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Act 5, Scene 3
Much Ado About Nothing Translation Act 5, Scene 4
Enter LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, FRIAR FRANCIS, and HERO
FRIAR FRANCIS
Did I not tell you she was innocent?
FRIAR FRANCIS
Didn't I tell you that she was innocent?
LEONATO
So are the Prince and Claudio, who accused her Upon the error that you heard debated. But Margaret was in some fault for this, Although against her will, as it appears In the true course of all the question.
LEONATO
And so are the Prince and Claudio, who accused her because they themselves were deceived. Margaret was partly at fault for this. Yet our examination has shown that she didn't know about the plot, even though she played a role in it.
ANTONIO
Well, I am glad that all things sort so well.
ANTONIO
Well, I am glad that things have turned out so well.
BENEDICK
And so am I, being else by faith enforcedTo call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.
BENEDICK
And so am I, or else my own promise would have made me fight Claudio.
LEONATO
Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves, And when I send for you, come hither masked. The Prince and Claudio promised by this hour To visit me. —You know your office, brother. You must be father to your brother’s daughter, And give her to young Claudio.
LEONATO
Well, daughter, and all you gentlewomen, retreat to a room by yourselves. When I send for you, come out wearing masks. The Prince and Claudio promised me they would be here by now.
[To ANTONIO] You know your job, brother. You must be the father to my daughter, and give her away to young Claudio.
Exeunt Ladies
ANTONIO
Which I will do with confirmed countenance.
ANTONIO
I'll do it with a straight, serious face.
BENEDICK
Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.
BENEDICK
Friar, I must ask you for a favor, I think.
FRIAR FRANCIS
To do what, Signior?
FRIAR FRANCIS
To do what, sir?
BENEDICK
To bind me or undo me, one of them.—Signior Leonato, truth it is, good Signior,Your niece regards me with an eye of favor.
BENEDICK
To tie me up, or to undo me—one or the other.
[To LEONATO] Sir Leonato, the truth is, good sir, that your niece Beatrice has been looking at me favorably.
LEONATO
That eye my daughter lent her; ’tis most true.
LEONATO
She sees you with eyes my daughter lent her, that's true.
BENEDICK
And I do with an eye of love requite her.
BENEDICK
And I look back at her with eyes of love.
LEONATO
The sight whereof I think you had from me,From Claudio and the Prince. But what’s your will?
LEONATO
I think you got such sight from me, Claudio, and the Prince. But what do you want?
BENEDICK
Your answer, sir, is enigmatical. But for my will, my will is your goodwill May stand with ours, this day to be conjoined In the state of honorable marriage— In which, good Friar, I shall desire your help.
BENEDICK
Your words are puzzling to me, sir. But as for what I want—what I want is your blessing, so your niece and I can be honorably married today.
[To FRIAR FRANCIS] And that, good Friar, is where I need your help.
LEONATO
My heart is with your liking.
LEONATO
I am pleased with your desire, and I give you my blessing.
FRIAR FRANCIS
And my help.Here comes the Prince and Claudio.
FRIAR FRANCIS
And I offer you my help. Here comes the Prince and Claudio.
Enter DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO, and two or three others
DON PEDRO
Good morrow to this fair assembly.
DON PEDRO
Good morning to this fair gathering.
LEONATO
Good morrow, Prince; good morrow, Claudio.We here attend you. Are you yet determinedToday to marry with my brother’s daughter?
LEONATO
Good morning, Prince. Good morning, Claudio. We've been expecting you. Are you still determined to marry my brother's daughter today?
CLAUDIO
I’ll hold my mind were she an Ethiope.
CLAUDIO
I would stick to my promise even if her complexion was dark.
LEONATO
Call her forth, brother. Here’s the friar ready.
LEONATO
Bring her out, brother. The friar's ready.
Exit ANTONIO
DON PEDRO
Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what’s the matterThat you have such a February face,So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?
DON PEDRO
Good morning, Benedick. Why, what's the matter? Why do you have such a February face—so full of frost, storms, and cloudiness?
