A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 2 of Othello from the original Shakespeare into modern English.
Original Text |
Translated Text |
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| Source: Folger Shakespeare Library | |
Enter Othello with a light, and Desdemona in her bed. OTHELLO | Othello is a wreck. He's watching Desdemona sleep, and telling himself over and over again that he has to go through with this. He promises he won't mar Desdemona's beautiful skin by cutting her up or anything—she'll be pretty in death. Next he notes the single candle he's brought into the bedroom. He plans to put out his candle, and then put out& her candle (meaning, kill her). He realizes that if he puts out the literal candle, he can easily light it again, but once he kills Desdemona, there is no way of getting her back. At this point, Othello wavers. He says her beauty is almost enough to stop him from being an agent of justice. Almost, but not enough. |
DESDEMONA OTHELLO Ay, Desdemona. DESDEMONA Will you come to bed, my lord? OTHELLO DESDEMONA Ay, my lord. OTHELLO DESDEMONA Alack, my lord, | All this weeping and kissing and murderous plotting wakes Desdemona. Sleepily, she asks Othello if he's coming to bed. He asks her if she has prayed. Then he asks if she has any sins she wants to confess to so she can get right with God. This makes Desdemona a little suspicious. |
OTHELLO | Othello tells Desdemona to get on with confessing her sins. After all, he doesn't want to kill her soul. |
DESDEMONA Talk you of killing? OTHELLO DESDEMONA Then heaven have mercy on me. 40 OTHELLO Amen, with all my heart. DESDEMONA OTHELLO Humh. DESDEMONA OTHELLO DESDEMONA They are loves I bear to you. OTHELLO Ay, and for that thou diest. 50 DESDEMONA OTHELLO Peace, and be still. | Wait—what? Desdemona is a little freaked out here, but Othello remains matter of fact. Yep, he's going to kill her, so she really should be repenting for her sins about now. Desdemona says her only sin has been loving him too much. And by the way, he's really scaring her. His eyes are rolling and he's chewing on his lip and shaking. |
DESDEMONA OTHELLO That handkerchief DESDEMONA OTHELLO DESDEMONA OTHELLO Yes, presently. DESDEMONA OTHELLO I say “Amen.” DESDEMONA | Othello then brings up the handkerchief (which we've dubbed the handkerchief of death). He accuses Desdemona of giving it (among other things) to Cassio, and she says that Othello has made a mistake. He reminds her she's about to die, so she better tell the truth, but Desdemona insists she never gave the handkerchief to Cassio. |
OTHELLO DESDEMONA He found it, then. | Othello says he saw the handkerchief in Cassio's hand and he knows Desdemona is lying. Desdemona says that if Cassio had it, he must have found it somewhere. She tells Othello to call for Cassio and ask him. He'll tell the truth. |
OTHELLO He hath confessed. 85 DESDEMONA What, my lord? OTHELLO DESDEMONA How? Unlawfully? OTHELLO Ay. DESDEMONA OTHELLO No. His mouth is stopped. DESDEMONA OTHELLO DESDEMONA OTHELLO | Othello says Cassio has already confessed. Desdemona can't believe he would say that he had slept with her, and Othello assures her he won't say it anymore. He's dead. At that Desdemona begins to weep. Othello gets angry because he thinks she's weeping over Cassio, right in his face. (Um, no. She's crying because her husband has gone totally psycho.) |
DESDEMONA OTHELLO Down, strumpet! DESDEMONA OTHELLO Nay, if you strive— DESDEMONA OTHELLO Being done, there is no pause. DESDEMONA OTHELLO It is too late. 105 He smothers her. | Desdemona continues to fight for her life. She begs to be banished rather than killed—to be killed tomorrow—to be given just half an hour more to live—just enough time for one more praryer. But Othello is relentless, and smothers her with a pillow. |
EMILIA, within OTHELLO EMILIA, within What, ho! My lord, my lord! OTHELLO Who’s EMILIA, within OTHELLO | Emilia knocks at the door and calls out for Othello. Desdemona is still not quite dead, so Othello smothers her a little more. He assumes Emilia has come to inform him of Cassio's death, and then, when Desdemona finally stops struggling, he gets lost in his thoughts about how he has no wife. |
EMILIA, within I do beseech you OTHELLO Enter Emilia. What’s the matter with thee now? EMILIA OTHELLO What? Now? EMILIA But now, my lord. OTHELLO EMILIA Cassio, my lord, hath killed OTHELLO EMILIA No, Cassio is not killed. | As Emilia enters, Othello draws the curtains around the bed. Finally inside, Emilia reports (wrongly) that Roderigo has been killed by Cassio, and that Cassio is wounded, but not dead. |
