Do you know, sirrah, where Lieutenant Cassio lies?
Do you know where Lieutenant Cassio is staying?
Hey, do you know where Cassio is?
where's cassio? where does he stay?
I dare not say he lies anywhere.
I can't say a soldier lies anywhere, ma'am.
I can't say a soldier lies, lady.
soldier can't say lies
Why, man?
What do you mean?
Huh?
what?
He’s a soldier; and for one to say a soldier lies is stabbing.
He's a soldier. And to say a soldier lies is insulting—it could lead to a fight.
He's a soldier. Saying a soldier lies is basically calling him a coward—that's fighting words.
soldier saying lies is stabbing fighting
Go to. Where lodges he?
Enough. Where does he lodge?
Come on. Where does he live?
cut the jokes where lodges he?
To tell you where he lodges is to tell you where I lie.
To tell you where he lodges is to tell you where I lodge—and I can't lie about my own lodging.
If I tell you where he lives, that's saying I live in the same place, and I can't make up lies about where I live.
he lodges = i lodge can't lie about self palindrome
Can anything be made of this?
Is there any way to get a straight answer from you?
Can you just answer a question straight?
straight answer? please
I know not where he lodges; and for me to devise a lodging, and say he
lies here, or he lies there, were to lie in mine own throat.
I genuinely don't know where he lives. And to make up an answer and tell you he lives here or there would be lying through my teeth.
I actually don't know where he lives. Making stuff up would be lying straight up.
don't know make up answer lie in throat
Can you inquire him out, and be edified by report?
Can you find him and ask where he's staying, then come back and tell me?
Can you just go find him and ask, then come tell me?
find him ask him come back tell me
I will catechize the world for him, that is, make questions and by them
answer.
I'll question everyone to find him—basically ask questions to get the answer I need.
I'll go ask around the whole place to find him.
question everyone find him ask around
Seek him, bid him come hither. Tell him I have moved my lord on his
behalf, and hope all will be well.
Go find him and tell him to come here. Tell him I've talked to my lord about him and I hope everything will work out.
Go get him and tell him to come here. Tell him I talked to my husband about him and everything's gonna be okay.
find cassio tell him come i moved my lord hope all well
To do this is within the compass of man’s wit, and therefore I will
attempt the doing it.
I can do that—it's within a man's ability to do such a thing.
Yeah, I can do that. That's doable.
can do it within compass will attempt
Where should I lose that handkerchief, Emilia?
Emilia, where do you think I could have lost that handkerchief?
Emilia, where'd I lose that handkerchief?
lose handkerchief where?
I know not, madam.
I don't know, ma'am.
I dunno.
don't know
Believe me, I had rather have lost my purse
Full of crusadoes. And but my noble Moor
Is true of mind and made of no such baseness
As jealous creatures are, it were enough
To put him to ill thinking.
Honestly, I'd rather have lost a purse full of gold coins. But my noble Othello is so honest and lacks the baseness of jealous men. If he weren't that way, losing this handkerchief would be enough to make him suspicious.
I'd rather lose a bag of gold. But my Othello's a good guy—he's not the jealous type. If he were, losing this would make him think bad things.
rather lose purse full of gold my noble moor trustworthy not jealous if he were this would trouble him
Is he not jealous?
He's not jealous?
He's not jealous?
not jealous?
Who, he? I think the sun where he was born
Drew all such humours from him.
Him? I think the sun where he was born drew all such jealous tendencies out of him.
Him? The sun where he was born burned all that jealousy out of him.
not him sun in his birthplace burned jealousy away
Look, where he comes.
Look, here he comes.
Here he comes.
he comes
I will not leave him now till Cassio
Be call’d to him. How is’t with you, my lord?
I won't leave you until Cassio is brought back to you. How are you, my lord?
I'm not leaving until Cassio comes back to you. How you doing, baby?
won't leave till cassio called how are you?
Well, my good lady. [_Aside._] O, hardness to dissemble!
How do you, Desdemona?
