Much Ado About Nothing Literary Analysis

Hero is an example of the perfect woman as described by Benedick. She is “fair,” “wise,” “virtuous,” “mild,” “noble,” and “of good discourse” (2.3.23-29), all qualities needed to tempt a man into marriage. Count Claudio is so ensnared by “soft and delicate desires” (1.1.249) for young Hero that he falls in love with her at first sight. When a marriage proposal is brought before Hero’s father, Leonato, he decides to “acquaint [his] daughter withal, [so] that she may be the/ better prepared for an answer” (1.2.18-19). Leonato allows his only child to be

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.

Once Claudio and Beatrice start planning their wedding, Don Pedro tricks Benedick into thinking Beatrice is in love with him, and vice versa. This lie is similar to the lie in which he uses deceit to get Claudio and Hero together in the first place. Afterward, Benedick says to Beatrice: “There is nothing in the world I love as much as you.” (V,iv,95) [1] Don Pedro’s lie, in contrast to Don John’s, has the rather positive effect of Benedick and Beatrice falling in love. The positive effects of Don Pedro’s trickery mirrors his intentions - helpful. In contrast, Don John tricks Claudio into thinking Hero is unfaithful the night before their wedding, much like how he tricked Claudio into thinking Don Pedro took Hero for himself. Because of this, Claudio accuses: “She knows the heat of a luxurious bed. Her Blush is of guiltiness, not modesty.” (IV,i,35) Claudio publicly accuses Hero of adultery, one of the most heinous crimes of the time, and, at least temporarily, ruins their relationship based on Don John’s lie. Similar to Don Pedro’s example, the effect of the malicious act matches perfectly with Don John’s evil intentions and his meddling character. Claudio’s extreme reaction to this news causes Beatrice to emotionally manipulate Benedick into dueling Claudio for defaming Hero. Thus, the comedy suggests that the aftermath of lying depends on the

In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, there are the usual characters that show up in most of Shakespeare’s pieces. For instance the characters Hero and Claudio could easily be compared to Romeo and Juliet. Both Hero and Juliet are innocent, quite, and beautiful young women who fall in love instantly without conversing with the other person. Likewise, Claudio and Romeo decide to marry these women within twenty-four hours. Because of these characters’ lack of unique and interesting qualities, I

We can clearly understand this when, while talking about Hero getting married, Antonio, Leonato’s brother says to Hero “Well niece, I trust you will be rul’d by your father”. (ActII.Scene1, 35-40). Throughout the play, we understand that Hero is a woman solely constructed by the norms of the society and family. She does not have her own say. Throughout the play she is being suppressed by the societal norms. Shakespeare has structured the character of Hero on the lines of a traditional Elizabethan woman, silent and dominated. Through the character of Hero Shakespeare has tried to portray the piteous state of Elizabethan women. However, Beatrice was a little different. She openly objects male dominance. She was not ready to submit herself to male dominance and authority. While talking to her uncle Leanato about her marriage, Beatrice clearly says, “Not till god make men of some other metal than earth: would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust, to make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No, uncle, I’ll none. Adam’s sons are my brethren; and truly I hold it a sin to match in my

Don Pedro and Hero try to get Beatrice and Benedick to declare their love for one another

“Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare is packed with conflict between characters to show true self. The focus of this essay is to show have significant events illustrate noting and the consequences and will always reveal one's true self. The first significant event is Beatrice and Benedick falling in love. Their love story is one of passion and dismay.

William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy filled with differences between genders, witty banter between memorable characters Benedick and Beatrice, a plot of revenge that involves one character faking her death and let’s not forget the masquerade marriage that comes to readers at the end. Much Ado About Nothing, court politics while still maintain a profound amount of humor and wit. However, it is the honor and shame that is prominent in Much Ado About Nothing that we reach the turning point in this playwright, the moment everything takes a dark turn at the altar when the audience believes Act four scene one of Much Ado About Nothing is important because it presents itself as the critical turning point of the playwright as it transitions from a lighthearted comedy to a tragedy. This transition allows Shakespeare to blend two of his most commonly known playwright experiences into one.

