The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
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[Aside to ISABELLA] Go to; 'tis well; away!
[Aside to ISABELLA] Go on; all is well; go away!
ISABELLA
Heaven keep your honour safe!
Heaven keep your honor safe!
ANGELO
[Aside] Amen:
[Aside] Amen:For I am that way going to temptation,
For I am going the way towards temptation,Where prayers cross.
Where prayers conflict with one another.
ISABELLA
At what hour to-morrow
At what time tomorrowShall I attend your lordship?
Should I visit your lordship?
ANGELO
At any time 'fore noon.
At any time before noon.
ISABELLA
'Save your honour!
God save your honor!
Exeunt ISABELLA, LUCIO, and PROVOST
ANGELO
From thee, even from thy virtue!
From you, even with your virtue!What's this, what's this? Is this her fault or mine?
Why, why? Is it her fault or mine?The tempter or the tempted, who sins most?
The one who tempts, or the one who is tempted, who sins most?Ha!
Ha!Not she: nor doth she tempt: but it is I
It is not her: nor does she tempt: but it is IThat, lying by the violet in the sun,
Who, lying by the flower of chastity in the sun,Do as the carrion does, not as the flower,
Do as the dead does, and not as the flower,Corrupt with virtuous season. Can it be
Corrupt by the wrong sun for virtue to flourish. Can it beThat modesty may more betray our sense
That chastity is more against out natureThan woman's lightness? Having waste ground enough,
Than a woman’s promiscuity? Having enough wasteland,Shall we desire to raze the sanctuary
Do we want to burn down the holy placeAnd pitch our evils there? O, fie, fie, fie!
And build up our evils there? Oh, for shame, for shame for shame!What dost thou, or what art thou, Angelo?
What do you do, or what are you, Angelo?Dost thou desire her foully for those things
Do you want her immorally for the thingsThat make her good? O, let her brother live!
That make her good? Oh, let her brother live!Thieves for their robbery have authority
Thieves have authority for their robberyWhen judges steal themselves. What, do I love her,
When judges also steal. Is it because I love her,That I desire to hear her speak again,
That I want to hear her speak again,And feast upon her eyes? What is't I dream on?
And look upon her eyes? What is it that I want?O cunning enemy, that, to catch a saint,
Oh, cunning devil, who, in order to catch a saint,With saints dost bait thy hook! Most dangerous
Baits the hook with a saint! Most dangerousIs that temptation that doth goad us on
Is the temptation that makes us wantTo sin in loving virtue: never could the strumpet,
To sin because of loving virtue: never could a woman,With all her double vigour, art and nature,
With all her power doubled, with art and nature,Once stir my temper; but this virtuous maid
Once disturb my balanced temperament; but this virtuous young ladySubdues me quite. Even till now,
Completely overpowers me. Until now,When men were fond, I smiled and wonder'd how.
When men were in love, I smiled and wondered how.
Exit
Enter, severally, DUKE VINCENTIO disguised as a friar, and PROVOST
DUKE VINCENTIO
Hail to you, provost! so I think you are.
Hello, provost! As I think that’s who you are.
PROVOST
I am the provost. What's your will, good friar?
I am the provost. What is it you want good friar?
DUKE VINCENTIO
Bound by my charity and my blest order,
Required by my good will and my religious order,I come to visit the afflicted spirits
I have come to visit those in distressHere in the prison. Do me the common right
Here in prison. Do me the right of a priestly visitTo let me see them and to make me know
And let me see them and let me knowThe nature of their crimes, that I may minister
The kind of crimes they committed, that I may attend
To them accordingly.
To them accordingly.
PROVOST
I would do more than that, if more were needful.
I would do more than just that, if more were necessary.
Enter JULIET
Look, here comes one: a gentlewoman of mine,
Look, here comes one: a gentlewoman in my charge,Who, falling in the flaws of her own youth,
Who, falling to the temptation of passion of her youth,Hath blister'd her report: she is with child;
Has ruined her reputation: she is pregnant;And he that got it, sentenced; a young man
And he that got her pregnant, is sentenced; a young man,More fit to do another such offence
Who is more suitable to commit the offence againThan die for this.
Than to die for it,
DUKE VINCENTIO
When must he die?
When will he die?
PROVOST
As I do think, to-morrow.
I think it is tomorrow,I have provided for you: stay awhile,
I have provided a space for you: stay here for a while.
To JULIET
And you shall be conducted.
And you shall be escorted.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Repent you, fair one, of the sin you carry?
Do you repent, young lady, for the sin you committed?
JULIET
I do; and bear the shame most patiently.
