Othello 1:
Seeingandhearing
Enter [the Prince of ] MOROCCO, a tawny Moor all in
white, and three or four followers accordingly, with
PORTIA, NERISSA, and their train.
Mislike me not for my complexion,
The shadowed livery of the burnished sun,
To whom I am a neighbor and near bred.
MOROCCO
The Merchant of Venice, 2.1 s.d.
A gentle riddance! Draw the curtains; go.
Let all of his complexion choose me so.
PORTIA
The Merchant of Venice 2.7.78-9
‘WhentheblackactorplaysOthello,hismost
conspicuousperformancecentresonhisabilityto
playShakespeare;whenthewhiteactorplays
Othello,hemostconspicuouslyperforms
blackness.’
ArthurL.Little,Jr.ShakespeareJungleFever:
National-ImperialRe-VisionsofRace,Rapeand
Sacrifice (Stanford:StanfordUP,2000)p.95
‘WhenIdidtheclubs,theremightbeoneotherblack
person intheroom,andattheworkingmen'sclubsI'd
definitelybetheonlyblackpersonthere.Sotheplay
resonateswithmebecausewhereverI'vebeenforalotof
mycareer,Iwasprettymuchtheonlyblackguy.When
Roderigosays,“Whatafullfortunedoesthethicklipsowe,
/Ifhecancarry'tthus”,that'shimcallingOthellothe
worstnameyoucanthinktocallsomebody.’
InterviewwithLennyHenry
‘Ira Aldridge as
Othello’
Henry Perronet
Briggs
c.1830
IAGO
‘Sir,you’rerobbed.Forshame,putonyourgown.
Yourheartisburst,youhavelosthalfyoursoul:
Evennow,now,verynow,anoldblackram
Istuppingyourwhiteewe…
(1.1.84-87;N2086)
IAGO
‘Sir,youareoneofthosethatwillnotserveGodifthedevil
bidyou!Becausewecometodoyouserviceandyouthink
weareruffians,you'llhaveyourdaughtercoveredwitha
Barbaryhorse;you'llhaveyournephewsneightoyou;
you'llhavecoursersforcousinsandjennetsforgermans.
BRABANZIO Whatprofanewretchartthou?
IAGO Iamone,sir,thatcomestotellyouyourdaughterand
theMoorarenowmakingthebeastwithtwobacks.
BRABANZIO Thouartavillain!
IAGO Youareasenator.
BRABANZIO – Thisthoushaltanswer:Iknowthee,
Roderigo.
(1.1.106-115;N2087)
RODERIGO
Sir,Iwillansweranything.But,Ibeseechyou,
If'tbeyourpleasureandmostwiseconsent,
– AspartlyIfinditis– thatyourfairdaughter,
Atthisodd-evenanddullwatcho'th’night,
Transportedwithnoworsenorbetterguard
Butwithaknaveofcommonhire,agondolier,
TothegrossclaspsofalasciviousMoor—
Ifthisbeknowntoyouandyourallowance,
Wethenhavedoneyouboldandsaucywrongs.
Butifyouknownotthis,mymannerstellme
Wehaveyourwrongrebuke.Donotbelieve
That,fromthesenseofallcivility,
Ithuswouldplayandtriflewithyourreverence.
Yourdaughter– ifyouhavenotgivenherleave,
Isayagain– hathmadeagrossrevolt,
Tyingherduty,beauty,wit,andfortunes
Inanextravagantandwheelingstranger
Ofhereandeverywhere.
(1.1.116-134;N2087)
OTHELLO
My name,thatwasasfresh
AsDian'svisage,isnowbegrimedandblack
Asmineownface.
(3.3.382-85;N2125)
OTHELLO
Haply,forIamblack
Andhavenotthosesoftpartsofconversation
Thatchamberershave…
(3.3.261-63;N2122)
In the Quarto … stage direction … he is simply called “Moore”. In
Jacobean England, “Moor” was an elastic term for both Muslims
and black people, referring to (a) Muslims (and, by extension,
from a European Christian perspective, heretics from beyond
Europe), (b) North Africans (perhaps of Berber and/or Arab
ethnicity), or (c), by way of a general association with blackness,
sub-Saharan Africans.
(N3E digital edition note)
Abd el-Ouahed benMessaoud benMohammed
Anoun,
MoorishambassadortocourtofElizabethI,c.
1600
OTHELLO Herfatherlovedme,oftinvitedme,
Stillquestionedmethestoryofmylife,
Fromyeartoyear:thebattles,sieges,fortunes,
ThatIhavepassed.