    Much Ado About Nothing is a lighthearted play that Shakespeare wrote between 1598 and 1600. It has been described as one of his "more mature romantic comedies" (Bevington, 216). This play focuses on two different relationships, formed by two pairs of lovers. The comparison between how people went about getting married back then and how they do it now is similar in some ways. Much Ado About Nothing portrays the manner in which people fall in love, the way they interact with each other and how they manage to get through the rough times without changing their love for one another. The two couples include the young ladies, who are cousins, Beatrice and Hero, and the

If one lives based off lies they are sure to fail. For instance, Claudio falls for an evil plot set into place by Don John, the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro. Instead of asking more questions and finding the truth, Claudio trusted the vision of his eyes in the dark and suffered for his faith. Also, because Benedick did not directly ask Beatrice whether or not her love was real, they bantered back and forth for no reason. In the end, because the characters did not seek out the truth, they fell prey to the crafty schemes of those around

In this play, Shakespeare conveys important themes, including deception, honor, and social grace in a comedic manner. An example is when Dogberry accentuates how a character’s social grace is not a representation of their class. He demonstrates this by trying to sound smart, but in reality, he was making a fool of himself. Furthermore, the play also has a more pleasant plot and theme, and is more easy going contrary to Shakespeare’s tragedies. In addition, Much Ado About Nothing gives the reader an improved understanding of Shakespeare’s society in the Elizabethan age. The play emphasizes how important reputation and honor is at that time. Different relationships, for example, father-daughter relations are also mentioned. “If the prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer.” (II.i.65). This line mentions how parents expect their daughter to marry a wealthy man, because women couldn’t work. To sum up, these are all examples of Shakespeare and his creative usage of themes and motifs. This makes Much Ado About Nothing a great play for first time Shakespeare

Don John and Borachio easily trick Claudio into believing that both Don Pedro and Hero are disloyal to him. While the matter of Don Pedro’s loyalty is quickly resolved, the more problematic subject is Claudio’s belief that Hero is unfaithful. Claudio seems awfully insecure and it is his insecurity that can be attributed to his easily persuaded mind.

What distinguishes Much Ado About Nothing from other plays is its ability to clearly illustrate the sexual roles of the time period. It is apparent in the female protagonists how they are socially constructed by gender. The social world of Much Ado About Nothing is “precariously founded on a denial of its most pervasive anxieties” and the “repressed fear of all that a woman represents” (Cook). Throughout the play, Shakespeare implies the world of female economy through a pair of dissimilar characters on their respective journeys to love. Whereas Hero is supposedly bought and sold to Claudio as if she were currency, Beatrice

Claudio only saw Hero for a brief moment upon returning from the war, and immediately desires her. Don Pedro agrees to woo the beautiful woman in Claudio's name at the upcoming celebration. He succeeds and summons Claudio who proposes to Hero immediately. As soon as Don John hears of the engagement between Hero and Claudio the audience learns of his desire for Hero. In deep resent of his brother and Claudio, Don John accepts Borrachio's plan of deceiving Claudio into thinking that Hero is promiscuous for the dual purpose of shaming one of his prestigious brother's followers and preventing Claudio and Hero's marriage. Borrachio's plan included having an amorous encounter with

Both Mary and Borachio are helpers of the antagonists of the stories. Borachio, in an attempt to help Don John with ruining brother’s reputation, comes up with a complicated scheme, shown by him saying “Go you to the Prince your brother; spare not to tell him that he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Hero, whose estimation do you mightily hold up, to a contaminated scale, such a one as Hero.” (Shakespeare, II. 2. 63) He explains to Don John in order to ruin his brother, he must ruin the main character’s relationship, which the Prince has set up. Just as Borachio is supposed to, he helps the antagonist, Don John achieve