ACT 1
Scene 1
Enter Leonato, Governor of Messina, Hero his daughter, and Beatrice his niece, with a Messenger.

...ask for, niece?
My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua.

...will go together.
All exit except Benedick and Claudio.

ACT 2
Scene 1

...upon your Lordship.
Enter Leonato, his brother, Hero his daughter, and Beatrice his niece, with Ursula and Margaret.

...an hour after.
He is of a very melancholy disposition.

...with your friend?
They begin to dance.
So you walk softly, and look sweetly, and say
nothing, I am yours for the walk, and especially
when I walk away.

...in your company?
I may say so when I please.

...to say so?
When I like your favor, for God defend the lute
should be like the case.

...house is Jove.
Why, then, your visor should be thatched.

...you speak love.
They move aside; Benedick and Margaret move forward.

...the next turning.
Dance. Then exit all except Don John, Borachio, and Claudio.

...as I may.
Enter the Prince, Hero, and Leonato.

...too, gentle Hero?
I will do any modest office, my lord, to help my
cousin to a good husband.

...you my drift.
They exit.

ACT 3
Scene 1

...get her picture.
Enter Hero and two gentlewomen, Margaret and Ursula.
Good Margaret, run thee to the parlor.
There shalt thou find my cousin Beatrice
Proposing with the Prince and Claudio.
Whisper her ear and tell her I and Ursula
Walk in the orchard, and our whole discourse
Is all of her. Say that thou overheardst us,
And bid her steal into the pleachèd bower
Where honeysuckles ripened by the sun
Forbid the sun to enter, like favorites,
Made proud by princes, that advance their pride
Against that power that bred it. There will she hide her
To listen our propose. This is thy office.
Bear thee well in it, and leave us alone.

...warrant you, presently.
Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth come,
As we do trace this alley up and down,
Our talk must only be of Benedick.
When I do name him, let it be thy part
To praise him more than ever man did merit.
My talk to thee must be how Benedick
Is sick in love with Beatrice. Of this matter
Is little Cupid’s crafty arrow made,
That only wounds by hearsay. Now begin,
For look where Beatrice like a lapwing runs
Close by the ground, to hear our conference.

...of the dialogue.
aside to Ursula
Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing
Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it.— They walk near the bower.
No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful.
I know her spirits are as coy and wild
As haggards of the rock.

...Beatrice so entirely?
So says the Prince and my new-trothèd lord.

...of it, madam?
They did entreat me to acquaint her of it,
But I persuaded them, if they loved Benedick,
To wish him wrestle with affection
And never to let Beatrice know of it.

...shall couch upon?
O god of love! I know he doth deserve
As much as may be yielded to a man,
But Nature never framed a woman’s heart
Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice.
Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes,
Misprizing what they look on, and her wit
Values itself so highly that to her
All matter else seems weak. She cannot love,
Nor take no shape nor project of affection,
She is so self-endeared.

...sport at it.
Why, you speak truth. I never yet saw man,
How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featured,
But she would spell him backward. If fair-faced,
She would swear the gentleman should be her sister;
If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antic,
Made a foul blot; if tall, a lance ill-headed;
If low, an agate very vilely cut;
If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds;
If silent, why, a block moved with none.
So turns she every man the wrong side out,
And never gives to truth and virtue that
Which simpleness and merit purchaseth.

...is not commendable.
No, not to be so odd and from all fashions
As Beatrice is cannot be commendable.
But who dare tell her so? If I should speak,
She would mock me into air. O, she would laugh me
Out of myself, press me to death with wit.
Therefore let Benedick, like covered fire,
Consume away in sighs, waste inwardly.
It were a better death than die with mocks,
Which is as bad as die with tickling.

...she will say.
No, rather I will go to Benedick
And counsel him to fight against his passion;
And truly I’ll devise some honest slanders
To stain my cousin with. One doth not know
How much an ill word may empoison liking.

...as Signior Benedick.
He is the only man of Italy,
Always excepted my dear Claudio.

...report through Italy.
Indeed, he hath an excellent good name.

...you married, madam?
Why, every day, tomorrow. Come, go in.
I’ll show thee some attires and have thy counsel
Which is the best to furnish me tomorrow.
They move away from the bower.

...her, madam.
aside to Ursula

If it prove so, then loving goes by haps;

Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps.
Hero and Ursula exit.

Scene 4

...we’ll obey you.
Enter Hero, and Margaret, and Ursula.
Good Ursula, wake my cousin Beatrice and
desire her to rise.

...I will, lady.
And bid her come hither.

...rebato were better.
No, pray thee, good Meg, I’ll wear this.

...will say so.
My cousin’s a fool, and thou art another. I’ll
wear none but this.

...they praise so.
O, that exceeds, they say.

...ten on ’t.
God give me joy to wear it, for my heart is
exceeding heavy.

...of a man.
Fie upon thee! Art not ashamed?

... Enter Beatrice.
Good morrow, coz.

...morrow, sweet Hero.
Why, how now? Do you speak in the sick tune?

...their heart’s desire.
These gloves the Count sent me, they are an
excellent perfume.

...for a qualm.
There thou prick’st her with a thistle.

...you to church.
Help to dress me, good coz, good Meg, good
Ursula.
They exit.

ACT 4
Scene 1

...at the jail.
Enter Prince, John the Bastard, Leonato, Friar, Claudio, Benedick, Hero, and Beatrice, with Attendants.

...to this count?
I do.

...you any, Hero?
None, my lord.

...and comely love.
And seemed I ever otherwise to you?

...in savage sensuality.
Is my lord well that he doth speak so wide?

...like a nuptial.
True! O God!

...art my child.
O, God defend me, how am I beset!—
What kind of catechizing call you this?

...to your name.
Is it not Hero? Who can blot that name
With any just reproach?

...answer to this.
I talked with no man at that hour, my lord.

...point for me?
Hero falls.

...now, cousin Hero?
Hero stirs.

...are accused of?
They know that do accuse me. I know none.
If I know more of any man alive
Than that which maiden modesty doth warrant,
Let all my sins lack mercy!—O my father,
Prove you that any man with me conversed
At hours unmeet, or that I yesternight
Maintained the change of words with any creature,
Refuse me, hate me, torture me to death!

...and endure.
All but Beatrice and Benedick exit.

ACT 5
Scene 4

...up this woe.
Enter Leonato, Benedick, Beatrice, Margaret, Ursula, Leonato’s brother, Friar, Hero.

...to young Claudio.
The ladies exit.

...comes other reck’nings.
Enter Leonato’s brother, Hero, Beatrice, Margaret, Ursula, the ladies masked.

...this holy friar.
They take hands.

...like of me.
And when I lived, I was your other wife,
And when you loved, you were my other husband.
She unmasks.

... Another Hero!
Nothing certainer.
One Hero died defiled, but I do live,
And surely as I live, I am a maid.

...shows a paper.
And here’s another,
Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol’n from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick.
She shows a paper.

...plays. They dance.
They exit.