Othello

Act 3 Scene 3

Original Text	Modern Text
Enter DESDEMONA, CASSIO, and EMILIA	DESDEMONA, CASSIO and EMILIA enter.
DESDEMONA Be thou assured, good Cassio, I will do All my abilities in thy behalf.	DESDEMONA I’ll do everything I can for you, Cassio.
EMILIA Good madam, do. I warrant it grieves my husband As if the cause were his.	EMILIA Please do, madam. My husband’s so upset about Cassio’s problem you’d think it was his own.
DESDEMONA 5Oh, that’s an honest fellow. Do not doubt, Cassio, But I will have my lord and you again As friendly as you were.	DESDEMONA Your husband’s such a good man. Don’t worry, Cassio. I’m sure you and my husband will be as friendly as you were before.
CASSIO Bounteous madam, Whatever shall become of Michael Cassio, He’s never anything but your true servant.	CASSIO My dear beautiful lady, whatever happens to Michael Cassio, he’ll always be your humble servant.
DESDEMONA 10I know ’t, I thank you. You do love my lord. You have known him long, and be you well assured He shall in strangeness stand no farther off Than in a polite distance.	DESDEMONA I know that. Thank you. You’re my husband’s friend and you’ve known him a long time. I assure you the only reason he’s keeping away from you now is political.
CASSIO Ay, but, lady, That policy may either last so long, 15Or feed upon such nice and waterish diet, Or breed itself so out of circumstances, That, I being absent and my place supplied, My general will forget my love and service.	CASSIO Yes, my lady. But those political considerations might last such a long time that the general will forget my love and service, especially if I’m gone and someone else has my job.
DESDEMONA Do not doubt that. Before Emilia here 20I give thee warrant of thy place. Assure thee, If I do vow a friendship, I’ll perform it To the last article. My lord shall never rest, I’ll watch him tame and talk him out of patience.	DESDEMONA That’ll never happen. Emilia here will be my witness: I promise you that you’ll get your position back again. And if I promise to help someone, I do everything I can. My husband will never get a moment’s rest, I’ll keep him up at night talking about you until he runs out