Much Ado About Nothing

“Into God’s hands. From my house, if I had a house—”

“The sixth of July. Sincerely, your loving friend, Benedick.”

Oh, stop joking around. You know, sometimes you two dress up your conversation with flimsy little bits of wit that don’t hold together too well. Before you make

fun

Benedick and Claudio are making fun of the fact that “I commit you” is, in Shakespeare’s time, a common way to end a formal letter.

fun of everyone else, look at yourselves in the mirror! And with that, I’m leaving.

My lord, you could really help me out now.

I am at your service. Just tell me what you want me to do, and however hard it is, you’ll see that I’m eager to do it.

Does Leonato have a son, my lord?

Hero is his only child, and his only heir. Do you like her, Claudio?

Oh, my lord, when we left Messina to fight the war, I looked at Hero with the eyes of a soldier. I liked what I saw, but my mind was so occupied with the rough, violent task ahead of me that there was no chance that like would turn intolove. But now that I’m back, the room in my head that I used to fill with war plans has become crowded with soft and delicate feelings. They all lead me to the same thought—how beautiful young Hero is and how I must have liked her even before I left to fight.