The Complete Works of William Shakespeare In Plain and Simple English (Translated)
Page 265
CLAUDIO
Perpetual durance?
Life in prison?
ISABELLA
Ay, just; perpetual durance, a restraint,
Yes, exactly; live in prison, a restraint,Though all the world's vastidity you had,
But with all the vastness of the world, you will To a determined scope.
Be limited to a fixed reach.
CLAUDIO
But in what nature?
But what kind?
ISABELLA
In such a one as, you consenting to't,
The kind that if you agreed to it,Would bark your honour from that trunk you bear,
Would strip your honor from your body,And leave you naked.
And leave you naked.
CLAUDIO
Let me know the point.
Tell me what it is.
ISABELLA
O, I do fear thee, Claudio; and I quake,
Oh, I am afraid of you, Claudio; and I shiver with fright,Lest thou a feverous life shouldst entertain,
That you might cherish your feverish life,And six or seven winters more respect
And might value six or seven more year moreThan a perpetual honour. Darest thou die?
Than you do continuous honor. Do you fear death?The sense of death is most in apprehension;
The fearfulness of death is mostly in anticipation;And the poor beetle, that we tread upon,
And the poor bug that we step on,In corporal sufferance finds a pang as great
In bodily suffering experiences a pain as greatAs when a giant dies.
As when a giant dies.
CLAUDIO
Why give you me this shame?
Why do you shame me like this this?Think you I can a resolution fetch
Do you think I can find determinationFrom flowery tenderness? If I must die,
In words of comfort? If I must die,I will encounter darkness as a bride,
I will meet death’s darkness as a bride,And hug it in mine arms.
And hug it in my arms.
ISABELLA
There spake my brother; there my father's grave
My brother spoke; and my father’s graveDid utter forth a voice. Yes, thou must die:
Did utter a voice. Yes, you must die:Thou art too noble to conserve a life
You are too noble to save a lifeIn base appliances. This outward-sainted deputy,
With a dishonorable solution. This seemingly holy agent,Whose settled visage and deliberate word
Whose unchanging appearance and carefully calculated wordsNips youth i' the head and follies doth emmew
Grips youth by the head and with foolish acts drives it into the waterAs falcon doth the fowl, is yet a devil
As a falcon does with its prey, is still a devil;His filth within being cast, he would appear
If his filth were to be vomited up, he would appearA pond as deep as hell.
To be a pit as deep as hell.
CLAUDIO
The prenzie Angelo!
The princely Angelo!
ISABELLA
O, 'tis the cunning livery of hell,
Oh, it’s the cunning uniform of hell,The damned'st body to invest and cover
The most damned body to dress and coverIn prenzie guards! Dost thou think, Claudio?
In princely embroidered clothes! Don’t you think so, Claudio?If I would yield him my virginity,
If I would give him my virginity,Thou mightst be freed.
You would be freed.
CLAUDIO
O heavens! it cannot be.
Oh heavens! It cannot be.
ISABELLA
Yes, he would give't thee, from this rank offence,
Yes, he would give it to you, with his own terrible offence,So to offend him still. This night's the time
So you could continue to commit the crime. This night is the timeThat I should do what I abhor to name,
That I could do what I detest to name,Or else thou diest to-morrow.
Or else you will die tomorrow.
CLAUDIO
Thou shalt not do't.
You will not do it.
ISABELLA
O, were it but my life,
Oh, If it was only my life,I'ld throw it down for your deliverance
I would throw it down for you freedomAs frankly as a pin.
As freely as a pin
CLAUDIO
Thanks, dear Isabel.
Thanks dear Isabel.
ISABELLA
Be ready, Claudio, for your death tomorrow.
Be ready, Claudio, for you death romorrow.
CLAUDIO
Yes. Has he affections in him,
Yes, He does have lustful passions in him,That thus can make him bite the law by the nose,
That force him to abuse the law,When he would force it? Sure, it is no sin,
When he is the one who enforeces it? Sure, it is no sin,Or of the deadly seven, it is the least.
Or at least out of the seven deadly sins, it is the least.
ISABELLA
Which is the least?
Which is the least?
CLAUDIO
If it were damnable, he being so wise,
If it were so damnable, with him being so wise,Why would he for the momentary trick
Why would he, for just the momentary sexual trystBe perdurably fined? O Isabel!
Be eternally punished? Oh, Isabel!
ISABELLA
What says my brother?
What are you saying, my brother?
CLAUDIO
Death is a fearful thing.
Death is a fearful thing.
ISABELLA
And shamed life a hateful.
And a shamed life is a hateful thing.
