CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html> <html class="client-nojs vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-disabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available" lang="en" dir="ltr"> <head> <meta charset="UTF-8"> <title>Much Ado About Nothing - Wikiquote</title> <script>(function(){var className="client-js vector-feature-language-in-header-enabled vector-feature-language-in-main-page-header-disabled vector-feature-sticky-header-disabled vector-feature-page-tools-pinned-disabled vector-feature-toc-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-main-menu-pinned-disabled vector-feature-limited-width-clientpref-1 vector-feature-limited-width-content-enabled vector-feature-custom-font-size-clientpref-1 vector-feature-appearance-pinned-clientpref-1 vector-feature-night-mode-disabled skin-theme-clientpref-day vector-toc-available";var cookie=document.cookie.match(/(?:^|; )enwikiquotemwclientpreferences=([^;]+)/);if(cookie){cookie[1].split('%2C').forEach(function(pref){className=className.replace(new RegExp('(^| )'+pref.replace(/-clientpref-\w+$|[^\w-]+/g,'')+'-clientpref-\\w+( |$)'),'$1'+pref+'$2');});}document.documentElement.className=className;}());RLCONF={"wgBreakFrames":false,"wgSeparatorTransformTable":["",""],"wgDigitTransformTable":["",""],"wgDefaultDateFormat": "dmy","wgMonthNames":["","January","February","March","April","May","June","July","August","September","October","November","December"],"wgRequestId":"cd791165-5595-4cff-9eaa-09cac496e272","wgCanonicalNamespace":"","wgCanonicalSpecialPageName":false,"wgNamespaceNumber":0,"wgPageName":"Much_Ado_About_Nothing","wgTitle":"Much Ado About Nothing","wgCurRevisionId":3027612,"wgRevisionId":3027612,"wgArticleId":499,"wgIsArticle":true,"wgIsRedirect":false,"wgAction":"view","wgUserName":null,"wgUserGroups":["*"],"wgCategories":["Shakespearean comedies"],"wgPageViewLanguage":"en","wgPageContentLanguage":"en","wgPageContentModel":"wikitext","wgRelevantPageName":"Much_Ado_About_Nothing","wgRelevantArticleId":499,"wgIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRelevantPageIsProbablyEditable":true,"wgRestrictionEdit":[],"wgRestrictionMove":[],"wgNoticeProject":"wikiquote","wgCiteReferencePreviewsActive":true,"wgMediaViewerOnClick":true,"wgMediaViewerEnabledByDefault":true,"wgVisualEditor":{"pageLanguageCode":"en", "pageLanguageDir":"ltr","pageVariantFallbacks":"en"},"wgMFDisplayWikibaseDescriptions":{"search":true,"watchlist":true,"tagline":true,"nearby":true},"wgWMESchemaEditAttemptStepOversample":false,"wgWMEPageLength":10000,"wgCentralAuthMobileDomain":false,"wgEditSubmitButtonLabelPublish":true,"wgULSPosition":"interlanguage","wgULSisCompactLinksEnabled":false,"wgVector2022LanguageInHeader":true,"wgULSisLanguageSelectorEmpty":false,"wgWikibaseItemId":"Q130851","wgCheckUserClientHintsHeadersJsApi":["brands","architecture","bitness","fullVersionList","mobile","model","platform","platformVersion"],"wgSiteNoticeId":"2.3"};RLSTATE={"ext.globalCssJs.user.styles":"ready","site.styles":"ready","user.styles":"ready","ext.globalCssJs.user":"ready","user":"ready","user.options":"loading","skins.vector.search.codex.styles":"ready","skins.vector.styles":"ready","skins.vector.icons":"ready","ext.wikimediamessages.styles":"ready","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript":"ready", "ext.uls.interlanguage":"ready","wikibase.client.init":"ready","ext.wikimediaBadges":"ready","ext.dismissableSiteNotice.styles":"ready"};RLPAGEMODULES=["mediawiki.page.media","site","mediawiki.page.ready","mediawiki.toc","skins.vector.js","ext.centralNotice.geoIP","ext.centralNotice.startUp","ext.urlShortener.toolbar","ext.centralauth.centralautologin","mmv.bootstrap","ext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.init","ext.visualEditor.targetLoader","ext.echo.centralauth","ext.eventLogging","ext.wikimediaEvents","ext.navigationTiming","ext.uls.interface","wikibase.client.vector-2022","ext.checkUser.clientHints","wikibase.sidebar.tracking","ext.dismissableSiteNotice"];</script> <script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.loader.impl(function(){return["user.options@12s5i",function($,jQuery,require,module){mw.user.tokens.set({"patrolToken":"+\\","watchToken":"+\\","csrfToken":"+\\"}); }];});});</script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=ext.dismissableSiteNotice.styles%7Cext.uls.interlanguage%7Cext.visualEditor.desktopArticleTarget.noscript%7Cext.wikimediaBadges%7Cext.wikimediamessages.styles%7Cskins.vector.icons%2Cstyles%7Cskins.vector.search.codex.styles%7Cwikibase.client.init&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <script async="" src="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=startup&only=scripts&raw=1&skin=vector-2022"></script> <meta name="ResourceLoaderDynamicStyles" content=""> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/w/load.php?lang=en&modules=site.styles&only=styles&skin=vector-2022"> <meta name="generator" content="MediaWiki 1.44.0-wmf.4"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin"> <meta name="referrer" content="origin-when-cross-origin"> <meta name="robots" content="max-image-preview:standard"> <meta name="format-detection" content="telephone=no"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg/1200px-Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="1200"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="910"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg/800px-Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="800"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="607"> <meta property="og:image" content="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg/640px-Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg"> <meta property="og:image:width" content="640"> <meta property="og:image:height" content="485"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=1120"> <meta property="og:title" content="Much Ado About Nothing - Wikiquote"> <meta property="og:type" content="website"> <link rel="preconnect" href="//upload.wikimedia.org"> <link rel="alternate" media="only screen and (max-width: 640px)" href="//en.m.wikiquote.