Act 3 Scene 4 DESDEMONA


50


No, indeed, my lord. OTHELLO


That’s a fault. That handkerchief Did an Egyptian to my mother give. She was a charmer,28


Entirely to her love. But if she lost it Or made gift of it, my father’s eye Should hold her loathed30 After new fancies.31


60 and could almost read


The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it, ’Twould make her amiable29


and subdue my father and his spirits should hunt She, dying, gave it me


And bid me, when my fate would have me wive, To give it her. I did so – and take heed on’t:32 Make it a darling33


like your precious eye.


To lose’t or give’t away were such perdition34 As nothing else could match.


DESDEMONA Is’t possible?


OTHELLO ’Tis true: there’s magic in the web35 A sibyl36


70 Conserved42 DESDEMONA Indeed! Is’t true? OTHELLO Most veritable44 DESDEMONA


Then would to God that I had never seen’t! OTHELLO


Ha! Wherefore? DESDEMONA


Why do you speak so startingly45 and rash?


OTHELLO Is’t lost? Is’t gone? Speak, is it out o’ the way?


98 45 startingly: jumpily . Therefore look to’t well. 44 veritable: true


The worms were hallowed39 And it was dyed in mummy40 of maidens’43


of it.


, that had numbered in the world The sun to course two hundred compasses,37 In her prophetic fury38


sewed the work.


that did breed the silk, which the skilful41


hearts.


35 web: weave 36 sibyl: witch


37


that had numbered…compasses: who had been in the world for 200 revolutions of the sun around the world,


i.e. 200 years old 38


bodies 41


prophetic fury: predictive trance 39 hallowed: sacred


40 mummy: liquid made from mummified skilful: skilled people


42 conserved: made from 43 maidens: virgins


28 charmer: witch 29 amiable: lovable


Othello


30 loathed: hated 31 new fancies: new women


32 take heed on’t: take note 33 darling: prized possession 34 perdition: damnation


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