Much Ado About Nothing: Act 3, Scene 4
Enter HERO and MARGARET and URSULA.
HERO
1-2. wake my cousin Beatrice, and desire her to rise: —This indicates that the scene is taking place early in the morning, just before the planned wedding of Hero and Claudio. Weddings were always performed before noon.
1 Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice, 2 and desire her to rise.
URSULA
3 I will, lady.
HERO
4 And bid her come hither.
URSULA
5. Well: very well.
6. rabato: stiff collar supporting a ruff.
9-10. By my troth, 's: by my faith, it is. your cousin: i.e., Beatrice.
6. rabato: stiff collar supporting a ruff.
9-10. By my troth, 's: by my faith, it is. your cousin: i.e., Beatrice.
5 Well.
[Exit.]
MARGARET
6 Troth, I think your other rabato were 7 better.
HERO
8 No, pray thee, good Meg, I'll wear this.
MARGARET
9 By my troth, 's not so good; and I warrant your 10 cousin will say so.
HERO
11 My cousin's a fool, and thou art another: I'll 12 wear none but this.
MARGARET
13. tire: headdress. hair: —Some tires had hair woven into them, to blend with the lady's hair. >>>
13 I like the new tire within excellently, if the hair 14 were a thought browner; and your gown's a most 15 rare fashion, i' faith. I saw the Duchess of Milan's 16 gown that they praise so.
HERO
17. exceeds: excels, is beyond comparison.
17 O, that exceeds, they say.
MARGARET
18. night-gown: dressing gown. in respect of: compared with. 19. cloth o' gold: cloth of gold.>>>
20. set with pearls: adorned with a setting of pearls. >>>
22. quaint: elegant.
23. yours is worth ten on 't: i.e., your gown is ten times as good as the fabulous gown of the Duchess of Milan, which I have just described.
20. set with pearls: adorned with a setting of pearls. >>>
22. quaint: elegant.
23. yours is worth ten on 't: i.e., your gown is ten times as good as the fabulous gown of the Duchess of Milan, which I have just described.
18 By my troth, 's but a night-gown in respect of 19 yours: cloth o' gold, and cuts, and laced with 20 silver, set with pearls, down sleeves, side sleeves, 21 and skirts, round underborne with a bluish tinsel: 22 but for a fine, quaint, graceful and excellent 23 fashion, yours is worth ten on 't.
HERO
24 God give me joy to wear it! for my heart is25. exceeding heavy: exceedingly melancholy.
25 exceeding heavy.
MARGARET
26 'Twill be heavier soon by the weight of a 27 man.
HERO
28 Fie upon thee! art not ashamed?
MARGARET
29 Of what, lady? of speaking honorably? Is 30. in a beggar: i.e., even in a beggar.
30 not marriage honorable in a beggar? Is not 31 your lord honorable without marriage? I think32-33. saving your reverence, a husband: i.e., begging your pardon, I should have said "a husband" (rather than "a man"). 33. and bad ... meaning: if bawdy thoughts do not misinterpret the true meaning (of what I have just said).
32 you would have me say, 'saving your reverence, 33 a husband': and bad thinking do not wrest true 34 speaking, I'll offend nobody: is there any harm 35 in 'the heavier for a husband'? None, I think, 36 and it be the right husband and the right wife; 37. light: —Margaret is punning on another meaning of "light" as "frivolous," or "wanton." 38. else: i.e., if this isn't true.
37 otherwise 'tis light, and not heavy: ask my Lady 38 Beatrice else; here she comes.
Enter BEATRICE.
HERO
39. coz: cousin (in the sense of "intimate friend").
39 Good morrow, coz.
BEATRICE
40 Good morrow, sweet Hero.
HERO
41 Why how now? do you speak in the42. sick tune: melancholy tone; i.e., voice of a sick person.
42 sick tune?
BEATRICE
43 I am out of all other tune, methinks.
MARGARET
44. Clap's: let's shift. Light a' love: a popular song.
45. burden: bass accompaniment or undersong. —Margaret is making another pun about the "weight of a man."
45. burden: bass accompaniment or undersong. —Margaret is making another pun about the "weight of a man."
