Shakespeare's Monologues
Shakespeare's Monologues
Hero is the beautiful young daughter of Leonato and cousin of Beatrice. Hero and Beatrice have a strong, loyal relationship with each other and is shown during several points in the play. Hero is lovely, gentle, and kind. She is the girl next door for Shakespeare and is well liked. She falls in love with Claudio and they become engaged, but when Don John slanders her name by accusing her of being unfaithful to Claudio. Claudio, being tricked into believing Hero has cheated on him, hastily takes revenge at their wedding and Hero suffers terribly.
Just like Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio tricked Benedick into thinking Beatrice loves him, Hero and Ursula, plot to do the same to Beatrice. Beatrice hides in the arbor so Hero and Ursula seemingly cannot see her and listens in on their conversation. Hero and Ursula discuss how Benedick is in love with Beatrice and how they could never be together because Beatrice will only ever mock Benedick, not love him. Hero states in her monologue all the ways Beatrice mocks and pushes men away and how she would never be open-minded enough to find a husband.
Character description, monologue synopsis, and monologue scoring provided by Dominique Baker-Lanning as part of the Spring 2019 THT 352 class.
Why, you speak truth. I never yet saw man,
How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featured,
But she would spell him backward: if fair-faced,
She would swear the gentleman should be her sister;
If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antique,
Made a foul blot; if tall, a lance ill-headed;
If low, an agate very vilely cut;
If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds;
If silent, why, a block moved with none.
So turns she every man the wrong side out
And never gives to truth and virtue that
Which simpleness and merit purchaseth.
| Number of Syllables | Scored Text | Meaning of Beat |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Why, you speak truth. I never yet saw man, | [Beginning of beat 1] To address, to criticize, to educate |
| 11 | How wise, how noble, young, how rarely featured, | |
| 10 | But she would spell him backward: if fair-faced, | |
| 12 | She would swear the gentleman should be her sister; | |
| 11 | If black, why, Nature, drawing of an antique, | |
| 12 | Made a foul blot; if tall, a lance ill-headed; | |
| 10 | If low, an agate very vilely cut; | |
| 10 | If speaking, why, a vane blown with all winds; | |
| 9 | If silent, why, a block moved with none. | |
| 10 | So turns she every man the wrong side out | |
| 10 | And never gives to truth and virtue that | |
| 9 | Which simpleness and merit purchaseth. | [End of beat 1] |
Definitions from David & Ben Crystal / Shakespeare's Words are under copyright, and may not be used without their express permission. All other definitions are from sources in the public domain.
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