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/x-wiki" title="Edit" href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit"> <link rel="icon" href="/static/favicon/wikiquote.ico"> <link rel="search" type="application/opensearchdescription+xml" href="/w/rest.php/v1/search" title="Wikiquote (en)"> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" href="//en.wikiquote.org/w/api.php?action=rsd"> <link rel="canonical" href="https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing"> <link rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/atom+xml" title="Wikiquote Atom feed" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:RecentChanges&feed=atom"> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//meta.wikimedia.org" /> <link rel="dns-prefetch" href="//login.wikimedia.org"> </head> <body class="skin--responsive skin-vector skin-vector-search-vue mediawiki ltr sitedir-ltr mw-hide-empty-elt ns-0 ns-subject mw-editable page-Much_Ado_About_Nothing rootpage-Much_Ado_About_Nothing skin-vector-2022 action-view"><a class="mw-jump-link" href="#bodyContent">Jump to content</a> <div class="vector-header-container"> <header class="vector-header mw-header"> <div class="vector-header-start"> <nav class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-main-menu-dropdown vector-button-flush-left vector-button-flush-right" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-main-menu-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Main menu" > <label id="vector-main-menu-dropdown-label" for="vector-main-menu-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-menu mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-menu"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Main menu</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-main-menu" class="vector-main-menu vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-main-menu-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="main-menu-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-main-menu" data-pinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-main-menu-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Main menu</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-main-menu.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-navigation" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-navigation" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Navigation </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-mainpage-description" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Main_Page" title="Visit the main page [z]" accesskey="z"><span>Main page</span></a></li><li id="n-portal" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikiquote:Community_Portal" title="About the project, what you can do, where to find things"><span>Community portal</span></a></li><li id="n-Village-pump" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikiquote:Village_pump"><span>Village pump</span></a></li><li id="n-recentchanges" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChanges" title="A list of recent changes in the wiki [r]" accesskey="r"><span>Recent changes</span></a></li><li id="n-randompage" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:Random" title="Load a random page [x]" accesskey="x"><span>Random page</span></a></li><li id="n-help" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Help:Contents" title="The place to find out"><span>Help</span></a></li><li id="n-Contact-Wikiquote" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Wikiquote:Contact_us"><span>Contact Wikiquote</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-Wikiquote_links" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-Wikiquote_links" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Wikiquote links </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="n-People" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/List_of_people_by_name"><span>People</span></a></li><li id="n-Literary-works" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/List_of_literary_works"><span>Literary works</span></a></li><li id="n-Proverbs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Category:Proverbs"><span>Proverbs</span></a></li><li id="n-Films" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/List_of_films"><span>Films</span></a></li><li id="n-TV-shows" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/List_of_television_shows"><span>TV shows</span></a></li><li id="n-Themes" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Category:Themes"><span>Themes</span></a></li><li id="n-Categories" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Category:Categories"><span>Categories</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <a href="/wiki/Main_Page" class="mw-logo"> <img class="mw-logo-icon" src="/static/images/icons/wikiquote.svg" alt="" aria-hidden="true" height="50" width="50"> <span class="mw-logo-container skin-invert"> <img class="mw-logo-wordmark" alt="Wikiquote" src="/static/images/mobile/copyright/wikiquote-wordmark-fr.svg" style="width: 4.8125em; height: 2.5em;"> </span> </a> </div> <div class="vector-header-end"> <div id="p-search" role="search" class="vector-search-box-vue vector-search-box-collapses vector-search-box-show-thumbnail vector-search-box-auto-expand-width vector-search-box"> <a href="/wiki/Special:Search" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only search-toggle" title="Search Wikiquote [f]" accesskey="f"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-search mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-search"></span> <span>Search</span> </a> <div class="vector-typeahead-search-container"> <div class="cdx-typeahead-search cdx-typeahead-search--show-thumbnail cdx-typeahead-search--auto-expand-width"> <form action="/w/index.php" id="searchform" class="cdx-search-input cdx-search-input--has-end-button"> <div id="simpleSearch" class="cdx-search-input__input-wrapper" data-search-loc="header-moved"> <div class="cdx-text-input cdx-text-input--has-start-icon"> <input class="cdx-text-input__input" type="search" name="search" placeholder="Search Wikiquote" aria-label="Search Wikiquote" autocapitalize="sentences" title="Search Wikiquote [f]" accesskey="f" id="searchInput" > <span class="cdx-text-input__icon cdx-text-input__start-icon"></span> </div> <input type="hidden" name="title" value="Special:Search"> </div> <button class="cdx-button cdx-search-input__end-button">Search</button> </form> </div> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-user-links vector-user-links-wide" aria-label="Personal tools"> <div class="vector-user-links-main"> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-preferences" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-userpage" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown " title="Change the appearance of the page's font size, width, and color" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-appearance-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Appearance" > <label id="vector-appearance-dropdown-label" for="vector-appearance-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-appearance mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-appearance"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Appearance</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-notifications" class="vector-menu