But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier.
But I hope you don't think he's a real soldier, my lord.
But surely you don't think he's actually a soldier, do you?
u dont think hes a real soldier
Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
Yes, my lord, and he's proven to be very valiant.
Yes, and he's shown himself to be very courageous.
yes hes super brave
You have it from his own deliverance.
You're taking his word for it.
You're just taking his word for it, aren't you?
just taking his word 4 it
And by other warranted testimony.
And I have other reliable testimony as well.
And I have other solid evidence backing that up.
got other proof 2
Then my dial goes not true; I took this lark for a bunting.
Then my judgment is wrong; I took a lark for a bunting.
Then I've got it all wrong—I thought he was better than he is.
i got it wrong took him 4 someone better
I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge, and
accordingly valiant.
I assure you, my lord, he is very knowledgeable, and equally valiant.
I'm telling you, he's got a lot of knowledge and he's just as brave.
he knows his stuff and hes brave
I have, then, sinned against his experience and transgressed against
his valour; and my state that way is dangerous, since I cannot yet find
in my heart to repent. Here he comes; I pray you make us friends; I
will pursue the amity.
I have wronged his knowledge and his courage, and my situation is dangerous because I cannot bring myself to repent. Here he comes—please help us make peace; I will pursue his friendship.
I've insulted his knowledge and his bravery, and I'm in a bad spot because I'm not sorry about it. Here he comes—would you help us make up? I want to be his friend.
i wronged him but i dont feel bad here he comes help us be friends i want to
[_To Bertram._] These things shall be done, sir.
These things will be done, sir.
Don't worry, I'll take care of everything.
ill get it done
Pray you, sir, who’s his tailor?
If you please, sir, who is his tailor?
Tell me, sir—who's his tailor?
whos his tailor
Sir!
Sir!
sir!
Sir!
O, I know him well, I, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, a very good
tailor.
Oh, I know him very well indeed, sir; he's a skilled craftsman, a very fine tailor.
Oh yes, I know him well—he's an excellent tailor, a real professional.
yeah i know him great tailor very good
[_Aside to Parolles._] Is she gone to the king?
Has she gone to the king?
Did she go see the king?
did she go to the king
She is.
She is.
she is.
She is.
Will she away tonight?
Will she leave tonight?
Is she leaving tonight?
shes leaving 2night
The sequence where Helena tries to ask for a farewell kiss — without quite managing to say it plainly — is one of the most quietly devastating passages in the play. She starts with 'something,' retreats to 'scarcely that,' collapses to 'nothing,' then finds her way back to the indirect argument: even enemies part with a kiss. The grammar of her request is its own portrait. She cannot assert, cannot demand, cannot even ask directly. She can only point to an absence and name it as strange. And Bertram refuses it. The extraordinary thing is that Bertram refusing a parting kiss from his new wife — the minimum courtesy even to a stranger — means Helena's indirect speech is a perfect rhetorical trap for him, and he springs it anyway. Lafew said 'the soul of this man is his clothes.' Here we see the inverse: Helena's soul is all substance, no surface. She cannot bring herself to perform a demand. He cannot be bothered to perform even courtesy.
As you’ll have her.
However you wish it.
Whatever you want.
whatever u want
I have writ my letters, casketed my treasure,
Given order for our horses; and tonight,
When I should take possession of the bride,
End ere I do begin.
I've written my letters, packed my valuables, and ordered our horses. And tonight, when I should be consummating the marriage, I'll leave before I even begin.
I've written letters, packed my things, and arranged for our horses. And tonight, when I'm supposed to sleep with the bride, I'm taking off before I even start.
wrote letters packed stuff horses ready tonight when i shd be w her im leaving instead
A good traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner; but one
that lies three-thirds and uses a known truth to pass a thousand
nothings with, should be once heard and thrice beaten.— God save you,
Captain.
A good traveler's stories are pleasant at the end of a dinner, but one who lies constantly and uses one true fact to hide a thousand lies should be heard once and beaten three times.—God bless you, Captain.
Good travelers are nice entertainment after dinner, but a guy who constantly lies and uses one true story to cover up a thousand false ones should be listened to once and then beaten senseless.—Goodbye, Captain.
travelers r nice after dinner but liars like him should be heard once beaten 3x
Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur?
Is there any bad feeling between my lord and you?