OTHELLO DESDEMONA O falsely, falsely murdered. EMILIA OTHELLO That? What? EMILIA DESDEMONA A guiltless death I die. 150 EMILIA O, who hath done this deed? DESDEMONA Nobody. I myself. Farewell. She dies. | Othello is furious to realize that Cassio is still alive. But so is Desdemona—for at least three more seconds. She cries out and Emilia calls to her. Desdemona cries out that she has been falsely murdered and is dying a guiltless death. But when Emilia asks her who murdered her, she refuses to name Othello. She says she did it herself and dies asking Emilia to give Othello her love. (Now that is messed up.) |
OTHELLO EMILIA Alas, who 155 OTHELLO EMILIA OTHELLO | Othello sticks to his story of innocence for about two seconds before saying, "Desdemona is such a liar. I killed her." |
EMILIA OTHELLO EMILIA OTHELLO She was false as water. EMILIA Thou art rash as fire to say 165 OTHELLO | Othello says that Desdemona was a whore, but Emilia defends her and says Othello is the devil here. Othello tells her to ask her husband about it—he knows all about the affair Desdemona had with Cassio. |
EMILIA My husband? OTHELLO Thy husband. EMILIA That she was false to wedlock? OTHELLO EMILIA My husband? OTHELLO EMILIA My husband? OTHELLO EMILIA OTHELLO He, woman. EMILIA He draws his sword. | The truth is finally dawning on Emilia and she does the biggest face-palm of her life. She keeps repeating, "My husband?" over and over. When Othello says, "Yes, your husband, honest Iago," she flips out. She says Iago is a dangerous liar, which causes Othello to draw his sword. |
OTHELLO Hah? EMILIA Do thy worst! OTHELLO Peace, you were best! EMILIA | When Othello brandishes his sword at her, Emilia basically says, "Go for it." She tells him he's no more worthy of heaven than he was of Desdemona, and he tells her to shut up. She does the opposite. She starts screaming for help and yelling that Othello killed Desdemona. |
Enter Montano, Gratiano, and Iago. MONTANO EMILIA GRATIANO What is the matter? EMILIA, to Iago IAGO EMILIA IAGO I did. 215 EMILIA IAGO EMILIA ALL O heavens forfend! EMILIA, to Iago | Soldiers and citizens of Cyprus crowd into the room, along with Iago. Emilia confronts her husband and asks if he told Othello that Desdemona was cheating on him. Iago admits that he suggested this, but then claims that Othello's own suspicion filled in all the blanks. Emilia won't let him off that easily. She calls him on his lies and the murder that has resulted from them. |
OTHELLO GRATIANO ’Tis a strange truth. 225 MONTANO EMILIA Villainy, villainy, villainy! IAGO EMILIA OTHELLO EMILIA Nay, lay thee down, and roar! OTHELLO, standing O, she was foul!— | Emilia continues to condemn her husband and lament Desdemona. Othello continues to insist that Desdemona was false to him. |
GRATIANO | Gratiano then announces that it's a good thing Desdemona's dad, Brabantio, died of heartbreak over her wedding to Othello, because he really wouldn't have survived this traumatic event. |
OTHELLO | Othello continues to lay blame on Desdemona's foulness, and says he knows the affair was real because he saw Desdemona's handkerchief in Cassio's hand. |
EMILIA O God! O heavenly God! IAGO EMILIA ’Twill out, ’twill out. I peace? 260 IAGO Be wise, and get you home. He draws his sword. EMILIA GRATIANO Fie, your sword upon a woman! | This gets a big reaction out of Emilia, who Iago tries to silence and send home by drawing his sword. |
EMILIA IAGO Villainous whore! EMILIA IAGO Filth, thou liest! EMILIA | Emilia tells Othello he's an idiot. Desdemona dropped the handkerchief and Emilia picked it up and gave it to Iago because he had asked her to steal it so many times. Desdemona didn't give the handkerchief to Cassio. Emilia found it and gave it to Iago. Iago tells everyone she's lying, but Emilia says no way. Then she gets in one more dig at Othello. |
OTHELLO Are there no stones in heaven GRATIANO EMILIA | It's pretty clear who Othello believes. He runs at Iago, but Iago disarms him and stabs Emilia. She falls to the ground and Iago runs out. |
GRATIANO He’s gone, but his wife’s killed. 285 MONTANO Montano and Gratiano exit. OTHELLO I am not valiant neither, | Montano gives Gratiano the sword Othello dropped and tells him to guard the door. If Othello tries to leave, Gratiano should kill him. Meanwhile, Montano will go after Iago. Othello, laments how weak he is to have let Iago disarm him. |
