William Shakespeare: Othello, Moor of Venice

ACT IV. 2. SCENE II. Cyprus. A Room in the Castle. (continued)

DESDEMONA.
What horrible fancy's this?

OTHELLO.
Some of your function, mistress, [To Emilia.]
Leave procreants alone and shut the door;
Cough, or cry hem, if anybody come.
Your mystery, your mystery;--nay, despatch.

[Exit Emilia.]

DESDEMONA.
Upon my knees, what doth your speech import?
I understand a fury in your words,
But not the words.

OTHELLO.
Why, what art thou?

DESDEMONA.
Your wife, my lord; your true and loyal wife.

OTHELLO.
Come, swear it, damn thyself;
Lest, being like one of heaven, the devils themselves
Should fear to seize thee: yherefore be double-damn'd.--
Swear thou art honest.

DESDEMONA.
Heaven doth truly know it.

OTHELLO.
Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.

DESDEMONA.
To whom, my lord? with whom? how am I false?

OTHELLO.
O Desdemona!--away! away! away!

DESDEMONA.
Alas the heavy day!--Why do you weep?
Am I the motive of these tears, my lord?
If haply you my father do suspect
An instrument of this your calling back,
Lay not your blame on me: if you have lost him,
Why, I have lost him too.

OTHELLO.
Had it pleas'd heaven
To try me with affliction; had they rain'd
All kinds of sores and shames on my bare head;
Steep'd me in poverty to the very lips;
Given to captivity me and my utmost hopes;
I should have found in some place of my soul
A drop of patience: but, alas, to make me
A fixed figure for the time, for scorn
To point his slow unmoving finger at!--
Yet could I bear that too; well, very well:
But there, where I have garner'd up my heart;
Where either I must live or bear no life,--
The fountain from the which my current runs,
Or else dries up; to be discarded thence!
Or keep it as a cistern for foul toads
To knot and gender in!--turn thy complexion there,
Patience, thou young and rose-lipp'd cherubin,--
Ay, there, look grim as hell!