Much Ado About Nothing (AQA GCSE English Literature): Exam Questions

BENEDICK 

Come bid me do anything for thee. 

BEATRICE 

Kill Claudio. 

BENEDICK 

Ha, not for the wide world. 

BEATRICE 

You kill me to deny it, farewell. 

BENEDICK 

Tarry, sweet Beatrice. 

BEATRICE 

I am gone, though I am here, there is no love in you, nay, I pray you let me go. 

BENEDICK 

Beatrice. 

BEATRICE 

In faith I will go. 

BENEDICK 

We’ll be friends first. 

BEATRICE 

You dare easier be friends with me, than fight with mine enemy. 

BENEDICK 

Is Claudio thine enemy?

BEATRICE 

Is a not approved in the height a villain, that hath slandered, scorned, dishonoured my kinswoman? Oh that I were a man! What, bear her in hand, until they come to take hands, and then withpublic accusation, uncovered slander, unmitigated rancour? Oh God that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market place. 

BENEDICK 

Hear me, Beatrice. 

BEATRICE 

Talk with a man out at a window, a proper saying. 

BENEDICK 

Nay, but Beatrice. 

BEATRICE 

Sweet Hero, she is wronged, she is slandered, she is undone. 

BENEDICK 

Beat – 

BEATRICE 

Princes and counties! Surely a princely testimony, a goodly count, Count Comfect, a sweet gallant surely, oh that I were a manfor his sake! Or that I had any friend would be a man for my sake! But manhood is melted into curtsies, valour into compliment, and men are only turned into tongue, and trim ones too: he is now as valiant as Hercules, that only tells a lie, and swears it: I cannot be a man with wishing, therefore I will die a woman with grieving.

CLAUDIO 

What man was he, talked with you yesternight, 

Out at your window betwixt twelve and one? 

Now if you are a maid, answer to this. 

HERO 

I talked with no man at that hour, my lord.

DON PEDRO 

Why, then are you no maiden. Leonato, 

I am sorry you must hear: upon mine honour, 

Myself, my brother, and this grievèd 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, 

Confessed 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 

Oh 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. 

LEONATO 

Hath no man’s dagger here a point for me? 

[Hero faints]

HERO 

Now, Ursula, when Beatrice doth come, 

As we do trace this alley up and down,

Our talk must only be of Benedick: 

When I do name him, let it be thy part, 

To praise him more than ever man did merit: 

My talk to thee must be how Benedick 

Is sick in love with Beatrice: of this matter

Is little Cupid’s crafty arrow made, 

That only wounds by hearsay: now begin, 

Enter BEATRICE 

For look where Beatrice like a lapwing runs 

Close by the ground, to hear our conference. 

URSULA 

The pleasant’st angling is to see the fish 

Cut with her golden oars the silver stream, 

And greedily devour the treacherous bait: 

So angle we for Beatrice, who even now, 

Is couchèd in the woodbine coverture: 

Fear you not my part of the dialogue. 

HERO 

Then go we near her, that her ear lose nothing 

Of the false sweet bait that we lay for it: 

No truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful, 

I know her spirits are as coy and wild, 

As haggards of the rock. 

URSULA 

But are you sure, 

That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely?

 HERO 

So says the prince, and my new trothèd lord.

CLAUDIO

Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato? 

BENEDICK 

I noted her not, but I looked on her. 

CLAUDIO 

Is she not a modest young lady? 

BENEDICK 

Do you question me as an honest man should do, for my simple true judgment? Or would you have me speak after my custom, as being a professed tyrant to their sex? 

CLAUDIO 

No, I pray thee speak in sober judgment.

BENEDICK 

Why, i’faith, methinks she’s too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise. Only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other, but as she is – I do not like her. 

CLAUDIO 

Thou thinkest I am in sport. I pray thee, tell me truly how thou lik’st her? 

BENEDICK 

Would you buy her, that you enquire after her? 

CLAUDIO 

Can the world buy such a jewel? 

BENEDICK 

Yea, and a case to put it into. But speak you this with a sad brow? Or do you play the flouting Jack, to tell us Cupid is a good hare-finder, and Vulcan a rare carpenter? Come, in what key shall a man take you, to go in the song? 

CLAUDIO 

In mine eye, she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on. 

BENEDICK 

I can see yet without spectacles, and I see no such matter. There’s her cousin, and she were not possessed with a fury, exceeds her as much in beauty as the first of May doth the last of December. But I hope you have no intent to turn husband, have you? 

CLAUDIO 

I would scarce trust myself, though I had sworn the contrary, if Hero would be my wife.

BEATRICE 

With a good leg and a good foot, uncle, and money enough in his purse, such a man would win any woman in the world if a could get her good will. 

LEONATO 

By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband, if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue. 

ANTONIO 

In faith, she’s too curst. 

BEATRICE 

Too curst is more than curst, I shall lessen God’s sending that way: for it is said, God sends a curst cow short horns, but to a cow too curst, he sends none. 

LEONATO 

So, by being too curst, God will send you no horns. 

