Much Ado About Nothing: Act 2, Scene 3
Enter BENEDICK alone.
BENEDICK
1 Boy! [Enter Boy.]
Boy
2 Signior? BENEDICK
3 In my chamber-window lies a book: bring it hither4. orchard: garden. —As we learn at the end of Benedick's long speech, this garden has an arbor, where Benedick hides and listens in on the conversation of Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio. >>>
5. I am here already: i.e., I'm already here in the orchard.
5. I am here already: i.e., I'm already here in the orchard.
4 to me in the orchard. Boy
5 I am here already, sir. BENEDICK
6 I know that; but I would have thee hence, and here 7 again. [Exit Boy.] I do much wonder that one man, 8 seeing how much another man is a fool when he9. behaviors: manner of behaving.
9 dedicates his behaviors to love, will, after he hath 10 laughed at such shallow follies in others, become
11. argument: subject.
11 the argument of his own scorn by failing in love: 12 and such a man is Claudio. I have known when 13 there was no music with him but the drum and the14. tabor: small drum. —The tabor and pipe were used for fun and games at home; the drum and fife were played when marching to war. >>> 16. armor: suit of armor.
14 fife; and now had he rather hear the tabor and the 15 pipe: I have known when he would have walked 16 ten mile a-foot to see a good armor; and now will
17. carving: planning.
17 he lie ten nights awake, carving the fashion of a
18. doublet: gentleman's close-fitting jacket.
18 new doublet. He was wont to speak plain and to the 19 purpose, like an honest man and a soldier; and now
20. turned orthography: i.e., become a collection of pretty words. 21. fantastical banquet: —Popular collections of love poetry in Shakespeare's time tended to have fantastical titles such as Paradise of Dainty Devices, and A Gorgeous Gallery of Gallant Inventions.
20 is he turned orthography; his words are a very 21 fantastical banquet, just so many strange dishes. 22 May I be so converted and see with these eyes? 23 I cannot tell; I think not: I will not be sworn, but 24 love may transform me to an oyster; but I'll take 25 my oath on it, till he have made an oyster of me, 26 he shall never make me such a fool. One woman 27 is fair, yet I am well; another is wise, yet I am 28 well; another virtuous, yet I am well; but till all 29 graces be in one woman, one woman shall not 30 come in my grace. Rich she shall be, that's certain;31. I'll none: I'll have none of her. cheapen: bargain or bid for, ask the price of.
31 wise, or I'll none; virtuous, or I'll never cheapen 32 her; fair, or I'll never look on her; mild, or come
33. noble: i.e., a gentlewoman. noble . . . angel: —Benedick is punning. "Noble and "angel" were both names of coins; the noble was worth more. 34-35. her hair shall be of what color it please God: —Benedick is either making fun of his own pickiness, or he is saying that any woman he loves must have hair of the color that God gave, not dyed.
33 not near me; noble, or not I for an angel; of good 34 discourse, an excellent musician, and her hair shall 35 be of what color it please God. Ha! the prince 36 and Monsieur Love! I will hide me in the arbor. [Withdraws.]
Enter prince [DON PEDRO], LEONATO,
CLAUDIO.
DON PEDRO
37 Come, shall we hear this music? CLAUDIO
38 Yea, my good lord. How still the evening is,39. grace harmony: do honor to music.
39 As hush'd on purpose to grace harmony! DON PEDRO
40 See you where Benedick hath hid himself? CLAUDIO
41. the music ended: when the music is over.
41 O, very well, my lord: the music ended,
42. We'll fit the kid-fox with a pennyworth: i.e., we'll give the hidden fox (Benedick) more than he bargained for. This may be an allusion to the game of hide-and-seek, called in Shakespeare's time "Hide fox, and all after." with Music: i.e., with a small band.
42 We'll fit the kid-fox with a pennyworth. Enter BALTHASAR with Music.
DON PEDRO
43 Come, Balthasar, we'll hear that song again. BALTHASAR
44. tax: task.
44 O, good my lord, tax not so bad a voice 45 To slander music any more than once. DON PEDRO
46-47. It is the witness still of excellency / To put on a strange face on his own perfection: It is always a proof of excellence that it does not admit its own perfection. 48. woo: entreat.
