Comparison of William Shakespeare Much Ado About Nothing 4.2 to William Shakespeare

Nay, that’s most certain —

Nay, that’s certain. They that dally nicely with words may quickly make them wanton.

Without you? Nay, that’s certain; for without you were so simple, none else would: but you are so without these follies, that these follies are within you, and shine through you like the water in an urinal, that not an eye that sees you but is a physician to comment on your malady.

This Caesar was a tyrant. Nay, that’s certain:

We are blest that Rome is rid of him.

Nay, that’s certain. But yet the pity of it, Iago! O Iago, the pity of it, Iago!

A friend! What friend? Your name, I pray you, friend?

Sir, I am a gentleman that have spent much. My name is Brook.

I am a gentleman of Verona, sir,

I am a knight, sir, and my name is Colevile of the Dale.

A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you, but I will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah; a word in your ear, sir. I say to you, it is thought you are false knaves.

He’s in his fit now, and does not talk after the wisest. He shall taste of my bottle; if he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to remove his fit. If I can recover him, and keep him tame, I will not take too much for him; he shall pay for him that hath him, and that soundly.

What, unknown honesty? A word in your ear.

You shall not be gone as yet, I swear:

How now? Back, friends! Shepherd, go off a little. Go with him, sirrah.

Come, shepherd, let us make an honorable retreat, though not with bag and baggage, yet with scrip and scrippage.

Who is here? What, are you packing, sirrah?

Come hither. Ah, you precious pandar! Villain,

Write down, that they hope they serve God; and write God first, for God defend but God should go before such villains! Masters, it is prov’d already that you are little better than false knaves, and it will go near to be thought so shortly. How answer you for yourselves?

Shall I speak a word in your ear?

It may be I will go with you, but yet I’ll pause,

When you are waspish. Is it come to this?

You say you are a better soldier:

Take him you on.

Sirrah, come on; go along with us.

Hark a word in your ear.

... that appear when there is no need of such vanity. You are thought here to be the most senseless and fit man for the constable of the watch; therefore bear you the lanthorn. This is your charge: you shall comprehend all vagrom men; you are to bid any man stand, in the Prince’s name.

We charge you, in the Prince’s name, stand! [continues next]

Lucentio! O, he hath murd’red his master! Lay hold on him, I charge you, in the Duke’s name. O, my son, my son! Tell me, thou villain, where is my son Lucentio?

To th’ platform, masters, come, let’s set the watch.

I charge thee in the Prince’s name, obey.

[continues previous] Two of them did, the Prince and Claudio, but the devil my master knew she was Margaret; and partly by his oaths, which first possess’d them, partly by the dark night, which did deceive them, but chiefly by my villainy, which did confirm any slander that Don John had made, away went Claudio enrag’d; swore he would meet her as he was appointed next morning at the temple, and there, before the whole congregation, shame her with what he saw o’ernight, and send her home again without a husband.

Write down Prince John a villain. Why, this is flat perjury, to call a prince’s brother villain. [continues next]

God’s my life, where’s the sexton? Let him write down the Prince’s officer coxcomb. Come, bind them. Thou naughty varlet! [continues next]

What your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light, who in the night overheard me confessing to this man how Don John your brother incens’d me to slander the Lady Hero, how you were brought into the orchard, and saw me court Margaret in Hero’s garments, how you disgrac’d her when you should marry her.

[continues previous] This man said, sir, that Don John, the Prince’s brother, was a villain.

[continues previous] God’s my life, where’s the sexton? Let him write down the Prince’s officer coxcomb. Come, bind them. Thou naughty varlet!

Why, how now, gentleman? Why, this is flat knavery, to take upon you another man’s name.

I, his sole son, do this same villain send

To heaven.

Why, this is hire and salary, not revenge.

Both which, Master Constable —

Therefore know I have earn’d of Don John a thousand ducats.

Let them be in the hands — [continues next]

[continues previous] Come let them be opinion’d.

This man said, sir, that Don John, the Prince’s brother, was a villain.

Write down Prince John a villain. Why, this is flat perjury, to call a prince’s brother villain.

... lewdly given, he deceiveth me; for, Harry, I see virtue in his looks. If then the tree may be known by the fruit, as the fruit by the tree, then peremptorily I speak it, there is virtue in that Falstaff; him keep with, the rest banish. And tell me now, thou naughty varlet, tell me, where hast thou been this month?

That has deserv’d them. O that he were here!

Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is an ass. [continues next]

I am an ass indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have serv’d him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his hands for my service but blows. When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he cools me with ... [continues next]

Thou didst usurp my place, and dost thou not

There’s one grape yet; I am sure thy father drunk wine — but if thou be’st not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen. I have known thee already. [continues next]

Thou hast thine own form. No, I am an ape. [continues next]

’Tis so, I am an ass, else it could never be

I think thou art an ass. Marry, so it doth appear [continues next]

I am an ass, I am a woman’s man, and besides myself. [continues next]

[continues previous] Thou art sensible in nothing but blows, and so is an ass.

[continues previous] I am an ass indeed; you may prove it by my long ears. I have serv’d him from the hour of my nativity to this instant, and have nothing at his hands for my service but blows. When I am cold, he heats me with beating; when I am warm, he cools me with ...

By this hat, then he in the red face had it; for though I cannot remember what I did when you made me drunk, yet I am not altogether an ass.

I do begin to perceive that I am made an ass.

Come, bring away the plaintiffs. By this time our sexton hath reform’d Signior Leonato of the matter; and, masters, do not forget to specify, when time and place shall serve, that I am an ass.

Marry, sir, they praise me, and make an ass of me. Now my foes tell me plainly I am an ass; so that by my foes, sir, I profit in the knowledge of myself, and by my friends I am abus’d; so that, conclusions to be as kisses, if your four negatives make your two affirmatives, why then the worse for my friends and the better for my foes.

And I, an ass, am onion-ey’d. For shame,

Why, what an ass am I! This is most brave,

[continues previous] There’s one grape yet; I am sure thy father drunk wine — but if thou be’st not an ass, I am a youth of fourteen. I have known thee already.

[continues previous] Thou hast thine own form. No, I am an ape.

[continues previous] If thou art chang’d to aught, ’tis to an ass.

[continues previous] I think thou art an ass. Marry, so it doth appear

[continues previous] Thou art Dromio, thou art my man, thou art thyself.

Fie, fie, fond love, thou art as full of fear

As shall be prov’d upon you. I am content.

Thou grumblest and railest every hour on Achilles, and thou art as full of envy at his greatness as Cerberus is at Proserpina’s beauty, ay, that thou bark’st at him.

Marry, sir, our watch tonight, excepting your worship’s presence, ha’ ta’en a couple of as arrant knaves as any in Messina.

A good old man, sir, he will be talking; as they say, “When the age is in, the wit is out.” God help us, it is a world to see! Well said, i’ faith, neighbor Verges. Well, God’s a good man; and two men ride of a horse, one must ride ...

I’ll tell thee what, Prince: a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humor. Dost thou think I care for a satire or an epigram? No, if a man will be beaten with brains, ’a 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 therefore never flout at me for what I have said against it; for man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.

Apt, in good faith, very apt. Well, go thy way, if Sir Toby would leave drinking, thou wert as witty a piece of Eve’s flesh as any in Illyria.

Me they shall feel while I am able to stand, and ’tis known I am a pretty piece of flesh.