BEATRICE 

Just, if he send me no husband, for the which blessing I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening: Lord, I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face, I had rather lie in the woollen! 

LEONATO 

You may light on a husband that hath no beard. 

BEATRICE 

What should I do with him – dress him in my apparel and make him my waiting gentlewoman? He that hath a beard is more than a youth: and he that hath no beard is less than a man: and he that is more than a youth, is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him: therefore I will even take sixpence in earnest of the bearward, and lead his apes into hell. 

LEONATO 

Well then, go you into hell. 

BEATRICE 

No, but to the gate, and there will the devil meet me like an old cuckold with horns on his head, and say, get you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven, here’s no place for you maids. So deliver I up my apes, and away to Saint Peter: for the heavens, he shows me where the bachelors sit, and there live we, as merry as the day is long.

HERO
No, truly, Ursula, she is too disdainful.

I know her spirits are as coy and wild

As haggards of the rock.

URSULA

But are you sure

That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely?

HERO

So says the Prince and my new-trothèd lord.

URSULA

And did they bid you tell her of it, madam?

HERO

They did entreat me to acquaint her of it,

But I persuaded them, if they loved Benedick,

To wish him wrestle with affection

And never to let Beatrice know of it.

URSULA

Why did you so? Doth not the gentleman

Deserve as full as fortunate a bed

As ever Beatrice shall couch upon?

HERO

O god of love! I know he doth deserve

As much as may be yielded to a man,

But Nature never framed a woman’s heart

Of prouder stuff than that of Beatrice.

Disdain and scorn ride sparkling in her eyes,

Misprizing what they look on, and her wit

Values itself so highly that to her

All matter else seems weak. She cannot love,

Nor take no shape nor project of affection,

She is so self-endeared.

DON JOHN
I cannot hide

what I am. I must be sad when I have cause, and

smile at no man’s jests; eat when I have stomach,

and wait for no man’s leisure; sleep when I am

drowsy, and tend on no man’s business; laugh when

I am merry, and claw no man in his humor.

CONRADE

Yea, but you must not make the full show of

this till you may do it without controlment. You

have of late stood out against your brother, and he

hath ta’en you newly into his grace, where it is

impossible you should take true root but by the fair

weather that you make yourself. It is needful that

you frame the season for your own harvest.

DON JOHN

I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a

rose in his grace, and it better fits my blood to be

disdained of all than to fashion a carriage to rob

love from any. In this, though I cannot be said to be

a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I

am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a

muzzle and enfranchised with a clog; therefore I

have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my

mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do

my liking. In the meantime, let me be that I am, and

seek not to alter me.

LEONATO

Art thou the slave that with thy breath hast killed

Mine innocent child?

BORACHIO

Yea, even I alone.

LEONATO

No, not so, villain, thou beliest thyself.

Here stand a pair of honorable men —

A third is fled — that had a hand in it. —

I thank you, princes, for my daughter’s death.

Record it with your high and worthy deeds.

’Twas bravely done, if you bethink you of it.

CLAUDIO

I know not how to pray your patience,

Yet I must speak. Choose your revenge yourself.

Impose me to what penance your invention

Can lay upon my sin. Yet sinned I not

But in mistaking.

PRINCE

By my soul, nor I,

And yet to satisfy this good old man

I would bend under any heavy weight

That he’ll enjoin me to.

LEONATO

I cannot bid you bid my daughter live —

That were impossible — but, I pray you both,

Possess the people in Messina here

How innocent she died. And if your love

Can labor aught in sad invention,

Hang her an epitaph upon her tomb

And sing it to her bones. Sing it tonight.

Tomorrow morning come you to my house,

And since you could not be my son-in-law,

Be yet my nephew. My brother hath a daughter,

Almost the copy of my child that’s dead,

And she alone is heir to both of us.

Give her the right you should have giv’n her cousin,

And so dies my revenge.

BEATRICE

I wonder that you will still be talking, Signior

Benedick, nobody marks you.

BENEDICK

What, my dear Lady Disdain! Are you yet living?

BEATRICE

Is it possible disdain should die while she

hath such meet food to feed it as Signior Benedick?

Courtesy itself must convert to disdain if you come

in her presence.

BENEDICK

Then is courtesy a turncoat. But it is certain

I am loved of all ladies, only you excepted; and

I would I could find in my heart that I had not a

hard heart, for truly I love none.

BEATRICE

A dear happiness to women. They would

else have been troubled with a pernicious suitor. I

thank God and my cold blood I am of your humor

for that. I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow

than a man swear he loves me.

BENEDICK

God keep your Ladyship still in that mind,

so some gentleman or other shall ’scape a predestinate

scratched face.

BEATRICE

Scratching could not make it worse an

’twere such a face as yours were.

BENEDICK

Well, you are a rare parrot-teacher.

BEATRICE

A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours.

BENEDICK

I would my horse had the speed of your

tongue and so good a continuer, but keep your

way, i’ God’s name, I have done.

BEATRICE

You always end with a jade’s trick. I know

you of old.