46 It is the witness still of excellency 47 To put a strange face on his own perfection. 48 I pray thee, sing, and let me woo no more. BALTHASAR
49 Because you talk of wooing, I will sing; 50 Since many a wooer doth commence his suit 51 To her he thinks not worthy, yet he woos, 52 Yet will he swear he loves. DON PEDRO
52 Now, pray thee, come; 53 Or, if thou wilt hold longer argument,54. notes: i.e., musical notes.
54 Do it in notes. BALTHASAR
54 Note this before my notes; 55 There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting. DON PEDRO
56. crotchets: (1) odd ideas; (2) quarter notes in music. —Balthasar is being wittily modest, but Don Pedro jests that his belittling of his own singing is merely a crotchet. 57. Note, notes, forsooth, and nothing: i.e., take note, >>>
[Air.]: i.e., music is played. —After a few bars, while Benedick is making his sarcastic comments from his place in hiding, Balthasar will sing the words to the music.
59. sheeps' guts: i.e., violin or lute strings.
60. hale: draw, drag.
61. horn: —A horn, such as a bugle used in the military and in hunting, is a manly instrument, as opposed to a stringed instrument, such as a violin or lute. Also, Benedick's wish for a horn might make the audience giggle at the suggestion that Benedick wants to be a cuckold.
[Air.]: i.e., music is played. —After a few bars, while Benedick is making his sarcastic comments from his place in hiding, Balthasar will sing the words to the music.
59. sheeps' guts: i.e., violin or lute strings.
60. hale: draw, drag.
61. horn: —A horn, such as a bugle used in the military and in hunting, is a manly instrument, as opposed to a stringed instrument, such as a violin or lute. Also, Benedick's wish for a horn might make the audience giggle at the suggestion that Benedick wants to be a cuckold.
56 Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks; 57 Note, notes, forsooth, and nothing. [Air.]
BENEDICK
58 Now, divine air! now is his soul ravished!
59 Is it not strange that sheeps' guts should
60 hale souls out of men's bodies? Well, a
61 horn for my money, when all's done. THE SONG.
[BALTHASAR]
62 Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, 63 Men were deceivers ever, 64 One foot in sea and one on shore, 65 To one thing constant never: 66 Then sigh not so, but let them go, 67 And be you blithe and bonny, 68 Converting all your sounds of woe 69 Into Hey nonny, nonny.70. moe: more.
70 Sing no more ditties, sing no moe,
71. dumps: mournful tunes.
71 Of dumps so dull and heavy; 72 The fraud of men was ever so, 73 Since summer first was leafy: 74 Then sigh not so, etc. DON PEDRO
75 By my troth, a good song. BALTHASAR
76 And an ill singer, my lord. DON PEDRO
77 Ha, no, no, faith; thou singest well enough 78. for a shift: to make do.
78 for a shift. BENEDICK
79. An: if.
79 An he had been a dog that should have 80 howled thus, they would have hanged him: 81 and I pray God his bad voice bode no mischief. 82. I had as lief have heard: I would have as gladly heard. night-raven: a bird of ill-omen, whose cry forecast the coming of a disaster, such as the plague.
82 I had as lief have heard the night-raven, come 83 what plague could have come after it. DON PEDRO
84 Yea, marry, dost thou hear, Balthasar? I pray
85-87. for tomorrow ... chamber-window: —Perhaps we're supposed to assume that some time as passed and it is now two days before the wedding of Hero and Claudio. On the night before Hero's wedding it would be appropriate to play music at Hero's chamber-window.
85 thee, get us some excellent music; for tomorrow 86 night we would have it at the Lady Hero's 87 chamber-window. BALTHASAR
88 The best I can, my lord. Exit Balthasar.
DON PEDRO
89 Do so: farewell. Come hither, Leonato. What 90 was it you told me of today, that your niece 91 Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick? CLAUDIO [Aside.]
92. stalk on, stalk on; the fowl sits: walk stealthily, the bird has settled (in a bush). —Birds were hunted with the aid of a "stalking-horse," a portable hunting blind.
92 O, ay: stalk on, stalk on; the fowl sits. I 93 did never think that lady would have 94 loved any man. LEONATO
95 No, nor I neither; but most wonderful that she 96 should so dote on Signior Benedick, whom she 97 hath in all outward behaviors seemed ever to abhor. BENEDICK
98. Sits the wind in that corner?: is that how the wind blows?
98 Is't possible? Sits the wind in that corner? LEONATO
99 By my troth, my lord, I cannot tell what to think100. enraged: mad with passion.
100 of it but that she loves him with an enraged101. infinite: infinity, boundlessness.
101 affection: it is past the infinite of thought. DON PEDRO
102. May be she doth but counterfeit: maybe she's only pretending.
102 May be she doth but counterfeit. CLAUDIO
103 Faith, like enough. LEONATO
104 O God, counterfeit! There was never counterfeit 105 of passion came so near the life of passion as she106. discovers: reveals.
106 discovers it. DON PEDRO
107. effects: manifestations.