EMILIA What did thy song bode, lady? 295 She sings. "Willow, willow, willow." Moor, she was chaste. She loved thee, cruel Moor. | Emilia wonders aloud about the meaning of Desdemona's final song, and says that she, too, will die singing it. She sings a little, then dies next to Desdemona, using her last breath to tell Othello that his wife was pure and faithful to him. |
OTHELLO | Othello remembers that he has another weapon in his bedroom. He finds a Spanish sword and calls to Gratiano to say he's coming out. |
GRATIANO, within OTHELLO | Gratiano says no way. Othello will pay dearly if he tries, especially since he's unarmed. (Gratiano doesn't know he has a sword.) "Oh yeah?" says Othello. "Open the door and say that to my face." |
Enter Gratiano. GRATIANO OTHELLO Behold, I have a weapon. 310 | Gratiano enters the bedroom and Othello shows him his weapon. Othello says he could easily take Gratiano down if he wanted to, but that's not his fate. He tells Gratiano there's no reason for him to be fearful even though Othello is armed, because Othello has reached the end of his journey, a.k.a., his life. He looks at Desdemona lying on the bed and says that when he dies, he'll go to hell for what he's done to her. |
Enter Lodovico, Cassio in a chair, Montano, and Iago, LODOVICO OTHELLO LODOVICO Iago is brought forward. OTHELLO He stabs Iago. LODOVICO Othello is disarmed. | Lodovico, the wounded Cassio, and Montano enter with a recently captured Iago. Othello pronounces Iago to be a devil (even though he doesn't have cloven feet), and wounds him. |
IAGO I bleed, sir, but not killed. OTHELLO | Iago lets us know that he's not dead yet. Othello responds that he wouldn't wish such a peaceful fate as death on Iago (as Othello is preparing to meet such a fate). |
LODOVICO OTHELLO Why, anything. 345 LODOVICO OTHELLO Ay. 350 CASSIO OTHELLO | Lodovico points out that grieving doesn't get you out of a murder charge, and Othello says while he can be called a murderer, it's important to note that he did everything out of honor, not hate. He apologizes to Cassio for his bad behavior and then demands to know why Iago chose to torment him and ruin his life. |
IAGO LODOVICO What? Not to pray? GRATIANO Torments will ope your lips. OTHELLO Well, thou dost best. LODOVICO Sir, 360 OTHELLO CASSIO Most heathenish and most gross. LODOVICO | Iago's not talking, but it doesn't matter. Lodovico has some papers that will clear the entire mess up. Roderigo, conveniently, had a bunch of letters in his pockets that explain, in detail, Iago's complicity in all of these plots. |
OTHELLO O, thou pernicious caitiff!— 375 CASSIO I found it in my chamber. OTHELLO O fool, fool, fool! CASSIO | Othello, finally faced with Cassio, learns that Desdemona was innocent and that everything that happened was part of Iago's scheme. Cassio also tells him that Roderigo lived long enough to reveal that his murderer was actually...Iago. |
LODOVICO, to Othello | Lodovico orders that Othello be brought back to Venice for his punishment and announces Cassio is to replace him. As for Iago, they'll do their best to torture him while keeping him alive as long as possible. |
OTHELLO He stabs himself. | Othello wishes to say a word before he goes. He asks that he not be spoken of untruthfully, or in malice, as this tragedy is committed to history. Othello declares himself "one who loved not wisely, but too well," and then sums up the bulk of the play—how he didn't get jealous quickly, but once tricked he was driven to madness. In his final note, he pulls out a hidden weapon and stabs himself, the same way he once stabbed a Turk he saw beating up a Venetian. |
LODOVICO O bloody period! GRATIANO All that is spoke is marred. OTHELLO, to Desdemona | The others are shocked as Othello staggers over to his wife, kisses Desdemona's dead lips, and then dies himself. |
CASSIO LODOVICO, to Iago O Spartan dog, | Cassio says, "I was afraid of that, but I didn't think he had a weapon," and Lodovico tells Iago to look at his work: three innocent people lying next to each other, all destroyed by his scheming. Iago keeps his promise and stays silent, so Lodovico wraps up all the loose ends. Gratiano is to inherit all of Othello's worldly goods, and Montano is charged with punishing the wicked Iago. Sadly, Lodovico decides that all he can do is go back to Venice to share this tragic tale. |