Othello
by William Shakespeare

Publication date 2021-08-21
Usage Public Domain Mark 1.0Creative Commons Licensepublicdomain
Topics librivox, audiobooks, Shakespeare, classics
LibriVox recording of Othello by William Shakespeare.
Read in English by LibriVox Volunteers

Othello is a tragedy about the downfall of the titular hero, Othello, a Moorish general in the service of Venice. His cunning ensign, Iago, plots to goad his jealousy and thus manipulate his relationship with his wife, Desdemona, a noble and virtuous Venetian beauty whom he just married. (Summary by Junrui Zheng).

act one of othello this is a librivox recording all librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit librivox.org read by nicolas seducci a fellow by william shakespeare act one scene one venice a street enter rodrigo and iago rodrigo tash never tell me i take it much unkindly that thou iago who hast had my purse as if the strings were thine should know of this iago it's blood but you will not hear me if ever i did dream of such a matter abhor me rodrigo thou told me thou didst hold him and i hate iago despise me if i do not three great ones of the city in personal suit to make me his lieutenant of caps to him and by the faith of man i know my price i am worth no worse a place but he as loving his own pride and purposes evades them with a bombast circumstance horribly stuffed with epithets of war and in conclusion none suits my mediators for cert he says he i have already chose my officer and what was he forsooth a great arithmetician one michael cassio a florentine a fellow almost damned and a fair wife that never set a squadron in the field nor the division of a battle knows more than a spinster unless the bookish theoretic wherein the toad's consoles can propose as masterly as he mayor prattle without practice is all his soldiership but he sir had the election and i of whom his eyes had seen the proof at roads at cyprus and on other grounds christian and heathen must be bullied and calmed by debiter and creditor this counter-caster he in good time must his lieutenant be and i god bless the mark his more ships ancient

roderigo by heaven i rather would have been his hangman iago why there's no remedy tis the curse of service preferment goes by letter and affection and not by old gradation where each second stood there to the first now sir be judge yourself whether i in any just term emma find to love the more rodrigo i would not follow him then iago oh sir content you i follow him to serve my turn upon him we cannot all be masters nor all masters cannot be truly followed you shall mark many a duties and knee crooking nave that doting on his own obsequious bondage wears out his time much like his master's ass for not but provender and when he's old cashiered whip me such honest knaves others there are who trimmed in forms and visages of duty keep yet their hearts attending on themselves and throwing but shows of service on their lords do well thrive by them and when they have line their coats do themselves homage these fellows have some soul and such a one do i profess myself for sir it is as sure as you or rodrigo were i the more i would not be iago and following him i fall about myself heaven is my judge not i for love and duty but seeming so for my peculiar end for when my outward action doth demonstrate the native act and figure of my heart in compliment extern tis not long after but i will wear my heart upon my sleeve for dawes to peck at i am not what i am rodrigo what a full fortune does the thick lips owe if he can carry it with us iago call up her father rouse him make after him poison his delight proclaim him in the streets incense her kinsmen and though he had a fertile climate dwell plague him with flies though that is joy be joy yet throws such changes of vexation on as it may lose some color rodrigo here is her father's house i'll call aloud iago do with like timorous accent a dire yell as when by night to negligence the fire is spied in populous cities rodrigo what ho brabanteo

yago awake what ho bravantio thieves thieves look to your house your daughter in your bags thieves thieves robonteo appears above her window bravantia what is the reason of this terrible summons what is the matter there rodrigo senora is all your family within iago are your doors locked rabantio why wherefore ask you this iago sound sir you're robbed for shame put on your gown your heart has burst you have lost half your soul even now now very now an old black ram is topping your white ewe arise arise awake the snorting citizens with the bell or else the devil will make a grand sire of you arise i say

