Act II: Scene IV
VALERE.Madam, a piece of news--quite new to me--Has just come out, and very fine it is.
MARIANE.What piece of news?
VALERE.Your marriage with Tartuffe.
MARIANE.'Tis true my father has this plan in mind.
VALERE.Your father, madam ...
MARIANE.Yes, he's changed his plans,And did but now propose it to me.
VALERE.What!Seriously?
MARIANE.Yes, he was serious,And openly insisted on the match.
VALERE.And what's your resolution in the matter,Madam?
MARIANE.I don't know.
VALERE.That's a pretty answer.You don't know?
MARIANE.No.
VALERE.No?
MARIANE.What do you advise?
VALERE.I? My advice is, marry him, by all means.
MARIANE.That's your advice?
VALERE.Yes.
MARIANE.Do you mean it?
VALERE.Surely.A splendid choice, and worthy of your acceptance.
MARIANE.Oh, very well, sir! I shall take your counsel.
VALERE.You'll find no trouble taking it, I warrant.
MARIANE.No more than you did giving it, be sure.
VALERE.I gave it, truly, to oblige you, madam.
MARIANE.And I shall take it to oblige you, sir.
Dorine (withdrawing to the back of the stage)Let's see what this affair will come to.
VALERE.So,That is your love? And it was all deceitWhen you ...
MARIANE.I beg you, say no more of that.You told me, squarely, sir, I should acceptThe husband that is offered me; and IWill tell you squarely that I mean to do so,Since you have given me this good advice.
VALERE.Don't shield yourself with talk of my advice.You had your mind made up, that's evident;And now you're snatching at a trifling pretextTo justify the breaking of your word.
MARIANE.Exactly so.
VALERE.Of course it is; your heartHas never known true love for me.
MARIANE.Alas!You're free to think so, if you please.
VALERE.Yes, yes,I'm free to think so; and my outraged loveMay yet forestall you in your perfidy,And offer elsewhere both my heart and hand.
MARIANE.No doubt of it; the love your high desertsMay win ...
VALERE.Good Lord, have done with my deserts!I know I have but few, and you have proved it.But I may find more kindness in another;I know of someone, who'll not be ashamedTo take your leavings, and make up my loss.
MARIANE.The loss is not so great; you'll easilyConsole yourself completely for this change.
VALERE.I'll try my best, that you may well believe.When we're forgotten by a woman's heart,Our pride is challenged; we, too, must forget;Or if we cannot, must at least pretend to.No other way can man such baseness prove,As be a lover scorned, and still in love.
MARIANE.In faith, a high and noble sentiment.
VALERE.Yes; and it's one that all men must approve.What! Would you have me keep my love alive,And see you fly into another's armsBefore my very eyes; and never offerTo someone else the heart that you had scorned?
MARIANE.Oh, no, indeed! For my part, I could wishThat it were done already.
VALERE.What! You wish it?
MARIANE.Yes.
VALERE.This is insult heaped on injury;I'll go at once and do as you desire.(He takes a step or two as if to go away.)
MARIANE.Oh, very well then.
VALERE (turning back)But remember this.'Twas you that drove me to this desperate pass.
MARIANE.Of course.
VALERE (turning back again)And in the plan that I have formedI only follow your example.
MARIANE.Yes.
VALERE (at the door)Enough; you shall be punctually obeyed.
MARIANE.So much the better.
VALERE (coming back again)This is once for all.
MARIANE.So be it, then.
VALERE (He goes toward the door, but just as he reaches it, turns around)Eh?
MARIANE.What?
VALERE.You didn't call me?
MARIANE.I? You are dreaming.
VALERE.Very well, I'm gone. Madam, farewell.(He walks slowly away.)
MARIANE.Farewell, sir.
DORINE.I must sayYou've lost your senses and both gone clean daft!I've let you fight it out to the end o' the chapterTo see how far the thing could go. Oho, there,Mister Valere!(She goes and seizes him by the arm, to stop him. He makes a great show of resistance.)
VALERE.What do you want, Dorine?
DORINE.Come here.
VALERE.No, no, I'm quite beside myself.Don't hinder me from doing as she wishes.
DORINE.Stop!
VALERE.No. You see, I'm fixed, resolved, determined.
DORINE.So!
