William Shakespeare: Othello, Moor of Venice

ACT III. 3. SCENE III. Cyprus. The Garden of the Castle. (continued)

OTHELLO.
He did, from first to last: why dost thou ask?

IAGO.
But for a satisfaction of my thought;
No further harm.

OTHELLO.
Why of thy thought, Iago?

IAGO.
I did not think he had been acquainted with her.

OTHELLO.
O, yes; and went between us very oft.

IAGO.
Indeed!

OTHELLO.
Indeed! ay, indeed:--discern'st thou aught in that?
Is he not honest?

IAGO.
Honest, my lord!

OTHELLO.
Honest! ay, honest.

IAGO.
My lord, for aught I know.

OTHELLO.
What dost thou think?

IAGO.
Think, my lord!

OTHELLO.
Think, my lord!
By heaven, he echoes me,
As if there were some monster in his thought
Too hideous to be shown.--Thou dost mean something:
I heard thee say even now,--thou lik'dst not that,
When Cassio left my wife. What didst not like?
And when I told thee he was of my counsel
In my whole course of wooing, thou criedst, "Indeed!"
And didst contract and purse thy brow together,
As if thou then hadst shut up in thy brain
Some horrible conceit: if thou dost love me,
Show me thy thought.

IAGO.
My lord, you know I love you.

OTHELLO.
I think thou dost;
And,--for I know thou'rt full of love and honesty
And weigh'st thy words before thou giv'st them breath,--
Therefore these stops of thine fright me the more:
For such things in a false disloyal knave
Are tricks of custom; but in a man that's just
They're close delations, working from the heart,
That passion cannot rule.

IAGO.
For Michael Cassio,
I dare be sworn I think that he is honest.