Essay on The Themes of Noting and Deception in Much Ado About Nothing

“Speak low, if you speak love.” (Shakespeare, 43) Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare in the early 1600’s, is a Shakespearean comedy. Noting refers to the act of noticing or overhearing. In Much Ado About Nothing, noting is used by the characters to gossip, eavesdrop, and intentionally mislead one another. Noting leads to many consequences in Much Ado About Nothing, a few of these being when, Antonio and Borachio overhear the same conversation, Benedict and Beatrice are tricked into love, Claudio and Don Pedro witness the mock love scene, and the watchmen overhear a conversation between Borachio and Conrade.

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.

sons are my brethren, and, truly, I hold it a sin to match a kindred"

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

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.

Leonato’s Brother, Antonio explains to Leonato that he overheard Claudio confessing his love to hero

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.

Much Ado About Nothing Final Essay by Vinithra Seshan The plot of William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing is centered around the theme of deception. In the play, the characters lie in order to deceive others. According to Time magazine, most lies can be classified into these three sections: lies to protect others, lies in the interest of the liar, and lies to cause harm to others. These lies can have harsh consequences.

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.

Much Ado About Nothing is primarily a play about gossip. Indeed, the title means a big fuss about a trifle, and by the end, this is exactly what happens. All accusations will come to nothing, causing the play to end the same way as if they never occurred at all. Shakespeare brilliantly plays on the meanings of nothing throughout this play. The word "nothing" would actually have been pronounced "noting" in his time. It can mean worthless, a person of little worth, or also mean everything, in the sense that much ado is made about everything (Smith). Much of the plot is moved along by characters eavesdropping on a conversation and either misunderstanding what they overhear or being deceived by

does not want to be know as a so called liar or be torn apart by all

Lies and cheating is ever present in the book “Much Ado About Nothing” . Deception appears as the tool of villains to spread chaos and unhappiness. However, its also used by friends. Deception dose not come with a value judgement ,its either absolutely good or bad. Whether deception is okay or not depends on the intentions of the deciever.

Noting, or observing, is central to many of the ideas in Much Ado About Nothing. The word nothing was pronounced as noting in Elizabethan times, and it seems reasonable to presume that the pun was intended by Shakespeare to signal the importance of observation, spying and eavesdropping in the play. As a plot device, these occurrences propel the action and create humour and tension. The perils of noting incorrectly are portrayed and this leads naturally to the investigation of another major theme, the discrepancy between appearance and reality. Shakespeare uses the problems of illusion, deception and subjectivity of perception to examine the Elizabethan patriarchy, and he shows

wit in a manner that is all too cosy. The irony is that, were it not