Othello Script: Act 1 - Scene 3

IAGO = ALINE

RODERIGO = DENIZ

RODERIGO:

Iago.

IAGO:

What do you have to say, noble friend?

RODERIGO:

Did you not see what just occurred right in front of our our eyes?!  Othello and Desdemona just legally eloped! What do you think I should do?

IAGO:

Go to bed, and sleep.

RODERIGO [hiding from depression]:

no, I will incontinently drown myself.

IAGO [Roderigo is an Idiot]:

If you do that, I’ll never respect you again. Why, thou silly gentleman!

RODERIGO:

It is silliness to live when to live is torment. The only cure is death.

IAGO:

Oh, how stupid! I’ve been alive for twenty-eight years, and I’ve never met a man who knew what was good for him. I’d rather be a baboon than kill myself out of love for some woman I can’t have.

RODERIGO [outrage & shivering voice]:

What should I do? I know it’s foolish to be so much in love, but I can’t help it.

IAGO [“just do it / fed up” tone]:

Can’t help it? A Fig! 'Tis in ourselves that we are thus or thus. Our bodies are like gardens and our willpower is like the gardener. Depending on what we plant—nettles or sow lettuce, or one kind of herb rather than a variety, the garden will either be barren and useless, or rich and productive.

RODERIGO [outrage]:

This isn’t the time to be talking about your gardening problems, I have a hole in my heart that needs to be filled with Desdemona’s love.

IAGO [Hold & Calms Rogerigo]:
What I’m trying to say is, if we didn’t have rational minds to counterbalance our emotions and desires, our bodily urges would take over. We’d end up in ridiculous situations. Thankfully, we have reasons to cool our raging lusts. In my opinion, what you call love is just an offshoot of lust.

RODERIGO:

You’re questioning my perspective of love when you’re not doing so well yourself. In my opinion love is merely caring about someone so deeply that you put them before yourself and are willing to stand by them for the rest of your life. To me, love is about the emotional satisfaction. It's about true understanding and complete trust of another individual; binding your soul to theirs and wanting to give everything you have to them because you want the best for them and not for selfish reasons. Love is a form of…

IAGO [Cuts Roderigo Off]:

[Pathetic Tone] Roderigo spare me your tale of woe. You feel love because you feel lust, that’s simply it, you have no willpower. Come on, be a man. Drown yourself? Drowning is for cats or blind puppies—don’t drown yourself! I’ve told you I’m your friend, and I will stick by you. I’ve never been more useful to you than I will be now. [PAUSE] Here’s what you’ll do. Sell all your assets and your land, and turn it into cash. Desdemona can’t continue loving the Moor any more than he can continue loving her. She fell in love with him very suddenly, and they’ll break up just as suddenly. Moors are moody people.—So sell your lands and raise a lot of cash. What seems sweet to him now will soon turn bitter. She’ll dump Othello for a younger man. When she’s had enough of the Moor’s body, she’ll realize her mistake. She’ll need to have a new lover. She’ll have to have it. So have your money ready. If you want to go to hell, there are better ways to do it than killing yourself. Raise all the money you can. I can get the better of religion and a few flimsy vows between a misguided barbarian and a depraved Venetian girl. You’ll get to sleep with her—just put together some money. And to hell with drowning yourself! That’s completely beside the point. If you’re ready to die, you can risk death by committing crimes in an attempt to get the woman you want. Don’t just give up on her and drown yourself.

RODERIGO [Bribes With Money]:

Can I count on you if I wait to see what happens?

IAGO:

You can trust me. Go now and get cash. I told you before, and I’ll tell you again and again: I hate the Moor. I’m devoted to my cause of hating him, just as devoted as you are to yours. So let’s join forces and get revenge. If you seduce Desdemona and make a fool out of him, it’ll be fun for both of us. Many things may happen. Go get money. We’ll speak again tomorrow. Goodbye.

RODERIGO:

Where will we meet in the morning?

IAGO:

At my house.

RODERIGO:

I’ll be there early.

IAGO:
Go home. Goodbye. Oh, and one more thing...

RODERIGO:

What is it?

IAGO:

No more talk about killing yourself, okay?

RODERIGO:

I’ve changed my mind about that. Once when I get my Desdemona the only person that will be thinking about killing themselves will be Othello.

IAGO:

Go then, goodbye. Put a lot of cash together.

RODERIGO:

I’m going to sell all my land!

RODERIGO EXITS

IAGO:

[SNOBBY AND EGOTISTICAL] That’s how I always do it, getting money from fools. I’d be wasting my skills dealing with an idiot like that if I couldn’t get something useful out of him. [PAUSE] I hate the Moor, and there’s a widespread rumor that he’s slept with my wife. I’m not sure it’s true, but just the suspicion is enough for me. He thinks highly of me. That’ll help. Cassio’s a handsome man. Let’s see, how can I get his position and use him to hurt Othello at the same time? How? How? Let’s see. [PAUSE] After a while I’ll start telling Othello that Cassio is too intimate with Desdemona. Cassio is a smooth talker and a good-looking guy, the sort of man that people would expect to be a seducer. The Moor is open and straightforward. He thinks any man who seems honest is honest. People like that are easy to manipulate. So it’s all decided. I’ve worked it out. With a little help from the devil, I’ll bring this monstrous plan to success.

IAGO EXITS