Othello Retold In Plain and Simple English: A Modern Translation and the Original Version

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I accept your love,’ said Othello. ‘Not with a superficial gratitude, but completely. And I’m going to test you immediately. Let me within the next three days hear you say that Cassio’s not alive.’ Iago had to work fast. Every minute’s delay increased the risk that he would be exposed. He found Othello at his desk, where he sat brooding, and he introduced the subject immediately.

Supper was over and they all got up. Lodovico thanked Othello and was about to say goodnight when Othello invited him to take a walk on the battlements. Cassio had her. Ask your husband. If I hadn’t done this without just cause I would be damned to the lowest level of hell. Your husband knew everything.’ Good sir, be a man. Think of it like this, that all men are in the same situation. There are millions now alive who sleep every night with unfaithful women who they take to be faithful. You’re better off. Oh, it’s the spite of hell to have a woman in what one took to be a secure marriage bed and take for granted that she’s chaste. No, I would rather know, and knowing the situation I can decide what action to take.’ Most powerful, grave and revered signors,’ he began. ‘My very noble and good masters. It’s true that I have taken this old man’s daughter away. It’s true that I’ve married her. That’s the beginning and end of my offence. No more than that. I’m not a good speaker and not blessed with the soft words of diplomatic speech because, since the age of seven these arms have been employed in fighting wars. I can’t discuss any of the affairs of the world apart from those concerning feats of war, and so I won’t be able to help myself much by speaking on my own behalf. Nevertheless, with your patience I will deliver the plain, blunt story of the course of my love – what drugs, charms, magic I used for the crime I’m charged with, to win his daughter.’ And you have mercy on me too! I’ve never offended you in my life! I never loved Cassio except for what is acceptable. I never gave him any token.’

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Othello’s eyes widened. He was speechless. He raised his hand then stopped himself. All he could say was ‘Ha!’ Then he turned away. The fact that Iago immediately paints himself as the villain also prepares us to be sympathetic to Othello. Iago explains to Roderigo that he has no respect for Othello beyond what he has to show to further his own revenge: “I follow him to serve my turn upon him” (I.i. 42). Iago explicitly delights in his villainy, always tipping the audience off about his plotting. In these first two scenes, Iago tells Roderigo to shout beneath Brabanzio’s window and predicts exactly what will happen when they do so. Once Brabanzio has been roused, Iago also tells Roderigo where he can meet Othello. Because of the dramatic irony Iago establishes, the audience is forced into a position of feeling intimately connected with Iago’s villainy. Rubbish! What we can do, how we are, is up to ourselves. Our bodies are our gardens and our wills are gardeners. If we plant nettles or sow lettuce, whether we cultivate hyssop or weed out thyme, plant all one kind of herb or dilute it with many kinds, let it become sterile or fertilise it with hard work, all this depends on what we want to do. If the balance of our lives didn’t have a weight of reason to set against those weights of sensuality, the blood and natural bad that we have in our natures would take us to the most preposterous depths. But we do have reason to cool our raging emotions, our carnal desires and our unbridled lusts, which I take this – that you call love – to be.’

Gratiano wiped the tear that rolled down his cheek. ‘Poor Desdemona,’ he said. I’m glad your father’s dead – your marriage killed him, and pure grief cut his soul in two. If he were alive now, this sight would make him do something desperate. Yes, he would abandon the better side of himself and do some evil.’Really, I think it has. I hope you will understand that what I have said is because of my love for you.’ Othello tied to laugh again but failed. ‘But I can see it’s affected you,’ said Iago. ‘I’m asking you not to force me to tell you worse things, not to go beyond suspicion.’