Is there any problem between my lord and you?
is there bad blood between u
I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord’s displeasure.
I don't know how I've earned his anger.
I don't know what I did to make him mad.
dont know what i did
You have made shift to run into ’t, boots and spurs and all, like him
that leapt into the custard; and out of it you’ll run again, rather
than suffer question for your residence.
You've managed to land in it fully armed, like someone jumping into a custard, and you'll run right back out again rather than answer questions about where you come from.
You've managed to jump into trouble with all your fancy gear on, like some guy jumping into custard, and you'll skip out of it again rather than stay around to explain yourself.
u jumped into trouble full armed like custard and ull jump back out rather than explain urself
It may be you have mistaken him, my lord.
Perhaps you've misjudged him, my lord.
Maybe you've got him wrong, sir.
maybe ur wrong about him
And shall do so ever, though I took him at his prayers. Fare you well,
my lord; and believe this of me, there can be no kernal in this light
nut; the soul of this man is his clothes; trust him not in matter of
heavy consequence; I have kept of them tame, and know their natures.
Farewell, monsieur; I have spoken better of you than you have or will
to deserve at my hand; but we must do good against evil.
And I always will, even if I'd caught him praying. Farewell, my lord. Believe this: there's no substance in this hollow man; his soul is just his clothes; don't trust him with anything important. I've kept men like him around and know their nature. Goodbye, my friend. I've spoken better of you than you deserve, but we must answer evil with good.
And I always will, no matter what. Goodbye, sir. Here's the truth: there's nothing real about this guy—his whole identity is just his fancy clothes. Don't trust him with anything that matters. I know his type; I've dealt with them before. Bye. I've actually said nicer things about you than you deserve, but you have to fight evil with good.
ill always think that no substance in him just clothes no soul dont trust him w anything i know his type i said nicer things than u deserve gotta fight evil w good
An idle lord, I swear.
He's a good-for-nothing, I swear.
That guy's worthless, I'm telling you.
hes a waste of time
I think so.
I think so.
i think so.
I think so.
Why, do you not know him?
Why, don't you know who he is?
What, you haven't heard of him?
u dont know who he is
Yes, I do know him well; and common speech
Gives him a worthy pass. Here comes my clog.
Yes, I know him well, and public opinion gives him a good reputation. Here comes what's weighing me down.
Yeah, I know him well, and people seem to think he's decent. Here comes my problem.
i know him people like him here comes my burden
I have, sir, as I was commanded from you,
Spoke with the king, and have procur’d his leave
For present parting; only he desires
Some private speech with you.
As you commanded, sir, I've spoken with the king and obtained his permission to leave now. He only asks for some private time with you.
I did what you asked—I talked to the king and got his permission for me to leave right away. He just wants to talk to you privately first.
did what u said king said i can go he wants to talk to u first
I shall obey his will.
You must not marvel, Helen, at my course,
Which holds not colour with the time, nor does
The ministration and required office
On my particular. Prepared I was not
For such a business; therefore am I found
So much unsettled: this drives me to entreat you;
That presently you take your way for home,
And rather muse than ask why I entreat you:
For my respects are better than they seem;
And my appointments have in them a need
Greater than shows itself at the first view
To you that know them not. This to my mother.
I'll obey him. Helen, don't be surprised at my behavior, which doesn't fit this moment and neglects the duties I owe you. I wasn't prepared for this situation, and that's why I seem so troubled. This compels me to ask you to leave immediately for home. Don't ask why I ask this—just go and wonder. My reasons are better than they appear. I have commitments more important than you can see. Take this to my mother.
I'll do what he says. Helen, don't be shocked by the way I'm acting—it's not how I should be acting, and I know I'm neglecting you. I wasn't ready for all this, and that's why I'm so out of sorts. That's why I need to ask you to leave right now and go home. Don't question it—just go. My real reasons are better than they look. I've got things going on that are more important than they seem. Give this to my mother.
ill obey him dont b shocked at me i wasnt ready 4 this im a mess go home now dont ask why its complicated give this 2 ur mom
Lafew appears in 2-5 in a curious role: he's not part of the main plot action (Helena and Bertram's parting), but he shadows it with a running commentary on Parolles's fraudulence. Shakespeare builds Lafew as a kind of Greek chorus — a reliable external voice who names what the main characters cannot or will not see. In this scene, he tells Bertram directly: 'there can be no kernel in this light nut; the soul of this man is his clothes.' Bertram dismisses him. The audience knows he's right. What makes Lafew interesting is that his skepticism isn't malicious — he's not jealous of Parolles or competing with him. He's genuinely trying to warn a young man he respects. The scene asks a pointed question: what does it mean to dismiss someone who is consistently, demonstrably right? And what does Bertram's dismissal of Lafew say about his capacity for judgment in general? Keep watching for Lafew — he keeps being right about everything.
