Act 1 Scene 3


love himself. Ere I would say I would drown myself for the love of a guinea-hen,123


I would change my humanity with


a baboon.124 RODERIGO


What should I do? I confess it is my shame to be so fond, but it is not in my virtue to amend it.


IAGO Virtue? A fig!125


320 ’Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus.


Our bodies are our gardens, to the which our wills are gardeners. So that if we will plant nettles, or sow lettuce, set hyssop126 gender127


and weed up thyme, supply it with one


of herbs, or distract it with many – either to have it sterile with idleness, or manured with industry128 the power and corrigible authority129


– why, of this lies in our


wills. If the balance of our lives had not one scale of reason to poise another of sensuality, the blood and baseness of our natures would conduct us to most preposterous conclusions.130


330 motions, our carnal stings,131


RODERIGO It cannot be. IAGO


It is merely a lust of the blood and a permission of the will.133


I could never better stead135


Come, be a man! Drown thyself! Drown cats and blind puppies! I have professed me thy friend and I confess me knit to thy deserving with cables of perdurable toughness.134


thee than now.


Put money in thy purse; follow thou the wars; defeat thy favour with an usurped beard;136


I say, put money in thy 340


purse. It cannot be that Desdemona should long continue her love to the Moor – put money in thy purse – nor he his to her. It was a violent commencement, and thou shalt see an answerable sequestration137


– put but money in thy


purse. These Moors are changeable in their wills – fill thy purse with money. The food that to him now is as luscious as locusts,138 coloquintida.139 sated140


350 shall be to him shortly as bitter as She must change for youth: when she is


with his body, she will find the error of her choice. She must have change, she must, therefore put money in thy purse. If thou wilt needs damn thyself, do it a more delicate way than drowning. Make all the money thou canst. If sanctimony and a frail vow betwixt an erring


But we have reason to cool our raging our unbitted lusts, whereof I


take this that you call love to be a sect or scion.132


prostitute 124


Othello 123 guinea-hen: a showy bird, i.e. a


Ere I would…baboon: I’d rather be a monkey than say I’d drown myself for a woman. Baboons were thought to be very lecherous monkeys


125 A fig!: So what!


126 hyssop: a type of herb 127 gender: type


128 manured with industry: developed


with hard work 129


correct 130


corrigible authority: the power to


If the balance…conclusions: If we didn’t have reason to counterbalance our passionate impulses, we would be led to


disaster 131


132 carnal stings: sexual desires


sect or scion: cutting or shoot (of a plant). Iago presents love as growing out of sexual desire


133 permission of the will: lack of


willpower 134


I confess…toughness: I pledge myself tied to your cause with


unbreakable ropes 135


stead: help 136


defeat…beard: ruin your appearance with a fake beard


137


It was…sequestration: Their relationship started suddenly and will end just as quickly


138 locusts: the sweet fruit of the Carob


tree 139


coloquintida: a bitter fruit 140 sated: satisfied


31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224