Much Ado About Nothing

 

Much Ado About Nothing

There lived in the palace at Messina two ladies, whose names were Hero and Beatrice. Hero was the daughter, and Beatrice the niece of Leonato, the governor of Messina.

Beatrice was of a lively temper, and loved to amuse her cousin Hero, who was more serious, with her clever talk. Whatever was happening made the light-hearted Beatrice laugh. At the time when this story begins some young men of high rank in the army came to visit Leonato. Among these were Don Pedro, the prince of Aragon, and his friend Claudio, who was a lord of Florence, and with them came the wild and witty Benedick, and he was a lord of Padua.

These strangers had been at Messina before, and the governor introduced them to his daughter and his niece as their old friends.

Benedick, the moment he entered the room, began a lively talk with Leonato and the prince of Aragon. Beatrice, who did not like to be left out of any talk, broke in upon Benedick saying, "I wonder that you keep on talking, Sir Benedick; nobody listens to you."

Benedick was just as talkative and witty as Beatrice; yet he was not pleased at this interruption. He thought she was not a well-bred lady to be so free with her tongue; and he remembered, when he was last at Messina, that Beatrice used to choose him to make her merry jests upon. And as there is no one who so little likes to be laughed at as those who like to laugh at others, so it was with Benedick and Beatrice. These two sharp wits never met; in former times but a perfect war of clever talk was kept up between them, and they always parted displeased with each other. Therefore when Beatrice stopped him in the middle of his speech by telling him that nobody listened to what he was saying, Benedick, pretending not to have seen before that she was present, said, "What, my dear Lady Disdain¹, are you still living?" And now war broke out again between them. Beatrice, seeing the prince take pleasure in Benedick's talk, called him "the prince's jester". This sarcasm sank deeper into the mind of Benedick than all Beatrice had said before. There is nothing that great wits so much fear as the charge that they are jesters, because that comes sometimes a little too near the truth; therefore Benedick perfectly hated Beatrice, when she called him "the prince's jester".

The Lady Hero was silent before the noble guests; and while Claudio was carefully observing the improvement in her beauty, and the graces of her fine figure (for she was an admirable young lady), the prince was highly amused with listening to the talk of Benedick and Beatrice; and he said in a whisper to Leonato, "This is a pleasant-spirited² young lady. She would be an excellent wife for Benedick." Leonato replied to this, "O my lord, my lord, if they were only a week married, they would talk themselves mad³." But though Leonato thought they would make a quarrelsome pair, the prince did not give up the idea of matching these two sharp wits together.

In a conversation with Claudio the prince found that the marriage he had proposed between Benedick and Beatrice was not the only one that had been thought of. For Claudio spoke in such terms of Hero⁴, as made the prince guess at what was passing in his heart; and he liked it well, and he said to Claudio, "Are you in love with Hero?" To this question Claudio replied, "O my lord, when I was last at Messina, I had a liking for her, but had no time for loving. But now, in this happy time of peace, thoughts of war have left my mind, and instead of them come soft and pleasant thoughts all telling me, how fair young Hero is, reminding me that I liked her before I went to the wars." Claudio's words so pleased the prince, that he lost no time in asking the consent of Leonato to accept Claudio for a son-in-law. Leonato agreed to this proposal, and the prince found no great difficulty in persuading the gentle Hero herself to listen to the loving words of the noble Claudio, who was a lord of great promise, gifted and wise. And Claudio, helped by his kind prince, soon persuaded Leonato to fix an early day for his marriage with Hero.

Claudio was to wait only a few days before being married to his fair lady, but he complained that they passed very slowly. The prince, therefore, to make the time seem short to him, proposed as a kind of merry pastime, that they should think out some clever plan to make Benedick and Beatrice fall in love with each other. Claudio entered with great pleasure into this strange plan of the prince; and Leonato promised them his assistance; and even Hero said she would do anything she could to help her cousin to find a good husband.

