1598

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

by William Shakespeare

DRAMATIS PERSONAE -

Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon.

Don John, his bastard brother.

Claudio, a young lord of Florence.

Benedick, a Young lord of Padua.

Leonato, Governor of Messina.

Antonio, an old man, his brother.

Balthasar, attendant on Don Pedro.

Borachio, follower of Don John.

Conrade, follower of Don John.

Friar Francis.

Dogberry, a Constable.

Verges, a Headborough.

A Sexton.

A Boy. -

Hero, daughter to Leonato.

Beatrice, niece to Leonato.

Margaret, waiting gentlewoman attending on Hero.

Ursula, waiting gentlewoman attending on Hero.

Messengers, Watch, Attendants, etc. -

SCENE.--Messina.

ACT I.

SCENE I.

An orchard before Leonato's house. -

Enter Leonato (Governor of Messina), Hero (his Daughter),

and Beatrice (his Niece), with a Messenger. -

Leon. I learn in this letter that Don Pedro of Arragon comes this

night to Messina.

Mess. He is very near by this. He was not three leagues off when I

left him.

Leon. How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?

Mess. But few of any sort, and none of name.

Leon. A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full

numbers. I find here that Don Pedro hath bestowed much honour on

a young Florentine called Claudio.

Mess. Much deserv'd on his part, and equally rememb'red by Don

Pedro. He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing

in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion. He hath indeed

better bett'red expectation than you must expect of me to tell

you how.

Leon. He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.

Mess. I have already delivered him letters, and there appears much

joy in him; even so much that joy could not show itself modest

enough without a badge of bitterness.

Leon. Did he break out into tears?

Mess. In great measure.

Leon. A kind overflow of kindness. There are no faces truer than

those that are so wash'd. How much better is it to weep at joy

than to joy at weeping!

Beat. I pray you, is Signior Mountanto return'd from the wars or no?

Mess. I know none of that name, lady. There was none such in the

army of any sort.

Leon. What is he that you ask for, niece?

Hero. My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua.

Mess. O, he's return'd, and as pleasant as ever he was.

Beat. He set up his bills here in Messina and challeng'd Cupid at

the flight, and my uncle's fool, reading the challenge,

subscrib'd for Cupid and challeng'd him at the burbolt. I pray

you, how many hath he kill'd and eaten in these wars? But how

many hath he kill'd? For indeed I promised to eat all of his

killing.

Leon. Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he'll

be meet with you, I doubt it not.

Mess. He hath done good service, lady, in these wars.

Beat. You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it. He is a

very valiant trencherman; he hath an excellent stomach.

Mess. And a good soldier too, lady.

Beat. And a good soldier to a lady; but what is he to a lord?

Mess. A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuff'd with all honourable

virtues.

Beat. It is so indeed. He is no less than a stuff'd man; but for

the stuffing--well, we are all mortal.

Leon. You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry

war betwixt Signior Benedick and her. They never meet but there's

a skirmish of wit between them.

Beat. Alas, he gets nothing by that! In our last conflict four of

his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man govern'd

with one; so that if he have wit enough to keep himself warm, let

him bear it for a difference between himself and his horse; for

it is all the wealth that he hath left to be known a reasonable

creature. Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new

sworn brother.

Mess. Is't possible?

Beat. Very easily possible. He wears his faith but as the fashion

of his hat; it ever changes with the next block.

Mess. I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.

Beat. No. An he were, I would burn my study. But I pray you, who is

his companion? Is there no young squarer now that will make a

voyage with him to the devil?

Mess. He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.

Beat. O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease! He is sooner

caught than the pestilence, and the taker runs presently mad. God

help the noble Claudio! If he have caught the Benedick, it will