First folio
| Modern text
| Definitions
| Key line
| |
| Enter Benedicke and Margaret. | Enter Benedick and Margaret | | MA V.ii.1 | |
| Ben. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Praie thee sweete Mistris Margaret, deserue | Pray thee, sweet Mistress Margaret, deserve | | MA V.ii.1 | |
| well at my hands, by helping mee to the speech of | well at my hands by helping me to the speech of | | MA V.ii.2 | |
| Beatrice. | Beatrice. | | MA V.ii.3 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Will you then write me a Sonnet in praise of | Will you then write me a sonnet in praise of | | MA V.ii.4 | |
| my beautie? | my beauty? | | MA V.ii.5 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| In so high a stile Margaret, that no man liuing | In so high a style, Margaret, that no man living | | MA V.ii.6 | |
| shall come ouer it, for in most comely truth thou | shall come over it; for, in most comely truth, thou | come over (v.) exceed, surpass | MA V.ii.7 | |
| deseruest it. | deservest it. | | MA V.ii.8 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| To haue no man come ouer me, why, shall I | To have no man come over me! Why, shall I | | MA V.ii.9 | |
| alwaies keepe below staires? | always keep below stairs? | keep below stairsremain a servant | MA V.ii.10 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Thy wit is as quicke as the grey-hounds mouth, | Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound's mouth; | wit (n.)mental sharpness, acumen, quickness, ingenuity | MA V.ii.11 | |
| it catches. | it catches. | catch (v.)seize, get hold of, capture | MA V.ii.12 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| And yours, as blunt as the Fencers foiles, which | And yours as blunt as the fencer's foils, which | foil (n.)sword, rapier | MA V.ii.13 | |
| hit, but hurt not. | hit, but hurt not. | | MA V.ii.14 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| A most manly wit Margaret, it will not hurt a | A most manly wit, Margaret; it will not hurt a | | MA V.ii.15 | |
| woman: and so I pray thee call Beatrice, I giue thee | woman. And so, I pray thee, call Beatrice; I give thee | | MA V.ii.16 | |
| the bucklers. | the bucklers. | buckler (n.)small round shield | MA V.ii.17 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Giue vs the swords, wee haue bucklers of our | Give us the swords; we have bucklers of our | | MA V.ii.18 | |
| owne. | own. | | MA V.ii.19 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| If you vse them Margaret, you must put in | If you use them, Margaret, you must put in | | MA V.ii.20 | |
| the pikes with a vice, and they are dangerous weapons | the pikes with a vice; and they are dangerous weapons | pike (n.)central spike in a buckler | MA V.ii.21 | |
| | vice (n.)screw | | |
| for Maides. | for maids. | | MA V.ii.22 | |
| Mar. | MARGARET | | | |
| Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I thinke | Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I think | | MA V.ii.23 | |
| hath legges. | hath legs. | | MA V.ii.24 | |
| Exit Margarite. | Exit Margaret | | MA V.ii.24 | |
| Ben. | BENEDICK | | | |
| And therefore will come. | And therefore will come. | | MA V.ii.25 | |
| The God of loue | (sings) The God of love, | | MA V.ii.26 | |
| that sits aboue, | That sits above, | | MA V.ii.27 | |
| and knowes me, and knowes me, | And knows me, and knows me, | | MA V.ii.28 | |
| how pittifull I deserue. | How pitiful I deserve – | | MA V.ii.29 | |
| I meane in singing, but in louing, Leander the good | I mean in singing; but in loving, Leander the good | Leander (n.)[li'ander] young man in love with Hero, who lived on the opposite side of the Hellespont; each night he swam across, guided by her lamp | MA V.ii.30 | |
| swimmer, Troilous the first imploier of pandars, and a | swimmer, Troilus the first employer of panders, and a | pander, pandar (n.)pimp, procurer, go-between | MA V.ii.31 | |
| | Troilus (n.)[pron: 'troylus] youngest son of Priam and Hecuba; killed by Achilles; lover of Cressida | | |
| whole booke full of these quondam carpet-mongers, | whole bookful of these quondam carpet-mongers, | quondam (adj.)former, erstwhile, previous | MA V.ii.32 | |
| | carpet-monger (n.)frequenter of [carpeted] boudoirs, ladies' man | | |
| whose name yet runne smoothly in the euen rode of a | whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a | | MA V.ii.33 | |
| blanke verse, why they were neuer so truely turned ouer | blank verse, why, they were never so truly turned over | | MA V.ii.34 | |
