Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 4 of Much Ado About Nothing from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text	Translated Text
Source: Folger Shakespeare Library
Enter Leonato, Benedick, Beatrice, Margaret, Ursula, Leonato’s brother, Friar, Hero. FRIAR Did I not tell you she was innocent? LEONATO So are the Prince and Claudio, who accused her Upon the error that you heard debated. But Margaret was in some fault for this, Although against her will, as it appears 5 In the true course of all the question. LEONATO’S BROTHER Well, I am glad that all things sorts so well. BENEDICK And so am I, being else by faith enforced To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it. LEONATO Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, 10 Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves, And when I send for you, come hither masked. The Prince and Claudio promised by this hour To visit me.—You know your office, brother. You must be father to your brother’s daughter, 15 And give her to young Claudio. The ladies exit. LEONATO’S BROTHER Which I will do with confirmed countenance.	The folks gathered at Leonato's for the wedding are happy with the way things have turned out. Hero, Prince Don Pedro, and Claudio have all been proven innocent of their "crimes," and Margaret's been cleared, too. Leonato’s glad everything got sorted, and Benedick is glad that he won’t have to kill or severely maim his friend Claudio. It’s about time for Don Pedro and Claudio to arrive, so Leonato tells the ladies to go away and not come back until they’re called. When they arrive, they should all have their faces masked. Leonato's Brother, Antonio, will pretend the masked girl he's presenting to Claudio for marriage is his daughter, when actually it’s Hero!
BENEDICK Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think. FRIAR To do what, signior? BENEDICK To bind me, or undo me, one of them.— 20 Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior, Your niece regards me with an eye of favor. LEONATO That eye my daughter lent her; ’tis most true. BENEDICK And I do with an eye of love requite her. LEONATO The sight whereof I think you had from me, 25 From Claudio, and the Prince. But what’s your will? BENEDICK Your answer, sir, is enigmatical. But for my will, my will is your goodwill May stand with ours, this day to be conjoined In the state of honorable marriage— 30 In which, good friar, I shall desire your help. LEONATO My heart is with your liking. FRIAR And my help. Here comes the Prince and Claudio.	With the ladies out of the room, Benedick speaks with Leonato and Friar Francis. He says that Beatrice loves him (which Leonato says is thanks to Hero), and the he loves Beatrice (which Leonato then credits to himself, Don Pedro, and Claudio). Benedick doesn’t quite understand what Leonato means, but he does say he’d like to be married to Beatrice today if possible. Leonato gives his blessing, and the Friar says he's happy to perform the service. Double wedding, everybody!
Enter Prince, and Claudio, and two or three other. PRINCE Good morrow to this fair assembly. 35 LEONATO Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio. We here attend you. Are you yet determined Today to marry with my brother’s daughter? CLAUDIO I’ll hold my mind were she an Ethiope. LEONATO Call her forth, brother. Here’s the Friar ready. 40 Leonato’s brother exits. PRINCE Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what’s the matter That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness? CLAUDIO I think he thinks upon the savage bull. Tush, fear not, man. We’ll tip thy horns with gold, 45 And all Europa shall rejoice at thee, As once Europa did at lusty Jove When he would play the noble beast in love. BENEDICK Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low, And some such strange bull leapt your father’s cow 50 And got a calf in that same noble feat Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.	When Claudio arrives, Leonato asks if he's still ready to marry Antonio’s daughter. Claudio graciously replies that he’ll marry her even if she’s an Ethiope (way to be racist, Shakespeare.) Leonato sends his brother off to get his "daughter." Prince Don Pedro and Claudio start heckling Benedick, who they think is looking out of sorts. Benedick is probably nervous about getting married, but he doesn’t tell his buddies that yet. Instead he compares Claudio’s mom to a cow.
CLAUDIO For this I owe you. Here comes other reck’nings. Enter Leonato’s brother, Hero, Beatrice, Margaret, Ursula, the ladies masked. Which is the lady I must seize upon? LEONATO This same is she, and I do give you her. 55 CLAUDIO Why, then, she’s mine.—Sweet, let me see your face. LEONATO No, that you shall not till you take her hand Before this friar and swear to marry her. CLAUDIO, to Hero Give me your hand before this holy friar. They take hands. I am your husband, if you like of me. 60 HERO And when I lived, I was your other wife, And when you loved, you were my other husband. She unmasks. CLAUDIO Another Hero! HERO Nothing certainer. One Hero died defiled, but I do live, 65 And surely as I live, I am a maid. PRINCE The former Hero! Hero that is dead! LEONATO She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived. FRIAR All this amazement can I qualify, When after that the holy rites are ended, 70 I’ll tell you largely of fair Hero’s death. Meantime let wonder seem familiar, And to the chapel let us presently.	Before Claudio can call Benedick’s mom a heifer, Antonio re-enters with all the masked ladies. Claudio wants to see his soon-to-be wife's face, but Leonato says he has to take her hand and accept her first. Claudio takes the mystery girl’s hand and swears that he’s her husband, if she’ll have him. Hero whips off her mask, and Claudio is psyched to see "another Hero." Hero says that the Hero who was slandered is dead, but this Hero—who is still an innocent maiden—lives. Prince Don Pedro then declares this is the former Hero, the one that's dead. Um...at least they're getting warmer. Leonato clarifies that Hero was "dead" only while her slander lived on. The Friar says he'll explain everything, but for now, they should just roll with it and get this marriage in the books.
