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Much Ado About Nothing - Act 3, scene 2
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Much Ado About Nothing - Act 3, scene 2Act 3, scene 2
⌜Scene 2⌝
Synopsis:
Benedick appears with his beard shaved off and showing other signs of having fallen in love. When he exits with Leonato, Don John tells Don Pedro and Claudio that Hero is unfaithful and that he will show them a man entering her chamber window that very night, the night before the wedding.
Enter Prince, Claudio, Benedick, and Leonato.PRINCE 1245 I do but stay till your marriage be consummate,
1246 and then go I toward Aragon.
CLAUDIO 1247 I’ll bring you thither, my lord, if you’ll vouchsafe
1248 me.
PRINCE 1249 5Nay, that would be as great a soil in the new
1250 gloss of your marriage as to show a child his new
1251 coat and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold
1252 with Benedick for his company, for from the crown
1253 of his head to the sole of his foot he is all mirth. He
p.
93
1254
10 hath twice or thrice cut Cupid’s bowstring, and the1255 little hangman dare not shoot at him. He hath a
1256 heart as sound as a bell, and his tongue is the
1257 clapper, for what his heart thinks, his tongue
1258 speaks.
BENEDICK 1259 15Gallants, I am not as I have been.
LEONATO 1260 So say I. Methinks you are sadder.
CLAUDIO 1261 I hope he be in love.
PRINCE 1262 Hang him, truant! There’s no true drop of
1263 blood in him to be truly touched with love. If he be
1264 20 sad, he wants money.
BENEDICK 1265 I have the toothache.
PRINCE 1266 Draw it.
BENEDICK 1267 Hang it!
CLAUDIO 1268 You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards.
PRINCE 1269 25What, sigh for the toothache?
LEONATO 1270 Where is but a humor or a worm.
BENEDICK 1271 Well, everyone ⌜can⌝ master a grief but he
1272 that has it.
CLAUDIO 1273 Yet say I, he is in love.
PRINCE 1274 30There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless
1275 it be a fancy that he hath to strange disguises, as to
1276 be a Dutchman today, a Frenchman tomorrow, or
1277 in the shape of two countries at once, as a German
1278 from the waist downward, all slops, and a Spaniard
1279 35 from the hip upward, no doublet. Unless he have a
1280 fancy to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no
1281 fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is.
CLAUDIO 1282 If he be not in love with some woman, there
1283 is no believing old signs. He brushes his hat o’
1284 40 mornings. What should that bode?
PRINCE 1285 Hath any man seen him at the barber’s?
CLAUDIO 1286 No, but the barber’s man hath been seen
1287 with him, and the old ornament of his cheek hath
1288 already stuffed tennis balls.
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95
LEONATO
1289
45Indeed he looks younger than he did, by the1290 loss of a beard.
PRINCE 1291 Nay, he rubs himself with civet. Can you smell
1292 him out by that?
CLAUDIO 1293 That’s as much as to say, the sweet youth’s in
1294 50 love.
⌜PRINCE⌝ 1295 The greatest note of it is his melancholy.
CLAUDIO 1296 And when was he wont to wash his face?
PRINCE 1297 Yea, or to paint himself? For the which I hear
1298 what they say of him.
CLAUDIO 1299 55Nay, but his jesting spirit, which is now crept
1300 into a lute string and now governed by stops—
PRINCE 1301 Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him. Conclude,
1302 conclude, he is in love.
CLAUDIO 1303 Nay, but I know who loves him.
PRINCE 1304 60That would I know, too. I warrant, one that
1305 knows him not.
CLAUDIO 1306 Yes, and his ill conditions; and, in despite of
1307 all, dies for him.
PRINCE 1308 She shall be buried with her face upwards.
BENEDICK 1309 65Yet is this no charm for the toothache.—
1310 Old signior, walk aside with me. I have studied eight
1311 or nine wise words to speak to you, which these
1312 hobby-horses must not hear.
⌜Benedick and Leonato exit.⌝
PRINCE 1313 For my life, to break with him about Beatrice!
CLAUDIO 1314 70’Tis even so. Hero and Margaret have by this
1315 played their parts with Beatrice, and then the two
1316 bears will not bite one another when they meet.
Enter John the Bastard.
DON JOHN 1317 My lord and brother, God save you.
PRINCE 1318 Good e’en, brother.
DON JOHN 1319 75If your leisure served, I would speak with
1320 you.
PRINCE 1321 In private?
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DON JOHN
1322
If it please you. Yet Count Claudio may1323 hear, for what I would speak of concerns him.
PRINCE 1324 80What’s the matter?
DON JOHN, ⌜to Claudio⌝ 1325 Means your Lordship to be
1326 married tomorrow?
PRINCE 1327 You know he does.
DON JOHN 1328 I know not that, when he knows what I
1329 85 know.
CLAUDIO 1330 If there be any impediment, I pray you discover
1331 it.
DON JOHN 1332 You may think I love you not. Let that
1333 appear hereafter, and aim better at me by that I
1334 90 now will manifest. For my brother, I think he holds
1335 you well, and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect
1336 your ensuing marriage—surely suit ill spent and
1337 labor ill bestowed.
PRINCE 1338 Why, what’s the matter?
DON JOHN 1339 95I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances
1340 shortened, for she has been too long
1341 a-talking of, the lady is disloyal.
CLAUDIO 1342 Who, Hero?
DON JOHN 1343 Even she: Leonato’s Hero, your Hero, every
1344 100 man’s Hero.
CLAUDIO 1345 Disloyal?
DON JOHN 1346 The word is too good to paint out her
1347 wickedness. I could say she were worse. Think you
1348 of a worse title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not
1349 105 till further warrant. Go but with me tonight, you
1350 shall see her chamber window entered, even the
1351 night before her wedding day. If you love her then,
1352 tomorrow wed her. But it would better fit your
1353 honor to change your mind.
CLAUDIO, ⌜to Prince⌝ 1354 110May this be so?
PRINCE 1355 I will not think it.
DON JOHN 1356 If you dare not trust that you see, confess
1357 not that you know. If you will follow me, I will
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99
1358
show you enough, and when you have seen more1359 115 and heard more, proceed accordingly.
CLAUDIO 1360 If I see anything tonight why I should not
1361 marry her, tomorrow in the congregation, where I
1362 should wed, there will I shame her.
PRINCE 1363 And as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will
1364 120 join with thee to disgrace her.
DON JOHN 1365 I will disparage her no farther till you are
1366 my witnesses. Bear it coldly but till midnight, and
1367 let the issue show itself.
PRINCE 1368 O day untowardly turned!
CLAUDIO 1369 125O mischief strangely thwarting!
DON JOHN 1370 O plague right well prevented! So will you
1371 say when you have seen the sequel.
⌜They exit.⌝