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Othello
Othello

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Othello is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/42 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Iago.
Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.
Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.
This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.
Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
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/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Othello

Chapter V · Chapter 5

Chapter 5 of Othello is here in full — 210 sentences across 42 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/42 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Iago.
/iˈɑːɡoʊ/
Line 2
Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.
Line 3
Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.
Line 4
This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.
Line 5
Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

clamour verb US /ˈklæmər/

utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

From this reading “Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.”

crying adjective US /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading “This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.”

execute verb US /ˈeksəkjuːt/

kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment

From this reading “This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.”

fright noun US /fraɪt/

an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading “Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.”

Iago noun US /iˈɑːɡoʊ/

the villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife

From this reading “Iago.”

pause noun US /pɔːz/

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

From this reading “Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.”

pursue verb US /pərˈsuː/

carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in

From this reading “Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.”

Steppes noun US /steps/

plural of “steppe” — extensive plain without trees (associated with eastern Russia and Siberia)

From this reading “Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.”

All words in this reading · 72

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

Cassio

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

clamourverbUS /ˈklæmər/

utter or proclaim insistently and noisily

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

comesnounUS /kʌmz/

plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

cryingadjectiveUS /ˈkraɪɪŋ/

demanding attention

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

cutverbUS /kʌt/

separate with or as if with an instrument

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

determin'd

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

entreats

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

executeverbUS /ˈeksəkjuːt/

kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

fallverbUS /fɔːl/

descend in free fall under the influence of gravity

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

fellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

FellownounUS /ˈfeloʊ/

a boy or man

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

frightnounUS /fraɪt/

an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

Generall

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

GentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

haue

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

helpe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

IagonounUS /iˈɑːɡoʊ/

the villain in William Shakespeare's tragedy who tricked Othello into murdering his wife

From this reading Iago.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

LeastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

Michaell

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

Montano

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

mouthnounUS /maʊθ/

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

neere

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

offencenoun

the action of attacking an enemy

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

pausenounUS /pɔːz/

a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

perswade

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

pursueverbUS /pərˈsuː/

carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

selfe

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

Shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

SirnounUS /sɜːr/

term of address for a man

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

speake

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

SteppesnounUS /steps/

plural of “steppe” — extensive plain without trees (associated with eastern Russia and Siberia)

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

SwordnounUS /sɔːrd/

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

ThenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

TouchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

From this reading Touch me not so neere, I had rather haue this tongue cut from my mouth, Then it should do offence to Michaell Cassio.

Towne

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Sir, this Gentleman, Steppes in to Cassio, and entreats his pause: My selfe, the crying Fellow did pursue, Least by his clamour (as it so fell out) The Towne might fall in fright.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

vpon

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This it is Generall: Montano and my selfe being in speech, There comes a Fellow, crying out for helpe, And Cassio following him with determin'd Sword To execute vpon him.

wrongadjectiveUS /rɔːŋ/

not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet I perswade my selfe, to speake the truth Shall nothing wrong him.

Chapter 5 of Othello by William Shakespeare holds 210 sentences, grouped into 42 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 5 of Othello contain?

Chapter 5 holds 210 sentences of Othello, unabridged, divided into 42 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 5 of Othello by William Shakespeare exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 210 sentences, grouped into 42 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 5 of Othello?

Work through the 42 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 42 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 5 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 5 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Othello

Common questions about reading Othello by William Shakespeare on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Othello?

Yes. All 1870 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1127 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Othello is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1127, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Othello take to read?

About 155 minutes of reading across 374 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Othello section by section

How to work through Othello section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 9 chapters of Othello to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Othello

Words and structures a reader meets early in Othello, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Addition
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Othello; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Notes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Othello; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Below
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Othello; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Think
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Othello; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.