Much Ado About Nothing
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About this ebook
Much Ado About Nothing isn't considered one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, but it's definitely one of the most lighthearted. In this comedy, two couples are planning to get married, but their best laid plans go awry due to the work of a villain.
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare (1564–1616) is arguably the most famous playwright to ever live. Born in England, he attended grammar school but did not study at a university. In the 1590s, Shakespeare worked as partner and performer at the London-based acting company, the King’s Men. His earliest plays were Henry VI and Richard III, both based on the historical figures. During his career, Shakespeare produced nearly 40 plays that reached multiple countries and cultures. Some of his most notable titles include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. His acclaimed catalog earned him the title of the world’s greatest dramatist.
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Much Ado About Nothing - William Shakespeare
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
..................
William Shakespeare
MASQUERADE PRESS
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Copyright © 2015 by William Shakespeare
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Much Ado About Nothing
Characters of the Play
Act I
Scene I. Before Leonato’s house.
Scene II. A room in Leonato’s house.
Scene III. The same.
Act II
Scene I. A hall in Leonato’s house.
Scene II. The same.
Scene III. Leonato’s orchard.
Act III
Scene I. Leonato’s garden.
Scene II. A room in Leonato’s house
Scene III. A street.
Scene IV. Hero’s apartment.
Scene V. Another room in Leonato’s house.
Act IV
Scene I. A church.
Scene II. A prison.
Act V
Scene I. Before Leonato’s house.
Scene II. Leonato’s garden.
Scene III. A church.
Scene IV. A room in Leonato’s house.
Much Ado About Nothing
By
William Shakespeare
Much Ado About Nothing
Published by Masquerade Press
New York City, NY
First published 1612
Copyright © Masquerade Press, 2015
All rights reserved
Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
About Masquerade Press
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MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
..................
CHARACTERS OF THE PLAY
..................
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, his brother.
Balthasar, attendant on Don Pedro.
Conrade and Borachio, followers of Don John.
Friar Francis,
Dogberry, a constable.
Verges, a headborough.
A Sexton.
A Boy.
Hero, daughter to Leonato.
Beatrice, niece to Leonato.
Margaret and Ursula, gentlewomen attending on Hero.
Messengers, Watch, Attendants, &c.
Scene: Messina.
ACT I
..................
SCENE I. BEFORE LEONATO’S HOUSE.
..................
Enter Leonato, Hero, and Beatrice, with a Messenger
Leonato
I learn in this letter that Don Peter of Arragon comes this night to Messina.
Messenger
He is very near by this: he was not three leagues off when I left him.
Leonato
How many gentlemen have you lost in this action?
Messenger
But few of any sort, and none of name.
Leonato
A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers. I find here that Don Peter hath bestowed much honour on a young Florentine called Claudio.
Messenger
Much deserved on his part and equally remembered 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 bettered expectation than you must expect of me to tell you how.
Leonato
He hath an uncle here in Messina will be very much glad of it.
Messenger
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.
Leonato
Did he break out into tears?
Messenger
In great measure.
Leonato
A kind overflow of kindness: there are no faces truer than those that are so washed. How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping!
Beatrice
I pray you, is Signior Mountanto returned from the wars or no?
Messenger
I know none of that name, lady: there was none such in the army of any sort.
Leonato
What is he that you ask for, niece?
Hero
My cousin means Signior Benedick of Padua.
Messenger
O, he’s returned; and as pleasant as ever he was.
Beatrice
He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight; and my uncle’s fool, reading the challenge, subscribed for Cupid, and challenged him at the bird-bolt. I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? for indeed I promised to eat all of his killing.
Leonato
Faith, niece, you tax Signior Benedick too much; but he’ll be meet with you, I doubt it not.
Messenger
He hath done good service, lady, in these wars.
Beatrice
You had musty victual, and he hath holp to eat it: he is a very valiant trencherman; he hath an excellent stomach.
Messenger
And a good soldier too, lady.
Beatrice
And a good soldier to a lady: but what is he to a lord?
Messenger
A lord to a lord, a man to a man; stuffed with all honourable virtues.
Beatrice
It is so, indeed; he is no less than a stuffed man: but for the stuffing — well, we are all mortal.
Leonato
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.
Beatrice
Alas! he gets nothing by that. 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. Who is his companion now? He hath every month a new sworn brother.
Messenger
Is’t possible?
Beatrice
Very easily possible: he wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it ever changes with the next block.
Messenger
I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books.
Beatrice
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?
Messenger
He is most in the company of the right noble Claudio.
Beatrice
O Lord, he will hang upon him like a disease: 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