Original artwork, not a still
Much Ado About Nothing • 1600
No, not till a hot January.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The reply makes agreement depend on a hot January, treating that combination as an unlikely condition. In that reading, it postpones the prospect so far that it amounts to a refusal. The wit lies in giving a calendar answer whose unusual weather makes the promised timing doubtful.
Context reviewed
