The Project Gutenberg EBook of Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare

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Title: Much Ado About Nothing

Author: William Shakespeare

Posting Date: February 2, 2011
Release Date:November, 1997 [Etext #1118]

Language: English

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The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing

The Library of the Future Complete Works of William Shakespeare
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1599

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.