what have you lost your wits rodrigo most reverence in your do you know my voice brabantio not i what are you rodrigo my name is rodrigo bravantio the worst are welcome i have charged thee not to haunt about my doors in honest plainness thou hast heard me say my daughter is not for thee and now in madness being full of supper and distempering drafts upon malicious bravery dost thou come to start my quiet but we go sir sir sir drabantio but thou must needs be sure my spirit to my place having them power to make this bitter to thee rodrigo patience good sir bravantio what tells me of robbing this is venice my house is not a grange

in simple and pure soul i come to you yaga zounds sir you're one of those that will not serve god if the devil bid you because we come to do you service and you think we are ruffians you'll have your daughter covered with a barbary horse you'll have your nephew's name to you you'll have your coursers for cousins and genets for germans brabantio what profane wretch art thou iago i am one sir that comes to tell you your daughter and the moore are now making the beast with two backs robotio thou art a villain iago you are a senator brabantia this thou shalt answer i know thee rodrigo rodrigo sir i will answer anything but i beseech you if to be your pleasure and most wise consent as partly i find it is that your fair daughter at this odd even and dull watch of the night transported with no worse nor better guard but with a knave of a common hire a gondolier to the gross class of a levatious moor if this be known to you and your allowance we then have done you bold and saucy wrongs but if you know not this my manners tell me we have your wrong rebuke do not believe that from the sense of all civility i thus would play and trifle with your reverence your daughter if you have not given her leave i say again hath made a gross revolt tying her duty beauty wit and fortunes in an extravagant and wheeling stranger of here and everywhere straight satisfy yourself if she be in her chamber or your house let loose me the justice of the state for thus deluding you provential strike on the tinder ho give me a taper call up all my people this accident is not unlike my dream belief of it oppresses me already light i say light exit from above iago farewell for i must leave you it seems not me nor wholesome to my place to be produced as if i stay i shall against the moor for i do know the state however this may gall him with some check cannot with safety cast him for he's embarked with such loud reason to the cypress wars which even now stand in act that for their souls another of his fathom they have none to lead their business in which regard though i do hate him as i do hell pains yet for necessity of present life i must show out a flag in the sign of love which is indeed but sign that you shall surely find him lead to the sagittari the raised search and there will i be with him so farewell exit enter brabantia with servants and torches brabanteo it is too true and evil gone she is and what's to come of my despised time is not but bitterness now rodrigo where did thou see her oh unhappy girl with the more says thou who would be a father how did thou know twas she oh she deceives me past thought what said she to you get more tapers raise all my kindred are they married thank you but regrow truly i think they are rabontil oh heaven how got she out oh treason of the blood fathers from hence trust not your daughter's minds by what you see them act is there not charms by which the property of youth and maidhood may be abused have you not read rodrigo of some such thing roderigo yes sir i have indeed berbantio call up my brother oh would you had had her some one way some another do you know where we may apprehend her in the more but we go i think i can discover him if you please to get good guard and go along with me prabantia pray you lead on at every house i'll call i may command it most get weapons whole and raise some special officers of night on good rodrigo i will deserve your pains exalt scene 2 venice another street enter othello iago and attendance with torches iago though in the trade of war i have slain men yet i do hold it very stuff of the conscience to do no contrived murder i lack iniquity sometimes to do me service nine or ten times i had thought to have jerked him here under the ribs othello tis better as it is iago nay but he prayed and spoke such scurvy and provoking terms against your honor that with the little godliness i have i did full heart forbear him but i pray you sir are you fast married be assured of this that the magnifico is much beloved and hath in his effect of always potential as double as the dukes he will divorce you or put upon what restraint and grievance the law with all his might to enforce it on will give him cable othello let him do his spite my services which i have done the signori shall out-tongue his complaints tis yet to know which when i know that boasting is an honor i shall promulgate i fetch my life and being from men of royal siege and my demerits may speak unbounded to as proud of fortune as this that i have reached for no iago but that i love the gentle desdemona i would not my unhoused free condition put into circumscription and confine for th