MARIANE (aside)Since my presence pains him, makes him go,I'd better go myself, and leave him free.
DORINE (leaving Valere, and running after Mariane)Now t'other! Where are you going?
MARIANE.Let me be.
DORINE.Come back.
MARIANE.No, no, it isn't any use.
VALERE (aside)'Tis clear the sight of me is torture to her;No doubt, t'were better I should free her from it.
DORINE (leaving Mariane and running after Valere)Same thing again! Deuce take you both, I say.Now stop your fooling; come here, you; and you.(She pulls first one, then the other, toward the middle of the stage.)
VALERE (to Dorine)What's your idea?
MARIANE (to Dorine)What can you mean to do?
DORINE.Set you to rights, and pull you out o' the scrape.
(To Valere)Are you quite mad, to quarrel with her now?
VALERE.Didn't you hear the things she said to me?
DORINE (to Mariane)Are you quite mad, to get in such a passion?
MARIANE.Didn't you see the way he treated me?
DORINE.Fools, both of you.
(To Valere)She thinks of nothing elseBut to keep faith with you, I vouch for it.
(To Mariane)And he loves none but you, and longs for nothingBut just to marry you, I stake my life on't.
MARIANE (to Valere)Why did you give me such advice then, pray?
VALERE (to Mariane)Why ask for my advice on such a matter?
DORINE.You both are daft, I tell you. Here, your hands.
(To Valere)Come, yours.
VALERE (giving Dorine his hand)What for?
DORINE (to Mariane)Now, yours.
MARIANE (giving Dorine her hand)But what's the use?
DORINE.Oh, quick now, come along. There, both of you--You love each other better than you think.(Valere and Mariane hold each other's hands some time without looking at each other.)
VALERE (at last turning toward Mariane)Come, don't be so ungracious now about it;Look at a man as if you didn't hate him.(Mariane looks sideways toward Valere, with just a bit of a smile.)
DORINE.My faith and troth, what fools these lovers be!
VALERE (to Mariane)But come now, have I not a just complaint?And truly, are you not a wicked creatureTo take delight in saying what would pain me?
MARIANE.And are you not yourself the most ungrateful ... ?
DORINE.Leave this discussion till another time;Now, think how you'll stave off this plaguy marriage.
MARIANE.Then tell us how to go about it.
DORINE.Well,We'll try all sorts of ways.
(To Mariane)Your father's daft;
(To Valere)This plan is nonsense.
(To Mariane)You had better humourHis notions by a semblance of consent,So that in case of danger, you can stillFind means to block the marriage by delay.If you gain time, the rest is easy, trust me.One day you'll fool them with a sudden illness,Causing delay; another day, ill omens:You've met a funeral, or broke a mirror,Or dreamed of muddy water. Best of all,They cannot marry you to anyoneWithout your saying yes. But now, methinks,They mustn't find you chattering together.
(To Valere)You, go at once and set your friends at workTo make him keep his word to you; while weWill bring the brother's influence to bear,And get the step-mother on our side, too.Good-bye.
VALERE (to Mariane)Whatever efforts we may make,My greatest hope, be sure, must rest on you.
MARIANE (to Valere)I cannot answer for my father's whims;But no one save Valere shall ever have me.
VALERE.You thrill me through with joy! Whatever comes ...
DORINE.Oho! These lovers! Never done with prattling!Now go.
VALERE (starting to go, and coming back again)One last word ...
DORINE.What a gabble and pother!Be off! By this door, you. And you, by t'other.(She pushes them off, by the shoulders, in opposite directions.)
Words in this poem 26
- tartuffe n.
- A hypocritical devotee. See the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction. [F. tartufe.]
- propose v. i.
- To speak; to converse.
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- oblige v. t.
- To attach, as by a bond. [OF. obligier, F.obliger, L. obligare; ob (see Ob-) + ligare to bind. See Ligament, and cf. Obligate.]
- squarely adv.
- In a square form or manner.
- pretext n.
- Ostensible reason or motive assigned or assumed as a color or cover for the real reason or motive; pretense; disguise. [F. prétexte, L. praetextum, fr. praetextus, p. p. of praetexere to weave before, allege as an excuse; prae before + texere to weave. See Text.]
- forestall v. t.