| and ouer as my poore selfe in loue: marrie I cannot shew | and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I cannot show | marry (int.)[exclamation] by Mary | MA V.ii.35 | |
| it rime, I haue tried, I can finde out no rime to | it in rhyme, I have tried; I can find out no rhyme to | | MA V.ii.36 | |
| Ladie but babie, an innocent time: for scorne, | ‘ lady ’ but ‘ baby ’ – an innocent rhyme; for ‘ scorn ’, | innocent (adj.)silly, half-witted, foolish | MA V.ii.37 | |
| horne, a hard time: for schoole foole, a babling | ‘ horn ’ – a hard rhyme; for ‘ school ’, ‘ fool ’ – a babbling | | MA V.ii.38 | |
| time: verie ominous endings, no, I was not borne vnder | rhyme; very ominous endings. No, I was not born under | | MA V.ii.39 | |
| a riming Plannet, for I cannot wooe in festiuall tearmes: | a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms. | festival (adj.)light-hearted, befitting a holiday | MA V.ii.40 | |
| Enter Beatrice. | Enter Beatrice | | MA V.ii.40 | |
| sweete Beatrice would'st thou come when I cal'd thee? | Sweet Beatrice, wouldst thou come when I called thee? | | MA V.ii.41 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Yea Signior, and depart when you bid me. | Yea, Signor, and depart when you bid me. | | MA V.ii.42 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| O stay but till then. | O, stay but till then! | | MA V.ii.43 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Then, is spoken: fare you well now, and yet | ‘ Then ’ is spoken; fare you well now. And yet, | fare ... well (int.)goodbye [to an individual] | MA V.ii.44 | |
| ere I goe, let me goe with that I came, which is, with knowing | ere I go, let me go with that I came, which is, with knowing | | MA V.ii.45 | |
| what hath past betweene you and Claudio. | what hath passed between you and Claudio. | | MA V.ii.46 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Onely foule words, and thereupon I will kisse thee. | Only foul words; and thereupon I will kiss thee. | | MA V.ii.47 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Foule words is but foule wind, and foule wind is | Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is | | MA V.ii.48 | |
| but foule breath, and foule breath is noisome, therefore I | but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I | noisome (adj.)noxious, harmful, evil | MA V.ii.49 | |
| will depart vnkist. | will depart unkissed. | | MA V.ii.50 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Thou hast frighted the word out of his right | Thou hast frighted the word out of his right | fright (v.), past form frightedfrighten, scare, terrify | MA V.ii.51 | |
| sence, so forcible is thy wit, but I must tell thee plainely, | sense, so forcible is thy wit. But I must tell thee plainly, | wit (n.)mental sharpness, acumen, quickness, ingenuity | MA V.ii.52 | |
| Claudio vndergoes my challenge, and either I must | Claudio undergoes my challenge; and either I must | undergo (v.)fall under, experience, face up to | MA V.ii.53 | |
| shortly heare from him, or I will subscribe him a coward, | shortly hear from him, or I will subscribe him a coward. | subscribe (v.)write one down as, proclaim to be | MA V.ii.54 | |
| and I pray thee now tell me, for which of my bad parts | And I pray thee now, tell me for which of my bad parts | part (n.)quality, attribute, gift, accomplishment [of mind or body] | MA V.ii.55 | |
| didst thou first fall in loue with me? | didst thou first fall in love with me? | | MA V.ii.56 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| For them all together, which maintain'd so | For them all together; which maintained so | | MA V.ii.57 | |
| politique a state of euill, that they will not admit any good | politic a state of evil that they will not admit any good | politic (adj.)crafty, wily, self-serving | MA V.ii.58 | |
| part to intermingle with them: but for which of my good | part to intermingle with them. But for which of my good | | MA V.ii.59 | |
| parts did you first suffer loue for me? | parts did you first suffer love for me? | | MA V.ii.60 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Suffer loue! a good epithite, I do suffer loue | Suffer love! A good epithet, I do suffer love | epithet (n.)turn of phrase, expression | MA V.ii.61 | |
| indeede, for I loue thee against my will. | indeed, for I love thee against my will. | | MA V.ii.62 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| In spight of your heart I think, alas poore | In spite of your heart, I think; alas, poor | | MA V.ii.63 | |
