“Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme.”
Why it's great
A plain confession that he cannot turn love into verse, self-mocking and oddly endearing.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I cannot show it in numbers, only in person.
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Benedick and Beatrice Woo by Quarrelling, Explained
Much Ado About Nothing · 1993
Chapter 22 of 24 · 3'05"
Benedick is in love and hopeless at saying so: he cannot find a rhyme, and admits he was 'not born under a rhyming planet.' Beatrice arrives, they trade insults instead of kisses, and both finally agree they are 'too wise to woo peaceably.'
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:02–0:58
❝ Monologue · 12 lines no rhyme for love
He runs through famous lovers only to mock his own clumsy tongue, building a stand-up rhythm.
56s - 1:28–2:37
Benedick and Beatrice Woo by Quarrelling
69s
Benedick and Beatrice Woo by Quarrelling, explained
What happens
Benedick tries to put his love into verse and fails, complaining that no rhyme will come. When Beatrice appears, the two fall into their usual sparring: he offers a kiss, she refuses it as foul breath, and they joke about each other's faults. By the end they agree they are too clever for quiet courtship.
What's really going on
The love scene is built as a failed poem that turns into a real conversation. Benedick keeps trying to be a conventional lover and keeps failing — he cannot rhyme 'lady' except with 'baby,' and his attempts at 'scorn' and 'school' land on 'horn' and 'fool,' endings he himself calls ominous. What actually works is the old habit of arguing. Beatrice will not accept his kiss or his sweet talk, turning them into 'foul breath,' and the two only draw closer by attacking each other's faults openly. Their own summary is the best description of the relationship: 'Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.' The scene matters because it shows the pair exactly as they are, not as the plot wants them to be — even in love, they need the quarrel.
Key lines & what they mean
- “Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme.”
- Benedick's admission that he cannot express his love in poetry, the traditional language of wooing.
- “I can find out no rhyme to "lady" but... "baby". An innocent rhyme.”
- His comic struggle for a rhyme: the only match he can find for 'lady' is 'baby,' which he calls harmless.
- “I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.”
- His conclusion that he has no talent for verse or for the fancy language of courtship.
- “Foul words is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome. I will depart unkissed.”
- Beatrice's rejection of his kiss: bad words are only bad breath, and bad breath is unpleasant, so she leaves without one.
- “Suffer love! A good epithet, for I love thee against my will.”
- Her praise for the phrase 'suffer love': she likes it because she loves him against her own wishes.
- “Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.”
- Their shared verdict on themselves: they are too clever to court quietly, so quarrelling is their way of loving.
Theme
- Romance — Benedick and Beatrice finally admit their love, but only in the form they know best: arguing.
- Identity — Their wit is who they are, so courting politely would mean giving up themselves.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level2/6
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“I can find out no rhyme to "lady" but... "baby". An innocent rhyme.”
Why it's great
He mocks his own love poem by showing which rhymes the words actually allow.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I can find no rhyme to "sky" but "pie".
“I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.”
Why it's great
He blames the stars for his lack of poetry, turning a weakness into a boast.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
I was not born under a dancing planet, so I'll sit this one out.
“Foul words is but foul breath, and foul breath is noisome. I will depart unkissed.”
Why it's great
A witty chain of logic, foul words to foul breath to noisome, capped with a crisp exit line.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
Sweet talk is but empty air, and empty air is cheap. I'll pass.
“Suffer love! A good epithet, for I love thee against my will.”
Why it's great
He seizes on one word and turns it into a confession of unwilling love.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
A good word for it, for I agreed against my better judgment.
“Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.”
Why it's great
One line defines their whole romance: too clever to court without a fight.
Register
Informal
Use it yourself
We are too stubborn to agree peaceably, so we argue for fun.
Monologue
One character carrying the scene — shadow the whole passage❝ no rhyme for love
I mean in singing, but in loving, Leander the good swimmer, Troilus the first employer of panders, and a whole book full of these quondam carpet-mongers whose names yet run smoothly in the even road of a blank verse, why they were never so truly turned over and over as my poor self in love. Marry, I cannot show it in rhyme. I have tried. I can find out no rhyme to "lady" but... "baby". An innocent rhyme. For "scorn" - "horn". A hard rhyme. For "school" - "fool". A babbling rhyme. Very ominous endings. No... I was not born under a rhyming planet, nor I cannot woo in festival terms.
He runs through famous lovers only to mock his own clumsy tongue, building a stand-up rhythm.
Up next · 23an eye of favourThe scene: Benedick Proposes to BeatriceTakeaways
What you walk away with- His failure at rhyme becomes the scene's best joke.
- These two only confess love through insult.
- A pun on horn carried a sharper edge in 1598.
- Being too clever here is a kind of courtship.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy can't Benedick woo Beatrice in verse?
He has no talent for poetry. He cannot find rhymes, and the ones he does find are unlucky, so he admits he was not born under a rhyming planet.
Why does Beatrice refuse his kiss?
She turns his offer into a joke about foul words and foul breath, saying she will leave unkissed. It is her usual way of keeping the upper hand.
What does 'too wise to woo peaceably' mean?
It means the two are too clever and too fond of wit to court each other quietly. Sparring, not soft talk, is how they express love.
What news does Benedick give about Claudio?
He says Claudio has accepted his challenge and that he will soon hear from him, or else he will brand Claudio a coward.
How does the scene end?
They ask after Hero, admit they are both unwell, and then leave it simply: serve God, love me, and mend.