Act 1 Scene 3
For thy escape would teach me tyranny, To hang clogs on them.75
DUKE 200
Let me speak like yourself, and lay a sentence,76 Which, as a grise77 Into your favour.
When remedies are past,78
or step, may help these lovers the griefs are ended
210
By seeing the worst, which late on hopes depended.79 To mourn a mischief that is past and gone Is the next way to draw new mischief on.80 What cannot be preserved when fortune takes, Patience her injury a mockery makes.81 The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief: He robs himself that spends a bootless grief.82
220
BRABANTIO So let the Turk of Cyprus us beguile:83 We lose it not, so long as we can smile. He bears the sentence well that nothing bears But the free comfort which from thence he hears.84 But he bears both the sentence and the sorrow That, to pay grief, must of poor patience borrow. These sentences, to sugar, or to gall, Being strong on both sides, are equivocal.85 But words are words. I never yet did hear That the bruised heart was pierced86
75 I have done, my lord.
Othello For thy escape…clogs on them:
Your escape from my household would teach me to be strict with any other children. I would weigh their feet down (‘hang clogs’)
76 Let me…sentence: Allow me to speak
like you and offer a proverb 77
solution 79
grise: a stage/a step in a stair 78 When…past: When there is no
the griefs….depended: the trouble ends when we accept that the worst has
happened and that our hopes are dashed 80
To mourn…mischief on: To dwell on a past trouble will only lead to fresh
trouble 81
Patience…makes: Acceptance of loss
helps us to cope with misfortune 82
The robbed…bootless grief: Smiling in the face of loss lessens the effect of misfortune. You do yourself no good if
you spend time in pointless grieving 83
the Turks to steal Cyprus from us 84
So let…beguile: If so, we should allow
He bears…hears: If you have no problems to bear, it is easy to listen to such proverbs
85
These sentences…equivocal: These proverbs can comfort or irritate. Their
through the ear. I humbly beseech you, proceed to the affairs of state.
DUKE The Turk with a most mighty preparation makes for Cyprus. Othello, the fortitude87
known to you – and though we have there a substitute88 of most allowed sufficiency,89
of the place is best yet opinion, a
sovereign mistress of effects, throws a more safer voice on you.90
slubber the gloss91 OTHELLO 230 The tyrant custom,93 most grave senators,
Hath made the flinty and steel couch of war My thrice-driven bed of down.94
I do agnize95
A natural and prompt alacrity96 I find in hardness, and do undertake These present wars against the Ottomites. Most humbly therefore bending to your state,
more stubborn and boisterous92
You must therefore be content to of your new fortunes with this expedition.
meaning is ambiguous 86
boil) pierced: lanced/cured (as in lanced a
87 fortitude: strength 88 substitute: deputy, i.e. Montano,
Governor of Cyprus 89
allowed sufficiency: a man
acknowledged as being very capable 90
you in charge 91
violent 93
94
yet opinion…on you: yet popular opinion, which ultimately decides such things, holds that we would be safer with
slubber the gloss: sully your new joy 92 stubborn and boisterous: rough and
tyrant custom: force of habit
flinty and steel…bed of down: sleeping in my armour on the battlefield
is like the softest feather bed for me 95
agnize: accept 96 alacrity: eagerness 27
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