| heart, if you spight it for my sake, I will spight it for yours, | heart! If you spite it for my sake, I will spite it for yours; | | MA V.ii.64 | |
| for I will neuer loue that which my friend hates. | for I will never love that which my friend hates. | | MA V.ii.65 | |
| Bened. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Thou and I are too wise to wooe peaceablie. | Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably. | | MA V.ii.66 | |
| Bea. | BEATRICE | | | |
| It appeares not in this confession, there's not | It appears not in this confession; there's not | | MA V.ii.67 | |
| one wise man among twentie that will praise himselfe. | one wise man among twenty that will praise himself. | | MA V.ii.68 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| An old, an old instance Beatrice, that liu'd in | An old, an old instance, Beatrice, that lived in | | MA V.ii.69 | |
| the time of good neighbours, if a man doe not erect in | the time of good neighbours. If a man do not erect in | | MA V.ii.70 | |
| this age his owne tombe ere he dies, hee shall liue no longer | this age his own tomb ere he dies, he shall live no longer | | MA V.ii.71 | |
| in monuments, then the Bels ring, & the Widdow weepes. | in monument than the bell rings and the widow weeps. | monument (n.)memory, memorial, remembrance | MA V.ii.72 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| And how long is that thinke you? | And how long is that, think you? | | MA V.ii.73 | |
| Ben. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Question, why an hower in clamour and a | Question – why, an hour in clamour and a | | MA V.ii.74 | |
| quarter in rhewme, therfore is it most expedient for the | quarter in rheum. Therefore is it most expedient for the | rheum (n.)tears | MA V.ii.75 | |
| wise, if Don worme (his conscience) finde no impediment | wise, if Don Worm, his conscience, find no impediment | Dan, Don (n.)[don, short form of Latin ‘dominus’] master, sir | MA V.ii.76 | |
| to the contrarie, to be the trumpet of his owne vertues, as | to the contrary, to be the trumpet of his own virtues, as | | MA V.ii.77 | |
| I am to my selfe so much for praising my selfe, who I | I am to myself. So much for praising myself, who, I | | MA V.ii.78 | |
| my selfe will beare witnesse is praise worthie, and now tell | myself will bear witness, is praiseworthy. And now tell | | MA V.ii.79 | |
| me, how doth your cosin? | me, how doth your cousin? | | MA V.ii.80 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Verie ill. | Very ill. | ill (adv.)badly, adversely, unfavourably | MA V.ii.81 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| And how doe you? | And how do you? | | MA V.ii.82 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Verie ill too. | Very ill too. | | MA V.ii.83 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| Serue God, loue me, and mend, there will I | Serve God, love me, and mend. There will I | | MA V.ii.84 | |
| leaue you too, for here comes one in haste. | leave you too, for here comes one in haste. | | MA V.ii.85 | |
| Enter Vrsula. | Enter Ursula | | MA V.ii.85 | |
| Vrs. | URSULA | | | |
| Madam, you must come to your Vncle, yonders | Madam, you must come to your uncle. Yonder's | | MA V.ii.86 | |
| old coile at home, it is prooued my Ladie Hero hath bin | old coil at home; it is proved my Lady Hero hath been | old (adj.)plenty of, abundant, more than enough | MA V.ii.87 | |
| | coil (n.)turmoil, disturbance, fuss | | |
| falselie accusde, the Prince and Claudio mightilie abusde, | falsely accused, the Prince and Claudio mightily abused, | abuse (v.)deceive, mislead, fool, cheat | MA V.ii.88 | |
| and Don Iohn is the author of all, who is fled and gone: | and Don John is the author of all, who is fled and gone. | | MA V.ii.89 | |
| will you come presentlie? | Will you come presently? | presently (adv.)immediately, instantly, at once | MA V.ii.90 | |
| Beat. | BEATRICE | | | |
| Will you go heare this newes Signior? | Will you go hear this news, signor? | | MA V.ii.91 | |
| Bene. | BENEDICK | | | |
| I will liue in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be | I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap and be | | MA V.ii.92 | |
| buried in thy eies: and moreouer, I will goe with thee to | buried in thy eyes; and moreover I will go with thee to | | MA V.ii.93 | |
| thy Vncles. | thy uncle's. | | MA V.ii.94 | |
| Exeunt. | Exeunt | | MA V.ii.94 | |