Much Ado About Nothing Quotes

“He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion.” Messanger: saying that claudio is weak and unable to fight in battle but is able to accomplish many great things.
“There are no faces truer than those that are so washed.” Leonato: crying is a good indicator of honesty.
“There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her. They never meet but there’s a skirmish of with between them.” Leonato: characterizes their relationship (wit).
“What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?” Benedick: he calls Beatrice a disdain person, indicates that they have something in the past.
“I thank you. I am not of many words, but I thank you.” Don Jon: when Don John and Leonato are being introduced, and Don John as a gloomy and quiet character.
“That a woman conceived me, I thank her….I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any. I will do myself the right to trust none.” Benedick: he is saying to Claudio that he does not want to be a cuckold, and says that he only trusts and gives thanks to him mom.
“In time the savage bull doth bear the yoke.” Benedick: he won’t wrong anyone by mistrusting a woman, so he is saying that he wont trust anyone so he doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else.
“I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace.” Don John: he is saying that he would rather be a weed in a hedge, than follow the footsteps of his brother.
“I have decreed not to sing in my cage.” Don Jon: He is saying that his brother trusts him now (sarcastically) saying this trust is as much as a master that lets his peasant free.
“Yes faith, it is my cousin’s duty to make curtsy and say ‘Father, as it please you.’ But yet for all that, cousin, let him be a handsome fellow, or else make another curtsy and say ‘Father, as it please me.” Beatrice: she is saying to Hero that she should trust her father, but if she does not like who her father chooses for her marriage, that she should tell her father that she will please herself with another man.
“[W]ooing, wedding, and repenting is as a Scotch jig….” Beatrice: she is talking to Hero and saying that romance is in three stages, and this is the first stage explaining that it is like like a Scottish jig hot and fast and full of whimsy and illusion.
“I would not marry her, though she were endowed with all that Adam had left him before he transgressed.” Benedick: saying that he would not marry Beatrice even if she were blessed as paradise.
“Marry, once before he won it of me with false dice.” Beatrice: she is explaining to Don Pedro that she has lost Benedicks heart
“Yea, my lord. I thank it, poor fool, it keeps on the windy side of care.” Beatrice: she is saying to Hero that if she has nothing to say that she should just kiss Claudio.
“[T]here was a star danced, and under that was I born.” Beatrice: she is talking to Don Pedro and saying that when she was born the stars danced in the sky.
“I have known when there was no music with him but the drum and the fife, and now had he rather hear the tabor and the pipe.” Benedick: he is talking about how Claudio used to be a righteous and simple man, but changed into a fancy more selfish man.
“[T]ill all graces be in one woman, one woman shall not come in my grace.” Benedick: saying that he refuses to fall in love until the three qualities of a woman unite.
“Now divine air! Now is his soul ravished. Is it not strange that sheeps’ guts should hale souls out of man’s bodies?””Men were deceivers ever.” Benedick: he is talking to himself saying the music must be divine and everyone must be captivated.
“No! The world must be peopled.” Benedick: he overheard Claudio’s and Don Pedro’s trick about Beatrice, and realizes that she is beautiful and that he may be in love.
“There’s a double meaning in that!” Benedick: he is saying that he must love and be thankful for having a chance with Beatrice, because if he wasn’t he would be hard-hearted.
“Contempt, farewell, and maiden pride, adieu!” Beatrice: she realizes that people criticize her for being so proud and so happy of being unmarried. This is when she realizes she might be in love with Benedick.
“Gallants, I am not as I have been.” Benedick: this is when Benedick says that he is a changed man.
“Even she: Leonato’s Hero, your Hero, every man’s Hero.” Don John: this is when he tells Claudio that she was unfaithful.
“Get you some of this distilled carduus benedictus and lay it to your heart” Beatrice: she is telling Hero to use this because it is the only cure for faintness.
“Yet Benedick was such another, and now is he become a man.” Margaret: she is telling Beatrice that Benedick was once a enemy of love, but now he is a real man.
“She’s but the sign and semblance of her honor.” Claudio: he is saying that Hero only appears honorable from the outside.
“But fare thee well, most foul, most fair, Farewell.” Claudio: he is talking to Hero saying goodbye to her wickedness and because of her he must keep away from love.
“Death is the fairest cover for her shame.” Leonato: this is when he finds out Hero is dead, and he says that death is the only way to cover her shame.
“Surely I do believe your fair cousin is wronged.” Bendick: he is saying to Beatrice that he believes that she was falsely accused.
“I do love nothing in the world so well as you. Is not that strange?” Benedick: this is when Beatrice tells Benedict to kill Claudio, and he says that his love is like nothing in the world.
“O God, that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace.” Beatrice: he is saying that if she were a man that she would kill Claudio herself.
“But manhood is melted into curtsies, valor into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones, too.” Beatrice: she is saying that there are no real men left.
“But masters, remember that I am an ass, though it be not written down, yet forget not that I am an ass.” Dogberry: he is wondering why no one suspects him, because after all he is an ass (pretty much just shows his stupidity).
“For there was never yet philosopher / That could endure the toothache patiently…” Leonato: he is saying that there is no one that can endure the toothache that he has experienced.
“If thou kill’st me, boy, thou shalt kill a man.” Leonato: his argument with Claudio saying that he has killed his child and that he should take a man his own size.
“In a false quarrel there is no true valor.” Benedick: his confrontation with Don Pedro and Claudio, saying that there is no honor in a unfair fight.
“You are a villain. I jest not….You have killed a sweet lady, and her death shall fall heavy on you.” Benedick: he is saying to Claudio that he will challenge him.
“My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you. I must discontinue your company.” Benedick: this is when he thanks Don Pedro and Claudio for their kindness, and leaves.
“[N]ow thy image doth appear / In the rare semblance that I loved it first.” Claudio: this is when he finds out Hero was faithful, and says that she is now as beautiful as she once was.
“Yet sinned I not / but in mistaking.” Claudio: he is talking to Leonato saying that he does not know how to ask for his forgiveness.
“Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.” Beatrice: she is saying to Benedick that they are to wise to woo each other peacefully.
“Serve God, love me, and mend.” Benedick: he is saying to Beatrice that if she loves him, her sickness will disappear.
“Help us to sigh and groan / Heavily, heavily.” Claudio: he is singing about his love with Hero.
“I’ll hold my mind were she an Ethiope.” Claudio: he is saying that his love for Hero would no be changed when if she was black.
“Tush, fear not, man. We’ll tip thy horns with gold.” Claudio: he is saying that Benedick is nervous and that they will make him pretty for Beatrice.
“A miracle! Here’s our own hands against our hearts.” Benedick: he is saying what a miracle, that their handwriting gives away their love.
“Peace! I will stop your mouth.” Benedick: He is saying that he will stop Beatrices mouth with a kiss.
“For man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion.” Benedick: he is saying that man are frivolous and impulsive.
“Get thee a wife, get thee a wife.” Benedick: he is saying to Leonato that he needs to get a wife.
“Think not on him till tomorrow.” Benedick: he learns that Don John has been caught, and says that he will think of a punishment for him tomorrow.
“Strike up, pipers!” Benedick: he is saying to the musicians to play on.
July 25, 2019