Much Ado About Nothing

Act 5, Scene 3

Enter DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, three or four LORDS with tapers, and musicians

DON PEDROand CLAUDIO enter with three or four LORDS carrying candles, and musicians.

CLAUDIO

Is this the monument of Leonato?

CLAUDIO

Is this the family tomb of Leonato?

FIRST LORD

It is, my lord.

FIRST LORD

It is, my lord.

CLAUDIO

(reading an epitaph)

Done to death by slanderous tongues

Was the Hero that here lies.

Death, in guerdon of her wrongs,

Gives her fame which never dies.

So the life that died with shame

Lives in death with glorious fame.

CLAUDIO

(reading an epitaph)

Here lies Hero,

The heroic maiden killed by slanderous words.

To repay her for her troubles, Death

Gives her undying fame.

So the life that died with shame

Lives on with fame.

Hangs the scroll

(he hangs the scroll)

Hang thou there upon the tomb,

Praising her when I am dumb.

Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.

(Song)

Pardon, goddess of the night,

Those that slew thy virgin knight,

For the which with songs of woe

Round about her tomb they go.

Midnight, assist our moan.

Help us to sigh and groan

Heavily, heavily.

Graves, yawn and yield your dead,

Till death be utterèd,

Heavily, heavily.

This epitaph will hang here forever,

Continuing to praise Hero after I die.

Now start the music, and sing the solemn hymn.

(singing)

Please pardon, goddess of the night,

The men who killed your virgin knight.

These men now walk around her tomb,

Singing songs of woe.

Oh, midnight, join our moaning

Help us with our sighs and groaning

Heavily, heavily.

Graves, open up and release your corpses

Until Hero’s death is fully mourned

Heavily, heavily.

CLAUDIO

Now, unto thy bones good night!

Yearly will I do this rite.

CLAUDIO

Now I say good night to your bones, Hero. I will perform this ceremony every year.

DON PEDRO

Good morrow, masters. Put your torches out.

The wolves have preyed, and look, the gentle day,

Before the wheels of Phoebus, round about

Dapples the drowsy east with spots of grey.

Thanks to you all, and leave us. Fare you well.

DON PEDRO

Good morning, gentlemen. Put out your torches. The wolves have finished preying for the night, and look—the gentle dawn is rising, dappling the sleepy eastern sky with spots of light.

CLAUDIO

Good morrow, masters. Each his several way.

CLAUDIO

Good morning, gentlemen. We go our separate ways.

Exeunt LORDS and Musicians

LORDS and musicians exit

DON PEDRO

Come, let us hence, and put on other weeds,

And then to Leonato’s we will go.

DON PEDRO

Come, let’s go and change our clothes. Then we’ll visit Leonato’s.

CLAUDIO

And Hymen now with luckier issue speed ’s

Than this for whom we rendered up this woe.

CLAUDIO

And I hope Hymen will give us better luck than Hero got.

Exeunt

They all exit.