CLAUDIO
I think he thinks upon the savage bull. Tush, fear not, man. We’ll tip thy horns with gold, And all Europa shall rejoice at thee As once Europa did at lusty Jove When he would play the noble beast in love.
CLAUDIO
I think he's remembering how the free, savage bull must wear the yoke of marriage. Oh, don't be afraid, man. We'll coat your horns with gold, and all of Europe will love you, just as Europa once loved lustful Jove when he was the bull.
BENEDICK
Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low, And some such strange bull leapt your father’s cow And got a calf in that same noble feat Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.
BENEDICK
Bull Jove, sir, came mooing for love, and some strange bull like him mated with one of your father's cows, who then gave birth to a calf like you. You have the same bleat.
CLAUDIO
For this I owe you. Here comes other reck'nings.
CLAUDIO
I'll get you back for that. But here come other accounts I must settle first.
Enter ANTONIO, HERO, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, the ladies masked
Which is the lady I must seize upon?
Which is the lady I'm going to marry?
LEONATO
This same is she, and I do give you her.
LEONATO
This one here, and I now give her to you.
CLAUDIO
Why, then she’s mine.—Sweet, let me see your face.
CLAUDIO
Why then, she's mine.
[To HERO] Sweet one, let me see your face.
LEONATO
No, that you shall not till you take her handBefore this friar and swear to marry her.
LEONATO
No, you won't see her face until you take her hand and swear to marry her in front of this friar.
CLAUDIO
[to HERO] Give me your hand before this holy friar.I am your husband, if you like of me.
CLAUDIO
[To HERO] Give me your hand before this holy friar. I am your husband, if you want me to be.
HERO
And when I lived, I was your other wife,And when you loved, you were my other husband. [she unmasks]
HERO
And when I lived, I was your other wife. And when you loved me, you were my other husband. [She takes off her mask]
CLAUDIO
Another Hero!
CLAUDIO
Another Hero!
HERO
Nothing certainer.One Hero died defiled, but I do live,And surely as I live, I am a maid.
HERO
It's true. One Hero died disgraced. But I am still alive, and as surely as I'm alive, I am a virgin.
DON PEDRO
The former Hero! Hero that is dead!
DON PEDRO
The former Hero! Hero that was dead!
LEONATO
She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived.
LEONATO
She was only dead while her slander lived, my lord.
FRIAR FRANCIS
All this amazement can I qualify When after that the holy rites are ended I’ll tell you largely of fair Hero’s death. Meantime let wonder seem familiar, And to the chapel let us presently.
FRIAR FRANCIS
I can explain all these surprises. After the wedding ceremony is over, I'll tell you in full detail about fair Hero's supposed "death." In the meantime, let's accept these amazing events as natural, and go straight to the chapel.
BENEDICK
Soft and fair, Friar.—Which is Beatrice?
BENEDICK
Wait a moment, Friar.
[To the masked ladies] Which one is Beatrice?
BEATRICE
[unmasking] I answer to that name. What is your will?
BEATRICE
[Taking off her mask] I answer to that name. What do you want?
BENEDICK
Do not you love me?
BENEDICK
Do you love me?
BEATRICE
Why no, no more than reason.
BEATRICE
Why no, no more than is reasonable.
BENEDICK
Why then, your uncle and the Prince and ClaudioHave been deceived. They swore you did.
BENEDICK
Why then, your uncle and the Prince and Claudio have been deceived. They swore that you did.
BEATRICE
Do not you love me?
BEATRICE
Do you love me?
BENEDICK
Troth, no, no more than reason.
BENEDICK
Truly, no, no more than is reasonable.
BEATRICE
Why then, my cousin, Margaret, and UrsulaAre much deceived, for they did swear you did.
BEATRICE
Why then, my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula have been greatly deceived, for they swore that you did.
BENEDICK
They swore that you were almost sick for me.
BENEDICK
They swore that you were almost sick with love for me.