Well, my lady. How are you, Desdemona?
I'm good, babe. You good?
well how are you desdemona?
Well, my good lord.
Well, my lord.
Yeah, I'm good.
well
Give me your hand. This hand is moist, my lady.
Your hand please. I want to feel it.
Give me your hand.
hand feel it
It yet hath felt no age nor known no sorrow.
Here it is.
Here.
here
This argues fruitfulness and liberal heart.
Hot, hot, and moist. This hand of yours requires
A sequester from liberty, fasting and prayer,
Much castigation, exercise devout;
For here’s a young and sweating devil here
That commonly rebels. ’Tis a good hand,
A frank one.
Your hand is warm and moist. That shows a liberal, passionate heart. But it should be drier for a sign of virtue and control.
Your hand's wet and warm. That's the sign of a passionate heart. But a virtuous woman's hand should be dry and cool.
warm moist passionate should be dry virtue
You may indeed say so,
For ’twas that hand that gave away my heart.
You're frightening me with such talk. Is this about love? Or about something else?
You're scaring me. What are you talking about? Love or something else?
frightened what's this? love? something else?
A liberal hand. The hearts of old gave hands,
But our new heraldry is hands, not hearts.
Give me the handkerchief.
Give me the handkerchief.
handkerchief now
I cannot speak of this. Come now, your promise.
I don't have it with me right now. But I'll find it. Here, let me wipe your forehead—you're hot.
I don't have it right now. But I'll find it. Here, let me cool you down.
don't have will find let me help you're hot
The handkerchief story Othello tells in 3-4 — the Egyptian charmer, the hallowed silkworms, the virgin hearts — is at odds with what he said in Act 3 Scene 3, where he told Iago it was 'an antique token my father gave my mother.' Scholars have long debated whether Shakespeare made a mistake or intended the inconsistency. The more interesting reading is psychological: under pressure, Othello mythologizes. He cannot deal with a simple piece of cloth being lost, so he transforms it into a magical object with supernatural power over love. This is part of his character throughout the play — he lives in a world of heightened significance, of curses and charms and dramatic narrative. The same imagination that makes him a great storyteller (he won Desdemona with his tales) also makes him catastrophically vulnerable to Iago's more controlled imaginative assault.
What promise, chuck?
Don't touch me! The handkerchief!
Don't! Give me the handkerchief!
don't touch handkerchief
I have sent to bid Cassio come speak with you.
Why are you behaving like this? This frightens me. Tell me what's wrong.
Why are you acting like this? Tell me what's wrong!
why? frightened tell me what's wrong?
I have a salt and sorry rheum offends me.
Lend me thy handkerchief.
The handkerchief! Where is it? Where is it!
The handkerchief! Where is it?!
handkerchief where?
Here, my lord.
I don't know. But you're frightening me with this anger. Please, tell me what's the matter.
I don't know! But you're scaring me! Tell me what's wrong!
don't know scaring me please tell what's wrong?
That which I gave you.
I need that handkerchief. It's important.
I need it. It matters.
need it important
I have it not about me.
Fine, I'll go look for it now. But please, talk to me. Tell me what's bothering you. Why are you like this?
Okay, I'll go find it. But please, talk to me. What's going on?
go find it talk to me what's wrong? why?
Not?
I'll meet you later. Go.
Later. Go look.
later go find it
No, faith, my lord.
What is wrong with him? This isn't like him at all. I've never seen him like this. Emilia, did something happen while I was asleep?
What's his problem? That's not like him. I've never seen him like this. Did something happen?
what's wrong? not like him never seen what happened?
That is a fault. That handkerchief
Did an Egyptian to my mother give.
She was a charmer, and could almost read
The thoughts of people. She told her, while she kept it,
’Twould make her amiable and subdue my father
Entirely to her love. But if she lost it,
Or made a gift of it, my father’s eye
Should hold her loathed, and his spirits should hunt
After new fancies: 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,
Make it a darling like your precious eye.
