Much Ado About Nothing

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.

In addition to having an intellectual understanding of each other, Beatrice and Benedick also exemplify the definition of love when tricked into falling in love. Despite their incredibly sharp intuitions, Beatrice and Benedick both blindly believe Hero, Don Pedro, and Claudio’s unconvincing attempts to make them fall in love. When Claudio tricks Benedick, he says Beatrice “Then down upon her knees she falls, weeps, sobs, beats her heart, tears her hair, prays, curses: ‘O sweet Benedick! God give me patience!’” (II.3.71), clearly something Beatrice, who openly mocks any sign of romance, would never do. However, Benedick’s true feelings for her cloud his better judgement, and he accepts Claudio’s claims. Hero deceives Beatrice in a similar manner, and Beatrice also declares she will “...requite thee, / Taming my heart to thy loving hand” (III.1.111-112), displaying her willingness to totally change herself for Benedick. This sudden change of character suggests that Beatrice and Benedick unknowingly wanted each other’s love from the beginning, and their desire hinders their usually well-informed instincts. Their love continues to lead them to act uncharacteristically tame, as seen when Don Pedro and Claudio tease Benedick about being in love. When they call him

Hero and Claudio are the class of lovers that are pictured as an ideal relationship from others’ perspectives. They are ascertained in the comedy as the prioritized and conflicted relationship, but they are polar in comparison to their relationship to Benedick and Beatrice’s. Examples according to it, exclaimed by Hero, “O god of love! I know he doth deserve

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.

Claudio also says that Hero has known a “luxurious bed”, a shocking accusation which implies that she has slept with another man just the night before their wedding; something extraordinarily shameful for Hero as women at that time were valued for being a virgin up to the time they got married. Claudio then refers to Hero explicitly as an “approved wanton” in line 41 provides extra shock as his rage is now very high. Calling her a proven whore in front of every one at the wedding is very mean and at the same time scandalous.

Drama text, Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare is a romantic comedy revolved around marriage, dishonesty and love. In 2007, the original play had been interpreted and adapted into a new film text; Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare Retold. This new film version is an adaption for the modern audience who’s views around love and marriage have changed since Elizabethan times. Brian Percival ‘Retold’ the original play, first published in 1623 by reinterpreting it into his own understanding of modern society with the focus of women’s roles nowadays. Whilst doing this Percival has maintained many of Shakespeare’s intentions.

            Hero does not get a chance to mull over the idea of Claudio as a husband.  Even the audience knows little about her going into the now famous “shaming scene.”  Details about Hero’s virtues and personality are purposely left out, partially to satisfy the dominant male perspective in the play, but also to give more clout to the heinous claim that Claudio makes during the wedding.  The reactions of Hero’s father and others indicate that a woman’s virtues are only as good as a man says they are.

Earlier in the play, a scene was described where Borachio and Don John plan to trick Claudio into thinking that Hero is diwsloyal because of a man in her chamber the night prior to her wedding. After the stated quote, the intent is to try and trick Claudio and show that Hero is disloyal when she is actually not. This quote presents significance by describing the overall trait of the entire act and scene which is the trickery and sabotage of Borachio and Don John upon the hapiness of all of the other characters in the play. Overall, the previouly described scene, in part with an already confused Claudio, makes this quote important to the wedding of Claudio and

The most pivotal scene in the play (act 4 scene 1) is between the marriage of Leonato's daughter Hero to Claudio. In this scene the blush of Hero after being said to have slept with another man is set too signify “guiltiness not of modesty” to Claudio. However the Friar of the town believes that Hero's blush is that of her “innocence and virtue.”

During the beginning of Act 1 Claudio is introduced to Hero the daughter of Signior Leonato and is immediately interested in her stating that quote, “she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on.” Though interested in her, Claudio wanted Benedick’s approval. When hearing that Claudio was attracted to Hero Benedick immediately was in disapproval of the thought, for in his eyes she was quote “too low for high praise, too brown for fair praise, and too little for great praise. Though disappointed of Benedick’s disapproval, Claudio chose to still peruse Hero. Later on Claudio and Hero get engaged but when Don John an evil man here’s about the engagement he devises a plan to deceived Claudio and destroy the marriage. When Don John’s plan is put into action Claudio falls right into the trap and believes that Hero is cheating on him. Though Claudio is furious he does not confront Hero with his problem but rather holds on to the information until the wedding. The wedding day arrives, and everything is in place. Once Hero has come down the aisle Claudio then starts accusing her of cheating on him. Instead of confronting Hero alone to talk about what he saw, Claudio choose to humiliate her in front of her family and friends. His reaction

In the Renaissance period, marriage was far different and much longer process than it is today. Particularly in the Elizabethan era, marriages were frequently arranged so that both families involved would benefit. Marriages would be arranged to bring prestige, honour and wealth to the family. For the upper class, marriage rarely involved love. Courting outside of one’s class was strictly forbidden and punishable by death in some circumstances. Marriage followed a strict set of protocols that signify maturity and coming into one’s own. In this time, dowries often played a large part in the decision to marry. A dowry, is the custom in which involves an interchange of cash, jewels, foods, estates between the father

Characters in this play have experience love in different ways; starting with Claudio that falls in love with Hero from the first time he sees her, and decided to get married. “In mine eye she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on,” (1,1,168) it would seem that the love Claudio has for Hero is a result of first attraction on looks, however, Claudio’s character seems to be immature and inexperienced. Later in the play, when Claudio is suspicious of her, he instantly forgets the love he had for her, and that love turned to a full of hatred. On the other hand, Hero’s willingness to forgive Claudio is just as disturbing as Claudio’s rejection of her. She does not fight for her pride after what Claudio did to her but instead marries him willingly. “And when I lived, I was your other wife, And when you loved, you were my other husband,” (62, 5, 4) this line shows how forgiving and innocent Hero is as a character.

The people throw a masquerade ball later that night where Claudio is deceived by Don John that Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself. Luckily for Claudio this rumor is false, and Claudio and Hero were going to married in a week. Then Claudio is deceived once again by Don John that Hero is cheating on him, on the night before the wedding. Then on the wedding day he publicly shames Hero. In the end though, they realize the truth and end up getting married alongside Benedick and Beatrice.

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

The two main relationships the play focuses on are now set, and the two audiences have different views on them. For an audience today to see Hero and Claudio decide to get married so simply would be boring. However, a Shakespearian audience would see this relationship as ordinary, and not be bothered that it was so simple.