CLAUDIO
Ay, but to die, and go we know not where;
Yes, but to die and go somewhere we don’t even know where it is;To lie in cold obstruction and to rot;
To lie in cold motionlessness and to rot;This sensible warm motion to become
This feeling warm movement in life to becomeA kneaded clod; and the delighted spirit
A lump of earth in death; and the spirit once capable of delightTo bathe in fiery floods, or to reside
To bathe in fiery floods, or to resideIn thrilling region of thick-ribbed ice;
In a extremely cold place of thick, ridged ice;To be imprison'd in the viewless winds,
To be imprisoned in the invisible winds,And blown with restless violence round about
And be blown with restless violence aroundThe pendent world; or to be worse than worst
The world as it hangs; or to be worse than the worstOf those that lawless and incertain thought
Of those that terrible and uncertain thoughtImagine howling: 'tis too horrible!
Imagine howling: it’s too horrible!The weariest and most loathed worldly life
The weariest and most hated life in this worldThat age, ache, penury and imprisonment
The fact that age, pain, poverty and imprisonmentCan lay on nature is a paradise
Can be endured by human nature is a paradiseTo what we fear of death.
In comparison to what we fear in death.
ISABELLA
Alas, alas!
Oh dear, oh dear!
CLAUDIO
Sweet sister, let me live:
Sweet sister, let me live:What sin you do to save a brother's life,
What sin you commit in order to save your brother’s life,Nature dispenses with the deed so far
Heavenly nature forgives the deed so muchThat it becomes a virtue.
That it becomes a virtue.
ISABELLA
O you beast!
Oh you beast!O faithless coward! O dishonest wretch!
You faithless coward! You dishonest wretch!Wilt thou be made a man out of my vice?
Will you be given life out of my sin?Is't not a kind of incest, to take life
Is that not a kind of incest, to take lifeFrom thine own sister's shame? What shou
ld I think?
From your own sister’s deflowering? What should I thinkHeaven shield my mother play'd my father fair!
Heaven forbid my mother was never unfaithful to my father!For such a warped slip of wilderness
For such a wretched offspringNe'er issued from his blood. Take my defiance!
Never came from his blood. Take my rejection!Die, perish! Might but my bending down
Die, perish! If my payers mightReprieve thee from thy fate, it should proceed:
Save you from your fate, you should still suffer it:I'll pray a thousand prayers for thy death,
I’ll pray a thousand prayers for your death,No word to save thee.
But not one for your life.
CLAUDIO
Nay, hear me, Isabel.
No, listen to me Isabel.
ISABELLA
O, fie, fie, fie!
Oh shame on you! For shame!Thy sin's not accidental, but a trade.
Your sin is not an accident, but a habit.Mercy to thee would prove itself a bawd:
Mercy given to you would turn into a whore:'Tis best thou diest quickly.
It is best that you die quickly.
CLAUDIO
O hear me, Isabella!
Oh listen to me, Isabella!
Re-enter DUKE VINCENTIO
DUKE VINCENTIO
Vouchsafe a word, young sister, but one word.
Permit me to say a word, young sister, just one word.
ISABELLA
What is your will?
What is it?
DUKE VINCENTIO
Might you dispense with your leisure, I would by and
Might you give me a moment of our time, I would like to soonby have some speech with you: the satisfaction I
Talk to you: what I am looking forwould require is likewise your own benefit.
Is also to your benefit.
ISABELLA
I have no superfluous leisure; my stay must be
I have no extra time; my time must bestolen out of other affairs; but I will attend you awhile.
Taken out of other business; but I will wait for you a while.
Walks apart
DUKE VINCENTIO
Son, I have overheard what hath passed between you
Son, I overheard what was said between youand your sister. Angelo had never the purpose to
And your sister. Angelo never had the intention tocorrupt her; only he hath made an essay of her
Corrupt her; he only meant to make a test of hervirtue to practise his judgment with the disposition
Virtue to practice his judge of character:of natures: she, having the truth of honour in her,
She, having a truly honorable nature,hath made him that gracious denial which he is most
Gave him the virtuous denial which he was quiteglad to receive. I am confessor to Angelo, and I
Glad to receive. Angelo tells me his confessions, and Iknow this to be true; therefore prepare yourself to
Know this is true; so prepare yourself fordeath: do not satisfy your resolution with hopes
Death: do not preserve your determination with hopesthat are fallible: tomorrow you must die; go to
That are false: tomorrow you must die; your knees and make ready.
Kneel for prayer and make ready for death.
CLAUDIO
Let me ask my sister pardon. I am so out of love
Let me as my sister’s forgiveness. I am so tiredwith life that I will sue to be rid of it.
Of life that I will bed to be rid of it.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Hold you there: farewell.
Keep that mindset: good bye.
Exit CLAUDIO
Provost, a word with you!
Provost, I would like a world with you!
Re-enter PROVOST
PROVOST
What's your will, father
What is it, father?
