Act 2, Scene 2 — Much Ado About Nothing

The argument Don John and Borachio hatch a plot to destroy Claudio's marriage by staging a fake midnight encounter at Hero's window with Margaret standing in for Hero.

Enter Don John and Borachio.

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

It is so; the Count Claudio shall marry the daughter of Leonato.

It is so; the Count Claudio shall indeed the daughter of Leonato.

it is so the count claudio shall indeed the daughter of leonato

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

Yea, my lord; but I can cross it.

yea, my lord; but i can cross it.

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicinable to me: I

am sick in displeasure to him, and whatsoever comes athwart his affection

ranges evenly with mine. How canst thou cross this marriage?

Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicinable to me: I am sick in displeasure to him, and whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly with mine. How canst you cross this marriage?

Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicinable to me: I'm sick in displeasure to him, and whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly with mine. How canst you cross this marriage?

any bar any cross any impediment will be medicinable to me: i'm sick in displeasure to him and whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly with mine how canst you cross this marriage

"medicinable to me" Don John describes his hatred clinically — he is 'sick' with it, and obstacles to his enemy's happiness are his cure. It is a deliberately diseased self-portrait.

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

Not honestly, my lord; but so covertly that no dishonesty shall

appear in me.

Not honestly, my lord; but so covertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me.

not honestly my lord but so covertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

Show me briefly how.

show me briefly how.

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

I think I told your lordship, a year since, how much I am in the

favour of Margaret, the waiting gentlewoman to Hero.

I think I told your lordship, a year since, how much I am in the favour of Margaret, the waiting gentlewoman to Hero.

I think I told your lordship, a year since, how much I'm in the favour of Margaret, the waiting gentlewoman to Hero.

i think i told your lordship a year since how much i'm in the favour of margaret the waiting gentlewoman to hero

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

I remember.

i remember.

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

I can, at any unseasonable instant of the night, appoint her to

look out at her lady’s chamber window.

I can, at any unseasonable instant of the night, appoint her to look out at her lady’s chamber window.

i can at any unseasonable instant of the night appoint her to look out at her lady’s chamber window

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

What life is in that, to be the death of this marriage?

what life is in that, to be the death of this marriage?

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

The poison of that lies in you to temper. Go you to the Prince

your brother; spare not to tell him, that he hath wronged his honour in

marrying the renowned Claudio,—whose estimation do you mightily hold

up,—to a contaminated stale, such a one as Hero.

The poison of that lies in you to temper. Go you to the Prince your brother; spare not to tell him, that he has wronged his honour in marrying the renowned Claudio,—whose estimation do you mightily hold up,—to a contaminated stale, such a one as Hero.

the poison of that lies in you to temper go you to the prince your brother spare not to tell him that he has wronged his honour in marrying the renowned claudio —whose estimation do you mightily hold up

"a contaminated stale" A 'stale' had two meanings: a hunting decoy (bait), and a prostitute or kept woman. Borachio's slander is that Hero has been used as a decoy — she appears virtuous but is not. The word choice is precisely chosen to maximize damage.

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

What proof shall I make of that?

what proof shall i make of that?

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

Proof enough to misuse the Prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero,

and kill Leonato. Look you for any other issue?

Proof enough to misuse the Prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero, and kill Leonato. Look you for any other issue?

proof enough to misuse the prince to vex claudio to undo hero and kill leonato look you for any other issue

Why it matters The cold efficiency of this list — deceive, torment, ruin, kill — is one of the play's most chilling moments. These are not consequences Borachio is trying to avoid; they are the explicit menu of outcomes he is offering.

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

Only to despite them, I will endeavour anything.

only to despite them, i will endeavour anything.

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

Go then; find me a meet hour to draw Don Pedro and the Count

Claudio alone: tell them that you know that Hero loves me; intend a kind

of zeal both to the Prince and Claudio, as—in love of your brother’s

honour, who hath made this match, and his friend’s reputation, who

is thus like to be cozened with the semblance of a maid,—that you have

discovered thus. They will scarcely believe this without trial: offer them

instances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to see me at her

chamber window, hear me call Margaret Hero, hear Margaret term me Claudio;

and bring them to see this the very night before the intended wedding: for

in the meantime I will so fashion the matter that Hero shall be absent;

and there shall appear such seeming truth of Hero’s disloyalty, that

jealousy shall be called assurance, and all the preparation overthrown.

Go then; find me a meet hour to draw Don Pedro and the Count Claudio alone: tell them that you know that Hero loves me; intend a kind of zeal both to the Prince and Claudio, as—in love of your brother’s honour, who has made this match, and his friend’s reputation, who is thus like to be cozened with the semblance of a maid,—that you have discovered thus. They will scarcely believe this without trial: offer them instances, which shall bear no less likelihood than to see me at her chamber window, hear me call Margaret Hero, hear Margaret term me Claudio; and bring them to see this the very night before the intended wedding: for in the meantime I will so fashion the matter that Hero shall be absent; and there shall appear such seeming truth of Hero’s disloyalty, that jealousy shall be called assurance, and all the preparation overthrown.

go then find me a meet hour to draw don pedro and the count claudio alone: tell them that you know that hero loves me intend a kind of zeal both to the prince and claudio as—in love of your brother’s honour who has made this match

"jealousy shall be called assurance" The play's central epistemological problem in one phrase: Borachio's plan is not to create certainty but to make jealousy feel like certainty. He is manipulating the cognitive leap from suspicion to conviction — which Claudio will make with terrifying speed.

🎭 Dramatic irony The audience now knows the exact shape of Don John's trap before any of the intended victims do. Every cheerful wedding preparation in the scenes to come is shadowed by the knowledge that this plan exists and will be executed.

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will put it in practice. Be

cunning in the working this, and thy fee is a thousand ducats.

Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will put it in practice. Be cunning in the working this, and your fee is a thousand ducats.

grow this to what adverse issue it can i will put it in practice be cunning in the working this and your fee is a thousand ducats

BORACHIO Cynical pride in his own corruption

Be you constant in the accusation, and my cunning shall not shame me.

Be you constant in the accusation, and my cunning shan't shame me.

be you constant in the accusation and my cunning shan't shame me

DON JOHN Barely concealed resentment and bitterness

I will presently go learn their day of marriage.

i will presently go learn their day of marriage.

[Exeunt.]

The Reckoning

This is the shortest, coldest scene in the play — two men in a room devising the ruin of innocent people. What is chilling is how little motivation is required: Don John needs no specific grievance against Hero; he simply hates that his brother's friend will be happy. Borachio's plan is almost elegant in its simplicity — illusion, darkness, and the mind's readiness to believe the worst about women. The scene ends before we can breathe, and the audience carries the dread of it through every subsequent comic beat.

If this happened today…

Two men in a parking garage after a party. One says: 'I want to blow up this engagement.' The other says: 'I have the groom's fiancée's best friend's number, and she owes me a favor. I'll have her stand in a window at 2am in the bride's clothes, I'll call out the bride's name — you get Claudio and the Prince there to watch.' 'What if it doesn't work?' 'If jealousy is already primed, they won't look too closely. The darkness will do the rest.' Fee: a thousand dollars. Plan: executed by people who have nothing personally against the bride.

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