107 Why, what effects of passion shows she? CLAUDIO [Aside.]
108 Bait the hook well; this fish will109 bite. LEONATO
110. She will sit you, . . . : i.e., you know, she will sit. —It appears that Leonato is having a little trouble coming up with a suitable lie.
110 What effects, my lord? She will sit you, . . . you 111 heard my daughter tell you how. CLAUDIO
112 She did, indeed. DON PEDRO
113 How, how, pray you? You amaze me: I would 114 have thought her spirit had been invincible 115 against all assaults of affection. LEONATO
116 I would have sworn it had, my lord; especially117 against Benedick. BENEDICK
118. gull: trick, deception.
118 I should think this a gull, but that the119 white-bearded fellow speaks it: knavery cannot,120 sure, hide himself in such reverence. CLAUDIO [Aside.]
121-122. Hold it up: keep up the jest.
121 He hath ta'en the infection: hold122 it up. DON PEDRO
123 Hath she made her affection known to124 Benedick? LEONATO
125 No; and swears she never will: that's her126 torment. CLAUDIO
127 'Tis true, indeed; so your daughter says: 'Shall128 I', says she, 'that have so oft encountered him129 with scorn, write to him that I love him?' LEONATO
130 This says she now when she is beginning to write 131 to him; for she'll be up twenty times a night, and132. smock: i.e., nightgown.
132 there will she sit in her smock till she have writ a133 sheet of paper: my daughter tells us all. CLAUDIO
134 Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I remember a135 pretty jest your daughter told us of. LEONATO
136 O, when she had writ it and was reading it over, 137 she found 'Benedick' and 'Beatrice' between138 the sheet? CLAUDIO
139. That: that was it.
140. halfpence: very tiny silver coins; i.e., very small bits or pieces.
140. halfpence: very tiny silver coins; i.e., very small bits or pieces.
139 That. LEONATO
140 O, she tore the letter into a thousand halfpence;141 railed at herself, that she should be so immodest142 to write to one that she knew would flout her; 'I143 measure him', says she, 'by my own spirit; for I144 should flout him, if he writ to me; yea, though I145 love him, I should'. CLAUDIO
146 Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, 147 sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, 148 curses; 'O sweet Benedick! God give me149 patience!' LEONATO
150 She doth indeed; my daughter says so: and the151. ecstasy: madness.
151 ecstasy hath so much overborne her that my 152 daughter is sometime afeared she will do a
153. outrage: act of violence.
153 desperate outrage to herself: it is very true. DON PEDRO
154-155. knew of it by some other: were told of it by some other person. 155. discover: reveal.
154 It were good that Benedick knew of it by some155 other, if she will not discover it. CLAUDIO
156 To what end? He would make but a sport of it 157 and torment the poor lady worse. DON PEDRO
158. An he should: if he does. an alms: a good deed.
159. out of: beyond.
159. out of: beyond.
158 An he should, it were an alms to hang him. She's 159 an excellent sweet lady; and, out of all suspicion,160 she is virtuous. CLAUDIO
161 And she is exceeding wise. DON PEDRO
162 In every thing but in loving Benedick. LEONATO
163. blood: natural feeling.
163 O, my lord, wisdom and blood combating in 164 so tender a body, we have ten proofs to one 165 that blood hath the victory. I am sorry for her, 166 as I have just cause, being her uncle and her167 guardian. DON PEDRO
168. dotage: doting.
168 I would she had bestowed this dotage on me: I
169. daffed: doffed, put or thrust aside. respects: considerations. 170. half myself: i.e., my wife.
169 would have daffed all other respects and made 170 her half myself. I pray you, tell Benedick of it, 171 and hear what a' will say. LEONATO
172 Were it good, think you? CLAUDIO
173 Hero thinks surely she will die; for she says she174 will die, if he love her not, and she will die, ere175 she make her love known, and she will die, if he 176. bate: abate.
176 woo her, rather than she will bate one breath of 177. crossness: contrariness.
177 her accustomed crossness. DON PEDRO
178. tender: offer.
178 She doth well: if she should make tender of her179 love, 'tis very possible he'll scorn it; for the
180. contemptible: contemptuous.
180 man, as you know all, hath a contemptible181 spirit. CLAUDIO
182. proper: handsome.
182 He is a very proper man. DON PEDRO
183-184. hath indeed a good outward happiness: has indeed a fortunate outward appearance.
183 He hath indeed a good outward184 happiness. CLAUDIO
185 Before God! and, in my mind, very wise. DON PEDRO
186 He doth indeed show some sparks that187. wit: sense. —Of course, "wit" also means "wittiness," so Don Pedro is taking a poke at Benedick's reputation as a wit.