mw-portlet emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-vector-user-menu-overflow" class="vector-menu mw-portlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="//donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikiquote.org&uselang=en" class=""><span>Donate</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-createaccount-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Much+Ado+About+Nothing" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory" class=""><span>Create account</span></a> </li> <li id="pt-login-2" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item user-links-collapsible-item"><a data-mw="interface" href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Much+Ado+About+Nothing" title="You are encouraged to log in; however, it is not mandatory [o]" accesskey="o" class=""><span>Log in</span></a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div id="vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-user-menu vector-button-flush-right vector-user-menu-logged-out" title="More options" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-user-links-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Personal tools" > <label id="vector-user-links-dropdown-label" for="vector-user-links-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-ellipsis mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-ellipsis"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Personal tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-personal" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-personal user-links-collapsible-item" title="User menu" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-sitesupport" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="//donate.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FundraiserRedirector?utm_source=donate&utm_medium=sidebar&utm_campaign=C13_en.wikiquote.org&uselang=en"><span>Donate</span></a></li><li id="pt-createaccount" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CreateAccount&returnto=Much+Ado+About+Nothing" title="You are encouraged to create an account and log in; however, it is not mandatory"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-userAdd mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-userAdd"></span> <span>Create account</span></a></li><li id="pt-login" class="user-links-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UserLogin&returnto=Much+Ado+About+Nothing" title="You are encouraged to log in; however, it is not mandatory [o]" accesskey="o"><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-logIn mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-logIn"></span> <span>Log in</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-user-menu-anon-editor" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-user-menu-anon-editor" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Pages for logged out editors <a href="/wiki/Help:Introduction" aria-label="Learn more about editing"><span>learn more</span></a> </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="pt-anoncontribs" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyContributions" title="A list of edits made from this IP address [y]" accesskey="y"><span>Contributions</span></a></li><li id="pt-anontalk" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:MyTalk" title="Discussion about edits from this IP address [n]" accesskey="n"><span>Talk</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </header> </div> <div class="mw-page-container"> <div class="mw-page-container-inner"> <div class="vector-sitenotice-container"> <div id="siteNotice"><div id="mw-dismissablenotice-anonplace"></div><script>(function(){var node=document.getElementById("mw-dismissablenotice-anonplace");if(node){node.outerHTML="\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-dismissable-notice\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-dismissable-notice-close\"\u003E[\u003Ca tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\"\u003Ehide\u003C/a\u003E]\u003C/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"mw-dismissable-notice-body\"\u003E\u003C!-- CentralNotice --\u003E\u003Cdiv id=\"localNotice\" data-nosnippet=\"\"\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"anonnotice\" lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\"\u003E\u003Cdiv style=\"position:absolute; z-index:100; right:100px; top:-0px;\" class=\"metadata\" id=\"donate\"\u003E\n\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align:right; font-size:80%\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EYour \u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising\" class=\"extiw\" title=\"wikimedia:Fundraising\"\u003Econtinued donations\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E keep Wikiquote running!\u003C/i\u003E\n\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\u003C/div\u003E";}}());</script></div> </div> <div class="vector-column-start"> <div class="vector-main-menu-container"> <div id="mw-navigation"> <nav id="mw-panel" class="vector-main-menu-landmark" aria-label="Site"> <div id="vector-main-menu-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav id="mw-panel-toc" aria-label="Contents" data-event-name="ui.sidebar-toc" class="mw-table-of-contents-container vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-toc-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-toc" class="vector-toc vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-toc-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="toc-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-toc" > <h2 class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Contents</h2> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-toc.unpin">hide</button> </div> <ul class="vector-toc-contents" id="mw-panel-toc-list"> <li id="toc-mw-content-text" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1"> <a href="#" class="vector-toc-link"> <div class="vector-toc-text">Beginning</div> </a> </li> <li id="toc-Act_I" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Act_I"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">1</span> <span>Act I</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Act_I-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Act_II" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Act_II"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">2</span> <span>Act II</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Act_II-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Act_III" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Act_III"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">3</span> <span>Act