READ STUDY GUIDE: Act III, scenes i–ii |
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Act III, Scene ii:
A Room in Leonato's House.
A Room in Leonato's House.
| [Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, and Leonato.] |
| D. Pedro. |
| I do but stay till your marriage be consummate, and then go |
| I toward Arragon. |
| Claud. : |
| I'll bring you thither, my lord, if you'll vouchsafe me. |
| D. Pedro. |
| 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 bowstring, 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. |
| Bene. : |
| Gallants, I am not as I have been. |
| Leon. : |
| So say I; methinks you are sadder. |
| Claud. : |
| I hope he be in love. |
| D. Pedro. |
| 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. |
| Bene. : |
| I have the tooth-ach. |
| D. Pedro. |
| Draw it. |
| Bene. : |
| Hang it! |
| Claud. : |
| You must hang it first, and draw it afterwards. |
| D. Pedro. |
| What? sigh for the tooth-ach? |
| Leon. : |
| Where is but a humour, or a worm! |
| Bene. : |
| Well, every one can master a grief, but he that has it. |
| Claud. : |
| Yet, say I, he is in love. |
| D. Pedro. |
| There is no appearance of fancy in him, unless it be a fancy |
| that he hath to strange disguises; as to be a Dutchman to-day; a |
| Frenchman to-morrow;[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. |
| Claud. : |
| If he be not in love with some woman, there is no believing |
| old signs: he brushes his hat o' mornings: What should that bode? |
| D. Pedro. |
| Hath any man seen him at the barber's? |
| Claud. : |
| No, but the barber's man hath been seen with him; and the |
| old ornament of his cheek hath already stuff'd tennis-balls. |
| Leon. : |
| Indeed, he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard. |
| D. Pedro. |
| Nay, he rubs himself with civet: Can you smell him out by |
| that? |
| Claud. : |
| That's as much as to say, The sweet youth's in love. |
| D. Pedro. |
| The greatest note of it is his melancholy. |
| Claud. : |
| And when was he wont to wash his face? |
| D. Pedro. |
| Yea, or to paint himself? for the which, I hear what they say |
| of him. |
| Claud. : |
| Nay, but his jesting spirit;, which is now crept into a |
| lutestring, and now governed by stops. |
| D. Pedro. |
| Indeed, that tells a heavy tale for him: Conclude he is in love. |
| Claud. : |
| Nay, but I know who loves him. |
| D. Pedro. |
| That would I know too: I warrant, one that knows him not. |
| Claud. : |
| Yes, and his ill conditions; and, in despite of all, dies for |
| him. |
| D. Pedro. |
| She shall be buried with her face upwards. |
| Bene. : |
| Yet is this no charm for the tooth-ach.—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.] |
| D. Pedro. |
| For my life, to break with him about Beatrice! |
| Claud. : |
| 'T is even so: Hero and Margaret have by this played their |
| parts with Beatrice; and then the two bears will not bite one |
| another when they meet. |
| [Enter Don John.] |
| D. John. |
| My lord and brother, God save you. |
| D. Pedro. |
| Good den, brother. |
| D. John. |
| If your leisure served, I would speak with you. |
| D. Pedro. |
| In private? |
| D. John. |
| If it please you;—yet count Claudio may hear; for what I |
| would speak of concerns him. |
| D. Pedro. |
| What's the matter? |
| D. John. |
| Means your lordship to be married to-morrow?[to Claudio] |
| D. Pedro. |
| You know he does. |
| D. John. |
| I know not that, when he knows what I know. |
| Claud. : |
| If there be any impediment, I pray you, discover it. |
| D. John. |
| 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 labour |
| ill bestowed! |
| D. Pedro. |
| Why, what's the matter? |
| D. John. |
| I came hither to tell you: and, circumstances shortened (for |
| she has been too long a talking of,) the lady is disloyal. |
| Claud. : |
| Who? Hero? |
| D. John. |
| Even she; Leonato's Hero, your Hero, every man's Hero. |
| Claud. : |
| Disloyal? |
| D. John. |
| 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. Wonder not till further warrant: go but with me to-night, |
| you shall see her chamber-window entered; even the night before |
| her wedding day: if you love her then, to-morrow wed her; but |
| it would better fit your honour to change your mind. |
| Claud. : |
| May this be so? |
| D. Pedro. |
| I will not think it. |
| D. John. |
| 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. |
| Claud. : |
| If I see anything to-night why I should not marry her |
| to-morrow, in the congregation, where I should wed, there will I |
| shame her. |
| D. Pedro. |
| And, as I wooed for thee to obtain her, I will join with |
| thee to disgrace her. |
| D. John. |
| I will disparage her no farther, till you are my witnesses: |
| bear it coldly but till night, and let the issue show itself. |
| D. Pedro. |
| O day untowardly turned! |
| Claud. : |
| O mischief strangely thwarting! |
| D. John. |
| O plague right well prevented! |
| So will you say when you have seen the sequel. |
| [Exeunt.] |
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