BENEDICK Soft and fair, friar.—Which is Beatrice? BEATRICE, unmasking I answer to that name. What is your will? 75 BENEDICK Do not you love me? BEATRICE Why no, no more than reason. BENEDICK Why then, your uncle and the Prince and Claudio Have been deceived. They swore you did. BEATRICE Do not you love me? 80 BENEDICK Troth, no, no more than reason. BEATRICE Why then, my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula Are much deceived, for they did swear you did. BENEDICK They swore that you were almost sick for me. BEATRICE They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me. 85 BENEDICK ’Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me? BEATRICE No, truly, but in friendly recompense. LEONATO Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.	There’s another hold up on the way to the chapel when Benedick stops the Friar and asks which masked lady is Beatrice. Beatrice steps forth and asks what he wants. Next, they play a game of chicken with their love: neither one of them wants to be the first to declare their love publicly, and at the same time they're realizing they were played by their friends.
CLAUDIO And I’ll be sworn upon ’t that he loves her, For here’s a paper written in his hand, 90 A halting sonnet of his own pure brain, Fashioned to Beatrice. He shows a paper. HERO And here’s another, Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol’n from her pocket, Containing her affection unto Benedick. 95 She shows a paper. BENEDICK A miracle! Here’s our own hands against our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but by this light I take thee for pity. BEATRICE I would not deny you, but by this good day, I yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your 100 life, for I was told you were in a consumption. BENEDICK Peace! I will stop your mouth. They kiss.	They’re about to shake hands and relegate each other to a life of being in simply the friend zone, but thankfully Hero and Claudio pipe up. Claudio shows off a little note he’s stolen—it’s a really bad poem in Benedick’s handwriting, clearly meant for Beatrice. Hero is also a thief, as she’s taken from her cousin Beatrice’s pocket a similar note, declaring Beatrice’s love for Benedick. Benedick and Beatrice realize their hands have revealed their hearts. They tease that they’re only marrying each other out of pity, until Benedick says, "I know how to shut you up," and plants a big kiss on Beatrice.
PRINCE How dost thou, Benedick, the married man? BENEDICK I’ll tell thee what, prince: a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humor. 105 Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No. If a man will be beaten with brains, he shall wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any purpose that the world can say against it, and 110 therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it. For man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.—For thy part, Claudio, I did think to have beaten thee, but in that thou art like to be my kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin. 115 CLAUDIO I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied Beatrice, that I might have cudgeled thee out of thy single life, to make thee a double-dealer, which out of question thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look exceeding narrowly to thee. 120 BENEDICK Come, come, we are friends. Let’s have a dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our own hearts and our wives’ heels. LEONATO We’ll have dancing afterward. BENEDICK First, of my word! Therefore play, music.— 125 Prince, thou art sad. Get thee a wife, get thee a wife. There is no staff more reverend than one tipped with horn. Enter Messenger. MESSENGER, to Prince My lord, your brother John is ta’en in flight, And brought with armed men back to Messina. 130 BENEDICK, to Prince Think not on him till tomorrow. I’ll devise thee brave punishments for him.—Strike up, pipers! Music plays. They dance. They exit.	Prince Don Pedro again teases Benedick about getting married (in spite of how often he railed against it). Benedick says nobody can wreck his mood today, and he won't listen to any bad words about marriage—not even his own. Then he tells Claudio that he would have kicked his butt if they had ever dueled, but he'll let Claudio off the hook now that their related by marriage. Claudio jests that he hoped Benedick wouldn’t marry Beatrice, as Claudio wanted to see Benedick become a married man and also a cheater. Then again, Benedick might end up being a cheater anyway...if Beatrice doesn’t keep a close eye on him. (If this is his best man toast, it needs work.) Benedick calls for dancing, though Leonato thinks they really should have marriages before dancing. The old man is ignored, and Benedick calls for music. Then Benedick teases Don Pedro about needing to get a wife. Finally, randomly, a messenger comes in and announces that Don John was captured and brought back to Messina. Benedick counsels Don Pedro to not worry about this right now, and instead, to be merry, and everyone exits in a dance.