To lose’t or give’t away were such perdition
As nothing else could match.
I don't know, but I suspect Iago has something to do with this. He's been whispering things to the general, and now Othello is acting strange.
I don't know, but I bet Iago's got something to do with this. He's been talking to Othello, and now he's acting weird.
don't know but iago whispering things othello strange
Is’t possible?
No, Iago is honest and good. He wouldn't do such a thing. No, it must be something else. Maybe Othello is just tired or stressed from his duties.
No, Iago's good. He wouldn't do that. It must be something else. Othello's probably just stressed from work.
iago honest good wouldn't hurt must be else stress from work
’Tis true. There’s magic in the web of it.
A sibyl, that had number’d in the world
The sun to course two hundred compasses,
In her prophetic fury sew’d the work;
The worms were hallow’d that did breed the silk,
And it was dyed in mummy, which the skillful
Conserv’d of maiden’s hearts.
I think you should find that handkerchief. He seems to care about it very much.
You should find that handkerchief. He really cares about it.
find handkerchief he cares very much
Indeed? Is’t true?
Really? Is it true?
Really? You're serious?
really is it true
Most veritable, therefore look to ’t well.
Absolutely true. So take care of it.
Completely true. So take care of it.
true look to it well
Then would to God that I had never seen ’t!
I wish to God I'd never seen it!
God, I wish I'd never seen it!
would to god i'd never seen it
Ha? wherefore?
Why? What do you mean?
Why? Why would you say that?
why wherefore
Why do you speak so startingly and rash?
Why are you speaking so harshly and carelessly?
Why are you talking so rough and fast?
why so startingly why so rash
Is’t lost? is’t gone? speak, is it out of the way?
Is it lost? Is it gone? Speak—is it gone?
Is it lost? Did you lose it? Tell me!
is it lost is it gone where is it
Heaven bless us!
God protect us!
God help us!
heaven bless us
Say you?
What?
What?
what
It is not lost, but what and if it were?
It's not lost. But what if it were?
It's not lost. But what if it was?
it is not lost but what if it were
How?
What?
What?
how
I say it is not lost.
I said it's not lost.
I said it's not lost.
not lost
Fetch’t, let me see ’t.
Get it. Let me see it.
Get it. Show me.
fetch it let me see it
Why, so I can, sir, but I will not now.
This is a trick to put me from my suit.
Pray you, let Cassio be receiv’d again.
I could, sir, but I won't. You're using this to distract me from asking about Cassio. Please, let Cassio come back to your favor.
I could get it, but I'm not going to. You're doing this to dodge the Cassio conversation. Come on, let Cassio back in.
i can but i won't it's a trick to put me from my suit let cassio be received
Fetch me the handkerchief! My mind misgives.
Get me the handkerchief! My heart is telling me something's wrong.
Get me that handkerchief! Something's not right.
handkerchief mind misgives
Come, come.
You’ll never meet a more sufficient man.
Come on, come on. You'll never meet a more capable man.
Come on. You've never met anyone better.
he's sufficient better man
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
handkerchief
I pray, talk me of Cassio.
Please, let's talk about Cassio.
Please, talk to me about Cassio.
talk me of cassio
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
handkerchief
A man that all his time
Hath founded his good fortunes on your love,
Shar’d dangers with you,—
A man whose whole life has been built on your love, who's shared every danger with you—
A guy whose whole life is based on you, who's risked everything with you—
man who founded fortune on your love shared dangers
Emilia's 'They are all but stomachs, and we all but food' speech is often read as comic cynicism, but it has a sharper edge. She is describing a structural inequality — men consume women and move on — from the inside of a marriage that exemplifies it. Iago treats Emilia as a servant and occasional tool; he will later kill her without compunction. Her cynicism is not philosophical posturing but lived knowledge. In 4-3 and 5-2 she will become the play's moral conscience, the one who refuses to keep quiet when the truth can still matter. This speech in 3-4 plants the seed: Emilia knows how the world works, and she is storing that knowledge until it becomes dangerous to use.
