
Shakespeare's Monologues
Benedick resembles a soldier that has recently returned from war. He comes across as witty and intelligent and looks to entertain others. Benedick insists he has no desire to marry, but he becomes less insistent on this when he learns Beatrice may have feelings for him.
In this monologue, Benedick has just learned Beatrice might be in love with him. He believes there could be truth to this discovery and decides he can return her feelings. Benedick believes people might make fun of him because of how he bashed the idea of marriage, but he alludes to the fact people can change.
Character description, monologue synopsis, and monologue scoring provided by a student in the Spring 2019 THT 352 class. This student chose to remain anonymous.
This can be no trick: the
conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of
this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it
seems her affections have their full bent. Love me!
why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured:
they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive
the love come from her; they say too that she will
rather die than give any sign of affection. I did
never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy
are they that hear their detractions and can put
them to mending. They say the lady is fair; 'tis a
truth, I can bear them witness; and virtuous; 'tis
so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving
me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, nor
no great argument of her folly, for I will be
horribly in love with her. I may chance have some
odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me,
because I have railed so long against marriage: but
doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat
in his youth that he cannot endure in his age.
Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of
the brain awe a man from the career of his humour?
No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would
die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I
were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day!
she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in
her.
Each row of the following table represents one line of the monologue. The first column indicates the number of syllables in that line of text. The second column is the scored text, meaning that boldfaced text indicates where emphasis should be placed when performing the monologue. The third column represents a beat, or section, of the monologue. The third column is only used to indicate the beginning of a beat and its meaning, or the end of a beat.
| Number of syllables | Scored text | Meaning of beat |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | This can be no trick: the | [Beginning of beat 1] To solidify |
| 12 | conference was sadly borne. They have the truth of | [End of beat 1] |
| 13 | this from Hero. They seem to pity the lady: it | [Beginning of beat 2] To comprehend |
| 11 | seems her affections have their full bent. Love me! | |
| 14 | why, it must be requited. I hear how I am censured | |
| 13 | they say I will bear myself proudly, if I perceive | |
| 11 | the love come from her; they say too that she will | |
| 14 | rather die than give any sign of affection. I did | |
| 13 | never think to marry: I must not seem proud: happy | |
| 11 | are they that hear their detractions and can put | |
| 12 | them to mending. They say the lady is fair; 'tis | |
| 13 | so, I cannot reprove it; and wise, but for loving | |
| 14 | me; by my troth, it is no addition to her wit, not | [End of beat 2] |
| 12 | horribly in love with her. I may chance have some | [Beginning of beat 3] To assure |
| 11 | odd quirks and remnants of wit broken on me, | |
| 12 | because I have railed so long against marriage: but | |
| 13 | doth not the appetite alter? a man loves the meat | |
| 12 | in his youth that he cannot endure in his age. | |
| 13 | Shall quips and sentences and these paper bullets of | |
| 13 | the brain awe a man from the career of his humour? | |
| 12 | No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would | |
| 14 | die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I | [End of beat 3] |
| 11 | were married. Here comes Beatrice. By this day! | [Beginning of beat 4] To identify |
| 12 | she's a fair lady: I do spy some marks of love in | |
| 1 | her. | [End of beat 3 and monologue] |
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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