Enter Mariana, and Boy singing. Song. Take, O take those lips away,
That so sweetly were forsworn,
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn.
But my kisses bring again, bring again, 5
Seals of love, but sealed in vain, sealed in vain. Enter Duke as a Friar. MARIANA, to Boy
Break off thy song and haste thee quick away.
Here comes a man of comfort, whose advice
Hath often stilled my brawling discontent. Boy exits. I cry you mercy, sir, and well could wish 10
You had not found me here so musical.
Let me excuse me, and believe me so,
My mirth it much displeased, but pleased my woe. DUKE, as Friar
’Tis good, though music oft hath such a charm
To make bad good and good provoke to harm. 15
I pray you tell me, hath anybody inquired for me
here today? Much upon this time have I promised
here to meet. MARIANA
You have not been inquired after. I have sat
here all day. 20 Enter Isabella. DUKE, as Friar
I do constantly believe you. The time is
come even now. I shall crave your forbearance a
little. Maybe I will call upon you anon for some
advantage to yourself. MARIANA
I am always bound to you. 25 She exits. | The Duke and Isabella pay Mariana (Angelo's ex-fiancé) a little visit at her farm, which is surrounded by a moat. When they arrive, Mariana is listening to a Boy singing a sad song about a jilted lover. When Mariana sees the Duke (still disguised as a friar) she tells the kid to scram so she can talk in privacy. Apparently, the Duke has visited with Mariana before and listened to her confession. |
DUKE, as Friar
Very well met, and welcome.
What is the news from this good deputy? ISABELLA
He hath a garden circummured with brick,
Whose western side is with a vineyard backed;
And to that vineyard is a planchèd gate 30
That makes his opening with this bigger key.
This other doth command a little door
Which from the vineyard to the garden leads.
There have I made my promise, upon the
Heavy middle of the night, to call upon him. 35 DUKE, as Friar
But shall you on your knowledge find this way? ISABELLA
I have ta’en a due and wary note upon ’t.
With whispering and most guilty diligence,
In action all of precept, he did show me
The way twice o’er. 40 DUKE, as Friar
Are there no other tokens
Between you ’greed concerning her observance? ISABELLA
No, none, but only a repair i’ th’ dark,
And that I have possessed him my most stay
Can be but brief, for I have made him know 45
I have a servant comes with me along
That stays upon me, whose persuasion is
I come about my brother. DUKE, as Friar
’Tis well borne up.
I have not yet made known to Mariana 50
A word of this.—What ho, within; come forth. Enter Mariana. To Mariana.
I pray you be acquainted with this
maid.
She comes to do you good. ISABELLA
I do desire the like. 55 DUKE, as Friar, to Mariana
Do you persuade yourself that I respect you? MARIANA
Good friar, I know you do, and have found it. DUKE, as Friar
Take then this your companion by the hand,
Who hath a story ready for your ear.
I shall attend your leisure. But make haste. 60
The vaporous night approaches. MARIANA, to Isabella
Will ’t please you walk aside? Isabella and Mariana exit. DUKE
O place and greatness, millions of false eyes
Are stuck upon thee; volumes of report
Run with these false, and, most contrarious, quest 65
Upon thy doings; thousand escapes of wit
Make thee the father of their idle dream
And rack thee in their fancies. Enter Mariana and Isabella. DUKE, as Friar
Welcome. How agreed? ISABELLA
She’ll take the enterprise upon her, father, 70
If you advise it. DUKE, as Friar It is not my consent
But my entreaty too. ISABELLA, to Mariana
Little have you to say
When you depart from him, but, soft and low, 75
“Remember now my brother.” MARIANA
Fear me not. DUKE, as Friar
Nor, gentle daughter, fear you not at all.
He is your husband on a precontract.
To bring you thus together ’tis no sin, 80
Sith that the justice of your title to him
Doth flourish the deceit. Come, let us go.
Our corn’s to reap, for yet our tithe’s to sow. They exit. | Isabella and the Duke confer about where and when her secret rendezvous with Angelo is supposed to go down. Isabella is supposed to meet Angelo in a secret garden. Isabella and Marianna take a walk together during which time Isabella fills in Marianna on the Duke's plot to trick Angelo. Marianna is all for the Duke's little bed trick. Brain Snack: "Bed trick," by the way, is a common term for one of Shakespeare's favorite plot devices. It always involves one person who thinks he/she is going to bed with another person, but who is then tricked into sleeping with someone else. In Shakespeare, the duped party is usually a guy, like Bertram in All's Well That Ends Well. The Duke explains that Marianna's actions won't be counted as a sin or a crime because Angelo is her "husband on a pre-contract," meaning, they were formally betrothed before Angelo backed out of the wedding at the last minute. Everybody runs off to put the sneaky plan into action. |