The prince's plan was, that the gentlemen should make Benedick believe that Beatrice was in love with him, and Hero should make Beatrice believe that Benedick was in love with her.

The prince, Leonato, and Claudio began to work first. Finding an opportunity when Benedick was quietly seated reading in the garden, the prince and his assitants took their position among the trees, so near that Benedick could not help hearing all they said. After some careless talk the prince said; "Come here, Leonato. What was it you told me the other day that your niece Beatrice was in love with Benedick? I did not think that lady would have loved any man."

"No, I didn't either, my lord," answered Leonato. "It is most wonderful that she should so love Benedick. Judging by her behaviour she has always seemed to dislike him."

Claudio then said that Hero had told him that Beatrice was so in love with Benedick that she would certainly die of grief, if he could not be brought to love her.⁵ Leonato and Claudio seemed to agree that it was impossible, since Benedick had always spoken against all fair ladies, and in particular against Beatrice.

The prince pretended to feel great pity for Beatrice, and he said, "It would be good if Benedick were told of this."

"Why?" said Claudio; "he would only make a jest of it, and that would break the poor lady's heart."

"And if he should," said the prince, "it would be a good deed to hang him; for Beatrice is an excellent sweet lady, and very wise in everything but in loving Benedick."

Then the prince made a sign to his companions that they should walk on, and leave Benedick to think about what he had overheard.

Benedick had been listening with great eagerness to this conversation; and he said to himself when he heard that Beatrice loved him, "Is it possible? Is that the way the wind blows?"⁶

And when they were gone, he began to reason in this way with himself: "This can be no trick! They were very serious, and they have the truth from Hero, and seem to pity the lady. Love me! Why, it must be returned! I did never think to marry. But when I said I should die a bachelor, I did not think I should live to be married. They say the lady is virtuous and fair. She is so. And wise in everything but loving me. Why, that is no great proof of her folly. But here comes Beatrice. By my word, she is a fair lady. I do see some marks of love in her."

Beatrice now approached him, and said with her usual sharpness, "Against my will I am sent to ask you to come in to dinner."

Benedick, who never felt himself willing to speak so politely to her before, replied, "Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your trouble." When Beatrice, after two or three more rude speeches, left him, Benedick thought he observed a hidden meaning of kindness under the unkind words she spoke, and he said aloud, "If I do not take pity on her, I am a bad man. If I do not love her, I am a bad man. I will go and get her picture⁷."

The gentleman being thus caught in the net they had spread for him, it was now Hero's turn to play her part with Beatrice. And for this purpose she sent for Ursula and Margaret, two women who served on her, and she said to Margaret, "Good Margaret, run to the sitting-room; there you will find my cousin Beatrice talking with the prince and Claudio. Whisper in her ear, that I and Ursula are walking in the garden, and that our talk is all about her. Take her into the garden to a place where she can hear us but not see us."

"I will make her come at once, I promise, you," said Margaret.

Hero, then, taking Ursula with her into the garden, said to her, "Now, Ursula, when Beatrice comes, we will walk up and down this path, and our talk must be only of Benedick, and when I name him, let it be your part to praise him more than any man ever deserved. My talk to you must be how Benedick is in love with Beatrice. Now begin, Beatrice is coming!"

They then began; Hero saying, as if in answer to something which Ursula had said, "No, truly, Ursula. She is too proud, and besides she is as shy as the wild birds of the rock."

"But are you sure," said Ursula, "that Benedick really loves Beatrice?"

Hero replied: "So says the prince, and my lord Claudio, and they begged me to tell her; but I persuaded them, if they loved Benedick, never to let Beatrice know of it."

"Certainly," replied Ursula, "it would not be good for her to know his love, she might make fun of it."

"Yes," said Hero, "I never yet saw a man, however wise, or noble, young, or beautiful, whom she would not blame."

"Sure, sure, it's not good to do so," said Ursula.

