The Character of Don John in Much Ado About Nothing Essay

He hath borne himself beyond the promise of his age, doing in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion. He hath indeed better bettered expectation than you must expect of me to tell you how. (Act 1, scene 1, line 12). This is the first we hear of the reputation of Claudio, from it we learn that he is mature, a good soldier, and has exceeded expectations. Leonato, having only heard good things about the young man, treats Claudio with respect and allows this very young man to marry his only daughter. This is an example of the saying ‘your reputation precedes you’. Benedick’s reputation is very apparent throughout the play: a Joker. At the Ball, Benedick in disguise, asks Beatrice about what she thinks of him, and she describes how most see him: 'Why, he is the Prince 's jester, a very dull fool, only his gift is in devising impossible slanders. None but libertines delight in him, and the commendation is not in his wit but in his villainy, for he both pleases men and angers them, and then they laugh at him and beat him. ' (Act 1, scene 7, line 2). Don John and Don Pedro have opposite reputations and perceptions of their characters. Don Pedro is a war hero, the prince, highly respected and trustworthy. He is the authoritarian, the one to look to for advice and input. We can see this when Leonato says: If you swear, my lord, you shall not be forsworn. [To Don John.] Let me bid you welcome, my lord, being reconciled to the

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.

            Although Shakespeare meant to create these two evil characters alike, there are a few differences between them. Don John set up Claudio using other people to convince him. I go used his manipulative speaking and wits, along

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

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare "Much Ado About Nothing" in fact has a great deal to say about love and marriage. What is Shakespeare trying to tell us about relationships between men and women? Compare the play's treatment of love with that in "Silas Marner" In "Much Ado About Nothing" there are many different forms of love and relationships that range from youthful infatuation to parental love. Shakespeare makes many comments about men and women and shows the audience a variety of both romantic and platonic relationships.

Don John claims that the resentment people have towards him is rooted in the fact that he is a bastard and any friendly intentions towards him are fraudulent ones. From the beginning of the play Don John does not come across as a friendly figure, especially compared to the rest of the soldiers that come with the party to Messina in a flourish of good and excitement. As Leonato welcomes the party he seems to implicate that he is extending the welcome on to Don John, because of his relationship with Don Pedro, the prince and his brother. Don John remarks in a conversation, “...it better fits my blood to

He is desperate to rectify that and grab something for himself, and I like him for that. He has a reason for being evil.’ Due to his positions as a bastard, characters immediately reject Don John and regard him with suspicion. With his villainy stemming from his rejection from society, it becomes clear why he is treated as an outcast. He is degraded to just Don Pedro’s illegitimate half brother, sometimes referred to simply as “the Bastard.” He is a clear stand out from the rest of the characters due to his melancholy and pessimism, since as characters in a comedy are supposed to be surrounded by a joyful atmosphere, he is the only character that brings darkness and sadness to the play. Most of the other characters in the play prove outgoing, talkative, or at least social, and while such chattiness leads to problems when other characters overhear secrets, Don John’s silence emerges as more disagreeable than willingness to divulge secrets. When Don John returns to Messina with his brother, the governor Leonato addresses him with immense hesitation: “If you swear, my Lord, you shall not be forsworn” Essentially, Leonato questions Don John’s declaration of loyalty to Don Pedro, and although Leonato covers his harsh greeting with a welcoming of Don John, his doubts remain dormant under the surface of his kind words. Don John notices the undercurrent of distrust directed towards him and responds, “I am not of many words, but I thank you” Through his simple statement, Don John acknowledges society’s perpetual distrust of him and provides the audience with key insight into his character. In a powerful statement, Don John confirms “I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog; therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking.”Don John recognizes that no one truly trusts him;

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 illegitimate brother of Don Pedro; sometimes called “the Bastard.” Don John is melancholy and sullen by nature, and he creates a dark scheme to ruin the happiness of Hero and Claudio.

In celebration of the soldiers return, Leonato hosts a masked dance where Don Pedro woes Hero for Claudio. Don John tries tells Claudio his brother is wooing Hero for himself, but Don Pedro clarifies the matter and tells Claudio that he has kept his promise. The others decide amongst themselves that during the week that Hero and Claudio wait to be wed, they shall play a game in order to make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love.

what I am: I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no mans jest:

Don Giovanni is an operatic character that plays a womanizer during the 17th century. This was a play first performed in 1789, a successful creation of Mozart and DaPonte. During the play, Don Giovanni represents a sociopath that is lead by his incredible weakness for women. This weakness leads him into darkness, complete with seduction, and murder. Since the beginning, many people have seen Don Giovanni as a hero but many others have considered him a villain. The actions of Don Giovanni are not completely heroic neither are they totally villainous. But is noticeable that throughout the play he is more a hero than a villain.

Much Ado about Nothing is a romantic comedy written by William Shakespeare. Deception is a repeated theme throughout the play and it performs an essential role in the matters relating to romance. There are two couples who unwittingly are participants in the matchmaking and the match breaking schemes of others. There is Claudio of Florence and Benedick of Padua who arrive at Leonato’s house in Messina with Don Pedro, after being away in battle. Then, there is Hero, Leonato’s daughter, and heir, as well as her devoted cousin, Beatrice. In Much Ado about Nothing Shakespeare uses language and literary devices to reassure the audience that love will persevere and prevail in the end. He achieves this by juxtaposing Benedick and Beatrice with Claudio and Hero.

Don John's malevolent plan to ruin Claudio and Hero's wedding was to take effect the night before they were to wed. The malicious Don John constructed, or rather misconstructed, the scheme that insinuated Claudio's belief in Hero's faithlessness. It is Don John who reports to Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is having an affair, and he who stage-manages an elaborate charade featuring his own henchman Borachio and an unwitting stand-in for Hero to lend credence to this fiction. Perhaps the most significant thing to be noted in connection with this deception is that the spectator does not witness the crucial scene in which Claudio overhears the counterfeit exchanges between Margaret and Borachio that persuade him of Hero's guilt. We learn of this episode only at second hand, when Borachio boasts of his exploit (Lucking).

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