III</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Act_III-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Act_IV" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Act_IV"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">4</span> <span>Act IV</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Act_IV-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-Act_V" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#Act_V"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">5</span> <span>Act V</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-Act_V-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> <li id="toc-External_links" class="vector-toc-list-item vector-toc-level-1 vector-toc-list-item-expanded"> <a class="vector-toc-link" href="#External_links"> <div class="vector-toc-text"> <span class="vector-toc-numb">6</span> <span>External links</span> </div> </a> <ul id="toc-External_links-sublist" class="vector-toc-list"> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="mw-content-container"> <main id="content" class="mw-body"> <header class="mw-body-header vector-page-titlebar"> <nav aria-label="Contents" class="vector-toc-landmark"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-titlebar-toc vector-button-flush-left" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-titlebar-toc" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Toggle the table of contents" > <label id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-label" for="vector-page-titlebar-toc-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--icon-only " aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-listBullet mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-listBullet"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Toggle the table of contents</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-titlebar-toc-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> </div> </div> </div> </nav> <h1 id="firstHeading" class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><i>Much Ado About Nothing</i></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 2 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-2" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">2 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikiquote.org/wiki/Mucho_ruido_y_pocas_nueces" title="Mucho ruido y pocas nueces – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Mucho ruido y pocas nueces" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikiquote.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%94%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%94_%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%94_%D7%A2%D7%9C_%D7%9C%D7%90_%D7%93%D7%91%D7%A8" title="מהומה רבה על לא דבר – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="מהומה רבה על לא דבר" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q130851#sitelinks-wikiquote" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-nstab-main" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing" title="View the content page [c]" accesskey="c"><span>Page</span></a></li><li id="ca-talk" class="new vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Talk:Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&redlink=1" rel="discussion" class="new" title="Discussion about the content page (page does not exist) [t]" accesskey="t"><span>Discussion</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown emptyPortlet" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-variants-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Change language variant" > <label id="vector-variants-dropdown-label" for="vector-variants-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">English</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="p-variants" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-variants emptyPortlet" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> <div id="right-navigation" class="vector-collapsible"> <nav aria-label="Views"> <div id="p-views" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-views" > <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-view" class="selected vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-edit" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-history" class="vector-tab-noicon mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=history" title="Past revisions of this page [h]" accesskey="h"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown vector-page-tools-dropdown" > <input type="checkbox" id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-vector-page-tools-dropdown" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox " aria-label="Tools" > <label id="vector-page-tools-dropdown-label" for="vector-page-tools-dropdown-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">Tools</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" class="vector-unpinned-container"> <div id="vector-page-tools" class="vector-page-tools vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-page-tools-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-unpinned" data-feature-name="page-tools-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-page-tools" data-pinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-page-tools-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Tools</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-page-tools.unpin">hide</button> </div> <div id="p-cactions" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-cactions emptyPortlet vector-has-collapsible-items" title="More options" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Actions </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="ca-more-view" class="selected vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing"><span>Read</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-edit" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit" title="Edit this page [e]" accesskey="e"><span>Edit</span></a></li><li id="ca-more-history" class="vector-more-collapsible-item mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=history"><span>View history</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-tb" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-tb" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> General </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="t-whatlinkshere" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:WhatLinksHere/Much_Ado_About_Nothing" title="A list of all wiki pages that link here [j]" accesskey="j"><span>What links here</span></a></li><li id="t-recentchangeslinked" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:RecentChangesLinked/Much_Ado_About_Nothing" rel="nofollow" title="Recent changes in pages linked from this page [k]" accesskey="k"><span>Related changes</span></a></li><li