MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

Act 2 Scene 2

(Enter Don John and Borachio)
l1l	Don John	 It is so. The Count Claudio shall marry the
l2l		daughter of Leonato.
l3l	Borachio	Yea, my lord, but I can cross it.
l4l	Don John	Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be
l5l		medicinable to me. I am sick in displeasure to him, and
l6l		whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly
l7l		with mine. How canst thou cross this marriage?
l8l	Borachio	Not honestly, my lord, but so covertly that no
l9l		dishonesty shall appear in me.
l10l	Don John	Show me briefly how.
l11l	Borachio	I think I told your lordship a year since how
l12l		much I am in the favour of Margaret, the waiting
l13l		gentlewoman to Hero.
l14l	Don John	I remember.
l15l	Borachio	I can at any unseasonable instant of the night
l16l		appoint her to look out at her lady’s chamber window.
l17l	Don John	What life is in that to be the death of this
l18l		marriage?
l19l	Borachio	The poison of that lies in you to temper. Go
l20l		you to the Prince your brother. Spare not to tell him
l21l		that he hath wronged his honour in marrying the
l22l		renowned Claudio—whose estimation do you mightily
l23l		hold up—to a contaminated stale, such a one as Hero.
l24l	Don John	What proof shall I make of that?
l25l	Borachio	Proof enough to misuse the Prince, to vex
l26l		Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato. Look you for
l27l		any other issue?
l28l	Don John	Only to despite them I will endeavour anything.
l29l	Borachio	Go then. Find me a meet hour to draw Don
l30l		Pedro and the Count Claudio alone. Tell them that you
l31l		know that Hero loves me. Intend a kind of zeal both
l32l		to the Prince and Claudio as in love of your brother’s
l33l		honour who hath made this match, and his friend’s
l34l		reputation who is thus like to be cozened with the
l35l		semblance of a maid, that you have discovered thus.
l36l		They will scarcely believe this without trial. Offer them
l37l		instances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to
l38l		see me at her chamber window, hear me call Margaret
l39l		Hero, hear Margaret term me Claudio. And bring them
l40l		to see this the very night before the intended wedding,
l41l		for in the mean time I will so fashion the matter that
l42l		Hero shall be absent, and there shall appear such
l43l		seeming truth of Hero’s disloyalty that jealousy shall
l44l		be called assurance, and all the preparation overthrown.
	46 
	Don John	Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will
l47l		put it in practice. Be cunning in the working this, and
l48l		thy fee is a thousand ducats.
l49l	Borachio	Be you constant in the accusation, and my
l50l		cunning shall not shame me.
l51l	Don John	I will presently go learn their day of marriage.
		( 51 Exeunt)