of villanies. He hated the prince his brother, and he hated Claudio,
because he was the prince's friend, and determined to prevent
Claudio's marriage with Hero, only for the malicious pleasure of
making Claudio and the prince unhappy: for he knew the prince had set
his heart upon this marriage, almost as much as Claudio himself: and
to effect this wicked purpose, he employed one Borachio, a man as bad
as himself, whom he encouraged with the offer of a great reward. This
Borachio paid his court to Margaret, Hero's attendant; and Don John,
knowing this, prevailed upon him to make Margaret promise to talk with
him from her lady's chamber-window that night, after Hero was asleep,
and also to dress herself in Hero's clothes, the better to deceive
Claudio into the belief that it was Hero; for that was the end he
meant to compass by this wicked plot.

Don John then went to the prince and Claudio, and told them that
Hero was an imprudent lady, and that she talked with men from her
chamber-window at midnight. Now this was the evening before the
wedding, and he offered to take them that night, where they should
themselves hear Hero discoursing with a man from her window; and they
consented to go along with him, and Claudio said, "If I see any thing
to-night why I should not marry her, to-morrow in the congregation,
where I intended to wed her, there will I shame her." The prince also
said, "And as I assisted you to obtain her, I will join with you to
disgrace her."

When Don John brought them near Hero's chamber that night, they saw
Borachio standing under the window, and they saw Margaret looking out
of Hero's window, and heard her talking with Borachio; and Margaret
being dressed in the same clothes they had seen Hero wear, the prince
and Claudio believed it was the lady Hero herself.