Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing Plot Summary

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedic play by William Shakespeare about misunderstandings, love and deception. Benedick, Claudio and Don Pedro return from the war and arrive at Leonato's house. Benedick and Beatrice tease each other and Claudio falls in love with Hero. Don John and Borachio plot to deceive Claudio at the masked ball. Leonato, Don Pedro and Claudio trick Benedick into believing Beatrice loves him. A similar trick is played on Beatrice by Hero and Ursula. Don John tells Claudio his wife-to-be is unfaithful. Claudio refuses Hero at the altar. The friar advises Leonato to announce that his daughter is dead. Don Pedro and Claudio discover they were wrong about Hero. Claudio agrees to make amends by marrying Antonio's 'daughter' without seeing her. At the wedding Claudio is delighted to unveil his new bride and find Hero. Benedick and Beatrice agree to marry.

Much Ado About Nothing's Characters

Much Ado About Nothing - Characters overview There are two main love stories in this play. One shows Claudio falling in love with Hero, then being tricked into thinking she is disloyal. He denounces her at the altar and later discovers he is in the wrong. To make amends, he agrees to marry Antonio's daughter, who turns out to be Hero in disguise. The other story is that of Benedick and Beatrice. At the start of the play they tease each other and bicker. Later, they are tricked into realising their love for the other and eventually they agree to marry.

Main characters Benedick Beatrice Claudio Secondary characters Hero Don John Don Pedro Leonato Minor characters Dogberry Antonio Borachio Conrade Margaret Ursula The Watch The Friar

BenedickBenedick is one of the main characters in this play and is initially presented as light-hearted and carefree. In his banter with Beatrice he seems quick-witted and arrogant. When talking to his friend Claudio, he scorns love and vows he will never marry. He is portrayed as mature and as having known Beatrice previously. However, he appears hurt by Beatrice's sharp words about him at the masked ball and he is quick to give in to desire when he overhears his friends discussing Beatrice and her apparent love for him. By the end of the play we see Benedick transformed from soldier to lover and he asks for Beatrice's hand in marriage. Their banter continues on less severe terms than at the start.

BeatriceBeatrice is Benedick's equal, matching his wordplay in the opening scenes with clever retorts and put-downs. Even from the start their lively banter seems to hide deeper feelings of desire. When she overhears Hero and Ursula talking about how Benedick loves her, she is quick to soften and acknowledge her own feelings for her former opponent. She defends her cousin, Hero, when she is accused of being unfaithful and pleads with Benedick to 'Kill Claudio!' She represents the inequality in society at the time, showing how, as a woman, she is unable to take action and seek revenge. In the end she agrees to marry Benedick, though she continues to tease him until he silences her with a kiss.

ClaudioClaudio is an honorable soldier and friend to Benedick and Don Pedro. He falls in love with Hero at first sight, showing his romantic nature (although it could be argued that this hastiness reveals an immaturity). He asks for Hero's hand in marriage but is then tricked by Don John into believing that his wife-to-be has been unfaithful. His behaviour at the wedding is cruel as he accuses Hero of dishonesty in front of the congregation. Later, when he hears Borachio's confession and realises his mistake, he is repentant. He apologises to Leonato and agrees to marry Hero's cousin without even meeting her. He is delighted at the second marriage to unveil his new wife and find she is actually his beloved Hero.

HeroHero is the innocent and obedient daughter of Leonato. She contrasts with the more outspoken and independent Beatrice and presents a conventional image of a suitable and desirable wife. Claudio describes her as a 'jewel' when he first meets her and praises her for being 'modest'. He accuses her on their wedding day of being unfaithful, and she faints. The Friar advises her father to pretend she is dead, to give her a chance of a life. At the end of the play, when Claudio has seen the error of his accusations, Hero is given to him as a wife, in disguise as Antonio's daughter.

Don John Don John is a thoroughly unpleasant character. Some readers say he is too evil to be believed, He appears first in Act 1 Scene 1 as a sulky and bad-tempered character. He says he is honest in that he admits his true nature, though in fact he is untrustworthy. He is jealous of Claudio and plots to damage the soldier's new-found romance with Hero. With Borachio and Conrade, Don John sets up a scene that appears to show Hero being unfaithful. The audience learns that they intend to trick Claudio by showing him Margaret declaring her love for Borachio and making him think she is his wife-to-be. At the end of the play we learn that Don John has tried to escape but is arrested and brought back to Messina.

Don PedroDon Pedro is the Prince of Arragon and Don John's brother. At the start of the play he returns from the wars with Benedick and Claudio. When Claudio confesses that he is in love with Hero, Don Pedro offers to woo her for him at the masked ball. He remains true to his word, even though Claudio becomes suspicious. He is involved in the tricking of Benedick with Leonato and Claudio. In the orchard scene he appears witty and light-hearted as he plays with words and sets up Benedick. He supports Claudio in denouncing Hero at the wedding and later joins his friend to make amends by praying at her tomb.

LeonatoLeonato is the Duke of Messina, Hero's father and Beatrice's uncle. At the start of the play he welcomes the soldiers to his home. He is presented as a protective and caring father and a gracious host. He holds a masked ball for his guests. Later he is involved in tricking Benedick in the orchard, perhaps as part of his patriarchal feelings towards his niece, Beatrice. At the wedding when Hero is accused by Claudio, Leonato's focus is on his own sense of dishonour and he wishes for his own death, as well as his daughter's. However, he is also forgiving as shown by the way he allows Claudio to marry his daughter at the end of the play.

Much Ado About Nothing's Themes

Much Ado About Nothing - Themes overview There are many themes running through this comedy by Shakespeare, including love, confusion and the theme of 'nothing' itself. In this story of crossed wires, hidden identities and feelings, honour and deceit, we are also presented with themes of friendship and marriage. There are many themes in Much Ado About Nothing which could be analysed. These include: nothingness love appearances and reality On the surface Much Ado About Nothing is a light-hearted comedy, but there are darker themes of dishonour, death and deceit running beneath the humour.

Nothing and noting The title of this play refers to one of its main themes. 'Nothing' implies that the concerns of the play are trivial. The word 'nothing' in Shakespearean times was pronounced 'noting' and so the title itself is a pun. There are many instances of 'noting' throughout the play: Claudio notes Hero's beauty, both Benedick and Beatrice note the words of their friends that lead them to love, Claudio and Don Pedro note Don John's trick to make them believe Hero is unfaithful. 'Noting' implies that the play deals with characters paying attention to each other and listening to what each other has to say. 'Nothing' was also a euphemism in Elizabethan times, referring to the female genitalia. The theme also refers to sexual desire and the quest for love.

Appearances and reality Shakespeare uses this play to show how appearance and reality are not always the same thing. At the beginning we see the apparent enemies, Benedick and Beatrice, engaging in witty banter that verges sometimes on the cruel. However, they are tricked into acknowledging their real feelings of love for one another. Other examples of this theme can be seen in the masked ball, where mistaken identity is the cause of confusion and upset for both Claudio and Benedick. In the gulling scene, Benedick appears to hear his friends talk about Beatrice's love for him, but in reality the audience knows they are playing a trick. In darker examples of the theme, Don John fools Claudio into believing his wife-to-be is untrustworthy by apparently showing him a scene of unfaithfulness. When Hero is accused, Leonato makes it appear that his daughter is dead.