Original: Touch me not so near:
Modern: Don’t hit me where it hurts:

Original: I had rather have this tongue cut from my mouth
Modern: I’d rather have my tongue cut out

Original: Than it should do offence to Michael Cassio;
Modern: Than say anything that would hurt Michael Cassio;

Original: Yet, I persuade myself, to speak the truth
Modern: But I convince myself that telling the truth

Original: Shall nothing wrong him. Thus it is, general.
Modern: Won’t harm him at all. Here’s what happened, general.

Original: Montano and myself being in speech,
Modern: Montano and I were talking,

Original: There comes a fellow crying out for help:
Modern: When some guy came running and crying for help:

Original: And Cassio following him with determined sword,
Modern: And Cassio was chasing him with his sword drawn,

Original: To execute upon him. Sir, this gentleman
Modern: Ready to kill him. Sir, this gentleman here

Original: Steps in to Cassio, and entreats his pause:
Modern: Stepped in front of Cassio and begged him to stop:

Original: Myself the crying fellow did pursue,
Modern: I chased after the guy who was screaming,

Original: Lest by his clamour—as it so fell out—
Modern: Worried that his shouting—which is exactly what happened—

Original: The town might fall in fright: he, swift of foot,
Modern: Might panic the whole town: he was fast on his feet,

Original: Outran my purpose; and I return’d the rather
Modern: And outran me; so I came back quickly

Original: For that I heard the clink and fall of swords,
Modern: Because I heard the clashing and dropping of swords,

Original: And Cassio high in oath; which till to-night
Modern: And Cassio swearing loudly; which until tonight

Original: I ne’er might say before. When I came back—
Modern: I had never heard from him before. When I returned—

Original: For this was brief—I found them close together,
Modern: This all happened fast—I found them fighting close together,

Original: At blow and thrust; even as again they were
Modern: Hitting and stabbing at each other; just like they were

Original: When you yourself did part them.
Modern: When you yourself broke them up.

Original: More of this matter cannot I report:
Modern: I can’t tell you anything more about what happened:

Original: But men are men; the best sometimes forget:
Modern: But men are only human; even the best sometimes lose control:

Original: Though Cassio did some little wrong to him,
Modern: Though Cassio did treat him a bit badly,

Original: As men in rage strike those that wish them best,
Modern: The way angry men lash out at people who care about them most,

Original: Yet surely Cassio, I believe, received
Modern: I’m sure Cassio must have received

Original: From him that fled some strange indignity,
Modern: Some weird insult from the guy who ran away,

Original: Which patience could not pass.
Modern: That no one could have tolerated.

Othello opens in Venice, where the Moorish general Othello has secretly married Desdemona, the daughter of the Venetian senator Brabantio. When Iago, Othello’s ensign who harbors deep resentment for being passed over for promotion in favor of Cassio, reveals this marriage to Brabantio, the senator accuses Othello of using witchcraft to seduce his daughter. However, when the Duke of Venice summons Othello to lead the Venetian forces against a Turkish invasion of Cyprus, Desdemona herself testifies that she married Othello willingly out of love. The Duke dismisses Brabantio’s charges, and Othello departs for Cyprus with Desdemona, Iago, and his officers.

Once in Cyprus, the Turkish fleet is destroyed by a storm, but Iago begins executing his plan for revenge. He manipulates Cassio into a drunken brawl that results in Cassio’s demotion, then convinces Cassio to seek Desdemona’s help in regaining Othello’s favor. Iago uses these innocent meetings between Desdemona and Cassio as evidence to plant seeds of jealousy in Othello’s mind, suggesting that his wife is having an affair with the former lieutenant. To strengthen his deception, Iago arranges for Othello to overhear him speaking suggestively with Cassio about Bianca, Cassio’s mistress, while Othello believes they are discussing Desdemona.

The manipulation reaches its climax when Iago obtains Desdemona’s handkerchief—Othello’s first gift to her—through his wife Emilia, who serves as Desdemona’s attendant. Iago plants the handkerchief in Cassio’s chambers and later shows it to Othello as proof of the affair. Consumed by jealousy and convinced of Desdemona’s infidelity, Othello smothers her in their bed. When Emilia discovers the murder, she reveals Iago’s treachery before he kills her. Othello, realizing he has murdered his innocent wife, stabs himself and dies beside Desdemona. Iago is arrested, Cassio is appointed to govern Cyprus, and Iago is taken away to face torture and execution for his crimes.