Original Text
|
Modern Text
|
|
Enter BENEDICK
andMARGARET
|
BENEDICK andMARGARET
enter.
|
|
BENEDICK
Pray thee, sweet Mistress Margaret, deserve well at my
hands by helping me to the speech of Beatrice.
|
BENEDICK
Please Margaret, help me write this poem for Beatrice.
|
|
MARGARET
Will you then write me a sonnet in praise of my beauty?
|
MARGARET
Afterward, will you write a sonnet for me, praising my
beauty?
|
|
BENEDICK
In so high a style, Margaret, that no man living shall come
5over it, for in most comely truth thou deservest it.
|
BENEDICK
I’ll write you such a glorious sonnet, Margaret, that
no man will ever be able to come over it. You certainly deserve it.
|
|
MARGARET
To have no man come over me! Why, shall I always keep
below stairs?
|
MARGARET
No man will come
over me
! What a life that would be! |
|
BENEDICK
Thy wit is as quick as the greyhound’s mouth; it
catches.
|
BENEDICK
Your wit is as quick as a greyhound’s
jaws—it catches whatever it goes after.
|
|
MARGARET
And yours as blunt as the fencer’s foils, which hit but
hurt
10not.
|
MARGARET
And your wit is as blunt as a practice sword, with its dull tip;
it hits people but doesn’t hurt them.
|
|
BENEDICK
A most manly wit, Margaret, it will not hurt a woman. And
so, I pray thee, call Beatrice. I give thee the bucklers.
|
BENEDICK
It’s just that my wit is very gentlemanly, Margaret,
and refuses to hurt a woman. Now please, tell Beatrice to come out.
I admit defeat; I give you the
bucklers
. |
|
MARGARET
Give us the swords; we have bucklers of our own.
|
MARGARET
No, you should give a woman your sword—we have our own
bucklers
! |
|
BENEDICK
If you use them, Margaret, you must put in the pikes with
15a vice, and they are dangerous weapons for maids.
|
BENEDICK
Watch out, though, Margaret—virgins
shouldn’t be brandishing their bucklers around.
|
|
MARGARET
Well, I will call Beatrice to you, who I think hath legs.
|
MARGARET
I’ll go get Beatrice for you, who can walk here by
herself—she has legs.
|
