Leonio About Nothing Deception

The play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare consists of many themes which grow out of the ‘game of love'. The two main themes consist of perception and deception. Through the plot complications, character development and dramatic techniques these themes can be explored. In the play deception is shown on both good and evil sides, the game of love between Beatrice and Benedick and the Don John plot to split up Hero and Claudio. Perception is a theme used in most of Shakespeare's plays. Perceptive views by the characters help portray the game of love. Hero is perceived as dead which then Claudio is sorry and feels for her. Beatrice and Benedick's loved is clouded by each other's perceptions and arguments.

Deceit and trickery play a huge part in the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Deception is a key theme in the play, it also moves the plot along. Trickery and deception is used in the love stories of couples Hero and Claudio, and Benedick and Beatrice, with opposite results. This play demonstrates two different kinds of deceit: the kind whose only purpose is to cause trouble, and the kind that is used to form a good outcome. In the relationship of Hero and Claudio, deception nearly succeeds in breaking them apart forever, while in the case of Benedick and Beatrice, it brings them closer together.

“Hamlet” and “Twelfth Night” are two Shakespeare plays of complete opposites. Due to one being written as a tragedy, and the other as a comedy, many comparisons can be drawn between the two plays, on themes and motifs that develop throughout the plays. One of the themes that is easily recognisable in the early stages of both plays, is that of deceit and disguise. In “Hamlet”, we learn early on that Hamlet decides to act as a madman in order to try and weed out a confession from his uncle about the murder of his father. Although he does not actually reveal to any other characters his plan until Act 1 Scene 5, when he tells Horatio that he plans to “put an antic disposition on”, the audience can recognise very early that Hamlet is going to show some kind of deceptive characteristics in order to execute his plan.

Deception is defined as a misleading falsehood. One is usually deceitful when there is a need to conceal the truth, or create a scheme to reveal the truth. This statement can be applied to the play Hamlet, where Shakespeare creates a society that is built upon deceit. Each character in the play experiences or enacts on some form of deceit in order to expose the truth or obscure the truth. There are no characters in the play that feel the need to be straightforward and seek the truth. As a result, the characters feel the need to continually be deceitful to cover up their past errors. Shakespeare displays various examples of deceit in the play such as dishonesty, antic disposition and betrayal. Through these forms of deceit, Shakespeare

Shakespeare has demonstrated the ramifications of human nature that have arisen through the misunderstandings of the characters. Shakespeare does this by effectively conveying the dramatic technique reversal. The purpose of the technique is to show the reader the complexities of human nature by demonstrating that even a common example of misunderstanding could change the direction of one's life, and the perception of an object. This is evident through the quote “That I love her, I feel” in Act 1 scene 1, said by Claudio about Hero, which is later contradicted with the quote “There, Leonato, take her back again. Give not this rotten orange to your friend”, who is referencing Claudio’s betrayal. Claudio believed that the person Borachio was making love to was Hero instead of Margaret, due to the succession of Don John’s master plan. During this scene, Claudio displays a sense of misunderstanding by falsely concluding that his fiancée had been ‘unfaithful’ to him. Reversal is shown when Claudio is enraged by the fictitious actions of Hero when he abandons her at the day of their wedding. Shakespeare has demonstrated misunderstanding through the dramatic technique, reversal to explore the complexities of human nature.

In the play, Don Pedro takes it upon himself to device a benign deception that would allow Benedick and Beatrice to realize their true feelings. Through this deception, Benedick and Beatrice could acknowledge and embrace their genuine feelings for one another. Don Pedro implements his plan when he, Claudio and Leonato stage a conversation for Benedick to overhear. Leonato tells the other two gentlemen that his niece Beatrice is madly in love with Benedick. Leonato says how “she loves him with an enraged affection, it is past the infinite of thought (2.3. 108-109).” Claudio takes it up a notch with his dramatization of the extent of Beatrice's love: “Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses: 'O sweet Benedick! (2.3. 154-155)” The result of this grand deception is that Benedick is deceived into thinking that Beatrice loves him and he decides to return that love back. The same lies are fed to Beatrice in order to deceive her as well into loving Benedick. This deception is brought to life when Hero sends Margaret to tell Beatrice that Hero and Ursula are in the orchard speaking about her. The deception is woven

This theme of appearance versus reality is common throughout the play in the number of times deception is used among the characters. Deceit, and misinterpretation of the events causes tension among Claudio and Don Pedro (Act 3 Scene iv). After Claudio fell in love with Leonato's daughter Hero, Don Pedro woos the young lady for him. As Don Pedro does this jealousy arises in Claudio thinking his love is being taken away by the Prince.

In William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, love has played a major rule as theme in this play. Shakespeare discussed different kinds of loving relationships; romantic love, family support and loyal friendship, and he shows how different characters react to love in many different ways. The main plot of Much Ado About Nothing is that of the relationship between Claudio and Hero, and the hidden love between Benedick and Beatrice. Similarly, deception is a big concept to consider as a theme in this play. Each of the main characters being the victim of deception; Shakespeare in this play shows that deception is not inherently evil, but can also be pure.