Iranitthrough,evenfrommyboyishdays
Totheverymomentthathebademetellit,
WhereinIspokeofmostdisastrouschances;
Ofmovingaccidentsbyfloodandfield;
Ofhairbreadthscapesi'th’imminentdeadlybreach;
Ofbeingtakenbytheinsolentfoe
Andsoldtoslaver;ofmyredemptionthence,
Andportanceinmytraveler’shistory;
Whereinofantresvastanddesertsidle,
Roughquarries,rocks,hillswhoseheadstouchheaven,
Itwasmyhinttospeak– suchwasmyprocess–
Andofthecannibalsthateachothereat–
TheAnthropophagi – andmenwhoseheads
Grewbeneaththeirshoulders.Thesethingstohear
WouldDesdemonaseriouslyincline...
(1.3.128-146;N2094-95)
Enter Brabanzio,Othello,Roderigo,Iago,Cassio,
andOfficers
FIRSTSENATOR
HerecomesBrabanzioandthevaliantMoor.
DUKEOFVENICE
ValiantOthello,wemuststraightemployyou
AgainstthegeneralenemyOttoman.
[ToBrabanzio]Ididnotseeyou;welcome,gentlesignior;
Welackedyourcounselandyourhelptonight.
(1.3.47-51;N2092)
IAGO Andwhat'shethenthatsaysIplaythevillain
WhenthisadviceisfreeIgive,andhonest,
Probaltothinking,andindeedthecourse
TowintheMooragain?For'tismosteasy
Th’incliningDesdemonatosubdue
Inanyhonestsuit:she'sframedasfruitful
Asthefreeelements.Andthenforher
TowintheMoor— weretorenouncehisbaptism,
Allsealsandsymbolsofredeemedsin–
Hissoulissoenfetteredtoherlove
Thatshemaymake,unmake,dowhatshelist,
Evenasherappetiteshallplaythegod
Withhisweakfunction.
(2.3.307-19;N2114)
OTHELLO Softyou,awordortwobeforeyougo.
Ihavedonethestatesomeservice,andtheyknow’t–
Nomoreofthat.Iprayyou,inyourletters,
Whenyoushalltheseunluckydeedsrelate,
SpeakofmeasIam;nothingextenuate,
Norsetdownaughtinmalice.Thenmustyouspeak
Ofonethatlovednotwisely,buttoowell;
Ofonenoteasilyjealous,but,beingwrought,
Perplexedintheextreme;ofonewhosehand,
LikethebaseIndian,threwapearlaway
Richerthanallhistribe;ofonewhosesubduedeyes,
Albeitunusedtothemeltingmood,
DroptearsasfastastheArabiantrees
Theirmedicinablegum.Setyoudownthis,
Andsay,besides,thatinAleppoonce,
WhereamalignantandaturbanedTurk
BeataVenetianandtraducedthestate,
Itookbyth’throatthecircumciséddog,
Andsmotehim,thus.
[Stabshimself]
(5.2.331-349;N2158)
BARNARDO
FRANCISCO
BARNARDO
FRANCISCO
BARNARDO
FRANCISCO
BARNARDO
Francisco.
FRANCISCO
Who'sthere?
Nay,answerme!stand,andunfoldyourself.
Longlivetheking.
Barnardo?
He.
Youcomemostcarefullyuponyourhour.
'Tisnowstrucktwelve– gettheetobed,
Forthisreliefmuchthanks.‘Tisbittercold,
AndIamsickatheart.
BARNARDO Haveyouhadquietguard?
FRANCISCO
Notamousestirring.
BARNARDO Well,goodnight.
(Hamlet, 1.1.1-9;N1764-65)
RODERIGO
Nevertellme!Itakeitmuchunkindly
Thatthou,Iago,whohasthadmypurse
Asifthestringswerethine,shouldstknowofthis.
IAGO
Butyou’llnothearme.IfeverIdiddream
Ofsuchamatter,abhorme.
RODERIGO
Thoutold'stme
Thoudidstholdhiminthyhate.
IAGO
Despiseme
IfIdonot.Threegreatonesofthecity,
Inpersonalsuittomakemehislieutenant,
Off-cappedtohim– and,bythefaithofman
Iknowmyprice:Iamworthnoworseaplace–
(1.1.1-10;N2084)
RODERIGO
Hereisherfather'shouse.I'llcallaloud.
IAGO
Do,withliketimorousaccentanddireyell
Aswhen,bynight andnegligence,thefire
Isspiedinpopulouscities.
RODERIGO
What,ho,Brabanzio!SigniorBrabanzio,ho!
IAGO
Awake! Whatho,Brabanzio!Thieves!Thieves!
Looktoyourhouse,yourdaughter,andyourbags!
Thieves,thieves!
[Enter]BRABANZIOabove.
BRABANZIO
Whatisthereasonofthisterriblesummons?
