The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated) (970 page)

We cannot all be masters, nor all masters

After all, we cannot all be leaders, and leaders

Cannot be truly follow'd. You shall mark

Cannot all be followed. Take note

Many a duteous and knee-crooking knave,

Of the servant who bows and does his duty,

That, doting on his own obsequious bondage,

Who fully attend to their obedience, their slavery,

Wears out his time, much like his master's ass,

And in the end is worn out like his master’s donkey,

For nought but provender, and when he's old, cashier'd:

Both working for nothing but their food, and then terminated when too old.

Whip me such honest knaves. Others there are

We should punish such obedient servants. But there are others

Who, trimm'd in forms and visages of duty,

Who know how to give the appearance of obedience

Keep yet their hearts attending on themselves,

While focusing on themselves.

And, throwing but shows of service on their lords,

They give a performance of doing their duty to their masters

Do well thrive by them and when they have lined their coats

And in reality prosper by quietly stealing

Do themselves homage: these fellows have some soul;

And thus working for themselves. Servants like this are gutsy and bold,

And such a one do I profess myself. For, sir,

And I admit I am one like that. To be sure,

It is as sure as you are Roderigo,

As sure as your name is Roderigo,

Were I the Moor, I would not be Iago:

If I were in the Moor’s position, I would not want to switch places with Iago.

In following him, I follow but myself;

By serving him, I am really serving myself –

Heaven is my judge, not I for love and duty,

God knows I do not serve him for love or duty,

But seeming so, for my peculiar end:

But just make it look like that while serving my own goals.

For when my outward action doth demonstrate

If I ever act in such a way

The native act and figure of my heart

That shows my inner self

In compliment extern, 'tis not long after

Then before long I would be in danger:

But I will wear my heart upon my sleeve

One who wears his heart on his sleeve

For daws to peck at: I am not what I am.

Leaves it open for birds to peck at it. I am not who I appear to be.

RODERIGO

What a full fortune does the thicklips owe

That thick-lipped Moor is lucky

If he can carry't thus!

If he can go through with this!

IAGO

Call up her father,

Speaking of which, call after her father

Rouse him: make after him, poison his delight,

And wake him. Annoy him, spoil his happiness,

Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen,

Shout at him in the streets, anger his and his daughter’s family

And, though he in a fertile climate dwell,

Until it seems like, though he lives in a temperate climate,

Plague him with flies: though that his joy be joy,

He is plagued with flies. Though his joy may be real,

Yet throw such changes of vexation on't,

If it changes because of the confusions we put on it,

As it may lose some colour.

It may lose some of its brightness.

RODERIGO

Here is her father's house; I'll call aloud.

Here is her father’s house; I’ll call for him.

IAGO

Do, with like timorous accent and dire yell

Do it as if you are frightened and yell

As when, by night and negligence, the fire

As if a fire started from negligence at night

Is spied in populous cities.

Has been spotted in a city full of people.

RODERIGO

What, ho, Brabantio! Signior Brabantio, ho!

Brabantio! Mister Brabantio, hey!

IAGO

Awake! what, ho, Brabantio! thieves! thieves! thieves!

Wake up, Brabantio! Thieves are in your house!

Look to your house, your daughter and your bags!

Look around you and protect your daughter and your possessions!

Thieves! thieves!

Thieves! Thieves!

BRABANTIO appears above, at a window

BRABANTIO

What is the reason of this terrible summons?

Why are you shouting all of this?

What is the matter there?

What is the matter?

RODERIGO

Signior, is all your family within?

Sir, if your family at home?

IAGO

Are your doors lock'd?

And have you locked your doors?

BRABANTIO

Why, wherefore ask you this?

Why? Tell me why you are asking.

IAGO

'Zounds, sir, you're robb'd; for shame, put on your gown;

For God’s sake, sir, you have been robbed! Put your nightgown on.

Your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul;

Your heart is broken and you have lost a part of your soul

Even now, now, very now, an old black ram

For now, right now, a black ram

Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise;

Is riding your white female sheep. Get up, get up;

Awake the snorting citizens with the bell,

Wake up the sleeping people with the bell

Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you:

Or it will be too late and the devil will give you grandchildren.

