Speeches (Lines) for Borachio
in "Much Ado about Nothing"
Total: 38

1

I,3,369

Don John. I make all use of it, for I use it only.
Who comes here?
[Enter BORACHIO]
What news, Borachio?

Borachio. I came yonder from a great supper: the prince your
brother is royally entertained by Leonato: and I
can give you intelligence of an intended marriage.

2

I,3,375

Don John. Will it serve for any model to build mischief on?
What is he for a fool that betroths himself to
unquietness?

Borachio. Marry, it is your brother's right hand.

3

I,3,377

Don John. Who? the most exquisite Claudio?

Borachio. Even he.

4

I,3,380

Don John. A proper squire! And who, and who? which way looks
he?

Borachio. Marry, on Hero, the daughter and heir of Leonato.

5

I,3,382

Don John. A very forward March-chick! How came you to this?

Borachio. Being entertained for a perfumer, as I was smoking a
musty room, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand
in hand in sad conference: I whipt me behind the
arras; and there heard it agreed upon that the
prince should woo Hero for himself, and having
obtained her, give her to Count Claudio.

6

I,3,396

Don John. Let us to the great supper: their cheer is the
greater that I am subdued. Would the cook were of
my mind! Shall we go prove what's to be done?

Borachio. We'll wait upon your lordship.

7

II,1,544

Don John. Sure my brother is amorous on Hero and hath
withdrawn her father to break with him about it.
The ladies follow her and but one visor remains.

Borachio. And that is Claudio: I know him by his bearing.

8

II,1,553

Don John. I heard him swear his affection.

Borachio. So did I too; and he swore he would marry her to-night.

9

II,2,763

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

Borachio. Yea, my lord; but I can cross it.

10

II,2,768

Don John. 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?

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

11

II,2,771

Don John. Show me briefly how.

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

12

II,2,775

Don John. I remember.

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

13

II,2,778

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

Borachio. 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.

14

II,2,784

Don John. What proof shall I make of that?

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

15

II,2,788

Don John. Only to despite them, I will endeavour any thing.

Borachio. 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.

16

II,2,808

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

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

17

III,3,1411

(stage directions). [Enter BORACHIO and CONRADE]

Borachio. What Conrade!

18

III,3,1413

Watchman. [Aside] Peace! stir not.

Borachio. Conrade, I say!

19

III,3,1415

Conrade. Here, man; I am at thy elbow.

Borachio. Mass, and my elbow itched; I thought there would a
scab follow.

20

III,3,1419

Conrade. I will owe thee an answer for that: and now forward
with thy tale.

Borachio. Stand thee close, then, under this pent-house, for
it drizzles rain; and I will, like a true drunkard,
utter all to thee.

21

III,3,1423

Watchman. [Aside] Some treason, masters: yet stand close.

Borachio. Therefore know I have earned of Don John a thousand ducats.

22

III,3,1425

Conrade. Is it possible that any villany should be so dear?

Borachio. Thou shouldst rather ask if it were possible any
villany should be so rich; for when rich villains
have need of poor ones, poor ones may make what
price they will.

23

III,3,1430

Conrade. I wonder at it.

Borachio. That shows thou art unconfirmed. Thou knowest that
the fashion of a doublet, or a hat, or a cloak, is
nothing to a man.

24

III,3,1434

Conrade. Yes, it is apparel.

Borachio. I mean, the fashion.

25

III,3,1436

Conrade. Yes, the fashion is the fashion.

Borachio. Tush! I may as well say the fool's the fool. But
seest thou not what a deformed thief this fashion
is?

26

III,3,1442

Watchman. [Aside] I know that Deformed; a' has been a vile
thief this seven year; a' goes up and down like a
gentleman: I remember his name.

Borachio. Didst thou not hear somebody?

27

III,3,1444

Conrade. No; 'twas the vane on the house.

Borachio. Seest thou not, I say, what a deformed thief this
fashion is? how giddily a' turns about all the hot
bloods between fourteen and five-and-thirty?
sometimes fashioning them like Pharaoh's soldiers
in the reeky painting, sometime like god Bel's
priests in the old church-window, sometime like the
shaven Hercules in the smirched worm-eaten tapestry,
where his codpiece seems as massy as his club?

28

III,3,1456

Conrade. All this I see; and I see that the fashion wears
out more apparel than the man. But art not thou
thyself giddy with the fashion too, that thou hast
shifted out of thy tale into telling me of the fashion?

Borachio. Not so, neither: but know that I have to-night
wooed Margaret, the Lady Hero's gentlewoman, by the
name of Hero: she leans me out at her mistress'
chamber-window, bids me a thousand times good
night,—I tell this tale vilely:—I should first
tell thee how the prince, Claudio and my master,
planted and placed and possessed by my master Don
John, saw afar off in the orchard this amiable encounter.

29

III,3,1465

Conrade. And thought they Margaret was Hero?

Borachio. Two of them did, the prince and Claudio; but the
devil my master knew she was Margaret; and partly
by his oaths, which first possessed them, partly by
the dark night, which did deceive them, but chiefly
by my villany, which did confirm any slander that
Don John had made, away went Claudio enraged; swore
he would meet her, as he was appointed, next morning
at the temple, and there, before the whole
congregation, shame her with what he saw o'er night
and send her home again without a husband.

30

III,3,1485

First Watchman. Never speak: we charge you let us obey you to go with us.

Borachio. We are like to prove a goodly commodity, being taken
up of these men's bills.

31

IV,2,1993

Dogberry. Yea, marry, let them come before me. What is your
name, friend?

Borachio. Borachio.

32

IV,2,2010

Dogberry. A marvellous witty fellow, I assure you: but I
will go about with him. Come you hither, sirrah; a
word in your ear: sir, I say to you, it is thought
you are false knaves.

Borachio. Sir, I say to you we are none.

33

IV,2,2022

Dogberry. Write down Prince John a villain. Why, this is flat
perjury, to call a prince's brother villain.

Borachio. Master constable,—

34

V,1,2302

Don Pedro. Who have you offended, masters, that you are thus
bound to your answer? this learned constable is
too cunning to be understood: what's your offence?

Borachio. Sweet prince, let me go no farther to mine answer:
do you hear me, and let this count kill me. I have
deceived even your very eyes: what your wisdoms
could not discover, these shallow fools have brought
to light: who in the night overheard me confessing
to this man how Don John your brother incensed me
to slander the Lady Hero, how you were brought into
the orchard and saw me court Margaret in Hero's
garments, how you disgraced her, when you should
marry her: my villany they have upon record; which
I had rather seal with my death than repeat over
to my shame. The lady is dead upon mine and my
master's false accusation; and, briefly, I desire
nothing but the reward of a villain.

35

V,1,2319

Don Pedro. But did my brother set thee on to this?

Borachio. Yea, and paid me richly for the practise of it.

36

V,1,2334

Leonato. Which is the villain? let me see his eyes,
That, when I note another man like him,
I may avoid him: which of these is he?

Borachio. If you would know your wronger, look on me.

37

V,1,2337

Leonato. Art thou the slave that with thy breath hast kill'd
Mine innocent child?

Borachio. Yea, even I alone.

38

V,1,2376

Leonato. To-morrow then I will expect your coming;
To-night I take my leave. This naughty man
Shall face to face be brought to Margaret,
Who I believe was pack'd in all this wrong,
Hired to it by your brother.

Borachio. No, by my soul, she was not,
Nor knew not what she did when she spoke to me,
But always hath been just and virtuous
In any thing that I do know by her.