id="t-upload" class="mw-list-item"><a href="//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:UploadWizard" title="Upload files [u]" accesskey="u"><span>Upload file</span></a></li><li id="t-specialpages" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/wiki/Special:SpecialPages" title="A list of all special pages [q]" accesskey="q"><span>Special pages</span></a></li><li id="t-permalink" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&oldid=3027612" title="Permanent link to this revision of this page"><span>Permanent link</span></a></li><li id="t-info" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=info" title="More information about this page"><span>Page information</span></a></li><li id="t-cite" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:CiteThisPage&page=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&id=3027612&wpFormIdentifier=titleform" title="Information on how to cite this page"><span>Cite this page</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:UrlShortener&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikiquote.org%2Fwiki%2FMuch_Ado_About_Nothing"><span>Get shortened URL</span></a></li><li id="t-urlshortener-qrcode" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:QrCode&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikiquote.org%2Fwiki%2FMuch_Ado_About_Nothing"><span>Download QR code</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-coll-print_export" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-coll-print_export" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> Print/export </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li id="coll-create_a_book" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:Book&bookcmd=book_creator&referer=Much+Ado+About+Nothing"><span>Create a book</span></a></li><li id="coll-download-as-rl" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Special:DownloadAsPdf&page=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=show-download-screen"><span>Download as PDF</span></a></li><li id="t-print" class="mw-list-item"><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&printable=yes" title="Printable version of this page [p]" accesskey="p"><span>Printable version</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="p-wikibase-otherprojects" class="vector-menu mw-portlet mw-portlet-wikibase-otherprojects" > <div class="vector-menu-heading"> In other projects </div> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-commons mw-list-item"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Much_Ado_About_Nothing" hreflang="en"><span>Wikimedia Commons</span></a></li><li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikipedia mw-list-item"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing" hreflang="en"><span>Wikipedia</span></a></li><li class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikisource mw-list-item"><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing_(Shakespeare)" hreflang="en"><span>Wikisource</span></a></li><li id="t-wikibase" class="wb-otherproject-link wb-otherproject-wikibase-dataitem mw-list-item"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q130851" title="Link to connected data repository item [g]" accesskey="g"><span>Wikidata item</span></a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-column-end"> <div class="vector-sticky-pinned-container"> <nav class="vector-page-tools-landmark" aria-label="Page tools"> <div id="vector-page-tools-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> </div> </nav> <nav class="vector-appearance-landmark" aria-label="Appearance"> <div id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" class="vector-pinned-container"> <div id="vector-appearance" class="vector-appearance vector-pinnable-element"> <div class="vector-pinnable-header vector-appearance-pinnable-header vector-pinnable-header-pinned" data-feature-name="appearance-pinned" data-pinnable-element-id="vector-appearance" data-pinned-container-id="vector-appearance-pinned-container" data-unpinned-container-id="vector-appearance-unpinned-container" > <div class="vector-pinnable-header-label">Appearance</div> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-pin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.pin">move to sidebar</button> <button class="vector-pinnable-header-toggle-button vector-pinnable-header-unpin-button" data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikiquote</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><figure class="mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Claudio,_deceived_by_Don_John,_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg/244px-Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg" decoding="async" width="244" height="185" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg/366px-Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg/488px-Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg 2x" data-file-width="4400" data-file-height="3336" /></a><figcaption>Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, <br /> Men were deceivers ever;<br /> One foot in sea, and one on shore,<br /> To one thing constant never.</figcaption></figure> <p><i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_about_Nothing" class="extiw" title="w:Much Ado about Nothing">Much Ado About Nothing</a></b></i> is a comedy by <a href="/wiki/William_Shakespeare" title="William Shakespeare">William Shakespeare</a>. First published in 1600, it was likely first performed in the winter of 1598-1599. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Act_I">Act I</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Act I"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>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 bettered expectation, than you must expect of me to tell you how. <ul><li><b>Messenger,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping! <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>A very valiant trencher-man. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Beatrice:</b> What is he to a lord?<br /><b>Messenger:</b> A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.<br /><b>Beatrice:</b> It is so indeed, he is no less than a stuffed man, but for the stuffing, — Well, <i>we are all mortal.</i> <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>They never meet, but there is a skirmish of wit between them. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>In our last conflict four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed 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. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Messenger:</b> I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.