187 are like wit. CLAUDIO
188 And I take him to be valiant. DON PEDRO
189. Hector: The greatest of the Trojan warriors.
189 As Hector, I assure you: and in the managing of190 quarrels you may say he is wise; for either he191 avoids them with great discretion, or undertakes192 them with a most Christian-like fear. LEONATO
193 If he do fear God, a' must necessarily keep peace:194 if he break the peace, he ought to enter into a195 quarrel with fear and trembling. DON PEDRO
196 And so will he do; for the man doth fear God,197. large: broad, indelicate.
197 howsoever it seems not in him by some large 198 jests he will make. Well I am sorry for your 199 niece. Shall we go seek Benedick, and tell him 200 of her love? CLAUDIO
201 Never tell him, my lord: let her wear it out with202. good counsel: reflection, deliberation; i.e., giving herself good advice.
202 good counsel. LEONATO
203 Nay, that's impossible: she may wear her204 heart out first. DON PEDRO
205 Well, we will hear further of it by your daughter:206 let it cool the while. I love Benedick well; and I207 could wish he would modestly examine himself, 208 to see how much he is unworthy so good a 209 lady. LEONATO
210. walk: go.
210 My lord, will you walk? dinner is ready. CLAUDIO [Aside.]
211 If he do not dote on her upon this, I will never212 trust my expectation. DON PEDRO [Aside.]
213 Let there be the same net spread for her; and 214 that must your daughter and her gentlewomen 215-216. carry: undertake. they hold one an opinion of another's dotage: i.e., they each believe that the other is infatuated with him/her. no such matter: nothing of the kind exists. 218. merely a dumb-show: entirely pantomime. —Neither one will have anything to say because they are both used to hurling insults at one another.
215 carry. The sport will be, when they hold one an 216 opinion of another's dotage, and no such matter: 217 that's the scene that I would see, which will be 218 merely a dumb-show. Let us send her to call him 219 in to dinner. [Exeunt Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato.]
BENEDICK
220 This can be no trick: the conference was 221. sadly borne: seriously conducted.
221 sadly borne. They have the truth of this 222 from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it
223. have their full bent: are at full stretch [like a crossbow which is ready to fire].
223 seems her affections have their full bent. Love 224 me! why, it must be requited. I hear how I am
225. censured: criticized.
225 censured: they say I will bear myself proudly, if 226 I perceive the love come from her; they say too 227 that she will rather die than give any sign of 228 affection. I did never think to marry: I must not
229. happy: fortunate. their detractions: unfavorable criticisms of themselves. 230. put them to mending: i.e., start correcting their faults.
229 seem proud: happy are they that hear their detractions 230 and can put them to mending. They say the lady is fair; 231 'tis a truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous; 'tis
232. reprove: refute, disprove, deny.
232 so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving233 me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor234 no great argument of her folly, for I will be
235-236. some odd: an unknown number of.
236. quirks: witticisms. remnants of wit: —This phrase suggests that some of the witty things that Benedick has said about marriage and Beatrice will be thrown back at him.
236. quirks: witticisms. remnants of wit: —This phrase suggests that some of the witty things that Benedick has said about marriage and Beatrice will be thrown back at him.
235 horribly in love with her. I may chance have some236 odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me,237 because I have railed so long against marriage: but238 doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat239 in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.
240-241. quips: sharp or sarcastic remarks. sentences: saws, maxims. paper bullets of the brain: i.e., verbal ammunition taken from books. 241. career of his humor: course or pursuit of his inclination.
240 Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of241 the brain awe a man from the career of his humour?242 No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would243 die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I244 were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day!245 she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in246 her. Enter BEATRICE.
BEATRICE
247 Against my will I am sent to bid you come248 in to dinner. BENEDICK
249 Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains. BEATRICE
250 I took no more pains for those thanks than you 251 take pains to thank me: if it had been painful, I 252 would not have come. BENEDICK
253 You take pleasure then in the message? BEATRICE
254 Yea, just so much as you may take upon a 255. daw: jackdaw. >>>
256. stomach: appetite. —I think Beatrice expected a witty come-back from Benedick, didn't get one, and so is saying he doesn't have the stomach for verbal jousting.255 knife's point and choke a daw withal. You 256 have no stomach, signior: fare you well. Exit.
BENEDICK
257 Ha! 'Against my will I am sent to bid you 258 come in to dinner'; there's a double meaning 259 in that! 'I took no more pains for those thanks 260 than you took pains to thank me'. That's as much 261 as to say, 'any pains that I take for you is as easy 262 as thanks'. If I do not take pity of her, I am a villain; 263. if I do not love her, I am a Jew: i.e., I will not be so vile as to refuse her love. ...more.
263 if I do not love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her 264 picture. Exit.