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Home > Much Ado About Nothing > ACT V - SCENE IV. A room in LEONATO'S house.

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ACT V - SCENE IV. A room in LEONATO'S house.
FRIAR FRANCIS
1    Did I not tell you she was innocent?
LEONATO
2    So are the prince and Claudio, who accused her
3    Upon the error that you heard debated:
4    But Margaret was in some fault for this,
5    Although against her will, as it appears
6    In the true course of all the question.
ANTONIO
7    Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.
BENEDICK
8    And so am I, being else by faith enforced
9    To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.
LEONATO
10   Well, daughter, and you gentle-women all,
11   Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,
12   And when I send for you, come hither mask'd.
Exeunt Ladies
13   The prince and Claudio promised by this hour
14   To visit me. You know your office, brother:
15   You must be father to your brother's daughter
16   And give her to young Claudio.
ANTONIO
17   Which I will do with confirm'd countenance.
BENEDICK
18   Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.
FRIAR FRANCIS
19   To do what, signior?
BENEDICK
20   To bind me, or undo me; one of them.
21   Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior,
22   Your niece regards me with an eye of favour.
LEONATO
23   That eye my daughter lent her: 'tis most true.
BENEDICK
24   And I do with an eye of love requite her.
LEONATO
25   The sight whereof I think you had from me,
26   From Claudio and the prince: but what's your will?
BENEDICK
27   Your answer, sir, is enigmatical:
28   But, for my will, my will is your good will
29   May stand with ours, this day to be conjoin'd
30   In the state of honourable marriage:
31   In which, good friar, I shall desire your help.
LEONATO
32   My heart is with your liking.
FRIAR FRANCIS
33   And my help.
34   Here comes the prince and Claudio.
DON PEDRO
35   Good morrow to this fair assembly.
LEONATO
36   Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio:
37   We here attend you. Are you yet determined
38   To-day to marry with my brother's daughter?
CLAUDIO
39   I'll hold my mind, were she an Ethiope.
LEONATO
40   Call her forth, brother; here's the friar ready.
Exit ANTONIO

DON PEDRO
41   Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what's the matter,
42   That you have such a February face,
43   So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?
CLAUDIO
44   I think he thinks upon the savage bull.
45   Tush, fear not, man; we'll tip thy horns with gold
46   And all Europa shall rejoice at thee,
47   As once Europa did at lusty Jove,
48   When he would play the noble beast in love.
BENEDICK
49   Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low;
50   And some such strange bull leap'd your father's cow,
51   And got a calf in that same noble feat
52   Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.
CLAUDIO
53   For this I owe you: here comes other reckonings.
Re-enter ANTONIO, with the Ladies masked
54   Which is the lady I must seize upon?
ANTONIO
55   This same is she, and I do give you her.
CLAUDIO
56   Why, then she's mine. Sweet, let me see your face.
LEONATO
57   No, that you shall not, till you take her hand
58   Before this friar and swear to marry her.
CLAUDIO
59   Give me your hand: before this holy friar,
60   I am your husband, if you like of me.
HERO
61   And when I lived, I was your other wife:
Unmasking
62   And when you loved, you were my other husband.
CLAUDIO
63   Another Hero!
HERO
64   Nothing certainer:
65   One Hero died defiled, but I do live,
66   And surely as I live, I am a maid.
DON PEDRO
67   The former Hero! Hero that is dead!
LEONATO
68   She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived.
FRIAR FRANCIS
69   All this amazement can I qualify:
70   When after that the holy rites are ended,
71   I'll tell you largely of fair Hero's death:
72   Meantime let wonder seem familiar,
73   And to the chapel let us presently.
BENEDICK
74   Soft and fair, friar. Which is Beatrice?
BEATRICE
Unmasking
75    I answer to that name. What is your will?
BENEDICK
76   Do not you love me?
BEATRICE
77   Why, no; no more than reason.
BENEDICK
78   Why, then your uncle and the prince and Claudio
79   Have been deceived; they swore you did.
BEATRICE
80   Do not you love me?
BENEDICK
81   Troth, no; no more than reason.
BEATRICE
82   Why, then my cousin Margaret and Ursula
83   Are much deceived; for they did swear you did.
BENEDICK
84   They swore that you were almost sick for me.
BEATRICE
85   They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.
BENEDICK
86   'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?
BEATRICE
87   No, truly, but in friendly recompense.
LEONATO
88   Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.
CLAUDIO
89   And I'll be sworn upon't that he loves her;
90   For here's a paper written in his hand,
91   A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,
92   Fashion'd to Beatrice.
HERO
93   And here's another
94   Writ in my cousin's hand, stolen from her pocket,
95   Containing her affection unto Benedick.
BENEDICK
96   A miracle! here's our own hands against our hearts.
97   Come, I will have thee; but, by this light, I take
98   thee for pity.
BEATRICE
99   I would not deny you; but, by this good day, I yield
100  upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life,
101  for I was told you were in a consumption.
BENEDICK
102  Peace! I will stop your mouth.
Kissing her

DON PEDRO
103  How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?
BENEDICK
104  I'll tell thee what, prince; a college of
105  wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humour. Dost
106  thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No:
107  if a man will be beaten with brains, a' shall wear
108  nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do
109  purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any
110  purpose that the world can say against it; and
111  therefore never flout at me for what I have said
112  against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my
113  conclusion. For thy part, Claudio, I did think to
114  have beaten thee, but in that thou art like to be my
115  kinsman, live unbruised and love my cousin.
CLAUDIO
116  I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice,
117  that I might have cudgelled thee out of thy single
118  life, to make thee a double-dealer; which, out of
119  question, thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look
120  exceedingly narrowly to thee.
BENEDICK
121  Come, come, we are friends: let's have a dance ere
122  we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts
123  and our wives' heels.
LEONATO
124  We'll have dancing afterward.
BENEDICK
125  First, of my word; therefore play, music. Prince,
126  thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife:
127  there is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn.
Enter a Messenger

Messenger
128  My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight,
129  And brought with armed men back to Messina.
BENEDICK
130  Think not on him till to-morrow:
131  I'll devise thee brave punishments for him.
132  Strike up, pipers.
Dance

Exeunt

< (Previous) ACT V, SCENE III
Scene Index
ACT I
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III


  • ACT II
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III


  • ACT III
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV
  • SCENE V


  • ACT IV
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II


  • ACT V
  • SCENE I
  • SCENE II
  • SCENE III
  • SCENE IV

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