But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier.
But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier.
but i hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier.
But I hope your lordship thinks not him a soldier.
Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
Yes, my lord, and of very valiant approof.
You have it from his own deliverance.
You have it from his own deliverance.
you 've it from h's own deliverance.
You have it from his own deliverance.
And by other warranted testimony.
And by other warranted testimony.
and by other warranted testimony.
And by other warranted testimony.
Then my dial goes not true; I took this lark for a bunting.
Then my dial goes not true; I took this lark for a bunting.
then my dial goes not true; i took th's lark for a bunting.
Then my dial goes not true; I took this lark for a...
I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge, and
accordingly valiant.
I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge, and accordingly valiant.
i do assure you, my lord, he 's very great in knowledge, and accordingly valiant.
I do assure you, my lord, he is very great in knowledge,...
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, 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, then, sinned against h's experience and transgressed against h's valour; and my state that way 's 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, then, sinned against his experience and transgressed against his valour;...
Pray you, sir, who’s his tailor?
Pray you, sir, who’s his tailor?
pray you, sir, who’s h's tailor?
Pray you, sir, who’s his tailor?
Sir!
Sir!
sir!
Sir!
O, I know him well, I, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, a very good
tailor.
O, I know him well, I, sir; he, sir, is a good workman, a very good tailor.
o, i know him well, i, sir; he, sir, 's a good workman, a very good tailor.
O, I know him well, I, sir; he, sir, is a good...
She is.
She is.
she is.
She is.
Will she away tonight?
Will she away tonight?
will she away tonight?
Will she away tonight?
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.
As you’ll have her.
as you’ll 've her.
As you’ll have her.
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 have writ my letters, casketed my treasure, Given order for our horses; and tonight, When I should take possession of the bride, End before I do begin.
i 've writ my letters, casketed my treasure, given order for our horses; and tonight, when i should take possession of the bride, end before i do begin.
I have writ my letters, casketed my treasure, Given order for our...
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 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 traveller 's 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 traveller is something at the latter end of a dinner;...
Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur?
Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur?
's there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur?
Is there any unkindness between my lord and you, monsieur?
I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord’s displeasure.
I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord’s displeasure.
i know not how i 've deserved to run into my lord’s displeasure.
I know not how I have deserved to run into my lord’s...
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 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 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 have made shift to run into ’t, boots and spurs and...
It may be you have mistaken him, my lord.
It may be you have mistaken him, my lord.
it may be you 've mistaken him, my lord.
It may be you have mistaken him, my lord.
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 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 shall do so ever, though i took him at h's prayers. f're you well, my lord; and believe th's of me, there can be no kernal in th's light nut; the soul of th's man 's h's clothes; trust him not in matter of heavy consequence; i 've kept of them tame, and know their natures. farewell, monsieur; i 've spoken better of you than you 've or will to deserve at my hand; but we must do good against evil.
And shall do so ever, though I took him at his prayers....
An idle lord, I swear.
An idle lord, I swear.
an idle lord, i swear.
An idle lord, I swear.
I think so.
I think so.
i think so.
I think so.
Why, do you not know him?
Why, do you not know him?
why, do you not know him?
Why, do you not know him?
Yes, I do know him well; and common speech
Gives him a worthy pass. Here comes my clog.
Yes, I do know him well; and common speech Gives him a worthy pass. Here comes my clog.
yes, i do know him well; and common speech gives him a worthy pass. here comes my clog.
Yes, I do know him well; and common speech Gives him a...
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.
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.
i have, sir, as i was commanded from you, spoke with the king, and 've procur’d h's leave for present parting; only he desires some private speech with you.
I have, sir, as I was commanded from you, Spoke with the...
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 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 shall obey h's 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: th's 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 're better than they seem; and my appointments 've in them a need greater than shows itself at the first view to you that know them not. th's to my mother.
I shall obey his will. You must not marvel, Helen, at my...
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.
Sir, I can nothing say
But that I am your most obedient servant.
Sir, I can nothing say But that I am your most obedient servant.
sir, i can nothing say but that i am your most obedient servant.
Sir, I can nothing say But that I am your most obedient...
Come, come, no more of that.
Come, come, no more of that.
come, come, no more of that.
Come, come, no more of 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 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 ever shall with true observance seek to eke out that wherein toward me my homely stars 've fail’d to equal my great fortune.
And ever shall With true observance seek to eke out that Wherein...
Let that go.
My haste is very great. Farewell; hie home.
Let that go. My haste is very great. Farewell; hie home.
let that go. my haste 's very great. farewell; hie home.
Let that go. My haste is very great. Farewell; hie home.
Pray, sir, your pardon.
Pray, sir, your pardon.
pray, sir, your pardon.
Pray, sir, your pardon.
Well, what would you say?
Well, what would you say?
well, what would you say?
Well, what would you say?
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 am not worthy of the wealth I owe; Nor dare I say ’is mine, and yet it is; But, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal What law does vouch mine own.
i am not worthy of the wealth i owe; nor d're i say ’t's mine, and yet it is; but, like a timorous thief, most fain would steal what law does vouch mine own.
I am not worthy of the wealth I owe; Nor dare I...
What would you have?
What would you have?
what would you have?
What would you have?
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; 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; 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; and scarce so much; nothing indeed. I would not tell you...
I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse.
I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse.
i pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse.
I pray you, stay not, but in haste to horse.
I shall not break your bidding, good my lord.
Where are my other men, monsieur?
Farewell,
I shall not break your bidding, good my lord. Where are my other men, monsieur? Farewell,
i shall not break your bidding, good my lord. where 're my other men, monsieur? farewell,
I shall not break your bidding, good my lord. Where are my...
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 you toward home, where I will never come Whilst I can shake my sword or hear the drum. Away, and for our flight.
go you toward home, where i will never come whilst i can shake my sword or hear the drum. away, and for our flight.
Go you toward home, where I will never come Whilst I can...
Bravely, coragio!
Bravely, coragio!
bravely, coragio!
Bravely, coragio!
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.