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
The handkerchief!
handkerchief
In sooth, you are to blame.
Honestly, you're wrong.
You're being unfair.
you are to blame
Away!
Go away!
Go!
away
Is not this man jealous?
Isn't this man jealous?
This guy's jealous as hell.
he is jealous
I ne’er saw this before.
Sure there’s some wonder in this handkerchief,
I am most unhappy in the loss of it.
I've never seen him act like this before. There's something strange about this handkerchief. I'm so unhappy I lost it.
I've never seen him like this. There's something weird about that handkerchief. I'm really upset I lost it.
never saw this before wonder in the handkerchief unhappy in the loss
’Tis not a year or two shows us a man:
They are all but stomachs and we all but food;
They eat us hungerly, and when they are full,
They belch us.
It takes time to know a man. They're all just stomachs and we're just food. They eat us hungrily, and when they're full, they spit us out.
A year or two isn't enough to know a guy. They're all appetite and we're food. They eat us up, and when they're full, they belch us out.
men are stomachs we are food they eat us then belch us
There is no other way; ’tis she must do ’t,
And, lo, the happiness! Go and importune her.
There's no other way. She has to do it. And look—luck is on our side! Go and persuade her.
That's the only way. She's gotta do it. And look how lucky—she'll say yes! Go ask her.
no other way she must do it happiness go importune her
How now, good Cassio, what’s the news with you?
Hello, Cassio! How are you?
Hey, Cassio! What's up?
hello cassio what's the news
Madam, my former suit: I do beseech you
That by your virtuous means I may again
Exist, and be a member of his love,
Whom I, with all the office of my heart,
Entirely honour. I would not be delay’d.
If my offence be of such mortal kind
That nor my service past, nor present sorrows,
Nor purpos’d merit in futurity,
Can ransom me into his love again,
But to know so must be my benefit;
So shall I clothe me in a forc’d content,
And shut myself up in some other course
To fortune’s alms.
Madam, I'm coming back to my original request. I beg you, by your goodness, to restore me so I can be part of his affection again. I honor him completely with all my heart. I don't want this to be delayed. If my offense is so serious that neither my past service, my current suffering, nor my future promise can earn me back his love, then at least let me know that, so I can accept it and move on to another life.
Ma'am, I'm back to where I started. I'm asking you to use your kindness to get me back with him. I honor him totally. I don't want to wait. If what I did is so bad that nothing—not my past work, not my current pain, not my future promise—can fix it, then just tell me so I can give up and move on.
restore me to his love i honor him don't delay me if i can't be restored let me know so i can move on
Alas, thrice-gentle Cassio,
My advocation is not now in tune;
My lord is not my lord; nor should I know him
Were he in favour as in humour alter’d.
So help me every spirit sanctified,
As I have spoken for you all my best,
And stood within the blank of his displeasure
For my free speech! You must awhile be patient.
What I can do I will; and more I will
Than for myself I dare. Let that suffice you.
Cassio, my dear friend, I wish I could help you now, but I can't. My husband isn't himself. I wouldn't recognize him if he looked different. I swear by all that's sacred, I've spoken for you with all my power, and I've stood in the direct line of his anger for speaking freely. You must be patient for a while. I'll do what I can, and I'll risk more than I would for myself. That will have to be enough.
Oh Cassio, dear Cassio, I can't help you right now. My husband's not himself. I wouldn't even know him if he looked different. I swear, I've done everything I can for you, and I've put myself in the line of fire. You gotta be patient. I'll do what I can, even risk more than I would for me. That's all I can offer.
my husband not himself would not know him i've spoken i've stood in blank of displeasure be patient i will do
Is my lord angry?
Is my lord angry?
Is he mad?
is my lord angry
He went hence but now,
And certainly in strange unquietness.
He left just now, and he's clearly very troubled.
He just left, and he's really upset.
he went hence now strange unquietness
Can he be angry? I have seen the cannon,
When it hath blown his ranks into the air
And, like the devil, from his very arm
Puff’d his own brother, and can he be angry?