"No," replied Hero, "but who can tell her so? If I should speak, she would laugh me into air⁸." »

"Oh! you wrong your cousin," said Ursula: "Beatrice cannot be so unwise as to refuse so fine a gentleman as Sir Benedick."

"He has a very good name," said Hero, "indeed, he is the first man in Italy, not counting my dear Claudio of course." "And when are you going to be married to Claudio, madam?" asked Ursula.

Hero then told her, that she was to be married to Claudio the next day, and asked her to go with her, and took at some new dresses, as she wished to ask her advice about what she would wear the next day.

Beatrice, who had listening very eagerly indeed to this talk, when they went away cried out: "What fire is in my ears? Can this be true? Benedick, love on! I will repay you, taming my wild heart to your loving hand⁹."

It must have been a pleasant sight to see these old enemies turned into new and loving friends, and to see their first meeting after being tricked into liking one another by the merry plan of the good-humoured prince. But a sad change in the fortunes of Него must now be thought of. The next day, which was to have been her wedding-day, brought sorrow on the heart of Hero and her good father Leonato.

The prince had a half-brother, who came from the wars along with him to Messina. This brother (his name was Don John) was a sad, unpleasant man, whose spirits seemed to labour in the planning of villainies¹⁰. He hated the prince, his brother, and he hated Claudio, because he was the prince's friend, and decided to prevent Claudio's marriage with Hero, only for the cruel pleasure of making Claudio and the prince unhappy. For he knew the prince had set his heart upon this marriage¹¹, almost as much as Claudio himself. To carry out this wicked purpose, he employed Borachio, a man as bad as himself, to whom he offered a great reward. This Borachio had made himself pleasant to Margaret, one of the young women who served Hero. Don John, knowing this, persuaded him to make Margaret promise to dress herself in Hero's clothes after Него was asleep and talk to him from her lady's window that night. It was his wicked plan to make Claudio believe that it was Hero who was talking to Borachio.

Don John then went to the prince and Claudio, and told them that Hero was very free in her behaviour, and that she talked to men from her window at midnight. Now this was the evening before the wedding, and he offered to take them that night, where they should themselves hear Него talking to a man from her window. They agreed to go along with him, and Claudio said: "If I see anything to-night to explain why I should not marry her, I will shame her to-morrow before the people in the church where I intended her to become my wife." The prince also said: "And as I helped you to get her, I will join with you in shaming her."

When Don John brought them near Hero's room that night, they saw Borachio standing under the window, and they saw Margaret looking out of Hero's window, and heard her talking with Borachio. And Margaret being dressed in the same clothes they had seen Hero wear, the prince and Claudio believed it was the Lady Него herself. Then they heard Borachio say, "But I have tonight wooed Hero¹²."

Nothing could equal the anger of Claudio, when he had made (as he thought) this discovery. All his love for the blameless Hero was at once turned into hatred, and he made up his mind to expose her in the church, as he had said he would, the next day. The prince agreed to this, thinking no punishment could be too hard for a lady, who talked to a man from her window the very night before she was going to be married to the noble Claudio.

The next day they all met in church for the marriage. Claudio and Hero were standing before the priest, and the priest was about to make them man and wife, when Claudio, in the most angry language, made known the guilt of the blameless Него.¹³ Него herself, altogether surprised at the strange words Claudio spoke, said quietly, "Is my lord well, that he speaks so?"

Leonato, in the utmost horror, said to the prince, "My lord, why do you not speak?"

"What should I speak?" said the prince: "I stand dishonoured; for I have tried to unite my dear friend to an unworthy woman. Leonato, upon my honour¹⁴, myself, my brother, and this poor Claudio here saw and heard her last night at midnight talk to a man at the window of her room."

Benedick, surprised at what he heard, said, "This does not look like a marriage."

"True. 0 God!" replied the heart-struck Hero; and then this unhappy lady sank down in a fainting fit, to all appearance ¹⁵ dead. "

The prince and Claudio left the church, without staying to see if Hero would recover, or at all considering the sorrow into which they had thrown Leonato. So hard-hearted had their anger made them.

