‘He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion’
- The messenger about Claudio in the war, Act 1 Scene 1
‘How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping!’
- Leonato in response to being told that Claudio’s uncle wept with joy at the news of his success, Act 1 Scene 1
‘Will it serve for any model to build mischief on?’
- Don John asking Borachio if Claudio’s intended marriage can be subject to his scheming, Act 1 Scene 3
‘There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her’
- Leonato addressing the messenger in regards to Beatrice’s strong words against Benedick, Act 1 Scene 1
‘I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? - for indeed I promised to eat all of his killing’
- Beatrice inferring that she doesn’t believe Benedick has the strength to kill anyone in war, Act 1 Scene 1
‘And a good soldier too, lady’
‘And a good soldier to a lady, but what is he to a lord?’
- The messenger and Beatrice about Benedick, Act 1 Scene 1
‘Stuffed with all honourable virtues’
‘He is no less than a stuffed man’
- The messenger and Beatrice about Benedick, Act 1 Scene 1
‘Never come trouble to my house in the likeliness of your grace; for trouble being gone, comfort should remain’
- Leonato’s convoluted greeting to Don Pedro, Act 1 Scene 1
‘I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor Benedick, nobody marks you’
- Beatrice to Benedick at the beginning of their merry war, Act 1 Scene 1
‘What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living’
- Benedick to Beatrice in their merry war, Act 1 Scene 1
‘You are a rare parrot teacher’
‘A bird of my tongue is better than a beast of yours’
- Benedick and Beatrice resorting to childish insults in their merry war, Act 1 Scene 1
‘Can the world buy such a jewel?’
‘Yea, and a case to put it into too’
- Claudio and Benedick about Hero, Act 1 Scene 1
‘Pick out my eyes with a ballad-maker’s pen, and hang me up at the door of a brothel house for the sign of blind Cupid’
‘Hang me in a bottle like a cat’
‘Pluck off the bull’s horns’
- Benedick about what should happen if he falls in love, Act 1 Scene 1
‘Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?’
‘I noted her not, but I looked on her’
- Claudio and Benedick talking about Hero, Act 1 Scene 1
‘That young start-up hath all the glory of my overthrow’
- Don John about Claudio, Act 1 Scene 3
‘What is he for a fool that betroths himself to unquietness?’
- Don John talking about his scorn for marriage, Act 1 Scene 3
‘I am a plain-dealing villain’
- Don John, Act 1 Scene 3
‘I must be sad when I have cause… eat when I have stomach… sleep when I am drowsy…’
- Don John