Arise, I say.

Get up, I say.

BRABANTIO

What, have you lost your wits?

Have you gone crazy?

RODERIGO

Most reverend signior, do you know my voice?

My respected sir, do you recognize my voice?

BRABANTIO

Not I what are you?

No, who are you?

RODERIGO

My name is Roderigo.

I am Roderigo.

BRABANTIO

The worser welcome:

Even worse:

I have charged thee not to haunt about my doors:

I have asked you not to come near my house

In honest plainness thou hast heard me say

And very honestly told you

My daughter is not for thee; and now, in madness,

That my daughter is not for you. Now, as if you are crazy,

Being full of supper and distempering draughts,

After dinner and likely drunk

Upon malicious bravery, dost thou come

With the evil courage a drunkard has, you come here

To start my quiet.

And disturb me.

RODERIGO

Sir, sir, sir,--

Sir, sir, sir–

BRABANTIO

But thou must needs be sure

Let me be clear:

My spirit and my place have in them power

I have the desire and the connections that can

To make this bitter to thee.

Make this turn out very poorly for you.

RODERIGO

Patience, good sir.

Please wait, good sir.

BRABANTIO

What tell'st thou me of robbing? this is Venice;

Why are you telling me my house is being robbed? This is Venice –

My house is not a grange.

I do not live out in the country.

RODERIGO

Most grave Brabantio,

Respectable Brabantio,

In simple and pure soul I come to you.

I have come with pure intentions and a simple message.

IAGO

'Zounds, sir, you are one of those that will not

For God’s sake, sir, you are so stubborn that you will not

serve God, if the devil bid you. Because we come to

turn to God if even the devil asks you to. We come

do you service and you think we are ruffians, you'll

for your benefit and yet you think we are troublemakers;

have your daughter covered with a Barbary horse;

so instead of listening, an African horse will mount your daughter.

you'll have your nephews neigh to you; you'll have

Your nephews will neigh at you, you will have

coursers for cousins and gennets for germans.

racing horses for cousins, and all of your close relatives will become horses.

BRABANTIO

What profane wretch art thou?

Who are you, you rude pervert?

IAGO

I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter

I am someone, sir, who has come to you to tell you that your daughter

and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

and the Moor general are having sex, like animals.

BRABANTIO

Thou art a villain.

You are an evil person.

IAGO

You are--a senator.

And you are a senator and statesman.

BRABANTIO

This thou shalt answer; I know thee, Roderigo.

Since I know you, Roderigo, you must respond to this.

RODERIGO

Sir, I will answer any thing. But, I beseech you,

Sir, I will tell you anything. But, please,

If't be your pleasure and most wise consent,

If you are pleased and contented with this arrangement,

As partly I find it is, that your fair daughter,

As I think you might be, that your beautiful daughter

At this odd-even and dull watch o' the night,

At this late hour of the night,

Transported, with no worse nor better guard

Has left with no regular guard

But with a knave of common hire, a gondolier,

But with just hired commoner, a boatman,

To the gross clasps of a lascivious Moor--

To the disgusting embrace of the lustful Moor – 

If this be known to you and your allowance,

If you already know this and are allowing it

We then have done you bold and saucy wrongs;

Then we have done you a very great evil in coming here.

But if you know not this, my manners tell me

But if you do not know this, I think

We have your wrong rebuke. Do not believe

You are wrongly accusing us. You should not think

That, from the sense of all civility,

That, opposite of any sort of politeness,

I thus would play and trifle with your reverence:

I would disturb you and mess with you.

Your daughter, if you have not given her leave,

Your daughter, if you have not allowed her to leave,

I say again, hath made a gross revolt;

I will repeat, has disgustingly rebelled against you

Tying her duty, beauty, wit and fortunes

By giving her respect, beauty, intelligence, and wealth

In an extravagant and wheeling stranger

To an extravagant and tricky man who is a stranger

Of here and every where. Straight satisfy yourself:

Here and everywhere. Now see for yourself:

If she be in her chamber or your house,

If she is still in her room or in your house,

Let loose on me the justice of the state