Benedick remained and assisted Beatrice, who was trying to help Hero to recover from her faintness, saying, "How is the lady?"

"Dead, I think," replied Beatrice in tears, for she loved her cousin; and knowing her well, she believed nothing of what she had heard spoken against her.

Not so the poor old father! He believed the story of his child's shame, and it was sad to hear him weeping over her, as she lay like one dead before him, wishing she might never more open her eyes.

But the old priest was a wise man, and full of the knowledge of human nature. He had carefully noted the lady's face when she heard herself accused; and he said to the sorrowing father: "Call me a fool if this sweet lady lie not guiltless here under some biting error¹⁶."

When Hero had recovered from the fainting fit into which she had fallen, the priest said to her, "Lady, what man is he you are accused of¹⁷?"

Hero replied, "They that accuse me know; I know of none;" then turning to Leonato, she said, "0 my father, if you can prove that any man has ever talked with me at unsuitable times, or that I last night exchanged words with any creature, refuse me, hate me, torture me to death."

"There is," said the priest, "some strange misunderstanding in the prince and Claudio." And then he advised Leonato, that he should report that Hero was dead; that he should put on mourning, and build a tomb for her, and do all the burial ceremonies.

"What is the good of all this?" said Leonato; "what will this do?"

The priest replied: "This report of her death will change evil thoughts into pity; that is some good; but that is not all the good I hope for. When Claudio hears she died upon hearing his words, the idea of her life will sweetly creep into his mind. Then he will mourn, and wish that he had not so accused her."

Benedick now said, "Leonato, let the priest advise you; and though you know how well I love the prince and Claudio, yet on my honour I will not tell this secret to them."

Leonato, thus persuaded, agreed. So the kind priest led him and Hero away to comfort them, and Beatrice and Benedick remained alone. Benedick was the first who spoke, and he said, "Lady Beatrice, have you wept all this while?"

"Yes, and I will weep a while longer," said Beatrice.

"Surely," said Benedick, "I believe your fair cousin is wronged, I do, indeed."

"Ah!" said Beatrice, "how much would I give that man who was willing to put things right for her¹⁸!"

Benedick then said, "Is there any way to show such friendship? I love nothing in the world so well as you; is not that strange?"

"It would be as possible," said Beatrice, "for me to say I loved nothing in the world so well as you; but do not believe me, and yet I do not lie. I confess nothing, and I deny nothing. I am sorry for my cousin."

"By my sword," said Benedick, "you love me, and I swear I love you.¹⁹ I will do anything for you. Come, tell me what to do."

"Kill Claudio," said Beatrice.

"Ha! not for the wide world," said Benedick.

"But is not Claudio a bad man, that he has wronged and dishonoured my cousin?" said Beatrice. "O if I were a man!"

"Hear me, Beatrice!" said Benedick.

But Beatrice would hear nothing in Claudio's defence; and she continued to urge on Benedick to right her cousin's wrongs²⁰. "Talk to a man out of the window," said Beatrice, "a likely thing! Sweet Него! She is wronged. O if I were a man for Claudio's sake²¹! Or if I had any friend, who would be a man for my sake! But bravery is melted into pleasant words. I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving²²."

"Wait, good Beatrice," said Benedick, "by this hand, I love you."

"Use it for my love some other way than swearing by it²³." said Beatrice.

"Do you think that Claudio has wronged Hero?" asked Benedick.

"Yes," answered Beatrice.

"Enough," said Benedick; "I am satisfied, I will call him out and fight him. I will kiss your hand, and so leave you. By this hand, Claudio shall pay me a dear account²⁴! As you hear from me, so think of me. Go, comfort your cousin."