DUKE VINCENTIO
That now you are come, you will be gone. Leave me
Now that you are here, he should go away. Leave meawhile with the maid: my mind promises with my
For a little while with the young lady: my mind promises by myhabit no loss shall touch her by my company.
Friar’s habit that nothing shall harm her in my company.
PROVOST
In good time.
Very well.
Exit PROVOST. ISABELLA comes forward
DUKE VINCENTIO
The hand that hath made you fair hath made you good:
The hand that created you beautiful also created you virtuous:the goodness that is cheap in beauty makes beauty
Those who are beautiful but lacking in virtue make their beautybrief in goodness; but grace, being the soul of
Short-lived; but divine virtue, being the center ofyour complexion, shall keep the body of it ever
Your character, shall keep the rest of it alwaysfair. The assault that Angelo hath made to you,
Beautiful. The proposition that Angelo made to youfortune hath conveyed to my understanding; and, but
I have fortunately been made aware of; and, exceptthat frailty hath examples for his falling, I should
That there are other examples of such bad behavior, I wouldwonder at Angelo. How will you do to content this
Be astonished at Angelo. What will you do to make Angelo happy,substitute, and to save your brother?
And save your brother?
ISABELLA
I am now going to resolve him: I had rather my
I am going to answer him: I would rather my brother die by the law than my son should be
Brother die by the law than have my son beunlawfully born. But, O, how much is the good duke
Born out of marriage. But, oh, how much the good dukedeceived in Angelo! If ever he return and I can
Has been deceived by Angelo! If he ever returns and I canspeak to him, I will open my lips in vain, or
Speak with him, I will tell him about it either futilely ordiscover his government.
expose his misconduct as governor.
DUKE VINCENTIO
That shall not be much amiss: Yet, as the matterThat would not be wrong to do: yet, as the matter
now stands, he will avoid your accusation; he made
now stands, he will deny your accusation; he madetrial of you only. Therefore fasten your ear on my
The proposition only to you. So listen to myadvisings: to the love I have in doing good a
Advice: from the joy I take in doing good, Iremedy presents itself. I do make myself believe
Thought of a solution. I am surethat you may most uprighteously do a poor wronged
That you can righteously do a poor, wrongedlady a merited benefit; redeem your brother from
Lady a good favor; redeem your brother fromthe angry law; do no stain to your own gracious
The angry law; commit no sin to dishonor your virutousperson; and much please the absent duke, if
Character; and please the absent duke, ifperadventure he shall ever return to have hearing of
Perhaps he should ever return to hear of this business.
This business.
ISABELLA
Let me hear you speak farther. I have spirit to do
Let me hear what you have to say. I have the courage to doanything that appears not foul in the truth of my spirit.
Anything that doesn’t seem bad to my good nature.
DUKE VINCENTIO
Virtue is bold, and goodness never fearful. Have
Virtue is brave, and goodness is never fearful. Haveyou not heard speak of Mariana, the sister of
You not heard of Mariana, the sister ofFrederick the great soldier who miscarried at sea?
Frederick the great soldier who had an accident at sea?
ISABELLA
I have heard of the lady, and good words went with her name.
I have hear of the lady, and good things were said about her.
DUKE VINCENTIO
She should this Angelo have m
arried; was affianced
She was supposed to marry Angelo; they were betrothedto her by oath, and the nuptial appointed: between
By oath, and the wedding arranged: between which time of the contract and limit of the
The time of the engagement and the datesolemnity, her brother Frederick was wrecked at sea,
Of the ceremony, her brother Frederick was wrecked at sea,having in that perished vessel the dowry of his
And had in the sunken ship the dowry of hissister. But mark how heavily this befell to the
Sister. But listen how gravely this affected thepoor gentlewoman: there she lost a noble and
Poor lady: she lost her noble andrenowned brother, in his love toward her ever most
Famous brother, who had always had love for her that waskind and natural; with him, the portion and sinew of
Kind and brotherly; and with him the amount and basisher fortune, her marriage-dowry; with both, her
Of her wealth, her marriage-dowry; with both gone, she also lostcombinate husband, this well-seeming Angelo.
Her fiancé, the seemingly good Angelo.
ISABELLA
Can this be so? did Angelo so leave her?
Did this really happen? Angelo left her?
DUKE VINCENTIO
Left her in her tears, and dried not one of them
Left her in her tears and didn’t dry a single onewith his comfort; swallowed his vows whole,
By comforting her; renounced all his vows,pretending in her discoveries of dishonour: in few,
And pretending he discovered that she was not sexually pure: in short,bestowed her on her own lamentation, which she yet
He married her to her grief, which she stillwears for his sake; and he, a marble to her tears,
Shows to him; and he, unmoved by her tearsis washed with them, but relents not.
Is washed in them, but never gives in.
ISABELLA
What a merit were it in death to take this poor maid