To him, it's almost a judicial killing - it's
an execution. Or later on he characterises
it as a 'sacrifice'. It does have the feeling
of somebody talking to himself; perhaps needing
to justify this to himself. Together, they
were complete and made each other whole.
What's wonderful about this, truthful about
it, is how inconsistently these people behave,
and I think that's the case with Emilia as
well. And I think that's the way Shakespeare
taps into these tragic experiences - where
people aren't in control of how their 'ends'
happen.
Try and make it, as you said, about the adversarial,
the judicial thing - this is justice.
OTHELLO
So sweet was ne'er so fatal. I must weep,
But they are cruel tears: this sorrow's heavenly;
It strikes where it doth love. She wakes.
DESDEMONA
Who's there? Othello?
OTHELLO
Ay. Desdemona.
DESDEMONA
Will you come to bed, my lord?
OTHELLO
Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA
Ay, my lord.
OTHELLO
If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.
DESDEMONA
Alas, my lord, what do you mean by that?
OTHELLO
Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul.
DESDEMONA
Talk you of killing?
OTHELLO
Ay, I do.
DESDEMONA
Then heaven
Have mercy on me!
OTHELLO
Amen, with all my heart!
DESDEMONA
If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.
OTHELLO
Hum!
DESDEMONA
And yet I fear you; why I should fear I know
not,
Since guiltiness I know not; but yet I feel
I fear.
OTHELLO
Think on thy sins.
DESDEMONA
They are the loves I bear to you.
OTHELLO
Ay, and for that thou diest.
DESDEMONA
That death's unnatural that kills for loving.
OTHELLO
Peace, and be still!
Just do that again - can I just ask you to
do one thing - take out these - play the time.
You don't want to give her space, (do it and
be brief because we need to get on here),
Protect this, on the chair thing, even if
she gets up off the chair, bam, no, stay in
the chair. So we'll play the time thing with
it.
OTHELLO
She wakes.
DESDEMONA
Who's there? Othello?
OTHELLO
Ay. Desdemona.
DESDEMONA
Will you come to bed, my lord?
OTHELLO
Have you pray'd to-night, Desdemona?
DESDEMONA
Ay, my lord.
OTHELLO
If you bethink yourself of any crime
Unreconciled as yet to heaven and grace,
Solicit for it straight.
DESDEMONA
Alas, my lord, what do you mean by that?
OTHELLO
Well, do it, and be brief; I will walk by:
I would not kill thy unprepared spirit;
No; heaven forfend! I would not kill thy soul.
DESDEMONA
Talk you of killing?
OTHELLO
Ay, I do.
DESDEMONA
Then heaven
Have mercy on me!
OTHELLO
Amen, with all my heart!
DESDEMONA
If you say so, I hope you will not kill me.
OTHELLO
Hum!
DESDEMONA
And yet I fear you; why I should fear I know
not,
Since guiltiness I know not; but yet I feel
I fear.
OTHELLO
Think on thy sins.
DESDEMONA
They are the loves I bear to you.
OTHELLO
Ay, and for that thou diest.
DESDEMONA
That death's unnatural that kills for loving.
OTHELLO
Peace, and be still!
DESDEMONA
I will so. What's the matter?
OTHELLO
That handkerchief which I so loved and gave
thee
Thou gavest to Cassio.
DESDEMONA
No, by my life and soul!
Send for the man, and ask him.
OTHELLO
Sweet soul, take heed,
Take heed of perjury; thou art on thy deathbed.
DESDEMONA
Ay, but not yet to die.
OTHELLO
Yes, presently:
Therefore confess thee freely of thy sin;
It's interesting how, 'what's the matter?'
the simplest question, you express is so simply,
and then you tell her. You finally tell her,
and so there's a possibility, isn't there,
of something else, and there was almost a
relief. But that's wrong, she knows it's wrong.
OTHELLO
Honest Iago hath ta'en order for't.
DESDEMONA
O! my fear interprets: what, is he dead?
OTHELLO
Had all his hairs been lives, my great revenge
Had stomach for them all.
DESDEMONA
Alas! he is betray'd and I undone.
OTHELLO
Out, strumpet! weep'st thou for him to my
face?
DESDEMONA
O, banish me, my lord, but kill me not!
OTHELLO
Down, strumpet!
DESDEMONA
Kill me to-morrow: let me live to-night!
OTHELLO
Nay, if you strive--
DESDEMONA
But half an hour!
OTHELLO
Being done, there is no pause.
DESDEMONA
But while I say one prayer!
OTHELLO
It is too late.
So what is it then, that really 'snapped'
you, in terms of action, in terms of going
in for the kill?
Just the fact that she seems to show some
kind of remorse, not for what the injury that
she's done to me, but for the fact that Cassio,
we believe, has been killed.
So how weeping for Cassio, and for herself,
'I am undone' - it's not just you being undone,
it feels to me like it's, everything is undone.
And all you want then is time. So banish me,
kill me tomorrow?
Half an hour!
Just half an hour, and what's the final thing
you say?
Let me say one prayer.
Now you see, now that's incredibly insightful.
That final moment is so simple and so awful.
All she wants is just the space to hold on
to life for a little longer, just for another
moment, for half an hour - to say one more
prayer; which is the thing that he promised
her at the beginning of the scene.
