I do not know. I am sure I am not one.
Do not weep, do not weep: alas the day!
Do not cry, do not cry! Ah, What a horrible day!
Hath she forsook so many noble matches, Her father, and her country, and her friends, To be call’d whore?
Did she reject all those deserving men she could have married, disobeyed her father, turned her back on her country, her friends, just to be called a whore?
would it not make one weep?
Does that not make you cry?
It is my wretched fortune.
It is my bad fortune.
Beshrew him for’t! How comes this trick upon him?
Damn him! How did he get this thought in his head?
Nay, heaven doth know.
Only God knows.
I will be hang’d, if some eternal villain, Some busy and insinuating rogue, Some cogging, cozening slave, to get some office, Have not devis’d this slander.
I bet on my life that this is some evil man, someone manipulating dishonest man, some unrecognised or deceiving man, who made up this plan to get a place in his office.
I’ll be hang’d else.
If I am wrong, let me be hanged!
Fie, there is no such man. It is impossible.
There is no man who would do such a horrible deed. It is impossible.
If any such there be, heaven pardon him!
If there is any man like that, may God have mercy on him!
A halter pardon him, and hell gnaw his bones! Why should he call her whore?
Let a noose pardon him and let devils in hell bite his bones! why should he call Desdemona a whore?
who keeps her company? What place? what time? what form? what likelihood?
Who does she sleep with? What place? what time? What form? What is the proof?
The Moor’s abused by some most villainous knave, Some base notorious knave, some scurvy fellow.
The Moor is tricked by some evil dishonest man, some crook, some worthless man.
O heaven, that such companions thou’dst unfold, And put in every honest hand a whip To lash the rascals naked through the world Even from the east to the west!
Oh God! I wish such men should be revealed and give every honest man a whip so they could lash these rascals to show their true colours, from east to the west.
Speak within door.
Be quiet.
O, fie upon them! Some such squire he was That turn’d your wit the seamy side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moor.
To hell with them! It was some such rogue who got inside your head too and turned your wisdom into a suspicion that I had cheated on you with the Moor.
You are a fool. Go to.
You are a fool. Get out of here.
Alas, Iago, What shall I do to win my lord again?
Hey Iago, what should I do to win over my lord again?
Good friend, go to him. For by this light of heaven, I know not how I lost him.
My friend, Please go to him and find out what I did to lose him?
Here I kneel. If e’er my will did trespass’gainst his love, Either in discourse of thought or actual deed, Or that mine eyes, mine ears, or any sense, Delighted them in any other form, Or that I do not yet, and ever did, And ever will, (though he do shake me off To beggarly divorcement) love him dearly, Comfort forswear me!
I kneel before you and swear that If I was ever unfaithful in my actions or even in my thoughts, or even my eyes, ears or my senses took pleasure in someone else, or if I never loved him or do not love him now - even though he already wants to divorce me, I hope I have a life of misery.
Unkindness may do much; And his unkindness may defeat my life, But never taint my love.
Unkindness is powerful and his unkindness may kill me but can never end my love for him.
I cannot say“whore,” It does abhor me now I speak the word;
I can’t say the word ’whore’. The word catches my throat even when I try to say it now.
To do the act that might the addition earn Not the world’s mass of vanity could make me.
I would not do any such thing even If I am given all the luxuries in the world.
I pray you, be content.’Tis but his humour.
I request you to have patience. Othello is just in a bad mood.
The business of the state does him offence, And he does chide with you.
It is the political business that is frustrating him and he is taking it out on you.
If’twere no other,—
If that was all-
’Tis but so, I warrant.
That is it, I promise.
Hark, how these instruments summon to supper. The messengers of Venice stay the meat.
Listen, the trumpets are calling us for dinner. The people from Venice are waiting for dinner.
Go in, and weep not. All things shall be well.
Go inside and do not cry. Everything will be fine.
How now, Roderigo?
How are you, Roderigo?
I do not find that thou dealest justly with me.
I do not think that you have been honest to me.
What in the contrary?
Why do you say so?
Every day thou daffest me with some device, Iago, and rather, as it seems to me now, keepest from me all conveniency than suppliest me with the least advantage of hope.
Everyday you fool me with some trick, Iago. And rather than giving me hope or making things easy for me, you put me off.
I will indeed no longer endure it. Nor am I yet persuaded to put up in peace what already I have foolishly suffered.
I will no longer tolerate it and , and as far as what you have already done to me and what I have already suffered, I am not going to take it all quietly.
Will you hear me, Roderigo?
Will you listen to me, Roderigo?
Faith, I have heard too much, for your words and performances are no kin together.
