Уильям Шекспир: Othello

KEY FACTS

MAJOR PARTS:( with percentage of lines/number of speeches/scenes on stage ) Iago (31%/272/12), Othello (25%/274/12), Desdemona (11%/165/9), Cassio (8%/110/9), Emilia (7%/103/8), Brabantio (4%/30/3), Rodorigo (3%/59/7), Lodovico (2%/33/4), Duke of Venice (2%/25/1), Montano (2%/24/3).

LINGUISTIC MEDIUM:80% verse, 20% prose.

DATE:1604. Performed at court, November 1604; apparently uses Knolles’ Historie of the Turkes, published late 1603; probably post-dates the period when theaters were closed due to the plague from May 1603 to April 1604. The Turkish wars in the eastern Mediterranean were of interest to King James, who had written a poem about the 1571 naval battle of Lepanto, which was reprinted in 1603, the year of his accession to the English throne. Some scholars, however, argue for a slightly earlier date.

SOURCES:Based on a novella in Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio’s Gli Hecatommithi (1565), perhaps read in a 1584 French translation by Gabriel Chappuys. Context probably provided by Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes (1603), Sir Lewis Lewkenor’s translation of Gasparo Contarini’s The Commonwealth and Government of Venice (1599), and John Pory’s translation of Leo Africanus’ Geographical Historie of Africa (1600).

TEXT:There are two early texts, markedly different from each other: a Quarto published in 1622 and the First Folio of 1623. The Folio contains over 150 lines that are not in the Quarto. The Quarto has fuller stage directions, a handful of lines that are absent from the Folio, and a large number of oaths that were watered down or omitted in the Folio, as a result of the prohibition on stage swearing. In all, there are about a thousand verbal variants. The two texts seem to derive from different theatrical manuscripts, the Folio possibly having being set from a transcript by Ralph Crane, scribe to the King’s Men. Scholars are divided as to whether the Folio-only passages, which include Othello’s “Pontic sea” speech and Desdemona’s willow song, are theatrically purposeful additions or theatrically pragmatic cuts. We respect the integrity of the Folio text, but in correcting its manifest errors—which are many, largely due to the presence of “Compositor E,” the apprentice who was the poorest of the Folio’s typesetters—we have been greatly helped by the existence of the Quarto.

THE TRAGEDY OF

OTHELLO,

THE MOOR OF VENICE

LIST OF PARTS

OTHELLO, the Moor (a general in the military service of Venice)BRABANTIO (a senator) father to DesdemonaCASSIO, an honourable lieutenantIAGO, a villain (Othello’s flagbearer)RODORIGO, a gulled gentlemanDUKE of VeniceSENATORSMONTANO, Governor of CyprusLODOVICO, noble Venetian (kinsmen of Brabantio)GRATIANO, noble Venetian (kinsmen of Brabantio)SAILORSCLOWN (servant to Othello)DESDEMONA (daughter of Brabantio) wife to OthelloEMILIA, wife to IagoBIANCA, a courtesan(Officers, Messenger, Herald, Musicians and Attendants)

Act 1 Scene 1running scene 1

Location: Venice (street)

Enter Rodorigo and Iago RODORIGO Never tell me! 1I take it much unkindly

That thou, Iago, who hast had my purse

As if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this 3.IAGO But you’ll not hear me: if ever I did dream

Of such a matter, abhor me.RODORIGO Thou told’st me

Thou didst hold him 7in thy hate.IAGO Despise me

If I do not. Three great ones 9of the city,

In personal suit 10to make me his lieutenant,

Off-capped 11to him, and by the faith of man,

I know my price, I am worth no worse a place:

But he, as loving his own pride and purposes,

Evades them with a bombast circumstance 14

Horribly stuffed with epithets of war 15,

Nonsuits my mediators 16. For ‘Certes’, says he,

‘I have already chose my officer.’

And what was he?

Forsooth 19, a great arithmetician,

One Michael Cassio, a Florentine 20—

A fellow almost damned in a fair wife 21—

That never set a squadron 22in the field

Nor the division of a battle knows 23

More than a spinster 24, unless the bookish theoric,

Wherein the toga’d consuls 25can propose

As masterly as he. Mere prattle 26without practice

Is all his soldiership. But he, sir, had th’election 27;

And I — of whom his 28eyes had seen the proof

At Rhodes 29, at Cyprus and on others’ grounds,

Christened 30and heathen — must be beleed and calmed

By debitor and creditor 31: this counter-caster,

He — in good time 32— must his lieutenant be,

And I — bless the mark 33! — his Moorship’s ancient.RODORIGO By heaven, I rather would have been his hangman.IAGO Why, there’s no remedy: ’tis the curse of service 35;

Preferment 36goes by letter and affection,

And not by old gradation 37, where each second

Stood heir to th’first. Now, sir, be judge yourself

Whether I in any just term 39am affined

To love the Moor.RODORIGO I would not follow 41him then.IAGO O, sir, content you:

I follow him to serve my turn 43upon him.

We cannot all be masters, nor all masters

Cannot be truly 45followed. You shall mark

Many a duteous and knee-crooking 46knave

That — doting on his own obsequious bondage —

Wears out his time 48, much like his master’s ass,

For nought but provender 49, and when he’s old, cashiered:

Whip me 50such honest knaves. Others there are

Who, trimmed 51in forms and visages of duty,

Keep yet their hearts attending on 52themselves,

And throwing but shows of service on their lords,

Do well thrive by them,

And when they have lined their coats 55

Do themselves homage 56: these fellows have some soul,

And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,

It is as sure as you are Rodorigo,

Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago 59:

In following him, I follow but myself.

Heaven is my judge, not I for 61love and duty,

But seeming so, for my peculiar 62end,

For when my outward action doth demonstrate 63

The native 64act and figure of my heart

In compliment extern 65, ’tis not long after

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

For daws 67to peck at: I am not what I am.RODORIGO What a full 68fortune does the thick-lips owe

If he can carry’t 69thus!IAGO Call up her father:

Rouse him, make after 71him, poison his delight,

Proclaim 72him in the streets, incense her kinsmen,

And though 73he in a fertile climate dwell,

Plague him with flies: though that 74his joy be joy,

Yet throw such chances 75of vexation on’t

As it may 76lose some colour.RODORIGO Here is her father’s house, I’ll call aloud.IAGO Do, with like timorous accent 78and dire yell

As when, by night and negligence, the fire

Is spied in populous cities.RODORIGO What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho!IAGO Awake! What, ho! Brabantio, thieves, thieves!

Look to your house, your daughter and your bags 83!

Thieves, thieves!BRABANTIO What is the reason of this terrible summons? Above85

At a window

What is the matter there?RODORIGO Signior, is all your family within?IAGO Are your doors locked?BRABANTIO Why? Wherefore 89ask you this?IAGO Sir, you’re robbed. For shame, put on your gown 90!

Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul:

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram 92

Is tupping 93your white ewe. Arise, arise!

Awake the snorting 94citizens with the bell,