44 Clap's into 'Light o' love'; that goes 45 without a burden: do you sing it, and 46 I'll dance it.
BEATRICE
47. Ye light o' love, with your heels!: i.e., you'll dance "light o' love" with your heels in the air!
49. barns: —Beatrice is punning on "bairns," which means "children."
49. barns: —Beatrice is punning on "bairns," which means "children."
47 Ye light o' love, with your heels! then, if 48 your husband have stables enough, you'll 49 see he shall lack no barns.
MARGARET
50. illegitimate construction: total misinterpretation.
50-51. I scorn that with my heels: i.e., I totally reject that by clicking my heels together.
50-51. I scorn that with my heels: i.e., I totally reject that by clicking my heels together.
50 O illegitimate construction! I scorn that 51 with my heels.
BEATRICE
52 'Tis almost five o'clock, cousin; 'tis time 53 you were ready. By my troth, I am exceeding 54 ill: heigh-ho!
MARGARET
55. For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?: —Margaret takes Beatrice's "heigh-ho" as an expression of longing.
56. H: i.e., because of an ache. —The name of the letter "H" was pronounced "aitch."
57-58. turned Turk: i.e., completely abandoned your faith (which was that you would never fall in love). no more sailing by the star: no more navigating by the north star; i.e., no more trusting to anything.
56. H: i.e., because of an ache. —The name of the letter "H" was pronounced "aitch."
57-58. turned Turk: i.e., completely abandoned your faith (which was that you would never fall in love). no more sailing by the star: no more navigating by the north star; i.e., no more trusting to anything.
55 For a hawk, a horse, or a husband?
BEATRICE
56 For the letter that begins them all, H.
MARGARET
57 Well, and you be not turned Turk, there's 58 no more sailing by the star.
BEATRICE
59. What means the fool, trow?: What does that fool truly mean?
59 What means the fool, trow?
MARGARET
60 Nothing I; but God send every one their 61 heart's desire!
HERO
62 These gloves the count sent me; they are an 63 excellent perfume.
BEATRICE
64. I am stuffed: i.e., I have a cold.
65. maid: virgin.
65. maid: virgin.
64 I am stuffed, cousin; I cannot smell.
MARGARET
65 A maid, and stuffed! there's goodly 66 catching of cold.
BEATRICE
67 O, God help me! God help me! how long have 68. professed apprehension: made wit your profession.
68 you professed apprehension?
MARGARET
69 Even since you left it. Doth not my wit 70 become me rarely?
BEATRICE
71-72. wear it in your cap: i.e., as a fool does his coxcomb.
71 It is not seen enough, you should wear it in your 72 cap. By my troth, I am sick.
MARGARET
73. Carduus Benedictus: blessed (or holy) thistle, a medicinal herb.
73 Get you some of this distilled Carduus Benedictus, 74 and lay it to your heart: it is the only75. qualm: (1) sudden feeling of sickness; (2) sudden emotional misgiving.
75 thing for a qualm.
HERO
76 There thou prickest her with a thistle.
BEATRICE
77. moral: hidden meaning.
77 Benedictus! why Benedictus? you have some moral 78 in this Benedictus.
MARGARET
79 Moral! no, by my troth, I have no moral 80 meaning; I meant, plain holy-thistle. You 81 may think perchance that I think you are in love: 82 nay, by'r lady, I am not such a fool to think what83. list: please.
83 I list, nor I list not to think what I can, nor indeed 84 I cannot think, if I would think my heart out of 85 thinking, that you are in love or that you will be 86 in love or that you can be in love. Yet Benedick87. now is he become a man: now he has become a normal man.
87 was such another, and now is he become a man: 88 he swore he would never marry, and yet now, in 89-90. eats his meat without grudging: i.e., has a normal appetite like other men (in love).
89 despite of his heart, he eats his meat without 90 grudging: and how you may be converted I know 91 not, but methinks you look with your eyes as other 92 women do.
BEATRICE
93 What pace is this that thy tongue keeps?
MARGARET
94. a false gallop: (1) a canter; (2) running on untruthfully.
94 Not a false gallop.
Enter URSULA.
URSULA
95 Madam, withdraw: the prince, the count, Signior 96 Benedick, Don John, and all the gallants of the 97 town, are come to fetch you to church.
HERO
98 Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, 99 good Ursula.
[Exeunt.]