Whatisthematterthere?
(1.1.72-80;N2086)
RODERIGO
Mostreverendsignor,doyouknowmyvoice?
BRABANZIO
NotI.Whatareyou?
RODERIGO
MynameisRoderigo.
BRABANZIO
Theworserwelcome.
(1.1.91-4;N2086)
RODERIGO
Sir,Iwillansweranything.ButIbeseechyou,
If'tbeyourpleasureandmostwiseconsent–
AspartlyIfinditis– thatyourfairdaughter
Atthisoddevenanddullwatcho'th’night
Transported,withnoworsenorbetterguard
Butwithaknaveofcommonhire,agondolier,
TothegrossclaspsofalasciviousMoor—
Ifthisbeknowntoyouandyourallowance,
Wethenhavedoneyouboldandsaucywrong.
Butifyouknownotthis,mymannerstellme
Wehaveyourwrongrebuke.
[...]
Straightsatisfyyourself:
Ifshebeinherchamberoryourhouse,
Letlooseonmethejusticeofthestate
Forthusdeludingyou.
BRABANZIO [toServantswithin]
Strikeonthetinder,ho!
Givemeataper!Callupallmypeople!
[aside] Thisaccidentisnotunlikemydream;
Beliefofitoppressesmealready.
– Light,Isay!light!
(1.1.116-39;N2087-88)
BRABANZIO
Amaidenneverbold,
Ofspiritsostillandquietthathermotion
Blushedatherself;andshe,inspiteofnature,
Ofyears,ofcountry,credit,everything,
Tofallinlovewithwhatshefearedtolookon?
Itisajudgmentmaimedandmostimperfect
Thatwillconfessperfectionsocoulderr
Againstallrulesofnature,andmustbedriven
Tofindoutpracticesofcunninghell
Whythisshouldbe.Ithereforevouchagain
Thatwithsomemixturespowerfulo'ertheblood,
Orwithsomedramconjuredtothiseffect,
Hewroughtuponher.
DUKEOFVENICE Tovouchthisisnoproof
Withoutmorewiderandmoreoverttest
Thanthesethinhabitsandpoorlikelihoods
Ofmodernseemingdopreferagainsthim.
(1.3.95-109;N2093-94)
N3E p. 2117 Othello 3.3.28-38
OTHELLO
Villain,besurethouprovemyloveawhore;
Besureofit!Givemetheocularproof
Or,bytheworthofmineeternalsoul,
Thouhadstbeenbetterhavebeenbornadog
Thananswermywakedwrath.
IAGO
Is'tcometothis?
OTHELLO
Makemetosee’t,orattheleast soproveit
Thattheprobation bearnohingenorloop
Tohangadoubt on,orwoeuponthylife!
(3.3.355-63;N2124-25)
OTHELLO
Iswear'tisbettertobemuchabused
Thanbuttoknow'talittle.
IAGO
Hownow,mylord?
OTHELLO
WhatsensehadIofherstolenhoursoflust?
Isaw'tnot,thoughtitnot,itharmednotme.
…
IfoundnotCassio’skissesonherlips.
(3.3.333-36;N2124)
OTHELLO'Tisnottomakemejealous
Tosaymywifeisfair,feedswell,lovescompany,
Isfreeofspeech,sings,plays,anddances:
Wherevirtueis,thesearemorevirtuous.
NorfrommineownweakmeritswillIdraw
Thesmallestfearordoubtofherrevolt,
Forshehadeyesandchoseme.No,Iago,
I'llseebeforeIdoubt;whenIdoubt,prove;
And,ontheproof,thereisnomorebutthis:
Awayatoncewithloveorjealousy.
IAGO Iamgladofthis,fornowIshallhavereason
ToshowtheloveanddutythatIbearyou
Withfrankerspirit.Therefore,asIambound,
Receiveitfromme,Ispeaknotyetofproof:
Look toyourwife;observeherwellwithCassio.
Wearyoureyethus:notjealous,norsecure.
Iwouldnothaveyourfreeandnoblenature
Outofself-bountybeabused.Look to't.
(3.3.181-99;N2120-21)
IAGO
Shediddeceiveherfather,marryingyou;
Andwhensheseemedtoshakeandfearyourlooks,
Shelovedthemmost.
OTHELLO
Andsoshedid.
IAGO
Why,goto,then!
Shethatsoyoungcouldgiveoutsuchaseeming
Toseelherfather'seyesup,closeasoak—
Hethought'twaswitchcraft.ButIammuchtoblame.
Ihumblydobeseechyouofyourpardon
Fortoomuchlovingyou.
(3.3.204-11;N2121)
Iago:
N3E p. 2126 3.3.410-432