Much Ado about Nothing: ACT III
Introduction ACT I ACT II ACT III SCENE I. LEONATO'S garden. SCENE II. A room in LEONATO'S house SCENE III. A street. SCENE IV. HERO's apartment. SCENE V. Another room in LEONATO'S house. ACT IV ACT V About the Play Feedback			Search: All the plays Hamlet Coriolanus Julius Caesar King Lear Macbeth Othello Romeo and Juliet Richard II Richard III Titus Andronicus Antony and Cleopatra Timon of Athens Henry IV Part 1 Henry IV Part 2 Henry the Fifth Henry VI Part 1 Henry VI Part 2 Henry VI Part 3 Henry VIII King John Pericles Troilus and Cressida All's Well... As You Like It The Comedy of Errors Cymbeline A Midsummer... Love's Labour's Lost Measure for Measure The Merry Wives... Much Ado about Nothing The Merchant of Venice Twelfth Night The Taming of... The Tempest The Two Gentlemen... The Winter's Tale    for: SCENE II. A room in LEONATO'S house Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and LEONATO DON PEDRO       I do but stay till your marriage be consummate, and       then go I toward Arragon. CLAUDIO       I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll       vouchsafe me. DON PEDRO 5     Nay, that would be as great a soil in the new gloss       of your marriage as to show a child his new coat       and forbid him to wear it. I will only be bold       with Benedick for his company; for, from the crown       of his head to the sole of his foot, he is all 10    mirth: he hath twice or thrice cut Cupid's       bow-string and the little hangman dare not shoot at       him; he hath a heart as sound as a bell and his       tongue is the clapper, for what his heart thinks his       tongue speaks. BENEDICK 15    Gallants, I am not as I have been. LEONATO       So say I methinks you are sadder. CLAUDIO       I hope he be in love. DON PEDRO       Hang him, truant! there's no true drop of blood in       him, to be truly touched with love: if he be sad, 20    he wants money. BENEDICK       I have the toothache. DON PEDRO       Draw it. BENEDICK       Hang it! CLAUDIO       You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards. DON PEDRO 25    What! sigh for the toothache? LEONATO       Where is but a humour or a worm. BENEDICK       Well, every one can master a grief but he that has       it. CLAUDIO       Yet say I, he is in love. DON PEDRO 30    There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be       a fancy that he hath to strange disguises; as, to be       a Dutchman today, a Frenchman to-morrow, or in the       shape of two countries at once, as, a German from       the waist downward, all slops, and a Spaniard from 35    the hip upward, no doublet. Unless he have a fancy       to this foolery, as it appears he hath, he is no       fool for fancy, as you would have it appear he is. CLAUDIO       If he be not in love with some woman, there is no       believing old signs: a' brushes his hat o' 40    mornings; what should that bode? DON PEDRO       Hath any man seen him at the barber's? CLAUDIO       No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him,       and the old ornament of his cheek hath already       stuffed tennis-balls. LEONATO 45    Indeed, he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard. DON PEDRO       Nay, a' rubs himself with civet: can you smell him       out by that? CLAUDIO       That's as much as to say, the sweet youth's in love. DON PEDRO       The greatest note of it is his melancholy. CLAUDIO 50    And when was he wont to wash his face? DON PEDRO       Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear       what they say of him. CLAUDIO       Nay, but his jesting spirit; which is now crept into       a lute-string and now governed by stops. DON PEDRO 55    Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him: conclude,       conclude he is in love. CLAUDIO       Nay, but I know who loves him. DON PEDRO       That would I know too: I warrant, one that knows him not. CLAUDIO       Yes, and his ill conditions; and, in despite of 60    all, dies for him. DON PEDRO       She shall be buried with her face upwards. BENEDICK       Yet is this no charm for the toothache. Old       signior, walk aside with me: I have studied eight       or nine wise words to speak to you, which these 65    hobby-horses must not hear. Exeunt BENEDICK and LEONATO DON PEDRO       For my life, to break with him about Beatrice. CLAUDIO       'Tis even so. Hero and Margaret have by this       played their parts with Beatrice; and then the two       bears will not bite one another when they meet. Enter DON JOHN DON JOHN 70    My lord and brother, God save you! DON PEDRO       Good den, brother. DON JOHN       If your leisure served, I would speak with you. DON PEDRO       In private? DON JOHN       If it please you: yet Count Claudio may hear; for 75    what I would speak of concerns him. DON PEDRO       What's the matter? DON JOHN       (To CLAUDIO) Means your lordship to be married       to-morrow? DON PEDRO       You know he does. DON JOHN 80    I know not that, when he knows what I know. CLAUDIO       If there be any impediment, I pray you discover it. DON JOHN       You may think I love you not: let that appear       hereafter, and aim better at me by that I now will       manifest. For my brother, I think he holds you 85    well, and in dearness of heart hath holp to effect       your ensuing marriage;--surely suit ill spent and       labour ill bestowed. DON PEDRO       Why, what's the matter? DON JOHN       I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances 90    shortened, for she has been too long a talking of,       the lady is disloyal. CLAUDIO       Who, Hero? DON PEDRO       Even she; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero: CLAUDIO       Disloyal? DON JOHN 95    The word is too good to paint out her wickedness; I       could say she were worse: think you of a worse       title, and I will fit her to it. Wonder not till       further warrant: go but with me to-night, you shall       see her chamber-window entered, even the night 100   before her wedding-day: if you love her then,       to-morrow wed her; but it would better fit your honour       to change your mind. CLAUDIO       May this be so? DON PEDRO       I will not think it. DON JOHN 105   If you dare not trust that you see, confess not       that you know: if you will follow me, I will show       you enough; and when you have seen more and heard       more, proceed accordingly. CLAUDIO       If I see any thing to-night why I should not marry 110   her to-morrow in the congregation, where I should       wed, there will I shame her. DON PEDRO       And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join       with thee to disgrace her. DON JOHN       I will disparage her no farther till you are my 115   witnesses: bear it coldly but till midnight, and       let the issue show itself. DON PEDRO       O day untowardly turned! CLAUDIO       O mischief strangely thwarting! DON JOHN       O plague right well prevented! so will you say when 120   you have seen the sequel. Exeunt Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene