Shakespeare's Monologues
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Claudio — “There, Leonato, take her back again” — Much Ado About Nothing, Act 4, Scene 1, line 25
Much Ado About Nothing
·IV i 25 ·
Verse
Claudio Claudio. There, Leonato, take her back again: Give not this rotten orange to your friend; She's but the sign and semblance of her honour. Behold how like a maid she blushes here! O, what authority and show of truth Can cunning sin cover itself withal! Comes not that blood as modest evidence To witness simple virtue? Would you not swear, All you that see her, that she were a maid, By these exterior shows? But she is none: She knows the heat of a luxurious bed; Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty. Claudio. Not to be married, Not to knit my soul to an approved wanton. Have vanquish'd the resistance of her youth, And made defeat of her virginity,-- Claudio. I know what you would say: if I have known her, You will say she did embrace me as a husband, And so extenuate the 'forehand sin: No, Leonato, I never tempted her with word too large; But, as a brother to his sister, show'd Bashful sincerity and comely love. Claudio. Out on thee! Seeming! I will write against it: You seem to me as Dian in her orb, As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown; But you are more intemperate in your blood Than Venus, or those pamper'd animals That rage in savage sensuality. Leonato. Sweet prince, why speak not you? Don Pedro. What should I speak? I stand dishonour'd, that have gone about To link my dear friend to a common stale. Leonato. Are these things spoken, or do I but dream? Don John. Sir, they are spoken, and these things are true. Benedick. This looks not like a nuptial. Hero. True! O God! Claudio. Leonato, stand I here? Is this the prince? is this the prince's brother? Is this face Hero's? are our eyes our own? Claudio. Let me but move one question to your daughter; And, by that fatherly and kindly power That you have in her, bid her answer truly. Hero. O, God defend me! how am I beset! What kind of catechising call you this? Claudio. To make you answer truly to your name. With any just reproach? Hero itself can blot out Hero's virtue. What man was he talk'd with you yesternight Out at your window betwixt twelve and one? Don Pedro. Why, then are you no maiden. Leonato, I am sorry you must hear: upon mine honour, Myself, my brother and this grieved count Did see her, hear her, at that hour last night Talk with a ruffian at her chamber-window Who hath indeed, most like a liberal villain, Confess'd the vile encounters they have had A thousand times in secret. Don John. Fie, fie! they are not to be named, my lord, Not to be spoke of; There is not chastity enough in language Without offence to utter them. Thus, pretty lady, I am sorry for thy much misgovernment. Claudio. O Hero, what a Hero hadst thou been, If half thy outward graces had been placed About thy thoughts and counsels of thy heart! But fare thee well, most foul, most fair! farewell, Thou pure impiety and impious purity! For thee I'll lock up all the gates of love, And on my eyelids shall conjecture hang, To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm, And never shall it more be gracious. 
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Claudio’s Monologue from Much Ado About Nothing
Original: There, Leonato, take her back again:
Modern: Here, Leonato, you can have her back:
Original: Give not this rotten orange to your friend;
Modern: Don’t give this spoiled piece of fruit to your friend;
Original: She’s but the sign and semblance of her honour.
Modern: She only has the appearance and outward show of honor.
Original: Behold how like a maid she blushes here!
Modern: Look at how she blushes like an innocent virgin!
Original: O, what authority and show of truth
Modern: Oh, how convincing and truthful
Original: Can cunning sin cover itself withal!
Modern: A clever sin can make itself appear!
Original: Comes not that blood as modest evidence
Modern: Doesn’t that blush come as proof of modesty
Original: To witness simple virtue? Would you not swear,
Modern: To show pure innocence? Wouldn’t you all swear,
Original: All you that see her, that she were a maid,
Modern: Everyone who sees her, that she’s a virgin,
Original: By these exterior shows? But she is none:
Modern: Based on these outward signs? But she is not:
Original: She knows the heat of a luxurious bed;
Modern: She knows the passion of a lustful bed;
Original: Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.
Modern: Her blush comes from guilt, not innocence.
Original: Not to be married,
Modern: I will not be married,
Original: Not to knit my soul to an approved wanton.
Modern: I will not bind my soul to a proven slut.
Original: I know what you would say: if I have known her,
Modern: I know what you’re going to say: if I had slept with her,
Original: You will say she did embrace me as a husband,
Modern: You’ll say she welcomed me as her future husband,
Original: And so extenuate the ‘forehand sin:
Modern: And that would excuse the sin that came before marriage:
Original: No, Leonato,
Modern: No, Leonato,
Original: I never tempted her with word too large;
Modern: I never tempted her with improper words;
Original: But, as a brother to his sister, show’d
Modern: But, like a brother would treat his sister, I showed
Original: Bashful sincerity and comely love.
Modern: Shy sincerity and proper, respectable love.
Original: Out on thee! Seeming! I will write against it:
Modern: Damn you! Your false appearance! I could write a book condemning it:
Original: You seem to me as Dian in her orb,
Modern: You seemed to me like the goddess Diana in the moon,
Original: As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown;
Modern: As pure as a flower bud before it opens;
Original: But you are more intemperate in your blood
Modern: But you are more uncontrolled in your passions
Original: Than Venus, or those pamper’d animals
Modern: Than the goddess of love, or those spoiled animals
Original: That rage in savage sensuality.
Modern: That go wild with brutal lust.
Original: Leonato, stand I here?
Modern: Leonato, am I really standing here?
Original: Is this the prince? is this the prince’s brother?
Modern: Is this really the prince? Is this really the prince’s brother?
Original: Is this face Hero’s? are our eyes our own?
Modern: Is this face really Hero’s? Are we seeing clearly?
Original: Let me but move one question to your daughter;
Modern: Let me ask just one question of your daughter;
Original: And, by that fatherly and kindly power
Modern: And, by that fatherly and natural authority
Original: That you have in her, bid her answer truly.
Modern: That you have over her, command her to answer truthfully.
Original: To make you answer truly to your name.
Modern: To make you answer honestly about who you really are.
Original: Hero itself can blot out Hero’s virtue.
Modern: Hero herself can destroy Hero’s own virtue.
Original: What man was he talk’d with you yesternight
Modern: What man was it who talked with you last night
Original: Out at your window betwixt twelve and one?
Modern: Outside at your window between midnight and one o’clock?
Original: O Hero, what a Hero hadst thou been,
Modern: Oh Hero, what a hero you could have been,
Original: If half thy outward graces had been placed
Modern: If even half of your outer beauty had been placed
Original: About thy thoughts and counsels of thy heart!
Modern: Around the thoughts and intentions of your heart!
Original: But fare thee well, most foul, most fair! farewell,
Modern: But goodbye, you most disgusting, most beautiful creature! Farewell,
Original: Thou pure impiety and impious purity!
Modern: You who are purely evil and evilly pure!
Original: For thee I’ll lock up all the gates of love,
Modern: Because of you I’ll lock up my heart to love,
Original: And on my eyelids shall conjecture hang,
Modern: And suspicion will hang over my eyes,
Original: To turn all beauty into thoughts of harm,
Modern: To turn all beauty into thoughts of danger,
Original: And never shall it more be gracious.
Modern: And beauty will never again seem good to me.
In Act IV, Scene 1 of “Much Ado About Nothing,” the wedding ceremony between Claudio and Hero begins in the church with Leonato, Hero, Claudio, Benedick, Beatrice, and others in attendance. When Friar Francis asks if anyone knows of any impediment to the marriage, Claudio dramatically accuses Hero of being unchaste and unfaithful. He claims he witnessed her talking with a man at her chamber window the night before, supported by Don Pedro and Don John, who corroborate his story. Claudio publicly shames Hero by rejecting her at the altar, calling her an “approved wanton” and declaring he will not marry someone so dishonored.
The accusation devastates Hero, who faints from the shock, while Leonato initially believes Claudio’s claims and reacts with rage toward his daughter. However, Benedick and Beatrice remain skeptical of the accusations, and Friar Francis observes Hero’s genuine distress and innocence. The friar proposes a plan: they should announce that Hero has died from the shock of the false accusations, which will allow time to uncover the truth and may cause Claudio to feel remorse. After the others leave, Benedick and Beatrice remain alone, where Beatrice reveals her love for Benedick, and when he reciprocates, she demands he prove his love by challenging Claudio to a duel for dishonoring Hero.
Much Ado About Nothing takes place in Messina, where Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, arrives with his companions Claudio and Benedick after a military victory. Claudio immediately falls in love with Hero, daughter of Leonato (the governor of Messina), and Don Pedro arranges their engagement. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice, Leonato’s niece, engage in a battle of wits, trading insults and declaring their mutual disdain for love and marriage. Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato conspire to trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love by staging conversations where each overhears how the other is supposedly lovesick for them.
Don John, Don Pedro’s illegitimate brother and the play’s villain, plots to destroy Claudio’s happiness by making him believe Hero is unfaithful. With his accomplices Borachio and Conrad, Don John arranges for Claudio and Don Pedro to witness what appears to be Hero meeting with another man at her window the night before her wedding. In reality, it is Hero’s waiting-gentlewoman Margaret being wooed by Borachio in disguise.
At the wedding ceremony, Claudio publicly accuses Hero of infidelity and rejects her. Hero faints from shock, and Friar Francis suggests they pretend she has died from the shame while they investigate the truth. Benedick, now in love with Beatrice, promises to challenge Claudio to a duel when Beatrice demands he prove his love by defending Hero’s honor. Meanwhile, the bumbling constable Dogberry and his watchmen accidentally overhear Borachio boasting about the deception to Conrad and arrest them both.
Through Dogberry’s interrogation, the truth emerges about Don John’s plot. Claudio learns of Hero’s innocence and agrees to make amends by marrying Leonato’s “niece” (actually Hero in disguise) the next day. At this second wedding ceremony, Hero reveals herself, and she and Claudio are reconciled. Benedick and Beatrice finally admit their love for each other and agree to marry as well. The play concludes with news that Don John has been captured while trying to flee, and the couples celebrate their double wedding.
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