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CAST    ACT ONE    ACT TWO    ACT THREE    ACT FOUR    ACT FIVE

ACT FIVE, SCENE ONE    SCENE TWO    SCENE THREE    SCENE FOUR

Enter Leonato and Antonio.

Antonio: Try not to be so sad.

Leonato: I can't help it, so please do not try to comfort me.

Enter Don Pedro and Claudio.

Leonato: Claudio, do not talk to me. You have wronged me and my innocent child.

Antonio: Yes, you have killed her!

Don Pedro: Gentlemen, we are sorry for your daughter's death. But what we accuse her of is true.

Exit Leonato and Antonio. Enter Benedick.

Benedick: I have been looking for you two. Claudio, you are a villain and have killed a sweet lady. I challenge you to the sword!

Claudio: Well, then I will met you, to have a good laugh.

Benedick: Then I will meet you later.

Exit Benedick.

Don Pedro: He seemed serious.

Claudio: He was serious. He challenged me because of his love for Beatrice.

Enter Dogberry, Verges, Watch, Conrade, and Borachio.

Don Pedro: What is going on here?

Borachio: Prince, I have deceived you. This fool caught me confessing to Conrade how your brother paid me to kiss Margaret in Hero's window.

Claudio: Sweet Hero! What have I done?

Re-enter Leonato.

Leonato: Where is the villain?

Borachio: I am here, sir.

Claudio: Sir, how can you ever forgive me?

 

Leonato: You cannot bring Hero back. But, tell everyone in Messina how innocent she was. Hang an epitaph upon her tomb tonight. Tomorrow, come to my house and I will marry you to a niece of mine who looks a lot like Hero.

Claudio: Thank you for your kindness!

ACT FIVE, SCENE TWO

Enter Benedick and Margaret, meeting

Benedick: Margaret, I am writing Beatrice a sonnet. Will you go get her for me?

Margaret: Okay, but then you must write a sonnet for me!

Exit Margaret, Enter Beatrice.

Beatrice: What happened with you and Claudio?

Benedick: Claudio accepted my challenge. He will either call upon me soon, or I will call him a coward.

Enter Ursula.

Ursula: Go see your uncle, Madam. It has been proved: Hero has been falsely accused, and Don John, who has fled and gone, is to blame.

Beatrice: Benedick, will you come with me to hear the news?

Benedick: I will live, die, and go with you!

ACT FIVE, SCENE THREE

Enter Don Pedro, Claudio, and Attendants, with music and tapers.

Claudio: This is her tomb. I will hang this epitaph here. Now, let's here a song and bid our farewells.

Don Pedro: Put your torches out. Thank you all, and goodnight.

ACT FIVE, SCENE FOUR

Enter Leonato, Antonio, Benedick, Beatrice, Margaret, Ursula, Friar Francis, and Hero.

Leonato: Okay, ladies, go to your chamber and come back in your masks when I call for you.

Exit Ladies.

Benedick: Friar and Leonato, Beatrice and I love each other. I ask that you join us today in marriage also.

Leonato: My heart is with you.

Friar: Mine is too, and I will help you.

Enter Don Pedro and Claudio, with Attendants.

Leonato: Are you ready to marry my brother's daughter, Claudio?

Claudio: I will keep my promise.

Leonato: Call them in, Antonio.

Re-enter Ladies, masked.

Leonato: Here she is. But you must promise to marry her before her face is revealed.

Claudio: Before this holy friar, I promise to be your husband.

Hero: (unmasking) And when I once lived, I was to be your wife!

Claudio: Hero!

 

Benedick: Which is Beatrice?

Beatrice: (unmasking) I answer to that name.

Benedick: Do you love me?

Beatrice: No more than reason.

Benedick: But your uncle, the prince, and Claudio swore you did.

Beatrice: And my cousin, Margaret, and Ursula swore you loved me.

 

Claudio: Benedick does love her! Look, here is a love sonnet to Beatrice written in his handwriting.

Hero: And here is another to Benedick in Beatrice's pocket, written in Beatrice's handwriting!

 

Benedick: A miracle! Well, I shall marry you out of pity, then.

Beatrice: And I will not deny you, for your own sake.

Benedick: Come friends, let's have a dance! You look sad, Don Pedro. Get yourself a wife! Get yourself a wife!

 

Messenger: My lord, Don John has been caught and brought back to Messina by armed men.

Benedick: Don't bother with him until tomorrow. I'll think of a good punishment for him then. As for right now, strike up, pipers!

Dance. Exit.