Something of moment then. I will go meet him.
There’s matter in’t indeed if he be angry.
Can he be angry? I've seen cannons fire soldiers into the air, blow his own brother away like the devil itself, and he didn't flinch. For him to be angry now—something serious is happening. I'll go find him. If he's truly angry, something's very wrong.
Can he even get angry? I've seen cannons blow soldiers into pieces, blow his own brother away, and he didn't care. If he's angry now, something big is going on. I better go find him. If he's really angry, something's seriously wrong.
can he be angry i've seen cannon blow his ranks into air like the devil if he be angry there's matter in it
I prithee do so.
Yes, please do.
Yes, please.
do so
Bianca is introduced here not as a major character but as a mirror. She is jealous about the handkerchief — convinced it came from a rival — and she expresses that jealousy directly and proportionately. She doesn't plot murder; she argues, she withholds, she hands it back. Her jealousy is the ordinary human version of what Othello is experiencing at tragic scale. Shakespeare places Bianca here deliberately: she shows us what jealousy looks like when it doesn't have absolute power behind it. Othello has both the emotion and the capacity to act on it. Bianca has the emotion and is merely a woman in Cyprus. The difference between comedy and tragedy is often just power.
Pray heaven it be state matters, as you think,
And no conception nor no jealous toy
Concerning you.
I hope it's just state matters like you said, and not anything about jealousy concerning you.
Let's hope it's just political stuff, not him being jealous about you.
state matters not jealousy
Alas the day, I never gave him cause!
Alas, I never gave him any reason to be jealous!
I never gave him any reason!
i never gave him cause
But jealous souls will not be answer’d so;
They are not ever jealous for the cause,
But jealous for they are jealous: ’tis a monster
Begot upon itself, born on itself.
Jealous people don't need a reason. They're not jealous because of something you did. They're jealous because they're jealous. It's a monster that exists from itself and feeds on itself.
Jealous people don't need a reason. They're not jealous about what you do—they're jealous because they're jealous. It's a monster that just exists inside itself.
jealous for they are jealous monster begot upon itself born on itself
Heaven keep that monster from Othello’s mind!
God keep that monster away from Othello's mind!
God, keep that from happening to him!
keep monster from othello's mind
Lady, amen.
Yes, amen.
Amen.
amen
I will go seek him. Cassio, walk hereabout:
If I do find him fit, I’ll move your suit,
And seek to effect it to my uttermost.
I'll go look for him. Cassio, wait around here. If I find him in a receptive mood, I'll bring up your case and do everything I can to help.
I'm gonna find him. Cassio, hang around. If he's in a good mood, I'll mention you and do whatever I can.
i will go seek him walk hereabout i'll move your suit uttmost
I humbly thank your ladyship.
I thank you deeply, madam.
Thank you so much, ma'am.
thank you
Save you, friend Cassio!
Hello, Cassio!
Hey, Cassio!
cassio
What make you from home?
How is it with you, my most fair Bianca?
I’ faith, sweet love, I was coming to your house.
What brings you out? How are you, my beautiful Bianca? Sweet love, I was actually on my way to your house.
What are you doing here? How are you, gorgeous? Babe, I was heading to your place.
what make you from home how is it with you was coming to your house
And I was going to your lodging, Cassio.
What, keep a week away? Seven days and nights?
Eight score eight hours, and lovers’ absent hours,
More tedious than the dial eight score times?
O weary reckoning!
And I was going to yours. Why have you been away a whole week? Seven days and nights? One hundred sixty-eight hours? Lover's hours away feel longer than a clock showing that time one hundred sixty-eight times over. What exhaustion!
And I was coming to you. Why've you been gone a whole week? Seven days? All those hours? Time away from a lover lasts forever. I'm exhausted!
week away seven days and nights lovers' absent hours more tedious weary reckoning
Pardon me, Bianca.
