Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5, Scene 2
Enter BENEDICK and MARGARET.
BENEDICK
1
Pray thee, sweet Mistress Margaret, deserve2-3. helping me to the speech of Beatrice: i.e., calling Beatrice to talk to me.
2
well at my hands by helping me to the speech 3
of Beatrice.
MARGARET
4
Will you then write me a sonnet in praise 5
of my beauty?
BENEDICK
6. high style: i.e., epic grandeur. Other editors say that Benedick puns on "stile," which is a set of steps for crossing a fence, but I don't get the joke. 7. come over: exceed. in comely truth: (1) in good truth; (2) by virtue of your beauty.
6
In so high a style, Margaret, that no man living 7
shall come over it; for, in most comely truth, thou 8
deservest it.
MARGARET
9. To have no man come over me!: To have no man make love to me! (? >>>) 10. keep below stairs: i.e., stay in the servant's quarters.
9
To have no man come over me! why, shall I always 10
keep below stairs?
BENEDICK
11
Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's 12
mouth; it catches.
MARGARET
13
And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which hit, 14
but hurt not.
BENEDICK
15
A most manly wit, Margaret; it will not hurt a16-17. I give thee the bucklers: This is an expression meaning "I give up. You win." A buckler is a small, round shield, as depicted in the image above.
16
woman: and so, I pray thee, call Beatrice: I give 17
thee the bucklers.
MARGARET
18-19. we have bucklers of our own: This is a bawdy joke. A buckler would often be mounted with a raised circle of iron in center, the purpose of which was to catch the tip of the opponent's sword.
18
Give us the swords; we have bucklers of 19
our own.
BENEDICK
20
If you use them, Margaret, you must put in 21. pikes: spikes in the center of a shield. vice: screw. In the drawing below, taken from a Renaissance manual of combat, the buckler has a pike.
21
the pikes with a vice; and they are dangerous 22
weapons for maids.
MARGARET
23
Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I 24
think hath legs.
Exit MARGARET.
BENEDICK
25
And therefore will come.
[Sings.]
26-29. The god . . . deserve: These lines are probably a version of the first lines of a love song of Shakespeare's time. 29. How pitiful I deserve: how much I deserve pity for my love-suffering. But in his next lines, "I mean in singing," Benedick speaks as though he meant "how little credit I deserve (when I sing love songs)." 30. Leander: Leander swam the Hellespont nightly to see his love Hero.>>> 31. Troilus: Troilus was another faithful lover in an old story.>>> 32. quondam carpet-mongers: ancient carpet-knights. "Carpet-knights" was a scornful term for knights who didn't actually fight, but did their service at court, kneeling on carpets.
26
The god of love, 27
That sits above, 28
And knows me, and knows me, 29
How pitiful I deserve 30
I mean in singing; but in loving, Leander the good 31
swimmer, Troilus the first employer of panders, and 32
a whole bookful of these quondam carpet-mongers, 33
whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a 34
blank verse, why, they were never so truly turned 35
over and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I 36
cannot show it in rhyme; I have tried: I can find
37. innocent: silly, childish.
37
out no rhyme to 'lady' but 'baby', an innocent
38
rhyme; for 'scorn', 'horn', a hard rhyme; for 39
'school', 'fool', a babbling rhyme; very ominous 40
endings: no, I was not born under a rhyming planet,
41. festival terms: elevated language suitable for a special occasion.
41
nor I cannot woo in festival terms.
Enter BEATRICE.
42
Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I called 43
thee?
BEATRICE
44. Yea, signior, and depart when you bid me: Benedick has just expressed surprise and delight that Beatrice will come when he calls for her. In response, Beatrice says that she will also leave when he asks her to, BUT the word "bid" also means "command," so that Beatrice is also saying, "I'll leave if you start ordering me around."
44
Yea, signior, and depart when you bid me.
BENEDICK
45
O, stay but till then!
BEATRICE
46
'Then' is spoken; fare you well now: and yet, 47. that I came: what I came for.
