Much Ado About Nothing Deception Research Paper

The masking of an identity is a common solution that many people of today’s society turn towards. Whether it is to hide something from someone or to use it as a form of protection. William Shakespeare’s popular play Much Ado About Nothing is an excellent example of masking that is achieved by some of the characters. The story reflects events of people masking themselves intentionally, unintentionally or having the ability to see through other’s masks. It demonstrates that masking can end in deception, although not constantly.

marriage women should be innocent, pure and faithful. Don John's plan to make Claudio think hero is unfaithful is a success which then Claudio, Don Pedro and Don John perceives Hero is unclean and impure.

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.

Claudio and Hero are the idealised Elizabethan couple in the book because of the patriarchal society that the story is based on. This is because Hero is shown as a weak and powerless young woman while Claudio is described as a powerful and honourable man. In the wedding Claudio decides to shame her and says ‘There, Leonato, take her back again Give not this rotten orange to your friend’. Even when Hero is being insulted and accused of being a prostitute she does not defend herself and says ‘Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?’ Instead of defending herself she asks if Claudio is alright which displays a sign of weakness in her.

Pedro to which he responds, "I thank you, I am not of many words but I

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

Leonato deceived Claudio and Don Pedro by telling them Hero had died because of Claudio's words; when in reality her death was portrayed to prove the innocence of Hero. The news devastated Claudio, and is instantly feeling guilty for the accusing her and humiliating the young bride in front of all of Messina.

Similarly, in comparing wooing, wedding and repenting to three types of dancing Beatrice describes them as a “Scotch jig, a measure, and a cinquepace.” This dance image is an inventive one and dance, music, and song are key themes in this play. Here Shakespeare is using an extended metaphor to portray Beatrice’s anti-matrimonial feelings. Of course, these feelings are not genuine. As we see throughout, disguise is one of the key themes in the play and Shakespeare makes it clear that Beatrice is disguising her true feelings, for she admits to Don Pedro that Benedick once “lent her his heart awhile but won her heart with false dice”. She and Benedick obviously have had a relationship in the past – one that they would both like to resume.

Benedick is a character in this play who, although very smart, is also deceived. Toward the beginning of the play, there is a masquerade. Benedick and Beatrice dance together. Benedick pretends to not be himself and Beatrice pretends to not know who he is:

The comedic play, Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare, is about how deception affects the relationships between the characters. The theme of deception is presented throughout the whole play, as the entire plot is hinged on events of deceit. The three literary devices help bring out the theme, engage the audience in the plot and help them understand the villainy in the play. Through the use of characterization, metaphors and dramatic irony, the writer creates the theme of deception.

Each of the main characters in Much Ado About Nothing is the victim of deception, and it is because they are deceived that they act in the ways that they do. Although the central deception is directed against Claudio in an attempt to destroy his relationship with Hero, it is the deceptions involving Beatrice and Benedick which provides the play's dramatic focus.

Don Pedro continues on to orchestrate the paring up of Claudio and Hero: "Here, Claudio, I have wooed in thy name, and fair Hero is won" (II. i. 284). All seems to be going perfect until Don John introduces his plot to disgrace Hero with an onerous plot that will break the marriage and make a fool of Claudio: "Grow this to what adverse issue it can, I will put in practice" (II. iii. 49). When the marriage does come around, Claudio and Don Pedro are convinced that Hero is cheating on Claudio. Claudio blatantly confronts Hero about it and accuses her of adultery in front of the entire wedding procession. Hero, knowing that she did not do such a deed, and the rest of her family decide to make Claudio pay by making him believe that Hero died over the grief he caused her. During this period, Dogberry, the constable, finds Borachio and tells Leonato what has transpired. The conceptual wedding starts out perfectly but slowly, through treachery and deception, tumbles down in status until the original wedding is the biggest blunder of the play.

His surrender is necessary to continue the action of William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and offers a profound insight into the relationship between people’s inner self and outer self and exactly what it takes for them to reveal their souls. A lot is to be learned from the sacrifices people make; it illustrates what they value, hate, and every grey-area in

An exploration of the use Shakespeare makes of misunderstanding and deception in the play Much Ado About Nothing