Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) Essays

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) Type of Work: Romantic comedy Setting Messina, Italy; sixteenth century Principal Characters Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon Don John, his jealous brother Clatidio, a young Florentine lord loyal to Don Pedro Benedick, a witty bachelor and another ally of Pedro Leonato, governor of Messina Hero, Leonato's daughter Beatrice, Hero's cousin, also known for her sharp wit Borachio, aide to Don John Story Overveiw After quashing the attempt of his bastard brother John to take control of Arragoii, Don Pedro, bound for home with his two friend s Claudio and Benedick, neared Messina. There, Governor Leonato, his daughter, Hero, and her cousin Beatrice, waited at the city gate to welcome both the victors and the defeated. Don John, as part of the truce, had agreed that Pedro would indeed rule Arragon; Pedro in turn agreed to permit John to return to his holdings there in peace Leonato beamed to see Pedro on his way home with few casualties - and reconciled with his brother as well. Beatrice, on the other hand, felt mixed emotions on greeting Benedick, Pedro's ally and her own wordy rival. "There is a merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her... " Leonato noted. "A skirmish of wits between them." After formally greeting the victorious Pedro, the governor invited him and his entourage to stay in Messina with his family for a few days before pushing on to Arragon. On the way to Leonato's house, however, Benedick and Claudio, lagged far behind; Claudio wished to solicit Benedick's opinion of Hero. To Claudio she was the sweetest lady he had ever laid eyes on. When Pedro, returning to hurry the two along, was told of Claudio's infatuation with Hero, he consented to help him gain favor with her; he would act as intermediary on Claudio's behalf. Now, a passerby loyal to Don John happened to overhear this conversation, and promptly informed his master of Claudio's desires to marry Hero. "That young upstart hath all the glory of my overthrow," John sneered. "If I can cross him any way, I bless myself every way." And so, Don John launched his plot against Claudio - and his attack against his powerful brother. That night at a masked celebration, it was agreed that Pedro would woo Hero for Claudio. All went as planned - until Don John made insinuating remarks, well within Claudio's range of hearing, hinting that Pedro, even as he ostensibly courted Hero on Claudio's behalf, actually intended to keep her for himself. Claudio became distraught. By the time Pedro arrived to break the good news - Hero and Claudio were to be married - Claudio had fled, irate and humiliated, acting like "a schoolboy who, being overjoyed with finding a bird's nest, shows it his companion and he steals it." But at length Beatrice found the pouting Claudio, reasoned with him, and brought him back. Later, in a gleeful, mischievous plan, Hero, Claudio, Pedro and Leonato decided to do some further matchmaking. They resolved that Benedick, a confirmed and contented bachelor, and Beatrice, a girl equally opposed to matrimony, would be impossible to match as husband and wife. So they undertook the devious challenge of bringing these two argumentative souls together before resuming their journey to Arragon. That very afternoon, while Benedick strolled in the palace's garden, Claudio, Pedro and Leonato, pretending not to see him, sat lamenting poor Beatrice, so tortured by her love for Benedick. At the same time, Hero and her handmaiden walked through an orchard, and, knowing that Beatrice was hidden there, solemnly talked of how inwardly tormented Benedick was by his unrequited love for Beatrice. The plan worked perfectly. The next time the two "merry rivals" united, instead of trading the usual insults and quarrels, each determined to console the other's supposed passion. Meanwhile, John, having learned of the forthcoming marriage of Claudio and Hero, conspired anew. He sent his aide, Borachio, to foot Claudio into believing that Hero had another lover. That evening, John lured Claudio and Pedro to a place near the window of Hero's bedchamber. Borachio had persuaded one of Hero's servants to dress in her mistress' clothing. In pretense of wooing Hero, Borachio then went through the motions of seducing the maid, casting their embracing shadow on the window. Upon witnessing this, Claudio and Pedro grew livid, but decided to wait until the weddin to properly denounce the faithless Hero. A nightwatchman later overheard Borachio bragging about his duplicity and arrested him. But in their stupidity, the town officials failed to reveal the plot in time to stay Hero's fall from grace. On the next morning,