Othello: Act 5, Scene 1 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 1 of Othello from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Iago and Roderigo. IAGO Here, stand behind this bulk. Straight will he come. Wear thy good rapier bare, and put it home. Quick, quick! Fear nothing. I’ll be at thy elbow. It makes us or it mars us—think on that, 5 And fix most firm thy resolution. RODERIGO Be near at hand. I may miscarry in ’t. IAGO Here, at thy hand. Be bold and take thy stand. He moves aside. RODERIGO I have no great devotion to the deed, And yet he hath given me satisfying reasons. 10 ’Tis but a man gone. Forth, my sword! He dies. He draws his sword.	Iago and Roderigo wait in a darkened street for Cassio to come. Iago has given Roderigo a sword. He tries to slip off in the darkness, but Roderigo asks him to stay near, in case he needs any help killing Cassio. Despite the plea, Iago gets away, and Roderigo is left mostly alone and noting to himself that he doesn't really have any ill will toward Cassio. Still, Iago's made a convincing enough argument that the man must die.
IAGO, aside I have rubbed this young quat almost to the sense, And he grows angry. Now, whether he kill Cassio, Or Cassio him, or each do kill the other, Every way makes my gain. Live Roderigo, 15 He calls me to a restitution large Of gold and jewels that I bobbed from him As gifts to Desdemona. It must not be. If Cassio do remain, He hath a daily beauty in his life 20 That makes me ugly. And besides, the Moor May unfold me to him. There stand I in much peril. No, he must die. Be ’t so. I hear him coming.	Iago explains his devious plot (again, to us, not to Roderigo) in the cover of the shadows: If Roderigo lives, he'll demand all the jewels and gifts he gave to Iago, intended for Desdemona. (Of course, these were never delivered.) If Cassio lives, his goodness will only remind everyone that, by contrast, Iago is really evil. Also, Cassio is the only one (besides Desdemona) who has the power to clear up what's really going on to Othello. In short, Iago wants them both dead.
Enter Cassio. RODERIGO I know his gait. ’Tis he!—Villain, thou diest! He thrusts at Cassio. CASSIO That thrust had been mine enemy indeed 25 But that my coat is better than thou know’st. I will make proof of thine. He draws, and stabs Roderigo. RODERIGO O, I am slain! Roderigo falls. Iago stabs Cassio in the leg, and exits.	Cassio then enters the street and Roderigo, hidden by darkness, tries to stab him. Cassio avoids the thrust, and wounds him back in self-defense. But then Iago arrives unseen and stabs Cassio in the leg.
CASSIO I am maimed forever! Help, ho! Murder, murder! Enter Othello. OTHELLO The voice of Cassio! Iago keeps his word. 30 RODERIGO O, villain that I am! OTHELLO, aside It is even so. CASSIO O, help ho! Light! A surgeon! OTHELLO, aside ’Tis he! O brave Iago, honest and just, That hast such noble sense of thy friend’s wrong! 35 Thou teachest me.—Minion, your dear lies dead, And your unblest fate hies. Strumpet, I come. Forth of my heart those charms, thine eyes, are blotted. Thy bed, lust-stained, shall with lust’s blood be 40 spotted. Othello exits.	Cassio cries out for help from whatever dark alley they all happen to be in. Othello, apparently nearby in his own dark alley, hears the pitiful pleas. Thinking Iago has done away, as he promised, with Cassio, Othello is now full of the piss and vinegar required to go and murder his innocent, faithful beloved. But first, he makes a rousing speech about lust and blood and all that grave stuff. Then he exits, presumably to kill Desdemona.
Enter Lodovico and Gratiano. CASSIO What ho! No watch? No passage? Murder, murder! GRATIANO ’Tis some mischance. The voice is very direful. CASSIO O, help! LODOVICO Hark! 45 RODERIGO O wretched villain! LODOVICO Two or three groan. ’Tis heavy night. These may be counterfeits. Let’s think ’t unsafe To come in to the cry without more help. RODERIGO Nobody come? Then shall I bleed to death. 50 Enter Iago with a light.	Lodovico and Gratiano, two Venetian gentlemen, come in when they hear Cassio screaming in the dark. Afraid this may be a trap, they hesitate, leaving Iago some time to enter with a light, the picture of confused innocence.
LODOVICO Hark! GRATIANO Here’s one comes in his shirt, with light and weapons. IAGO Who’s there? Whose noise is this that cries on murder? 55 LODOVICO We do not know. IAGO Did not you hear a cry? CASSIO Here, here! For heaven’s sake, help me! IAGO What’s the matter? GRATIANO, to Lodovico This is Othello’s ancient, as I take it. 60 LODOVICO The same indeed, a very valiant fellow. IAGO, to Cassio What are you here that cry so grievously? CASSIO Iago? O, I am spoiled, undone by villains. Give me some help! IAGO O me, lieutenant! What villains have done this? 65 CASSIO I think that one of them is hereabout And cannot make away. IAGO O treacherous villains! To Lodovico and Gratiano. What are you there? Come in, and give some help. 70 RODERIGO O, help me here! CASSIO That’s one of them. IAGO, to Roderigo O murd’rous slave! O villain! He stabs Roderigo.	Iago makes a big show of recognizing Cassio as a lieutenant and then vows to seek around in the dark for Cassio's assailant. Of course, Iago discovers Roderigo, and pretends not to know who he is. Then he conveniently and mortally stabs him.