Original Text

Translated Text

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

FRIAR
Did I not tell you she was innocent?

LEONATO
So are the Prince and Claudio, who accused her
Upon the error that you heard debated.
But Margaret was in some fault for this,
Although against her will, as it appears 5
In the true course of all the question.

LEONATO’S BROTHER
Well, I am glad that all things sorts so well.

BENEDICK
And so am I, being else by faith enforced
To call young Claudio to a reckoning for it.

LEONATO
Well, daughter, and you gentlewomen all, 10
Withdraw into a chamber by yourselves,
And when I send for you, come hither masked.
The Prince and Claudio promised by this hour
To visit me.—You know your office, brother.
You must be father to your brother’s daughter, 15
And give her to young Claudio.

The ladies exit.

LEONATO’S BROTHER
Which I will do with confirmed countenance.

The folks gathered at Leonato's for the wedding are happy with the way things have turned out. Hero, Prince Don Pedro, and Claudio have all been proven innocent of their "crimes," and Margaret's been cleared, too.

Leonato’s glad everything got sorted, and Benedick is glad that he won’t have to kill or severely maim his friend Claudio.

It’s about time for Don Pedro and Claudio to arrive, so Leonato tells the ladies to go away and not come back until they’re called. When they arrive, they should all have their faces masked.

Leonato's Brother, Antonio, will pretend the masked girl he's presenting to Claudio for marriage is his daughter, when actually it’s Hero!

BENEDICK
Friar, I must entreat your pains, I think.

FRIAR To do what, signior?

BENEDICK
To bind me, or undo me, one of them.— 20
Signior Leonato, truth it is, good signior,
Your niece regards me with an eye of favor.

LEONATO
That eye my daughter lent her; ’tis most true.

BENEDICK
And I do with an eye of love requite her.

LEONATO
The sight whereof I think you had from me, 25
From Claudio, and the Prince. But what’s your will?

BENEDICK
Your answer, sir, is enigmatical.
But for my will, my will is your goodwill
May stand with ours, this day to be conjoined
In the state of honorable marriage— 30
In which, good friar, I shall desire your help.

LEONATO
My heart is with your liking.

FRIAR And my help.
Here comes the Prince and Claudio.

With the ladies out of the room, Benedick speaks with Leonato and Friar Francis. He says that Beatrice loves him (which Leonato says is thanks to Hero), and the he loves Beatrice (which Leonato then credits to himself, Don Pedro, and Claudio).

Benedick doesn’t quite understand what Leonato means, but he does say he’d like to be married to Beatrice today if possible.

Leonato gives his blessing, and the Friar says he's happy to perform the service. Double wedding, everybody!

Enter Prince, and Claudio, and two or three other.