<br /><b>Beatrice</b>: No; an he were, I would burn my study. <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>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 cost him a thousand pound ere he be cured. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Don Pedro:</b> The fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it.<br /><b>Leonato:</b> Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of your grace: for trouble being gone, comfort should remain; but when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes his leave. <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Benedick:</b> What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?<br /><b>Beatrice:</b> Is it possible disdain should die while she hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick? Courtesy itself must convert to disdain, if you come in her presence. <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Benedick</b>: I would I could find in my heart that I had not a hard heart; for, truly, I love none.<br /><b>Beatrice</b>: A dear happiness to women: they would else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I dare swear he is no hypocrite, but prays from his heart. <ul><li><b>Don Pedro,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Do you question me, as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment; or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex? <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Benedick</b>: Would you buy her, that you enquire after her?<br /><b>Claudio</b>: Can the world buy such a jewel? <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Shall I never see a bachelor of threescore again? <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Like the old tale, my lord: <i>it is not so, nor 'twas not so</i>; but, indeed, <i>God forbid it should be so.</i> <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Don Pedro</b>: By my troth, I speak my thought.<br /><b>Claudio</b>: And in faith, my lord, I spoke mine.<br /><b>Benedick</b>: And by my two faiths and troths, my lord, I spoke mine.<br /><b>Claudio</b>: That I love her, I feel.<br /><b>Don Pedro</b>: That she is worthy, I know.<br /><b>Benedick</b>: That I neither feel how she should be loved nor know how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me: I will die in it at the stake. <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks; but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, — for the which I may go the finer, — I will live a bachelor. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Don Pedro:</b> In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.<br /><b>Benedick:</b> The savage bull may; but if ever the sensible Benedick bear it, pluck off the bull's horns, and set them in my forehead; and let me be vilely painted; and in such great letters as they write, <i>Here is good horse to hire,</i> let them signify under my sign, — <i>Here you may see Benedick the married man.</i> <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Nay, mock not, mock not. The body of your discourse is sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither: ere you flout old ends any further, examine your conscience: and so I leave you. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Act_II">Act II</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Act II"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>He is of a very melancholy disposition. <ul><li><b>Hero,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>He that hath a beard is more than a youth; and he that hath no beard is less than a man. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>As merry as the day is long. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I have a good eye, uncle; I can see a church by day-light. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Speak low, if you speak love. <ul><li><b>Don Pedro,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Friendship is constant in all other things,<br />Save in the office and affairs of love:<br />Therefore all hearts in love use their own tongues;<br />Let every eye negotiate for itself,<br />And trust no agent: for beauty is a witch<br />Against whose charms faith melteth into blood. <ul><li><b>Claudio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I was born to speak all mirth and no matter. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Don Pedro:</b> Your silence most offends me, and to be merry best becomes you; for, out of question, you were born in a merry hour.<br /><b>Beatrice:</b> No, sure, my lord, my mother cried; but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born. <ul><li>Scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Silence is the perfectest herald of joy: I were but little happy, if I could say how much. <ul><li><b>Claudio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>If we can do this, then Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love-gods. <ul><li><b>Don Pedro,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>He was wont to speak plain, and to the purpose. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><p><i>Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,<br /> Men were deceivers ever;<br /> One foot in sea, and one on shore,<br /> To one thing constant never.</i></p><p><i> Then sigh not so, <br /> But let them go,<br /> And be you blithe and bonny,<br /> Converting all your sounds of woe <br /> Into Hey nonny, nonny.</i></p> <ul><li><b>Balthazar,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Sits the wind in that corner? <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Shall quips, and sentences, and these paper bullets of the brain, awe a man from the career of his humour? No; the world must be peopled. When I said, I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Act_III">Act III</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Act III"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps. <ul><li><b>Hero,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>From the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, he is all mirth. <ul><li><b>Don Pedro,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Every one can master a grief, but he that has it. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Are you good men and true? <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>To be a well-favoured man is the gift of fortune; but to write and read comes by nature. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>The most senseless and fit man. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>You shall comprehend all vagrom men. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>2 Watch:</b> How if 'a will not stand?