Lies and deception are some of the many actions that have disastrous consequences. For the most part, they destroy trust and leave the people closest to us feeling vulnerable. In Hamlet, one of Shakespeare's many plays, the theme of lies and deception is very significant. This play shows that every character that lies and practices the act of deception is ultimately punished for doing so by their treacherous deaths. Hamlet has lied and practiced deception several times which has prolonged his primary goal and also causes his death. Additionally, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s unskilled acts of dishonesty and disloyalty towards Hamlet have all backfired; as a

The humiliation caused to Hero in the event would be inconceivable to an audience at the time, being accused of adultery would no doubt ruin a woman’s reputation and therefore create difficulty for her when finding a husband; especially for a woman of high status such as Hero. Claudio is being presented as a potential threat at this part in the play, contrasting with the gallant war hero we were first introduced to. This emphasizes how bitter and sinister Claudio has turned, consequently reminding the audience by irony that is he only interested in wealth and status when marrying Hero. Claudio’s shallow fickleness plays into the villain’s hands. Shakespeare uses the threat of Claudio to generate further anxiety in the audience and concern for Hero’s welfare. This scene shows the men of the play coinciding with each other in their response to the defamation of Hero. Don Pedro personally insults Hero during the commotion of this scene, “to link my dear friend to a common stale,” he suggests here that he believes her status has been lowered by what she has supposedly done and rendered her ‘common’. This personal attack on Hero which has come from someone who shouldn’t really be involved advocates the idea that she is isolated in a patriarchal society in which men group together to defend male interests. Hero’s reputation is being publicly ruined here, and at the time this would have ruined Hero’s life and her

In the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare their world has become so obscured by lies that the characters as well as the readers can no longer decipher literary fact from fiction. The play begins shortly after the death of Hamlet’s father and subsequent marriage of his mother and uncle. Already shattered from what he perceives to be a betrayal to his father’s memory Hamlet’s world is completely turned upside down when he discovers that his uncle, Claudius, is responsible for his father’s murder. The theme of reality versus perception is prevalent throughout the play in which things that appear to be good and honest are truly corrupted with malevolent intentions. Claudius, Polonius and Hamlet himself embrace their dishonest nature in order to

This research paper’s theme is the characters’ cunning and deception, which leads to the thesis statement: “The Shakespeare play Hamlet, is a story about cunning and deception.” The reason why I came out with the idea is because throughout the class discussions and personal readings, several instances were perceived how the characters are being untruthful. They play their roles cunningly and deceptively to stay in their own games for personal gain. The root of conflict in the play and the series of events that took place in the kingdom of Denmark, are reaction to the cunning and deceptive deed of Claudius. In fact, the following characters were affected by cunning and deception: King Claudius, Hamlet, Polonius, Laertes, Rosencrantz and

Shakespeare uses the literary device, motif with the image of the masked characters and with the masked language of Benedick and Beatrice. In each instance that a masked character or masked language is used, deception intensifies. In Act I, Scene 1, Claudio says about Hero, “That I love her, I feel” (Shakespeare 1.1.205). Bear in mind, Claudio just arrived in Messina and laid eyes on Hero for the first time. Thus, his declaration of love seems impulsive and uncertain. Claudio knows little about Hero, so his desire to have her must rest on her appearance alone. Still, Don Pedro offers to help unite Claudio with Hero. He initiates a matchmaking scheme. He says, “I will assume thy part in some disguise / And tell fair Hero I am

William Shakespeare pessimistically argues in his tragic play, Hamlet, that humans’ evil predisposition towards disingenuity leads to the degeneration of the individual due to the severance of relationships and the demise of self-respect. According to Shakespeare, human nature is such that humans misdirect, scheme against, or outright lie to others to further self-serving ends that ultimately do more harm than good. Throughout the play, Shakespeare employs contrasts and metaphors to demonstrate how dishonesty destroys trust and results in the demise of vital human connections with both family and friends. When individuals use deception to satisfy selfish desires, Shakespeare argues that this results in the death of an individual’s peace of mind. He uses personification of the soul and condemning diction to depict how duplicitous practices result in oppressive guilt.

Deceit and lies are rampant in William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Hamlet. It can be seen in the characters’ actions and words, as well as what they fail to say and do. It comes in various types of relationships -- between husband and wife, parent and child, siblings, and between lovers. Nearly every character in the play either deliberately spins a web of their own lies, uses another person for their trickery, or is used in another person’s deceitful plot. Each has different motives for their deceit -- to maintain power, to achieve their goals, to attain vengeance, or simply because it is necessary to function in this twisted society -- but all of them face a tragic ending no matter their initial intentions. In this play, deceit is so uncontrolled, intertwined, and multidimensional that it becomes impossible for either the characters or audience to ascertain what is true.