’Twill be two days ere I shall see you; so
I leave you to your wisdom.
It will be two days before I see you; so I leave you to your own wisdom.
I won't be back for two days, so I'm leaving you to figure things out on your own.
gone 4 2 days do what u want
Sir, I can nothing say
But that I am your most obedient servant.
Sir, I can only say that I am your most devoted servant.
Sir, all I can say is that I'll do whatever you want.
im ur obedient servant
Come, come, no more of that.
Stop it, no more of this talk.
Come on, stop saying that.
stop that
And ever shall
With true observance seek to eke out that
Wherein toward me my homely stars have fail’d
To equal my great fortune.
And I always will, with true devotion, try to make up for how my humble birth has failed to match my incredible fortune.
And I always will work hard to make up for the fact that I wasn't born good enough to deserve you.
ill always try to make up for not being worthy of u
Let that go.
My haste is very great. Farewell; hie home.
Stop that. I'm in a great hurry. Goodbye; go home quickly.
Drop it. I need to get going. Goodbye—get home.
stop it im in a hurry goodbye get home
Pray, sir, your pardon.
Please, sir, forgive me.
Sir, I'm sorry.
im sorry
Well, what would you say?
What is it you want to say?
What do you want to tell me?
what
I am not worthy of the wealth I owe;
Nor dare I say ’tis mine, and yet it is;
But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal
What law does vouch mine own.
I'm not worthy of the good fortune I have. I can't even claim it's mine, yet it is. Like a frightened thief, I'd love to steal what the law says is rightfully mine.
I don't deserve the luck I have. I can't even admit it's mine, but it is. Like a scared thief, I'd love to just steal what's legally mine.
not worthy of u cant claim ur mine but want to steal whats mine
What would you have?
What do you want?
What are you after?
what do u want
Something; and scarce so much; nothing indeed.
I would not tell you what I would, my lord. Faith, yes,
Strangers and foes do sunder and not kiss.
Something, or almost nothing, really nothing. I won't tell you what I want, my lord. Well, actually yes—strangers and enemies part without kissing.
I want something, or hardly anything, nothing really. I won't say what I want, my lord. But yes, actually—even strangers and enemies kiss when they say goodbye.
something almost nothing wont say but yes even strangers kiss goodbye
I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse.
I beg you, don't delay; hurry and get to your horse.
Please don't wait—get to your horse and go.
go get ur horse
I shall not break your bidding, good my lord.
Where are my other men, monsieur?
Farewell,
I won't disobey your command, my lord. Where are my other servants? Goodbye.
I'll do what you say. Where are my other men? Goodbye.
ill obey where r my ppl goodbye
Go thou toward home, where I will never come
Whilst I can shake my sword or hear the drum.
Away, and for our flight.
Go toward home, where I will never return as long as I can fight or hear the call to war. Let's go, prepare for our departure.
Go back home, somewhere I'll never return to as long as I'm alive and can still fight. Let's go, we need to leave now.
go home im never coming back while im alive and fighting lets go
Bravely, coragio!
Stay brave, take courage!
Come on, be strong!
stay strong be brave
The Reckoning
The scene where Bertram first calls Helena 'my clog' — his dead weight. After all her triumph in curing the King, after all the ceremony of the King's gift, she comes to say goodbye and he cannot even offer her the kiss that strangers give at parting. Helena handles it with such aching grace that it breaks something. The scene ends with Bertram vowing he will never return home while he can still hold a sword. The audience watches a marriage dissolving before it has begun.
If this happened today…
The morning after a wedding someone didn't want, the groom refuses to look up from his phone when his new wife comes in to say goodbye. She's about to drive four hours back to what used to be his house. She tries to ask for a kiss and he says 'I'm busy, just go.' His best friend is standing there the whole time watching, and later tells someone: 'I knew it. I've seen this before. He'll never come back.' The best friend is right.