I do; and I endure the shame very patiently.
DUKE VINCENTIO
I'll teach you how you shall arraign your conscience,
I’ll teach you how you can question your conscience,And try your penitence, if it be sound,
And test you atonement, to see if it is real,Or hollowly put on.
Or shown sincerely.
JULIET
I'll gladly learn.
I’ll gladly learn.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Love you the man that wrong'd you?
Do you love the man that impregnated you?
JULIET
Yes, as I love the woman that wrong'd him.
Yes, as much as I love the woman that he impregnated, that is myself.
DUKE VINCENTIO
So then it seems your most offenceful act
So then it seems your very offensive actWas mutually committed?
Was committed together by the two of you?
JULIET
Mutually.
Together.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Then was your sin of heavier kind than his.
Then you sin was of a more severe kind than his.
JULIET
I do confess it, and repent it, father.
I do confess it, and repent it, father.
DUKE VINCENTIO
'Tis meet so, daughter: but lest you do repent,
It is proper that you do, daughter: but in case you do repent,As that the sin hath brought you to this shame,
Because the sin has brought you to this shame,Which sorrow is always towards ourselves, not heaven,
In which the sorrow be feel is selfish, and not heavenly repentance,Showing we would not spare heaven as we love it,
Showing the we would not repent because we love God,But as we stand in fear,--
But because we fear him,--
JULIET
I do repent me, as it is an evil,
I do repent my sin, as it is an evil,And take the shame with joy.
And receive the shame from my actions with joy.
DUKE VINCENTIO
There rest.
Maintain that attitude.Your partner, as I hear, must die to-morrow,
&
nbsp; Your partner, I hear, is to die tomorrow,And I am going with instruction to him.
And I am going to him with guidance.Grace go with you, Benedicite!
Grace be with you, and bless you!
Exit
JULIET
Must die to-morrow! O injurious love,
He is to die tomorrow! Oh, hurtful love,That respites me a life, whose very comfort
That give me life, whose very comfortIs still a dying horror!
Is constantly a dying horror.
PROVOST
'Tis pity of him.
He is to be pitied.
Exeunt
Enter ANGELO
ANGELO
When I would pray and think, I think and pray
When I have time to pray and think, I think and prayTo several subjects. Heaven hath my empty words;
About various subject. Heaven has my empty words;Whilst my invention, hearing not my tongue,
While my thoughts do not hear my wordsAnchors on Isabel: Heaven in my mouth,
But fix solely on Isabel: God in my mouth,As if I did but only chew his name;
Like I am only chewing his name;And in my heart the strong and swelling evil
And in my heart the strong and swelling evilOf my conception. The state, whereon I studied
Of my plan. The affairs of government, which I studiedIs like a good thing, being often read,
It like a good thing, it is often read,Grown fear'd and tedious; yea, my gravity,
That has grown tired and tedious; yes, my authority,Wherein--let no man hear me--I take pride,
In which—I hope no one hears this—I take pride,Could I with boot change for an idle plume,
If only I could, keeping my advantage, exchange it for a feathered hat,Which the air beats for vain. O place, O form,
Which the air beats for no purpose. Oh social rank, oh ceremony,How often dost thou with thy case, thy habit,
How often do you with your outward appearance,Wrench awe from fools and tie the wiser souls
Inspire wonder from fools and blind even the wiser soulsTo thy false seeming! Blood, thou art blood:
Into trusting your fake security! Desire, you are only desire:Let's write good angel on the devil's horn:
Even if we were to write the words ‘good angel’ on the devil’s horn:'Tis not the devil's crest.
It would not change the devil’s nature.
Enter a SERVANT
How now! who's there?
What’s going on! Who’s there?
SERVANT
One Isabel, a sister, desires access to you.
Isabel, a nun, would like to speak to you.
ANGELO
Teach her the way.
Show her the way.
Exit SERVANT
O heavens!
Oh heavens!Why does my blood thus muster to my heart,
Why does my blood run to my heart,Making both it unable for itself,
Making it both incapable itself,And dispossessing all my other parts
And depriving all my other partsOf necessary fitness?
Of the blood they need?So play the foolish throngs with one that swoons;
Just as the foolish crowd do with one who faints;Come all to help him, and so stop the air
Everyone comes to help him, and by doing so keep him from getting the airBy which he should revive: and even so
He needs to revive himself: and even soThe general, subject to a well-wish'd king,
The people, subject to a well liked king,Quit their own part, and in obsequious fondness
Stop doing their part, and with flattering affectionCrowd to his presence, where their untaught love
Crowd around him, where their ignorant loveMust needs appear offence.
