Much Ado About Nothing
Act III, Scene 2
A room in Leonato’s house.
Garrick as Benedick
Jean Louis Fesch, 1770
- Enter Prince Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, and Leonato.
Don Pedro
1 - 2- I do but stay till your marriage be consummate, and then go
- I toward Arragon.
Claudio
3- I’ll bring you thither, my lord, if you’ll vouchsafe me.
Don Pedro
4 - 11- 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 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
12- Gallants, I am not as I have been.
Leonato
13- So say I, methinks you are sadder.
Claudio
14- I hope he be in love.
Don Pedro
15 - 16- Hang him, truant, there’s no true drop of blood in him to be
- truly touch’d with love. If he be sad, he wants money.
Benedick
17- I have the toothache.
Don Pedro
18- Draw it.
Benedick
19- Hang it!
Claudio
20- You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards.
Don Pedro
21- What? Sigh for the toothache?
Leonato
22- Where is but a humor or a worm.
Benedick
23- Well, every one can master a grief but he that has it.
Claudio
24- Yet say I, he is in love.
Don Pedro
25 - 31- 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 tomorrow, or in the shape of two countries at
- once, as a German from the waist downward, all slops, and a
- Spaniard from 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
32 - 34- If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing
- old signs. ’A brushes his hat a’ mornings; what should that
- bode?
Don Pedro
35- Hath any man seen him at the barber’s?
Claudio
36 - 37- No, but the barber’s man hath been seen with him, and the
- old ornament of his cheek hath already stuff’d tennis-balls.
Leonato
38- Indeed he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard.
Don Pedro
39 - 40- Nay, ’a rubs himself with civet. Can you smell him out by
- that?
Claudio
41- That’s as much as to say, the sweet youth’s in love.
Don Pedro
42- The greatest note of it is his melancholy.
Claudio
43- And when was he wont to wash his face?
Don Pedro
44 - 45- Yea, or to paint himself? For the which I hear what they say
- of him.
Claudio
46 - 47- Nay, but his jesting spirit, which is now crept into a
- lute-string, and now govern’d by stops.
Don Pedro
48 - 49- Indeed that tells a heavy tale for him. Conclude, conclude,
- he is in love.
Claudio
50- Nay, but I know who loves him.
Don Pedro
51- That would I know too. I warrant one that knows him not.
Claudio
52 - 53- Yes, and his ill conditions, and in despite of all, dies for
- him.
Don Pedro
54- She shall be buried with her face upwards.
Benedick
55 - 57- 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 hobby-horses must not hear.
- Exeunt Benedick and Leonato.
Productions of the Carolina Players of Much Ado About Nothing
Carolina Players, circa 1920
Don Pedro
58- For my life, to break with him about Beatrice.
Claudio
59 - 61- ’Tis even so. Hero and Margaret have by this play’d their
- parts with Beatrice, and then the two bears will not bite
- one another when they meet.
- Enter Don John the Bastard.
Don John
62- My lord and brother, God save you!
Don Pedro
63- Good den, brother.
Don John
64- If your leisure serv’d, I would speak with you.
Don Pedro
65- In private?
Don John
66 - 67- If it please you, yet Count Claudio may hear, for what I
- would speak of concerns him.
Don Pedro
68- What’s the matter?
Don John
69- To Claudio
- Means your lordship to be married tomorrow?
Don Pedro
70- You know he does.
Don John
71- I know not that, when he knows what I know.
Claudio
72- If there be any impediment, I pray you discover it.
Don John
73 - 77- 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 well, and in dearness of heart
- hath holp to effect your ensuing marriage—surely suit ill
- spent and labor ill bestow’d.
Don Pedro
78- Why, what’s the matter?
Don John
79 - 80- I came hither to tell you, and circumstances short’ned (for
- she has been too long a-talking of), the lady is disloyal.
Claudio
81- Who, Hero?
Don John
82- Even she—Leonato’s Hero, your Hero, every man’s Hero.
Claudio
83- Disloyal?
Don John
84 - 90- 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 tonight, you shall see her chamber-window ent’red, even
- the night before her wedding-day. If you love her then,
- tomorrow wed her; but it would better fit your honor to
- change your mind.
Claudio
91- May this be so?
Don Pedro
92- I will not think it.
Don John
93 - 96- 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
97 - 99- If I see any thing tonight why I should not marry her,
- tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there will
- I shame her.
Don Pedro
100 - 101- And as I woo’d for thee to obtain her, I will join with thee
- to disgrace her.
Don John
102 - 104- I will disparage her no farther till you are my witnesses.
- Bear it coldly but till midnight, and let the issue show
- itself.
Don Pedro
105- O day untowardly turn’d!
Claudio
106- O mischief strangely thwarting!
Don John
107 - 108- O plague right well prevented! So will you say when you have
- seen the sequel.
- Exeunt.
Herbert Beerbohm Tree as Benedick
Karl August Büchel, 1905