<br /><b>Dogberry:</b> Why, then, take no note of him, but let him go; and presently call the rest of the watch together, and thank God you are rid of a knave. <ul><li>scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Is most tolerable, and not to be endured. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Why, then, let them alone till they are sober: if they make you not then the better answer, you may say, they are not the men you took them for. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>The most peaceable way for you, if you do take a thief, is to let him show himself what he is, and steal out of your company. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I know that <i>Deformed.</i> <ul><li><b>1 Watch,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>The fashion wears out more apparel than the man. <ul><li><b>Conrade,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I thank God, I am as honest as any man living, that is an old man, and no honester than I. <ul><li><b>Verges,</b> scene v</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Comparisons are odorous. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene v</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>If I were as tedious as a king, I could find it in my heart to bestow it all of your worship. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene v</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>A good old man, sir; he will be talking: as they say, When the age is in, the wit is out. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene v</li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Act_IV">Act IV</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Act IV"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>O, what men dare do! what men may do! what men daily do, not knowing what they do! <ul><li><b>Claudio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>O, what authority and show of truth<br />Can cunning sin cover itself withal! <ul><li><b>Claudio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I never tempted her with word too large;<br />But, as a brother to his sister, show’d<br />Bashful sincerity and comely love. <ul><li><b>Claudio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I have mark’d<br />A thousand blushing apparitions<br />To start into her face; a thousand innocent shames<br />In angel whiteness beat away those blushes. <ul><li><b>Friar,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>For it so falls out<br />That what we have we prize not to the worth,<br />Whiles we enjoy it, but being lack’d and lost,<br />Why, then we rack the value; then we find<br />The virtue, that possession would not show us<br />Whiles it was ours. <ul><li><b>Friar,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>The idea of her life shall sweetly creep<br />Into his study of imagination;<br />And every lovely organ of her life,<br />Shall come apparell’d in more precious habit,<br />More moving-delicate, and full of life,<br />Into the eye and prospect of his soul. <ul><li><b>Friar,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I do love nothing in the world so well as you: is not that strange? <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Masters, it is proved already that you are little better than false knaves; and it will go near to be thought so shortly. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Yea, marry, that's the eftest way. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Flat burglary, as ever was committed. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>O villain! thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>O, that he were here to write me down — <i>an ass!</i> — but, masters, remember, that I am <i>an ass</i>; though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am <i>an ass.</i> <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>A fellow that hath had losses; and one that hath two gowns, and every thing handsome about him. <ul><li><b>Dogberry,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Act_V">Act V</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Act V"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Patch grief with proverbs. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Men<br />Can counsel, and speak comfort to that grief<br />Which they themselves not feel. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Charm ache with air, and agony with words. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>’T is all men’s office to speak patience<br />To those that wring under the load of sorrow;<br />But no man’s virtue nor sufficiency,<br />To be so moral, when he shall endure<br />The like himself. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Therein do men from children nothing differ. <ul><li><b>Antonio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>For there was never yet philosopher,<br />That could endure the tooth-ache patiently. <ul><li><b>Leonato,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Some of us will smart for it. <ul><li><b>Antonio,</b> scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li><b>Don Pedro:</b> Officers, what offense have these men done?<br /><b>Dogberry:</b> Marry, sir, they have committed false report; moreover,<br />they have spoken untruths; secondarily, they are slanders;<br /> sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady; thirdly, they have<br /> verified unjust things; and, to conclude, they are lying knaves.<br /><b>Don Pedro:</b> First, I ask thee what they have done; thirdly, I ask thee<br /> what’s their offense; sixth and lastly, why they are<br /> committed; and, to conclude, what you lay to their charge. <ul><li>scene i</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>I was not born under a rhyming planet. <ul><li><b>Benedick,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Foul words is but foul wind, and foul wind is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome; therefore I will depart unkissed. <ul><li><b>Beatrice,</b> scene ii</li></ul></li></ul> <p><br /> </p> <ul><li>Done to death by slanderous tongues. <ul><li><b>Claudio,</b> scene iii</li></ul></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="noprint" style="clear: right; border: solid #aaa 1px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 90%; background: #f9f9f9; width: 250px; padding: 4px; spacing: 0px; text-align: left; float: right;"> <div style="float: left;"><figure class="mw-halign-none" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Wikipedia"><img alt="Wikipedia" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg/50px-Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="46" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg/75px-Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/80/Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg/100px-Wikipedia-logo-v2.