BEATRICE
They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me.
BEATRICE
They swore that you were almost dead with love for me.
BENEDICK
'Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?
BENEDICK
Well then. You don't love me?
BEATRICE
No, truly, but in friendly recompense.
BEATRICE
No, truly—just as a friend.
LEONATO
Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.
LEONATO
Come, niece, I am sure that you love this gentleman.
CLAUDIO
And I’ll be sworn upon ’t that he loves her,For here’s a paper written in his hand,A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,Fashioned to Beatrice. [shows a paper]
CLAUDIO
And I'll swear that he loves her, for here's a paper in his handwriting—a clumsy sonnet that he composed himself, dedicated to Beatrice. [He shows a piece of paper]
HERO
And here’s another,Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol'n from her pocket, Containing her affection unto Benedick. [shows a paper]
HERO
And here's another, stolen from my cousin's pocket—written in her handwriting, and full of her affection for Benedick. [She shows a piece of paper]
BENEDICK
A miracle! Here’s our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but, by this light, I take thee for pity.
BENEDICK
A miracle! Our own handwriting gives evidence against our guilty hearts. Come, I'll take you then, but I swear I'm only doing it out of pity.
BEATRICE
I would not deny you, but, by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your life, forI was told you were in a consumption.
BEATRICE
I won't refuse you. But, to be clear, I'm only doing this because everyone persuaded me, and partly to save your life—for I heard you were wasting away with love for me.
BENEDICK
Peace! I will stop your mouth.
BENEDICK
Enough talking! I'll stop your mouth with a kiss.
They kiss
DON PEDRO
How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?
DON PEDRO
How are you now, Benedick, the Married Man?
BENEDICK
I’ll tell thee what, Prince: a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humor. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No. If a man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it, and therefore never flout at me for what I have saidagainst it. For man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion. —For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee, but in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin.
BENEDICK
I'll tell you what, Prince: a whole assembly of wisecrackers couldn't ruin my mood. Do you think I care about mockery and name-calling? No. If a man is always afraid of being ridiculed, he'll never dare to wear something nice. In short, since I intend to marry, I won't hear anything the world has to say against marriage. So don't mock me for what I said against it before. Man is a fickle creature, and that's my conclusion.
[To CLAUDIO] And as for you, Claudio, I think I would have beaten you in our duel. But now that you're going to become my cousin, I'll let you go uninjured, and love you and my new cousin Hero.
CLAUDIO
I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgeled thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double-dealer, which out of question, thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look exceedingly narrowly to thee.
CLAUDIO
I had almost hoped that you would deny Beatrice, just so I might have beaten you out of your single life and made you a double-dealer. But you'll probably become one anyway, if my new cousin Beatrice doesn't keep a close eye on you.
BENEDICK
Come, come, we are friends. Let’s have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts and our wives' heels.
BENEDICK
Come, come, we're all friends here. Let's have a dance before we're married to cheer ourselves up.
LEONATO
We’ll have dancing afterward.
LEONATO
We'll have dancing after the wedding.
BENEDICK
First, of my word! Therefore play, music.—Prince, thou art sad. Get thee a wife, get thee a wife. There is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn.
BENEDICK
No, we'll have it first! Play a song, musicians.
[To DON PEDRO] Prince, you look serious. Get yourself a wife, get yourself a wife! Your royal staff would be more impressive if it were tipped with horn.
Enter a MESSENGER
MESSENGER
[to DON PEDRO] My lord, your brother John is ta'en in flight And brought with armed men back to Messina.
MESSENGER
[To DON PEDRO] My lord, your brother John has been captured, and armed men have brought him back to Messina.
BENEDICK
[to DON PEDRO] Think not on him till tomorrow. I’ll devise thee brave punishments for him.—Strike up, pipers.
BENEDICK
[To DON PEDRO] Don't worry about him until tomorrow. For your sake, I'll come up with a suitable punishment for him.
[To the musicians] Now, play, musicians!
Dance
Exeunt