47
ere I go, let me go with that I came; which 48
is, with knowing what hath passed between 49
you and Claudio.
BENEDICK
50
Only foul words; and thereupon I will 51
kiss thee.
BEATRICE
52
Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is 53. noisome: ill-smelling.
53
but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; 54
therefore I will depart unkissed.
BENEDICK
55-56. his right sense: its correct meaning.
57. undergoes my challenge: i.e., has received my challenge to a duel. 58. hear from him: i.e., receive his acceptance of my challenge. 59. subscribe: publically proclaim.
60. parts: character traits.
57. undergoes my challenge: i.e., has received my challenge to a duel. 58. hear from him: i.e., receive his acceptance of my challenge. 59. subscribe: publically proclaim.
60. parts: character traits.
55
Thou hast frighted the word out of his right 56
sense, so forcible is thy wit. But I must tell 57
thee plainly, Claudio undergoes my challenge; 58
and either I must shortly hear from him, or I 59
will subscribe him a coward. And, I pray thee 60
now, tell me for which of my bad parts didst 61
thou first fall in love with me?
BEATRICE
62. politic: shrewdly managed.
65. suffer: (1) experience; (2) suffer from.
65. suffer: (1) experience; (2) suffer from.
62
For them all together; which maintained so politic 63
a state of evil that they will not admit any good 64
part to intermingle with them. But for which of my 65
good parts did you first suffer love for me?
BENEDICK
66. epithet: i.e., expression.
66
Suffer love! a good epithet! I do suffer love 67
indeed, for I love thee against my will.
BEATRICE
68
In spite of your heart, I think; alas, poor heart! 69
If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for 70
yours; for I will never love that which my friend 71
hates.
BENEDICK
72. wise: (1) witty; (2) wise.
72
Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.
BEATRICE
73. It appears not in this confession: your wisdom is not shown by this declaration that you are wise.
73
It appears not in this confession: there's not 74
one wise man among twenty that will praise 75
himself.
BENEDICK
76. instance: proverb, maxim (i.e., that a wise man does not praise himself). 77. time of good neighbors: good old days when neighbors were willing to speak well of one another.
79. in monument: i.e., in memory.
79. in monument: i.e., in memory.
76
An old, an old instance, Beatrice, that lived in 77
the time of good neighbors. If a man do not erect 78
in this age his own tomb ere he dies, he shall live 79
no longer in monument than the bell rings and the 80
widow weeps.
BEATRICE
81
And how long is that, think you?
BENEDICK
82. Question: that is the question. clamour: noise, such as weeping and wailing. 83. rheum: tears and snot.
84. Don Worm, his conscience: A person's conscience was often referred to as a gnawing worm. 85. trumpet: trumpeter.
84. Don Worm, his conscience: A person's conscience was often referred to as a gnawing worm. 85. trumpet: trumpeter.
82
Question: why, an hour in clamour and a 83
quarter in rheum: therefore is it most expedient 84
for the wise, if Don Worm, his conscience, find 85
no impediment to the contrary, to be the trumpet 86
of his own virtues, as I am to myself. So much 87
for praising myself, who, I myself will bear witness, 88
is praiseworthy: and now tell me, how doth your 89
cousin?
"Benedick and Beatrice" by Norman Price
BEATRICE
90
Very ill.
BENEDICK
91
And how do you?
BEATRICE
92
Very ill too.
BENEDICK
93
Serve God, love me and mend. There will I 94
leave you too, for here comes one in haste.
Enter URSULA.
URSULA
95
Madam, you must come to your uncle.96. old coil: great confusion, much ado.
96
Yonder's old coil at home: it is proved my 97
Lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the 98. abused: deceived.
98
prince and Claudio mightily abused; and
99
Don John is the author of all, who is fled
100. presently: immediately.
100
and gone. Will you come presently?
BEATRICE
101
Will you go hear this news, signior?
BENEDICK
102. die: "Die" was often used as slang for "experience an orgasm."
102
I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and 103
be buried in thy eyes; and moreover I will 104
go with thee to thy uncle's.
Exeunt.