- To take beforehand, or in advance; to anticipate. [OE. forstallen to stop, to obstruct; to stop (goods) on the way to the market by buying them beforehand, from forstal obstruction, AS. forsteal, foresteall, pro]
- perfidy n.
- The act of violating faith or allegiance; violation of a promise or vow, or of trust reposed; faithlessness; teachery. [L. perfidia, fr. L. perfidus faithless; per (cf. Skr. para away) + fides faith: cf. F. perfidie. See Faith.]
- leavings n.
- Things left; remnants; relics.
- drove n.
- A collection of cattle driven, or cattle collected for driving; a number of animals, as oxen, sheep, or swine, driven in a body. [AS. draf, fr. drifan to drive. See Drive.]
- desperate a.
- Without hope; given to despair; hopeless. [L. desperatus, p. p. of desperare. See Despair, and cf. Desperado.]
- punctually adv.
- In a punctual manner; promptly; exactly.
- daft a.
- Stupid; folish; idiotic; also, delirious; insance; as, he has gone daft. [OE. daft, deft, deft, stupid; prob. the same word as E. deft. See Deft.]
- mister n.
- A trade, art, or occupation. [OF. mistier trade, office, ministry, need, F. métier trade, fr. L. ministerium service, office, ministry. See Ministry, Mystery trade.]
- vouch v. t.
- To call; to summon. [OE. vouchen, OF. vochier to call, fr. L. vocare to call, fr. vox, vocis, voice. See Voice, and cf. Avouch.]
- ungracious a.
- Not gracious; showing no grace or kindness; being without good will; unfeeling.
- troth n.
- Belief; faith; fidelity. [A variant of truth. See Truth.]
- ungrateful a.
- Not grateful; not thankful for favors; making no returns, or making ill return for kindness, attention, etc.; ingrateful. South.
- plaguy a.
- Vexatious; troublesome; tormenting; as, a plaguy horse.
- humour n.
- Moisture, especially, the moisture or fluid of animal bodies, as the chyle, lymph, etc.; as, the humors of the eye, etc. [OE. humour, OF. humor, umor, F. humeur, L. humor, umor, moisture, fluid, fr. humere, umere, to be moist. See Humid.]
- illness n.
- The condition of being ill, evil, or bad; badness; unfavorableness. [From Ill.]
- broke v. i.
- To transact business for another. Brome. [See Broker, and cf. Brook.]
- anyone n.
- One taken at random rather than by selection; anybody.
- methinks v.
- It seems to me; I think. See Me. [AS. þyncan to seem, me þynceedh, me þuhte, OE. me thinketh, me thoughte; akin to G. dünken to seem, denken to think, and E. think. See Me, and Think.]
- chattering n.
- The act or habit of talking idly or rapidly, or of making inarticulate sounds; the sounds so made; noise made by the collision of the teeth; chatter.
- pother n.
- Bustle; confusion; tumult; flutter; bother. [Cf. D. peuteren to rummage, poke. Cf. Potter, Pudder.]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
Act II: Scene IV is in the public domain. This text is taken from Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite, Project Gutenberg ebook #2027, the Curtis Hidden Page translation; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Molière, Act II: Scene IV, in Tartuffe; Or, The Hypocrite (1908), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #2027, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/moliere-tartuffe/act-ii-scene-iv.html, id L26930.
Form and metre
Act II: Scene IV is 294 lines in 106 stanzas. This poem did not settle on a metre of its own; the book it comes from is in iambic pentameter.
