Much Ado About Nothing

Act 5, Scene 3

Modern spelling. Stage directions omitted.

Listen to Act 5. LibriVox volunteers recorded “Act V” as one track, so it runs past this scene and includes stage directions this page leaves out. LibriVox catalog.

CLAUDIO

Is this the monument of Leonato?

A LORD

It is, my lord.

CLAUDIO

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

Hang there upon the tomb,

CLAUDIO

Praising her when I am dumb.
Now, music, sound, and sing your solemn hymn.

CLAUDIO

Pardon, goddess of the night,
Those that slew 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 uttered,
Heavily, heavily.

CLAUDIO

Now, unto bones good night!
Yearly will I do this rite.

DON PEDRO

Good morrow, masters: put your torches out.
The wolves have prey’d; 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.

CLAUDIO

Good morrow, masters: each his several way.

DON PEDRO

Come, let us , and put on other weeds;
And then to Leonato’s we will go.

CLAUDIO

And Hymen now with luckier issue speed’s,
Than this for whom we rend’red up this woe!

All of Much Ado About Nothing

Act 1

Act 1, Scene 1Act 1, Scene 2Act 1, Scene 3,

Act 2

Act 2, Scene 1Act 2, Scene 2Act 2, Scene 3,

Act 3

Act 3, Scene 1Act 3, Scene 2Act 3, Scene 3Act 3, Scene 4Act 3, Scene 5,

Act 4

Act 4, Scene 1Act 4, Scene 2,

Act 5

Act 5, Scene 1Act 5, Scene 2Act 5, Scene 3Act 5, Scene 4

Open Much Ado About Nothing in the 1623 First Folio. See its words in the cloud.

Modern spelling for reading. The edition is public domain in the United States. Edition source.