PRINCE Good morrow to this fair assembly. 35

LEONATO
Good morrow, prince; good morrow, Claudio.
We here attend you. Are you yet determined
Today to marry with my brother’s daughter?

CLAUDIO
I’ll hold my mind were she an Ethiope.

LEONATO
Call her forth, brother. Here’s the Friar ready. 40

Leonato’s brother exits.

PRINCE
Good morrow, Benedick. Why, what’s the matter
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm, and cloudiness?

CLAUDIO
I think he thinks upon the savage bull.
Tush, fear not, man. We’ll tip thy horns with gold, 45
And all Europa shall rejoice at thee,
As once Europa did at lusty Jove
When he would play the noble beast in love.

BENEDICK
Bull Jove, sir, had an amiable low,
And some such strange bull leapt your father’s cow 50
And got a calf in that same noble feat
Much like to you, for you have just his bleat.

When Claudio arrives, Leonato asks if he's still ready to marry Antonio’s daughter.

Claudio graciously replies that he’ll marry her even if she’s an Ethiope (way to be racist, Shakespeare.)

Leonato sends his brother off to get his "daughter."

Prince Don Pedro and Claudio start heckling Benedick, who they think is looking out of sorts.

Benedick is probably nervous about getting married, but he doesn’t tell his buddies that yet. Instead he compares Claudio’s mom to a cow.

CLAUDIO
For this I owe you. Here comes other reck’nings.

Enter Leonato’s brother, Hero, Beatrice, Margaret,
Ursula, the ladies masked.

Which is the lady I must seize upon?

LEONATO
This same is she, and I do give you her. 55

CLAUDIO
Why, then, she’s mine.—Sweet, let me see your face.

LEONATO
No, that you shall not till you take her hand
Before this friar and swear to marry her.

CLAUDIO, to Hero
Give me your hand before this holy friar.
They take hands.
I am your husband, if you like of me. 60

HERO
And when I lived, I was your other wife,
And when you loved, you were my other husband.

She unmasks.

CLAUDIO
Another Hero!

HERO Nothing certainer.
One Hero died defiled, but I do live, 65
And surely as I live, I am a maid.

PRINCE
The former Hero! Hero that is dead!

LEONATO
She died, my lord, but whiles her slander lived.

FRIAR
All this amazement can I qualify,
When after that the holy rites are ended, 70
I’ll tell you largely of fair Hero’s death.
Meantime let wonder seem familiar,
And to the chapel let us presently.

Before Claudio can call Benedick’s mom a heifer, Antonio re-enters with all the masked ladies.

Claudio wants to see his soon-to-be wife's face, but Leonato says he has to take her hand and accept her first.

Claudio takes the mystery girl’s hand and swears that he’s her husband, if she’ll have him.

Hero whips off her mask, and Claudio is psyched to see "another Hero."

Hero says that the Hero who was slandered is dead, but this Hero—who is still an innocent maiden—lives.

Prince Don Pedro then declares this is the former Hero, the one that's dead. Um...at least they're getting warmer.

Leonato clarifies that Hero was "dead" only while her slander lived on.

The Friar says he'll explain everything, but for now, they should just roll with it and get this marriage in the books.

BENEDICK
Soft and fair, friar.—Which is Beatrice?

BEATRICE, unmasking
I answer to that name. What is your will? 75

BENEDICK
Do not you love me?

BEATRICE Why no, no more than reason.

BENEDICK
Why then, your uncle and the Prince and Claudio
Have been deceived. They swore you did.

BEATRICE
Do not you love me? 80

BENEDICK Troth, no, no more than reason.

BEATRICE
Why then, my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula
Are much deceived, for they did swear you did.

BENEDICK
They swore that you were almost sick for me.

BEATRICE
They swore that you were well-nigh dead for me. 85

BENEDICK
’Tis no such matter. Then you do not love me?

BEATRICE
No, truly, but in friendly recompense.

LEONATO
Come, cousin, I am sure you love the gentleman.

There’s another hold up on the way to the chapel when Benedick stops the Friar and asks which masked lady is Beatrice.

