No Fear Shakespeare
Othello
Act 3, Scene 1
Original Text | Modern Text | |
Enter CASSIO and
MUSICIANS
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CASSIO enters with
MUSICIANS. | |
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CASSIO
Masters, play here, I will content your pains.
Something that’s brief, and bid “Good
morrow, general.”
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CASSIO
Musicians, start playing here. I’ll pay you for your
trouble. Play something short that will put the general in a good
mood.
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They play. Enter CLOWN
| The MUSICIANS play. The
CLOWN enters. | |
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CLOWN
Why masters, have your instruments been in Naples, that they speak
i' th' nose thus?
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CLOWN
Your instruments all have a nasal twang. Have they been to Naples?
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MUSICIAN
How, sir? How?
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MUSICIAN
Excuse me?
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5 |
CLOWN
Are these, I pray you, wind instruments?
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CLOWN
Are these wind instruments?
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MUSICIAN
Ay, marry, are they, sir.
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MUSICIAN
Yes, they are.
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CLOWN
Oh, thereby hangs a tail.
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CLOWN
Oh, there’s the problem.
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MUSICIAN
Whereby hangs a tale, sir?
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MUSICIAN
What’s the problem?
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CLOWN
Marry sir, by many a wind instrument that I know. But, masters,
here’s money for you, and the general so likes your music
that he desires you, for love’s sake, to make no more
noise with it.
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CLOWN
Anyone full of hot air is a problem. But here’s some
money. The general likes your music a lot, but he asks you to stop
playing now.
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10 |
MUSICIAN
Well, sir, we will not.
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MUSICIAN
Well, we’ll stop, then.
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