I have this while with leaden thoughts been press’d,
But I shall in a more continuate time
Strike off this score of absence. Sweet Bianca,
Forgive me, Bianca. I've been heavy with dark thoughts, but soon I'll make this up to you. Sweet Bianca,
I'm sorry, Bianca. I've been really down, but I'll make it up to you soon. Babe,
pardon me leaden thoughts will strike off this score of absence
O Cassio, whence came this?
This is some token from a newer friend.
To the felt absence now I feel a cause.
Is’t come to this? Well, well.
Where did you get this? It's a gift from a new lover. Now I understand why you've been gone—you have a new woman! How did we get here? Well, well.
Where'd you get that? It's from a new girlfriend. So that's why you've been gone—you've got someone else. Seriously? Fine.
whence came this token from newer friend new lover how did this come to pass
Go to, woman!
Throw your vile guesses in the devil’s teeth,
From whence you have them. You are jealous now
That this is from some mistress, some remembrance.
No, in good troth, Bianca.
Woman, stop with your vile suspicions. How dare you throw them in the devil's face. You're being jealous now, thinking it's from another woman, some keepsake. No, I swear, Bianca.
Woman, stop. Put your gross ideas where they belong—in the devil's mouth. You're jealous, thinking it's from some other girl. No way, I swear.
throw vile guesses devil's teeth you are jealous from some mistress no good troth
Why, whose is it?
Whose is it then?
Then whose is it?
whose is it
I know not neither. I found it in my chamber.
I like the work well. Ere it be demanded,
As like enough it will, I’d have it copied.
Take it, and do ’t, and leave me for this time.
I don't know. I found it in my room. I like the pattern. Before it gets demanded from me, which it probably will, I'd like to have it copied. Take it and copy it for me, then leave.
I don't know. I found it in my room. I like the design. Before someone asks for it back—which they will—I want a copy. Take it, copy it, and then go.
found it in my chamber like the work have it copied take it do it leave me
Leave you, wherefore?
Why are you leaving?
Why are you going?
wherefore
I do attend here on the general,
And think it no addition, nor my wish,
To have him see me woman’d.
I'm here attending the general, and it wouldn't look good or be what I want—for him to see me with a woman.
I'm here with the general, and I don't want him to see me hanging around with a girl.
attend the general no addition no wish to have him see me woman'd
Why, I pray you?
Why?
Why?
why
Not that I love you not.
Not because I don't love you.
It's not that I don't like you.
i love you
But that you do not love me.
I pray you bring me on the way a little,
And say if I shall see you soon at night.
But you don't love me. Please, walk me a little way and tell me if I'll see you soon tonight.
But you don't love me. Come on, walk me partway and tell me if I'll see you later.
you do not love me bring me on way will i see you soon at night
’Tis but a little way that I can bring you,
For I attend here. But I’ll see you soon.
I can only walk you a short way because I'm on duty here. But I'll see you soon.
I can only walk you so far since I'm working. But I'll see you soon.
little way i can bring you attend here but i'll see you soon
’Tis very good; I must be circumstanc’d.
All right, I'll accept my circumstances.
Okay, I understand.
i must be circumstanc'd
The Reckoning
The scene in which Desdemona first feels the temperature change in her marriage — and cannot read it. She is still committed to helping Cassio, still innocent, still certain her husband's mood is passing. Her inability to understand what is happening is not stupidity; it is the complete absence of context. She does not know about Iago's insinuations, about the handkerchief being missing, about what it means. The gap between what she knows and what the audience knows is one of the most sustained stretches of painful dramatic irony in Shakespeare. And Bianca's arrival, with the handkerchief Iago planted, closes the trap.
If this happened today…
You lost a piece of jewelry your partner gave you on your first date — you have no idea where it is — and your partner asks about it with a strange, quiet intensity that makes no sense to you. You try to change the subject. The intensity grows. You leave the conversation bewildered and slightly frightened. Meanwhile, across town, someone is wearing the jewelry you lost and doesn't know how they got it.