Beatrice steps forth and asks what he wants.

Next, they play a game of chicken with their love: neither one of them wants to be the first to declare their love publicly, and at the same time they're realizing they were played by their friends.

CLAUDIO
And I’ll be sworn upon ’t that he loves her,
For here’s a paper written in his hand, 90
A halting sonnet of his own pure brain,
Fashioned to Beatrice.

He shows a paper.

HERO And here’s another,
Writ in my cousin’s hand, stol’n from her pocket,
Containing her affection unto Benedick. 95

She shows a paper.

BENEDICK A miracle! Here’s our own hands against
our hearts. Come, I will have thee, but by this light
I take thee for pity.

BEATRICE I would not deny you, but by this good day, I
yield upon great persuasion, and partly to save your 100
life, for I was told you were in a consumption.

BENEDICK Peace! I will stop your mouth.

They kiss.

They’re about to shake hands and relegate each other to a life of being in simply the friend zone, but thankfully Hero and Claudio pipe up.

Claudio shows off a little note he’s stolen—it’s a really bad poem in Benedick’s handwriting, clearly meant for Beatrice.

Hero is also a thief, as she’s taken from her cousin Beatrice’s pocket a similar note, declaring Beatrice’s love for Benedick.

Benedick and Beatrice realize their hands have revealed their hearts.

They tease that they’re only marrying each other out of pity, until Benedick says, "I know how to shut you up," and plants a big kiss on Beatrice.

PRINCE
How dost thou, Benedick, the married man?

BENEDICK I’ll tell thee what, prince: a college of
wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humor. 105
Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram?
No. If a man will be beaten with brains, he shall
wear nothing handsome about him. In brief, since I
do purpose to marry, I will think nothing to any
purpose that the world can say against it, and 110
therefore never flout at me for what I have said
against it. For man is a giddy thing, and this is my
conclusion.—For thy part, Claudio, I did think to
have beaten thee, but in that thou art like to be my
kinsman, live unbruised, and love my cousin. 115

CLAUDIO I had well hoped thou wouldst have denied
Beatrice, that I might have cudgeled thee out of thy
single life, to make thee a double-dealer, which out
of question thou wilt be, if my cousin do not look
exceeding narrowly to thee. 120

BENEDICK Come, come, we are friends. Let’s have a
dance ere we are married, that we may lighten our
own hearts and our wives’ heels.

LEONATO We’ll have dancing afterward.

BENEDICK First, of my word! Therefore play, music.— 125
Prince, thou art sad. Get thee a wife, get thee a wife.
There is no staff more reverend than one tipped
with horn.

Enter Messenger.

MESSENGER, to Prince
My lord, your brother John is ta’en in flight,
And brought with armed men back to Messina. 130

BENEDICK, to Prince Think not on him till tomorrow.
I’ll devise thee brave punishments for him.—Strike
up, pipers!

Music plays. They dance.
They exit.

Prince Don Pedro again teases Benedick about getting married (in spite of how often he railed against it).

Benedick says nobody can wreck his mood today, and he won't listen to any bad words about marriage—not even his own. Then he tells Claudio that he would have kicked his butt if they had ever dueled, but he'll let Claudio off the hook now that their related by marriage.

Claudio jests that he hoped Benedick wouldn’t marry Beatrice, as Claudio wanted to see Benedick become a married man and also a cheater. Then again, Benedick might end up being a cheater anyway...if Beatrice doesn’t keep a close eye on him. (If this is his best man toast, it needs work.)

Benedick calls for dancing, though Leonato thinks they really should have marriages before dancing. The old man is ignored, and Benedick calls for music.

Then Benedick teases Don Pedro about needing to get a wife.

Finally, randomly, a messenger comes in and announces that Don John was captured and brought back to Messina.

Benedick counsels Don Pedro to not worry about this right now, and instead, to be merry, and everyone exits in a dance.

Much Ado About Nothing: Act 5, Scene 4 Translation

A side-by-side translation of Act 5, Scene 4 of Much Ado About Nothing from the original Shakespeare into modern English.

Original Text

Translated Text

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