While Beatrice was thus strongly urging Benedick to help her in the cause of Hero, and fight even with his dear friend Claudio, Leonato was demanding that the prince and Claudio should answer with their swords the wrong they had done his child, who, he said, had died of grief. But they respected his age and his sorrow, and they said, "No, do not quarrel with us, good old man. "And now came Benedick, and he also demanded that Claudio should answer with his sword the wrong he had done to Него and Claudio and the prince said to each other, "Beatrice has set him on to do this."

But at this moment the justice of heaven brought to pass a better proof that Hero was innocent than the uncertain result of a fight.

While the prince and Claudio were still talking about Benedick, Borachio was brought as a prisoner before the prince. He had been overheard talking with one of his companions of the wrong which Don John had employed him to do.

Borachio explained to the prince in Claudio's presence, that it was Margaret dressed in her lady's clothes that he had talked to from the window. They had mistaken Margaret for the Lady Него herself. And so no doubt remained in the minds of Claudio and the prince of the innocence of Hero. Don John, finding his wickedness was discovered, left Messina to escape the just anger of his brother.

The heart of Claudio was grieved when he found he had falsely accused Hero, who, he thought, had died upon hearing his cruel words. The memory of his beloved Hero came over him; and he said that he felt as if he had taken poison while Borachio was speaking.

Claudio therefore asked forgiveness of the old man Leonato for the wrong he had done his child. He promised that whatever punishment Leonato would lay upon him for his false charge against his promised wife, for her dear sake he would bear it. The punishment which Leonato laid upon him was to marry the next morning a cousin of Hero's, who, he said, was now his heir, and in appearance very like Hero. Claudio, respecting the solemn promise he had made to Leonato, said he would marry this unknown lady, however plain she might be. But his heart was very sorrowful, and he passed that night in tears, and bitter grief, at the stone cross which Leonato had built for Hero.

When the morning came, the prince and Claudio went to the church. The good priest, and Leonato and his niece, were already there for the approaching marriage. And Leonato presented to Claudio his promised bride; but she wore a mask, so that Claudio should not see her face. And Claudio said to her, "Give me your hand before this holy priest; I am your husband if you will marry me."

"And when I lived, I was your other wife²⁵," said this unknown lady; and, taking off her mask, she proved to be no niece (as was pretended), but Leonato's very daughter, Hero herself.

We may be sure that this proved a most pleasant surprise to Claudio, who thought her dead. For he could scarcely for joy believe his eyes. And the prince, who was equally surprised at what he saw, cried out, "Is not this Hero, Hero that was dead?" Leonato replied, "She died, my lord, but while the slander against her lived²⁶."

The priest promised to explain this miracle when he had made them man and wife. He was proceeding to marry them, when Benedick broke in on him, asking to be married at the same time to Beatrice. Beatrice at first said "No" to this union; but Benedick said she could not deny her love for him, which he had learnt from Hero. So then a pleasant explanation took place; and they found they had both been tricked into a belief of love, which had never existed. They had become lovers in truth by the power of a false jest.²⁷ Benedick refused to consider anything that the world could say against his marriage; and he merrily kept up the jest, and swore to Beatrice that he took her but for pity, and because he heard she was dying of love for him. Beatrice on her side said that she agreed to be his wife only to save his life, for she had heard he was dangerously ill.                     

So these two mad wits became friends, and were married, too, after Claudio and Hero were married; and to finish the story, Don John was caught and brought back to Messina; and a fine punishment it was to this dark, unhappy man, to see the joy and feastings which, after the failure of his wicked plans, took place at the palace in Messina.

 

HISTORICAL DATA

The more serious part of the plot of Much Ado About Nothing, the story of Claudio and Hero, is similar to the story told by the Italian writer Ariosto²⁸ in his Orlando Furioso. This poem, in the opinion of some critics, is the direct source of the plot. The comedy portion of the play appears to be entirely Shakespeare's own invention. The characters of Benedick and Beatrice are probably Shakespeare's original creations, too. The play was first performed in 1598.