See other poems in iambic pentameter.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 36 -----AA valere · believe · heart · forget · to · proveA · loveA
- 100 --A--A valere · work · weA · bear · too · byeA
- 106 -AA- dorine · potherA · t'otherA · directions
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. Read against iambic pentameter. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Madam, a piece of news--quite new to me-- | 10 | /˘········ |
| Has just come out, and very fine it is. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| What piece of news? | 4 | ···· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Your marriage with Tartuffe. | 6 | ·/˘··· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| 'Tis true my father has this plan in mind. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Your father, madam ... | 5 | ·/˘/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, he's changed his plans, | 5 | ····· |
| And did but now propose it to me. | 9 | ····˘/··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| What! | 1 | · |
| Seriously? | 4 | /˘˘˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, he was serious, | 6 | ···/˘˘ |
| And openly insisted on the match. | 10 | ·/˘˘˘/˘··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| And what's your resolution in the matter, | 11 | ····˘/˘··/˘ |
| Madam? | 2 | /˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| I don't know. | 3 | ··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| That's a pretty answer. | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| You don't know? | 3 | ··· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| No. | 1 | · |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| No? | 1 | · |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| What do you advise? | 5 | ···˘/ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| I? My advice is, marry him, by all means. | 11 | ··˘/·/˘···· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| That's your advice? | 4 | ··˘/ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes. | 1 | · |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Do you mean it? | 4 | ···· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Surely. | 2 | /˘ |
| A splendid choice, and worthy of your acceptance. | 12 | ·/˘··/˘··˘/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Oh, very well, sir! I shall take your counsel. | 11 | ·/˘······/˘ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| You'll find no trouble taking it, I warrant. | 11 | ···/˘/˘··/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| No more than you did giving it, be sure. | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| I gave it, truly, to oblige you, madam. | 11 | ···/˘·˘/·/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| And I shall take it to oblige you, sir. | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| Dorine (withdrawing to the back of the stage) | 12 | ˘/˘˘/˘······ |
| Let's see what this affair will come to. | 9 | ····˘/··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| So, | 1 | · |
| That is your love? And it was all deceit | 10 | ········˘/ |
| When you ... | 2 | ·· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| I beg you, say no more of that. | 8 | ········ |
| You told me, squarely, sir, I should accept | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| The husband that is offered me; and I | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| Will tell you squarely that I mean to do so, | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| Since you have given me this good advice. | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Don't shield yourself with talk of my advice. | 10 | ··˘/····˘/ |
| You had your mind made up, that's evident; | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| And now you're snatching at a trifling pretext | 11 | ···/˘··/˘/· |
| To justify the breaking of your word. | 10 | ·/˘··/˘··· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Exactly so. | 4 | ˘/˘· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Of course it is; your heart | 6 | ······ |
| Has never known true love for me. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Alas! | 2 | ˘/ |
| You're free to think so, if you please. | 8 | ········ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes, yes, | 2 | ·· |
| I'm free to think so; and my outraged love | 10 | ·······/·· |
| May yet forestall you in your perfidy, | 10 | ··˘/···/˘˘ |
| And offer elsewhere both my heart and hand. | 10 | ·/˘/······ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| No doubt of it; the love your high deserts | 10 | ········/˘ |
| May win ... | 2 | ·· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Good Lord, have done with my deserts! | 8 | ······/˘ |
| I know I have but few, and you have proved it. | 11 | ··········· |
| But I may find more kindness in another; | 11 | ·····/˘·˘/˘ |
| I know of someone, who'll not be ashamed | 10 | ···/····˘/ |
| To take your leavings, and make up my loss. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| The loss is not so great; you'll easily | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| Console yourself completely for this change. | 10 | ˘/˘/˘/˘··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| I'll try my best, that you may well believe. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| When we're forgotten by a woman's heart, | 10 | ··˘/˘··/˘· |