Seems to be an attack.
Enter ISABELLA
How now, fair maid?
What is it, young lady?
ISABELLA
I am come to know your pleasure.
I have come to know what you desire.
ANGELO
That you might know it, would much better please me
I would much rather that you would give me my desire,Than to demand what 'tis. Your brother cannot live.
Than asking what it is. Your brother cannot live.
ISABELLA
Even so. Heaven keep your honour!
So be it. Heaven keep you, your honor!
ANGELO
Yet may he live awhile; and, it may be,
Still he could live a little while; and, it could be
As long as you or I
As long as you or I could live
yet he must die.
except he must die
ISABELLA
Under your sentence?
Because you sentence him to death?
ANGELO
Yea.
Yes.
ISABELLA
When, I beseech you? that in his reprieve,
When will it be, I ask you? So that in the time before his execution,Longer or shorter, he may be so fitted
Whether it be longer or shorter, he may be spiritually preparedThat his soul sicken not.
So that his soul does not sicken at death.
ANGELO
Ha! fie, these filthy vices! It were as good
Ha! For shame, these filthy sins! It was as goodTo pardon him that hath from nature stolen
To pardon him who has murdered A man already made, as to remit
A man as to pardon Their saucy sweetness that do coin heaven's image
The desirous pleasures of forging a false coin In stamps that are forbid: 'tis all as easy
With God’s image: it is all as easyFalsely to take away a life true made
To wrongly take away a life legitimately madeAs to put metal in restrained means
As to put metal in a counterfeit moldTo make a false one.
To make a false coin.
ISABELLA
'Tis set down so in heaven, but not in earth.
Those crimes may be judged the same in heaven, but not in life.
ANGELO
Say you so? then I shall pose you quickly.
Do you think so? Then I shall question you quickly.Which had you rather, that the most just law
Which would you rather, that the very just lawNow took your brother's life; or, to redeem him,
Took your brother’s life now; or, to save him,Give up your body to such sweet uncleanness
You give up your body to the same pleasurable sinAs she that he hath stain'd?
As the woman that your brother sullied.
ISABELLA
Sir, believe this,
Sir, believe this,I had rather give my body than my soul.
I would rather give up my body than my soul.
ANGELO
I talk not of your soul: our compell'd sins
I am not talking of your soul: our necessary sinsStand more for number than for account.
Are there more to be counted than to be punished.
ISABELLA
How say you?
Where do you get that?
ANGELO
Nay, I'll not warrant that; for I can speak
No, I won’t stand up for that; for I can say somethingAgainst the thing I say. Answer to this:
Contrary to what I said. Answer this:I, now the voice of the recorded law,
I, who am the voice of the law as it is written,Pronounce a sentence on your brother's life:
Pronounce a sentence on your brother demanding his life for his crime:Might there not be a charity in sin
Couldn’t there be a sin that could be committedTo save this brother's life?
To save your brother’s life?
ISABELLA
Please you to do't,
If you want to do it,I'll take it as a peril to my soul,
I’ll risk the punishment of my soul,It is no sin at all, but charity.
It isn’t a sin at all, but a kindness.
ANGELO
Pleased you
to do't at peril of your soul,
If you want to do it at the peril of your soul,Were equal poise of sin and charity.
It about be a balance of sin and kindness.
ISABELLA
That I do beg his life, if it be sin,
I am begging for his life, and if that is a sinHeaven let me bear it! you granting of my suit,
Heaven let me commit it! If you granting my requestIf that be sin, I'll make it my morn prayer
Is a sin, I’ll make it my morning prayerTo have it added to the faults of mine,
That it be added to my sins,And nothing of your answer.
And not be your responsibility.
ANGELO
Nay, but hear me.
No, but listen to me.Your sense pursues not mine: either you are ignorant,
You are not understanding me: either you are unaware what I am sayingOr seem so craftily; and that's not good.
Or are cleverly pretending to be so; and that’s not good
ISABELLA
Let me be ignorant, and in nothing good,
Let me be unaware, and not good at all,But graciously to know I am no better.
But with humility know I am no better.
ANGELO
Thus wisdom wishes to appear most bright
That is how wisdom tries to seem very cleverWhen it doth tax itself; as these black masks
When it admonishes itself; as when nunsProclaim an enshield beauty ten times louder
Proclaim a concealed beauty ten times greaterThan beauty could, display'd. But mark me;
Than beauty could be displayed. But pay attention;To be received plain, I'll speak more gross:
To be understood plainly, I’ll speak more bluntly:Your brother is to die.
You brother is going to die.
ISABELLA
So.
That is so.