RODERIGO O damned Iago! O inhuman dog! IAGO Kill men i’ th’ dark?—Where be these bloody 75 thieves? How silent is this town! Ho, murder, murder!— What may you be? Are you of good or evil? LODOVICO As you shall prove us, praise us. IAGO Signior Lodovico? 80 LODOVICO He, sir. IAGO I cry you mercy. Here’s Cassio hurt by villains. GRATIANO Cassio? IAGO How is ’t, brother? CASSIO My leg is cut in two. 85 IAGO Marry, heaven forbid! Light, gentlemen. I’ll bind it with my shirt.	Iago, Lodovico, and Gratiano finally identify each other in the dark, and Iago informs the other two that Cassio has been wounded. They all head toward Cassio, and Iago takes off his shirt to bind Cassio's gashed leg.
Enter Bianca. BIANCA What is the matter, ho? Who is ’t that cried? IAGO Who is ’t that cried? BIANCA O, my dear Cassio, 90 My sweet Cassio! O Cassio, Cassio, Cassio! IAGO O notable strumpet! Cassio, may you suspect Who they should be that have thus mangled you? CASSIO No. GRATIANO I am sorry to find you thus; I have been to seek you. 95 IAGO Lend me a garter. So.—O for a chair To bear him easily hence! BIANCA Alas, he faints. O, Cassio, Cassio, Cassio! IAGO Gentlemen all, I do suspect this trash To be a party in this injury.— 100 Patience awhile, good Cassio.—Come, come; Lend me a light. Peering at Roderigo. Know we this face or no? Alas, my friend and my dear countryman Roderigo? No! Yes, sure. O heaven, Roderigo! 105	Bianca enters, in hysterics, to find her Cassio wounded. Iago tries to blame the whole messy situation on the poor strumpet, and then pretends to discover the man no one saw him stab. Iago feigns surprise at the fact that Cassio's assailant was none other than Roderigo, one of his countrymen.
GRATIANO What, of Venice? IAGO Even he, sir. Did you know him? GRATIANO Know him? Ay. IAGO Signior Gratiano? I cry your gentle pardon. These bloody accidents must excuse my manners 110 That so neglected you. GRATIANO I am glad to see you. IAGO How do you, Cassio?—O, a chair, a chair! GRATIANO Roderigo? IAGO He, he, ’tis he! A chair is brought in. O, that’s well 115 said; the chair.— Some good man bear him carefully from hence. I’ll fetch the General’s surgeon.— For you, mistress, Save you your labor.—He that lies slain here, Cassio, 120 Was my dear friend. What malice was between you? CASSIO None in the world. Nor do I know the man.	At the name Roderigo, Gratiano says, wait—is he from Venice? I know him. This seems like news to Iago, who quickly turns everyone's attention back to Cassio. Iago calls for a stretcher for Cassio and says he'll go get Othello's surgeon. Then he tells Cassio that Roderigo, who is lying there dead, was his (Iago's) dear friend. He asks Cassio if he had a beef with him but Cassio says he didn't even know him.
IAGO, to Bianca What, look you pale?—O, bear him out o’ th’ air. Cassio, in the chair, and Roderigo are carried off. To Gratiano and Lodovico. Stay you, good gentlemen.—Look you pale, mistress?— 125 Do you perceive the gastness of her eye?— Nay, if you stare, we shall hear more anon.— Behold her well. I pray you, look upon her. Do you see, gentlemen? Nay, guiltiness will speak Though tongues were out of use. 130	Next, Iago (the master of misdirection), gets Gratiano and Lodovico to scrutinize Bianca. She's ghostly pale and Iago says she looks guilty. No doubt she's somehow involved in this whole sordid matter.
Enter Emilia. EMILIA Alas, what is the matter? What is the matter, husband? IAGO Cassio hath here been set on in the dark By Roderigo and fellows that are scaped. He’s almost slain, and Roderigo dead. 135 EMILIA Alas, good gentleman! Alas, good Cassio! IAGO This is the fruits of whoring. Prithee, Emilia, Go know of Cassio where he supped tonight. To Bianca. What, do you shake at that? BIANCA He supped at my house, but I therefore shake not. 140 IAGO O, did he so? I charge you go with me.	Emilia comes in, and Iago sums up a version of the story through his lying teeth: Roderigo, who is now dead, joined with some other fellows, who have now escaped, to assault Cassio, who is now wounded. And that, he says, is what happens when you hang out with prostitutes.
EMILIA O fie upon thee, strumpet! BIANCA I am no strumpet, but of life as honest As you that thus abuse me. EMILIA As I? Faugh! Fie upon thee! 145 IAGO Kind gentlemen, let’s go see poor Cassio dressed.— Come, mistress, you must tell ’s another tale.— Emilia, run you to the citadel And tell my lord and lady what hath happed.— Will you go on afore? Aside. This is the night 150 That either makes me or fordoes me quite. They exit in different directions.	Emilia gets into a shouting match with Bianca until Iago breaks it up. He tells Lodovico and Gratiano to come with him to check on Cassio, and then instructs Emilia to inform Othello and Desdemona of all of these very surprising events. As they exit, he comments under his breath that this night will either make him or break him. What's your guess?