Much Ado about Nothing: ACT IV
Introduction ACT I ACT II ACT III ACT IV SCENE I. A church. SCENE II. A prison. 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 prison. Enter DOGBERRY, VERGES, and Sexton, in gowns; and the Watch, with CONRADE and BORACHIO DOGBERRY       Is our whole dissembly appeared? VERGES       O, a stool and a cushion for the sexton. Sexton       Which be the malefactors? DOGBERRY       Marry, that am I and my partner. VERGES 5     Nay, that's certain; we have the exhibition to examine. Sexton       But which are the offenders that are to be       examined? let them come before master constable. DOGBERRY       Yea, marry, let them come before me. What is your       name, friend? BORACHIO 10    Borachio. DOGBERRY       Pray, write down, Borachio. Yours, sirrah? CONRADE       I am a gentleman, sir, and my name is Conrade. DOGBERRY       Write down, master gentleman Conrade. Masters, do       you serve God? CONRADE BORACHIO 15    Yea, sir, we hope. DOGBERRY       Write down, that they hope they serve God: and       write God first; for God defend but God should go       before such villains! Masters, it is proved already       that you are little better than false knaves; and it 20    will go near to be thought so shortly. How answer       you for yourselves? CONRADE       Marry, sir, we say we are none. DOGBERRY       A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you: but I       will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah; a 25    word in your ear: sir, I say to you, it is thought       you are false knaves. BORACHIO       Sir, I say to you we are none. DOGBERRY       Well, stand aside. 'Fore God, they are both in a       tale. Have you writ down, that they are none? Sexton 30    Master constable, you go not the way to examine:       you must call forth the watch that are their accusers. DOGBERRY       Yea, marry, that's the eftest way. Let the watch       come forth. Masters, I charge you, in the prince's       name, accuse these men. First Watchman 35    This man said, sir, that Don John, the prince's       brother, was a villain. DOGBERRY       Write down Prince John a villain. Why, this is flat       perjury, to call a prince's brother villain. BORACHIO       Master constable,-- DOGBERRY 40    Pray thee, fellow, peace: I do not like thy look,       I promise thee. Sexton       What heard you him say else? Second Watchman       Marry, that he had received a thousand ducats of       Don John for accusing the Lady Hero wrongfully. DOGBERRY 45    Flat burglary as ever was committed. VERGES       Yea, by mass, that it is. Sexton       What else, fellow? First Watchman       And that Count Claudio did mean, upon his words, to       disgrace Hero before the whole assembly. and not marry her. DOGBERRY 50    O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting       redemption for this. Sexton       What else? Watchman       This is all. Sexton       And this is more, masters, than you can deny. 55    Prince John is this morning secretly stolen away;       Hero was in this manner accused, in this very manner       refused, and upon the grief of this suddenly died.       Master constable, let these men be bound, and       brought to Leonato's: I will go before and show 60    him their examination. Exit DOGBERRY       Come, let them be opinioned. VERGES       Let them be in the hands-- CONRADE       Off, coxcomb! DOGBERRY       God's my life, where's the sexton? let him write 65    down the prince's officer coxcomb. Come, bind them.       Thou naughty varlet! CONRADE       Away! you are an ass, you are an ass. DOGBERRY       Dost thou not suspect my place? dost thou not       suspect my years? O that he were here to write me 70    down an ass! But, masters, remember that I am an       ass; though it be not written down, yet forget not       that I am an ass. No, thou villain, thou art full of       piety, as shall be proved upon thee by good witness.       I am a wise fellow, and, which is more, an officer, 75    and, which is more, a householder, and, which is       more, as pretty a piece of flesh as any is in       Messina, and one that knows the law, go to; and a       rich fellow enough, go to; and a fellow that hath       had losses, and one that hath two gowns and every 80    thing handsome about him. Bring him away. O that       I had been writ down an ass! Exeunt Return to top of page ... or ... Go to next scene