Note XII

V. 2. 7. Rowe, in his first edition, printed the line thus:

'Put out the Light, and then put out the Light,'

and, in his second,

'Put out the Light, and then put out the Light,'

in which he was followed by Pope, except that the latter put a semicolon at the end of the line. Theobald, punctuating thus,

'Put out the light, and, then, put out the light;'

supposes that the only light in the room is that which Othello carries in his hand, and which at first he intends to extinguish, but, changing his mind, sets down to go and kiss Desdemona. He observes, 'The Players, in all the Companies wherever I have seen this Tragedy perform'd, commit an Absurdity here, in making Othello put out the candle, which, 'tis evident, never was the Poet's intention.'

Hanmer prints:

'Put out the light: and then—put out thy light.'

Opposite line 13 he adds this stage direction, 'Sets down the Candle, not putting it out.'

Warburton has:

'Put out the light, and then—Put out the light?—'

His punctuation is adopted by Johnson.

Capell reads:

'Put out the light, and then—Put out the light!'

and adds after the next line, as a stage direction, 'Setting down the Taper.'

Mr Goldwin Smith, regarding the line in question as a stage-direction which has crept into the text, suggests to us that the passage ought to be printed as follows:

'Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.'

[Takes off his sword and then puts out the light.

'If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, &c.'

or thus:

'................................alabaster.'

[Takes off his sword.

'Yet she must die, else she'll betray more men.'

[Puts out the light.

'If I quench thee, thou flaming minister, &c.'

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