Othello

Villains are one of the great mysteries in life why do they exist for what purpose do they have villains intrigue us and make us think one of the greatest villains of all time comes from Shakespeare’s Othello Iago is the villain in this great tragedy Iago has no reason to do what he does and does not explain why Iago first makes Othello who is a black soldier brought to Venice to lead armies against the Turks Othello falls in love with a senator’s daughter Desdemona they get married without her father’s permission shortly after Iago gets Othello to believe that Desdemona is cheating on him with his lieutenant Cassio Othello doesn’t  believe this until Iago talks to Cassio but instead of talking to Cassio about Desdemona Iago asks about his mistress Othello believes that Cassio is talking about Desdemona after Cassio leaves Othello and Iago plot the murder of Desdemona and Cassio Iago doesn’t kill Cassio but only wounds him so Othello goes to murder Desdemona

Oth.     It is the cause my soul let me not name it to you you chaste stars yet I’ll not shed           
her blood nor scar that whither skin of hers than snow and smooth as monumental        
alablaster yet she must die else she’ll betray more men put out the light and then    
put out the light if I quench thee thou flaming minister I can again thy former       
light restore should I repent me but once put out thy light thou cunning’st pattern       
of excelling nature I know not where is that Promethean heat that can thy light           
relume when I have pluck’d the rose I cannot give it vital growth it needs I’ll     
smell it on the tree O balmy breath that dost almost persuade justice to break her  
sword one more one more be thus when thou art dead and I will kill thee and love    
thee after one more and this the last so sweet was ne’er so fatal I must weep but           
they are cruel tears this sorrow’s heavenly it strikes where it doth love she          
wakes ay Desdemona have you pray’d tonight Desdemon if you bethink yourself of any           
crime unreconcil’d as yet to heaven and grace solicit for it straight well do it and      
be brief I will walk by I would not kill thy unprepared spirit no heaven forfend
I would not kill thy soul ay I do amen with all my heart think on thy sins ay and for     
that thou diest peace on be still that handkerchief which I so lov’d and gave thee     
thou gav’st to Cassio sweet soul take heed of perjury thou art on thy deathbed yes       
presently therefore confess thee freely of thy sin for to deny each article with oath   
cannot remove nor choke the strong conception that I do groan withal thou art  
to die I say amen by heaven I saw my handkerchief in’s hand O perjur’d women        
thou dost stone my heart and  mak’st me call what I intend to do a murther which       
I thought a sacrifice I saw the handkerchief he hath confess’d that he hath us’d       
thee he will not say so no his  mouth is stopp’d honest Iago hath ta’en order for’t       
had all is hairs been lives my great revenge had stomach for them all out strumpet     
weep’st thou for him to my face down strumpet nay an you strive being done     
there is no pause it is too late yes ‘tis Emilia by and by she’s dead ‘tis like she      
comes to speak of Cassio’s death the noise was here ha no more moving still as          
the grave shall she come in were’t good again no what’s the best if she come in     
she’ll sure speak to my wife my wife my wife what wife I have no wife O            
insupportable O heavy hour methinks it should be now a huge eclipse of sun and           
moon and that th’ affrighted globe should yawn at alteration I had forgot thee        
O come in Emilia soft by and by let me the curtains draw where art thou what        
now it is the very error of the moon she comes more near the earth than she was            
wont and makes men mad Roderigo kill’d and Cassio kill’d not Cassio kill’d then         
murther’s out of tune and sweet revenge grows harsh why how should she be      
murd’red you heard her say herself it was not I she’s like a liar gone to burning        
hell ‘twas I that kill’d her she turn’d to folly and she was a whore she was false as            
water Cassio did top her ask thy husband else O I were damn’d beneath all depth      
in hell but that I did proceed upon just grounds to this extremity thy husband   
knew it all thy husband ‘twas he that told me first an honest man he is and hates            
the slime that sticks on filthy deeds what needs this iterance       

Iago.  I told him what I thought and told no more than what he found himself was apt and          
true I did with Cassio mistress go to charm your tongue

Oth.  O she was foul I scarce did know you uncle there lies your niece whose breath    
indeed these hands have newly stopp’d I know this act shows horrible and grim     
‘tis pitiful but yet Iago knows that she with Cassio hath the act of sham a thousand          
times committed Cassio confess’d it and she did gratify his amorous works with            
that recognizance and pledge of love which I first gave her I saw it in his hand it       
was a handkerchief an antique token my father gave my mother

Oth.  Are there no stones in heaven but what serves for the thunder precious villain I am            
not valiant neither but every puny whipster gets my sword but why should honour    
outlive honesty let it go all here is my journey’s end here is my butt and very          
seamark of my utmost sail do you go back dismay’d ‘tis a lost fear man but a rush        
against Othello’s breast and he retires O ill-starr’d wench pale as thy smock when          
we shall meet at compt this look of thine will hurl my soul from heaven and   
fiends will snatch at it cold cold my girl even like thy chastity O cursed slave      
whip me ye devils from the possession of this heavenly sight blow me in steep       
down gulfs of liquid fire O Desdemona Desdemona dead O that’s he that was         
Othello here I am I look down towards his feet but that’s a fable if that thou be’st         
a devil I cannot kill thee

Iago.  I bleed sir but not kill’d

Oth.  I am not sorry neither I’ld have thee live for in my sense ‘tis happiness to die
why anything an honourable murderer if you will for naught did I in hate but all in           
honour ay I do believe it and I ask your pardon will you I pray demand that demi-  
devil why he hath thus ensnar’d my soul and body

Iago.  Demand me nothing what you know you know from this time forth I never will    
speak word

Oth.  Well thou dost best O villain thou pernicious caitiff how came you Cassio by that  
handkerchief that was my wife’s O fool soft you a word or two before you go I     
have done the state some service and they know’t no more of that I pray you in  
your letters when you shall these unlucky deed relate speak of me as I am nothing         
extenuate nor set down aught in malice then must you speak of one that lov’d not          
wisely but too well of one not easily jealous but being wrought perplex’d in the          
extreme of one whose hand threw away richer than all his tribe of one whose    
subdu’d eyes albeit unused to the melting mood drop tears as fast as the Arabian           
trees their med’cinable gum set you down I kiss’d thee ere I kill’d thee no way
but this killing myself to die upon a kiss