| Our pride is challenged; we, too, must forget; | 10 | /··/˘···˘/ |
| Or if we cannot, must at least pretend to. | 11 | ···/˘···˘/· |
| No other way can man such baseness prove, | 10 | ·/˘····/˘· |
| As be a lover scorned, and still in love. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| In faith, a high and noble sentiment. | 10 | ·····/˘/˘˘ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes; and it's one that all men must approve. | 10 | ········˘/ |
| What! Would you have me keep my love alive, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| And see you fly into another's arms | 10 | ······˘/˘· |
| Before my very eyes; and never offer | 11 | ···/˘··/˘/˘ |
| To someone else the heart that you had scorned? | 10 | ·/········ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Oh, no, indeed! For my part, I could wish | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| That it were done already. | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| What! You wish it? | 4 | ···· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes. | 1 | · |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| This is insult heaped on injury; | 10 | ··˘/·˘·/˘˘ |
| I'll go at once and do as you desire. | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| (He takes a step or two as if to go away.) | 12 | ··········˘/ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Oh, very well then. | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| VALERE (turning back) | 5 | ··/˘· |
| But remember this. | 5 | ·˘/˘· |
| 'Twas you that drove me to this desperate pass. | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Of course. | 2 | ·· |
| VALERE (turning back again) | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| And in the plan that I have formed | 9 | ········˘ |
| I only follow your example. | 9 | ·/˘/˘·˘/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Yes. | 1 | · |
| VALERE (at the door) | 5 | ····· |
| Enough; you shall be punctually obeyed. | 11 | ˘/···/˘˘˘˘/ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| So much the better. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| VALERE (coming back again) | 7 | ··/˘·˘/ |
| This is once for all. | 5 | ····· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| So be it, then. | 4 | ···· |
| VALERE (He goes toward the door, but just as he reaches it, turns around) | 18 | ············/˘···· |
| Eh? | 1 | · |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| What? | 1 | · |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| You didn't call me? | 5 | ·/˘·· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| I? You are dreaming. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Very well, I'm gone. Madam, farewell. | 9 | /˘···/˘·/ |
| (He walks slowly away.) | 6 | ··/˘˘/ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Farewell, sir. | 3 | ·/· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| I must say | 3 | ··· |
| You've lost your senses and both gone clean daft! | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| I've let you fight it out to the end o' the chapter | 13 | ···········/˘ |
| To see how far the thing could go. Oho, there, | 11 | ········˘/· |
| Mister Valere! | 4 | /˘·· |
| (She goes and seizes him by the arm, to stop him. He makes a great show of resistance.) | 21 | ···/˘·············˘/˘ |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| What do you want, Dorine? | 7 | ····˘/˘ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Come here. | 2 | ·· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| No, no, I'm quite beside myself. | 8 | ····˘/·/ |
| Don't hinder me from doing as she wishes. | 11 | ·/˘··/˘··/˘ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Stop! | 1 | · |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| No. You see, I'm fixed, resolved, determined. | 10 | ·····˘/˘/˘ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| So! | 1 | · |
| MARIANE (aside) | 4 | ··˘/ |
| Since my presence pains him, makes him go, | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| I'd better go myself, and leave him free. | 10 | ·/˘··/···· |
| DORINE (leaving Valere, and running after Mariane) | 14 | ˘/˘/˘···/˘···· |
| Now t'other! Where are you going? | 9 | ·˘/˘···/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Let me be. | 3 | ··· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Come back. | 2 | ·· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| No, no, it isn't any use. | 8 | ···/˘/˘· |
| VALERE (aside) | 4 | ··˘/ |
| 'Tis clear the sight of me is torture to her; | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| No doubt, t'were better I should free her from it. | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| DORINE (leaving Mariane and running after Valere) | 14 | ˘/˘/˘···/˘···· |
| Same thing again! Deuce take you both, I say. | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| Now stop your fooling; come here, you; and you. | 10 | ···/˘····· |
| (She pulls first one, then the other, toward the middle of the stage.) | 16 | ······/˘···/˘··· |
| VALERE (to Dorine) | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| What's your idea? | 5 | ··˘/˘ |
| MARIANE (to Dorine) | 6 | ···˘/˘ |
| What can you mean to do? | 6 | ······ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Set you to rights, and pull you out o' the scrape. | 11 | ··········· |