I have heard you speak too much already. Your words do not match your actions.
You charge me most unjustly.
You are accusing me unfairly.
With naught but truth. I have wasted myself out of my means.
This is the truth. I am out of money now.
The jewels you have had from me to deliver to Desdemona would half have corrupted a votarist:
The jewels you took from me to give to Desdemona would have been enough to make a nun sleep with me.
you have told me she hath received them, and returned me expectations and comforts of sudden respect and acquaintance, but I find none.
You told me she received the jewels, and you promised that I can expect respect and affection from her but I did not see anything.
Well, go to, very well.
Well, Go away then, very well.
Very well, go to, I cannot go to, man, nor’tis not very well. Nay, I say’tis very scurvy, and begin to find myself fopped in it.
Alright! Go away! I cannot go. This is not alright. It is wrong and I am beginning to realise that I have been tricked by you into something horrible.
Very well.
Alright, then.
I tell you’tis not very well.
It is not alright.
I will make myself known to Desdemona.
I am going to introduce myself to Desdemona and tell her about everything.
If she will return me my jewels, I will give over my suit and repent my unlawful solicitation.
If she returns my jewels, I will stop chasing her and apologise for my unsolicited behaviour.
If not, assure yourself I will seek satisfaction of you.
If not, be rest assured that I will chase you for my repayment.
You have said now.
You have said what you wanted to say.
Ay, and said nothing but what I protest intendment of doing.
Yes and I said nothing that I do not intend to do.
Why, now I see there’s mettle in thee, and even from this instant do build on thee a better opinion than ever before.
Well, I see that you have the courage now. From this very instance, I have higher respect than before, for you.
Give me thy hand, Roderigo. Thou hast taken against me a most just exception, but yet I protest, I have dealt most directly in thy affair.
Give me your hand, Roderigo. Your feelings against me is understandable but I insist that I have done everything I could to help you.
It hath not appeared.
It does not appear that way.
I grant indeed it hath not appeared, and your suspicion is not without wit and judgement.
I agree that it does not appear that way and your suspicion is based on your true wisdom and judgement.
But, Roderigo, if thou hast that in thee indeed, which I have greater reason to believe now than ever,—I mean purpose, courage, and valour,—this night show it.
But Roderigo, if you have it in you which I believe you do, more than ever - I mean the courage, strength and purpose - use it tonight.
If thou the next night following enjoy not Desdemona, take me from this world with treachery and devise engines for my life.
If you do not sleep with Desdemona tomorrow night, my life is yours and you can devise a way to kill me.
Well, what is it? Is it within reason and compass?
Well, what is your plan? Is it reasonable and purposeful?
Sir, there is especial commission come from Venice to depute Cassio in Othello’s place.
Sir, there is a commission from Venice here, to make Cassio in charge of Cyprus.
Is that true?
Is that true?
Why then Othello and Desdemona return again to Venice.
Then, Othello and Desdemona would return back to Venice?
O, no; he goes into Mauritania, and takes away with him the fair Desdemona,
Oh no, he will instead go to Mauritania and take lovely Desdemona with him too.
unless his abode be lingered here by some accident: wherein none can be so determinate as the removing of Cassio.
Unless his stay here can be extended here for some reason. The most likely way to do so is by removal of Cassio.
How do you mean“removing”of him?
What do you mean by ’removal’ of Cassio?
Why, by making him uncapable of Othello’s place: knocking out his brains.
Well, I mean knocking his brains out so he can not take the place of Othello.
And that you would have me to do?
And you want me to do that?
Ay, if you dare do yourself a profit and a right.
Yes, if you dare to do the right thing to help yourself.
He sups tonight with a harlotry, and thither will I go to him.
Cassio is having dinner with a whore tonight and I am going to meet him there.
He knows not yet of his honourable fortune.
Cassio does not know of his promotion yet.
If you will watch his going thence, which I will fashion to fall out between twelve and one, you may take him at your pleasure:
When you see him coming out (I will ensure that he comes out between twelve and one), go ahead and nab him.
I will be near to second your attempt, and he shall fall between us.
I will be nearby to help and two of us will handle it.
Come, stand not amazed at it, but go along with me. I will show you such a necessity in his death that you shall think yourself bound to put it on him.
Come on, don’t stand there staring. Come along with me. I will show you such reasons to kill him that you yourself would want to stab him.
It is now high supper-time, and the night grows to waste. About it.
But it’s nearly dinner time now and time is passing. Go do it!
I will hear further reason for this.
I want to know your reasons for doing this.
And you shall be satisfied.
You will not regret it.