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="103" data-file-height="94" /></a><figcaption>Wikipedia</figcaption></figure></div> <div style="margin-left: 60px;"><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia" title="Wikipedia">Wikipedia</a> has an article about: <div style="margin-left: 10px;"><i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:Much Ado About Nothing">Much Ado About Nothing</a></b></i></div> </div> </div> <div class="noprint" style="clear: right; border: solid #aaa 1px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 90%; background: #f9f9f9; width: 250px; padding: 4px; spacing: 0px; text-align: left; float: right;"> <div style="float: left;"><figure class="mw-halign-none" typeof="mw:File"><a href="/wiki/File:Wikisource-logo.svg" class="mw-file-description" title="Wikisource"><img alt="Wikisource" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/50px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="50" height="52" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/75px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg/100px-Wikisource-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="410" data-file-height="430" /></a><figcaption>Wikisource</figcaption></figure></div> <div style="margin-left: 60px;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikisource" class="extiw" title="w:Wikisource">Wikisource</a> has original text related to: <div style="margin-left: 10px;"><i><b><a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Much_Ado_About_Nothing" class="extiw" title="wikisource:Much Ado About Nothing">Much Ado About Nothing</a></b></i></div> </div> </div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&oldid=3027612">https://en.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&oldid=3027612</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" data-mw="interface"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><a href="/wiki/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories">Category</a>: <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Category:Shakespearean_comedies" title="Category:Shakespearean comedies">Shakespearean comedies</a></li></ul></div></div> </div> </main> </div> <div class="mw-footer-container"> <footer id="footer" class="mw-footer" > <ul id="footer-info"> <li id="footer-info-lastmod"> This page was last edited on 2 November 2021, at 15:30.</li> <li id="footer-info-copyright">Text is available under the <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="//creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License</a>; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the <a class="external text" href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Terms_of_Use">Terms of Use</a> and <a class="external text" href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy Policy.</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-places"> <li id="footer-places-privacy"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Privacy_policy">Privacy policy</a></li> <li id="footer-places-about"><a href="/wiki/Wikiquote:About">About Wikiquote</a></li> <li id="footer-places-disclaimers"><a href="/wiki/Wikiquote:General_disclaimer">Disclaimers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-wm-codeofconduct"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Universal_Code_of_Conduct">Code of Conduct</a></li> <li id="footer-places-developers"><a href="https://developer.wikimedia.org">Developers</a></li> <li id="footer-places-statslink"><a href="https://stats.wikimedia.org/#/en.wikiquote.org">Statistics</a></li> <li id="footer-places-cookiestatement"><a href="https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:MyLanguage/Policy:Cookie_statement">Cookie statement</a></li> <li id="footer-places-mobileview"><a href="//en.m.wikiquote.org/w/index.php?title=Much_Ado_About_Nothing&mobileaction=toggle_view_mobile" class="noprint stopMobileRedirectToggle">Mobile view</a></li> </ul> <ul id="footer-icons" class="noprint"> <li id="footer-copyrightico"><a href="https://wikimediafoundation.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/static/images/footer/wikimedia-button.svg" width="84" height="29" alt="Wikimedia Foundation" loading="lazy"></a></li> <li id="footer-poweredbyico"><a href="https://www.mediawiki.org/" class="cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--size-large cdx-button--fake-button--enabled"><img src="/w/resources/assets/poweredby_mediawiki.svg" alt="Powered by MediaWiki" width="88" height="31" loading="lazy"></a></li> </ul> </footer> </div> </div> </div> <div class="vector-settings" id="p-dock-bottom"> <ul></ul> </div><script>(RLQ=window.RLQ||[]).push(function(){mw.config.set({"wgHostname":"mw-web.codfw.main-f69cdc8f6-6vrgq","wgBackendResponseTime":135,"wgPageParseReport":{"limitreport":{"cputime":"0.071","walltime":"0.094","ppvisitednodes":{"value":1592,"limit":1000000},"postexpandincludesize":{"value":7939,"limit":2097152},"templateargumentsize":{"value":5262,"limit":2097152},"expansiondepth":{"value":28,"limit":100},"expensivefunctioncount":{"value":0,"limit":500},"unstrip-depth":{"value":0,"limit":20},"unstrip-size":{"value":0,"limit":5000000},"entityaccesscount":{"value":0,"limit":400},"timingprofile":["100.00% 46.588 1 -total"," 82.11% 38.254 1 Template:Italic_title"," 69.84% 32.539 1 Template:Str_find"," 65.34% 30.439 1 Template:Str_find/logic"," 42.76% 19.922 99 Template:Str_left"," 15.17% 7.068 1 Template:Str_len"," 11.44% 5.330 1 Template:Wikipedia"," 11.14% 5.188 3 Template:Str_len/core"," 6.31% 2.938 2 Template:Sisterproject"," 5.96% 2.778 1 Template:Wikisource"]},"cachereport":{"origin":"mw-web.eqiad.main-f8b64f7bf-87869","timestamp":"20241114133751","ttl":2592000,"transientcontent":false}}});});</script> <script type="application/ld+json">{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","name":"Much Ado About Nothing","url":"https:\/\/en.wikiquote.org\/wiki\/Much_Ado_About_Nothing","sameAs":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q130851","mainEntity":"http:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/entity\/Q130851","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Contributors to Wikimedia projects"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.wikimedia.org\/static\/images\/wmf-hor-googpub.png"}},"datePublished":"2003-08-26T18:17:18Z","dateModified":"2021-11-02T15:30:29Z","image":"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/e\/ed\/Claudio%2C_deceived_by_Don_John%2C_accuses_Hero_stone.jpg","headline":"comedy play by William Shakespeare"}</script> </body> </html>