| (To Valere) | 3 | ··· |
| Are you quite mad, to quarrel with her now? | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| Didn't you hear the things she said to me? | 10 | /˘········ |
| DORINE (to Mariane) | 6 | ˘/˘··· |
| Are you quite mad, to get in such a passion? | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Didn't you see the way he treated me? | 10 | /˘·····/˘· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Fools, both of you. | 4 | ···· |
| (To Valere) | 3 | ··· |
| She thinks of nothing else | 6 | ···/˘· |
| But to keep faith with you, I vouch for it. | 10 | ·········· |
| (To Mariane) | 3 | ··· |
| And he loves none but you, and longs for nothing | 11 | ·········/˘ |
| But just to marry you, I stake my life on't. | 11 | ···/˘······ |
| MARIANE (to Valere) | 5 | ····· |
| Why did you give me such advice then, pray? | 10 | ······˘/·· |
| VALERE (to Mariane) | 5 | ····· |
| Why ask for my advice on such a matter? | 11 | ····˘/···/˘ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| You both are daft, I tell you. Here, your hands. | 10 | ·········· |
| (To Valere) | 3 | ··· |
| Come, yours. | 2 | ·· |
| VALERE (giving Dorine his hand) | 9 | ··/˘˘/˘·· |
| What for? | 2 | ·· |
| DORINE (to Mariane) | 6 | ˘/˘··· |
| Now, yours. | 2 | ·· |
| MARIANE (giving Dorine her hand) | 9 | ··/˘˘/˘·· |
| But what's the use? | 4 | ···· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Oh, quick now, come along. There, both of you-- | 10 | ····˘/···· |
| You love each other better than you think. | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| (Valere and Mariane hold each other's hands some time without looking at each other.) | 20 | ·······/˘·····/˘··/˘ |
| VALERE (at last turning toward Mariane) | 10 | ····/˘···· |
| Come, don't be so ungracious now about it; | 11 | ····˘/˘···· |
| Look at a man as if you didn't hate him. | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| (Mariane looks sideways toward Valere, with just a bit of a smile.) | 16 | ···/············ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| My faith and troth, what fools these lovers be! | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| VALERE (to Mariane) | 5 | ····· |
| But come now, have I not a just complaint? | 10 | ········˘/ |
| And truly, are you not a wicked creature | 11 | ·/˘····/˘/˘ |
| To take delight in saying what would pain me? | 11 | ··˘/·/˘···· |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| And are you not yourself the most ungrateful ... ? | 11 | ····˘/··˘/˘ |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Leave this discussion till another time; | 10 | ··˘/˘·˘/˘· |
| Now, think how you'll stave off this plaguy marriage. | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| MARIANE. | 2 | ·· |
| Then tell us how to go about it. | 9 | ········· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Well, | 1 | · |
| We'll try all sorts of ways. | 6 | ······ |
| (To Mariane) | 3 | ··· |
| Your father's daft; | 4 | ·/˘· |
| (To Valere) | 3 | ··· |
| This plan is nonsense. | 5 | ···/˘ |
| (To Mariane) | 3 | ··· |
| You had better humour | 6 | ··/˘/˘ |
| His notions by a semblance of consent, | 10 | ·/˘··/˘·˘/ |
| So that in case of danger, you can still | 10 | ·····/˘··· |
| Find means to block the marriage by delay. | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| If you gain time, the rest is easy, trust me. | 11 | ·······/˘·· |
| One day you'll fool them with a sudden illness, | 11 | ·······/˘/˘ |
| Causing delay; another day, ill omens: | 11 | /˘˘/˘/˘··/˘ |
| You've met a funeral, or broke a mirror, | 11 | ···/˘˘···/˘ |
| Or dreamed of muddy water. Best of all, | 10 | ···/˘/˘··· |
| They cannot marry you to anyone | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| Without your saying yes. But now, methinks, | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| They mustn't find you chattering together. | 11 | ·/˘··/˘˘˘/˘ |
| (To Valere) | 3 | ··· |
| You, go at once and set your friends at work | 10 | ·········· |
| To make him keep his word to you; while we | 10 | ·········· |
| Will bring the brother's influence to bear, | 10 | ···/˘/˘˘·· |
| And get the step-mother on our side, too. | 10 | ····/˘·/·· |
| Good-bye. | 2 | ·· |
| VALERE (to Mariane) | 5 | ····· |
| Whatever efforts we may make, | 8 | ·/˘/˘··· |
| My greatest hope, be sure, must rest on you. | 10 | ·/˘······· |
| MARIANE (to Valere) | 5 | ····· |
| I cannot answer for my father's whims; | 10 | ·/˘/˘··/˘· |
| But no one save Valere shall ever have me. | 10 | ·······/·· |
| VALERE. | 2 | ·· |
| You thrill me through with joy! Whatever comes ... | 10 | ·······/˘· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| Oho! These lovers! Never done with prattling! | 11 | ˘/·/˘/˘··/˘ |
| Now go. | 2 | ·· |
| VALERE (starting to go, and coming back again) | 12 | ··/˘···/˘·˘/ |
| One last word ... | 3 | ··· |
| DORINE. | 3 | ˘/˘ |
| What a gabble and pother! | 7 | ··/˘·/˘ |
| Be off! By this door, you. And you, by t'other. | 12 | ·········˘/˘ |
| (She pushes them off, by the shoulders, in opposite directions.) | 15 | ·/˘····/˘·/˘˘/˘ |
The reader shows the same poem with its rhymes coloured and a stress row above each line, the notes beside their stanzas, and any word's definition on a tap; the analysis page takes the whole book apart. How every part of this site was made.