| For there was never yet philosopher/ That could endure the toothache patiently. | Leonato is speaking to AntonioMeaning: Advice is cheap |
| For my Lord Lackbeard there, he and I shall meet: and till then peace be with him. | Benedick is speaking to Don Pedro (directly) and to Claudio (indirectly)Meaning: Lord “Babyface” over there will meet me in a duel, and good luck to him then.Benedick says this after Beatrice tells him to challenge Claudio for embarrassing Hero and leaving her at the wedding. |
| [W]hat your wisdoms could not discover, these shallow fools have brought to light. | Borachio is speaking to Don Pedro and ClaudioMeaning: These stupid fools have uncovered what you in all your wisdom could not. They heard me confess to Conrade how Don John, your brother, prompted me to slander Hero—how you came to the orchard and saw me making sexual advances toward Margaret, who was disguised as Hero; how you disgraced Hero when you should have married her. Borachio says this after he and Conrade have been captured by Dogberry. He comes clean after being made aware of Hero’s death |
| I thank you, princes, for my daughter’s death:/ Record it with your high and worth deeds. | Leonato is speaking to Claudio and Don PedroMeaning: Thank you, gentlemen, for my daughter’s death. Make a note of it on your long lists of righteous and worthy deeds. It was very brave of you.After being told the truth by Borachio, Leonato understands that they were deceived and that is why they shamed Hero. Both Don Pedro and Claudio then ask to be punished as they do not deserve forgiveness |
| Possess the people in Messina here/ How innocently she died; . . . Hang an epitaph upon her tomb,/ And sing it to her bones. | Leonato is speaking to Claudio and Don PedroMeaning: tell the people of Messina that she was innocent when she died. And if your love can produce something from its sadness, write a poem for her; hang it on her grave and sing it to her bones. Leonato is telling Claudio and Don Pedro that this is what they must do to make up for their crime in indirectly “killing” Hero and it will also fix her reputation for when she returns |
| I give you leave to depart; and if a merry parting may be wished, God prohibit it! | Dogberry is speaking to LeonatoMeaning: I will humbly let you go now, God “permitting” we will meet again in the future.Dogberry says this after leaving the arrested Borachio and Conrade with Leonato and being relieved of his duty |
| I was not born under a rhyming planet, not I cannot woo in festival terms. | Benedick is speaking to himselfMeaning: No, I wasn’t destined to be a poet, and I can’t woo a lady with pretty words.Benedick says this after trying to write a poem for Beatrice when he goes to see her |
| I do suffer love indeed, for I love thee against my will. | Benedick is speaking to BeatriceMeaning: I do suffer love, because I love you against my will.Benedick says this to Beatrice while they are discussing the qualities that attracted the other and how they came to love each other. |
| Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably. | Benedick is speaking to Beatrice Meaning: You and I are too witty in nature to woo each other peacefully. a.k.a – have a normal love/romance |
| And when I lived, I was your other wife:/ And when you loved, you were my other husband. | … |
| She died, my lord, but while her slander lived. | Hero is speaking to ClaudioMeaning: She was only dead, my lord, as long as her slander lived.Hero is saying this at her second wedding with Claudio after revealing it is her under the veil and that she is alive. |
| [F]or man is a giddy thing, and this is my conclusion. | … |
| Prince, thou art sad; get thee a wife, get thee a wife. | Benedick is speaking to Don PedroMeaning: Prince, you look sad. You should get a wife too!Benedick says this after he marries Beatrice and Claudio and Hero marry. It’s kind of a back-handed comment though because Don Pedro was rejected by Hero earlier in the novel. |
| Think not of him till tomorrow: I’ll devise brave punishment for him. Strike up, pipers. | Benedick is speaking to Don PedroMeaning: Leave him till tomorrow. I’ll think of some awful punishment for him. Play on, musicians!Benedick says this after the messenger arrives to inform Don Pedro that Don John has been captured and returned to Messina. He wants everyone to continue in their festivities and worry about the trouble later. |
Much Ado About Nothing Quotes: Act 5
July 29, 2019