Confusions in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING | Teen Ink

Confusions in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

May 15, 2008
By Anonymous

Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is all about comedy and romance. This play appears to focus on the relationship between Claudio and Hero, but it mostly revolves around Benedick and Beatrice childhood relationship.
Messina's citizens received good news about the war that was fought, and were happy to hear that Don Pedro had successfully led the country to victory. When the glorious triumvirate of Don Pedro, Claudio, and Benedick arrive, Leonato receives them and prepares to celebrate a feast in memory of the victorious war. Claudio was instantly enamored when he looked at Hero, Leonato's beautiful daughter. Seeing that Claudio was shy, Don Pedro told that he would woo Hero for Claudio. Expecting a marriage proposal from the Prince Don Pedro, Leonato told his daughter to accept the marriage proposal.
In the cadence of the music and dance, masked Don Pedro pretends to be Claudio and asks Hero's and in marriage. After he had wooed Hero, he gave her into Claudio's hands. They got betrothed and Don John is not happy with this situation. He plans a trap into which Claudio would easily fall. He made it look like Hero was a “whore” so that Claudio would accuse her of blasphemy. Borachio, one of Don Johns votaries was the stranger who “Hero” made love to. This “Hero” in reality was Margaret (Hero's maid) who was dressed in Hero's vestments. Don John was insensate when he happily broke Hero and Claudio's romantic relationship. Don John had carefully manipulated the denouement.
Determined to make Benedick fall in love, Don Pedro devises plans to trap him in romance. He, Claudio and Leonato made it seem that Beatrice had true feelings for Benedick by acting out a skillfully designed act. In doing so, Don Pedro and the others had usurped the role of Cupid. Overhearing the conversation, Benedick breaks out into a soliloquy revealing his hidden true feelings for Beatrice. He suddenly starts behaving nice to Beatrice rather than mocking her every time she speaks, and Beatrice finds this change very strange.
Claudio calmly waited for the wedding the next day. At the ceremony, Claudio refuses to marry Hero and accuses Hero of Being a “whore”. Don Pedro confirmed that he had also seen Hero make love to a complete stranger. After hearing that Hero was accused of being a whore, Leonato became depressed and vowed revenge on Claudio for spoiling his and his daughter's name. Leonato tells the town that Hero has died and that he is mourning. But Dogberry and the watchmen bring in a suspect seen sneaking around Leonato's house the night before. It was Borachio, the stranger that “Hero” had made love to. He confesses Don John's scheme and becomes a renegade. According to Leonato's edict, Dogberry and the watchmen took Borachio to prison. He was given punishment according to the Messinian canon. The strictures in the prison prevented Borachio from ever spoiling a girl's name again.
Claudio finds about Don John's scheme also and wants to repent for spoiling Hero's name. Claudio asks Leonato for a way to repent, and Leonato tells Claudio to write an epitaph for Hero's tomb, and marry Hero's cousin (who was the real Hero). On the wedding day, Claudio finds out the “cousin” was dead Hero, and asks her pardon. They marry and lived happily ever after.

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on Jul. 24 2011 at 9:41 pm
MonaLisaSmile GOLD, North Liberty, Indiana
19 articles 1 photo 15 comments

Favorite Quote:
Reality is a lovely place, but I wouldn't want to live there. --Adam Young

This was a good review but I felt like Don John should have been mentioned before the second paragraph. It seemed like he just came out of nowhere. But it was a good review. I love Shakespeare. :)