Transcript Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About
Nothing
It’s actually something.
"Friendship is constant in all other
things
Save in the office and affairs of love:
Therefore all hearts in love use their
own tongues;
Let every eye negotiate for itself
And trust no agent."
- William Shakespeare, Much Ado About
Nothing, 2.1
The Story
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The setting: Near Messina, Italy
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William
Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio
and Hero.
Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a "merry war"; they both talk a mile a
minute and proclaim their scorn for love, marriage, and each other. In
contrast, Claudio and Hero are sweet young people who are rendered
practically speechless by their love for one another. By means of "noting"
(which sounds the same as "nothing," and which is gossip, rumour, and
overhearing), Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for
each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero at the altar. However,
Dogberry, a Constable who is a master of malapropisms, discovers the evil
trickery of the villain, the bastard Don John. In the end, Don John is
captured and everyone else joins in a dance celebrating the marriages of the
two couples. Source: www.wikipedia.com
The Characters
Claudio
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A really good soldier
People talk about how
awesome he was in battle
He’s romantic
Best friend of Benedick
In love with Hero
A bit gullible and naïve.
Hero
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Daughter of Leonato
Cousin to Beatrice
Sweet, graceful heroine
Becomes the victim of
Don John’s evil plot
Beatrice
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Strong-willed and
outspoken
Hero’s cousin and
Leonato’s niece
Witty and engages in a
war of words with
Benedick
Falls in love with
Benedick
Benedick
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Very outspoken
An avowed bachelor and
Beatrice’s sparring
partner.
Falls in love with
Beatrice
Vows to fight Claudio
for the wrong he does to
Hero
Don Pedro
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Prince of Aragon.
Returns to Messina after
conquering a rebellion
staged by his brother,
Don John.
He woos Hero for
Claudio
He is a key player in
getting Benedick and
Beatrice together.
Leonato
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Govenor of Messina
Father of Hero
Uncle of Beatrice
Easily swayed by
appearances (like
Claudio)
Don John
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Don Pedro’s illegitimate
brother
Started a mutiny against
his brother
Represents pure evil
Conceives the evil plot in
which Hero is a victim
Bitter and angry at the
world.
Dogberry, Verges, and the Watch
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Dogberry is the hapless
constable.
All his companions are dimwitted and wordy.
He investigates the plot
against Hero.
Sometimes hinders the
investigation.
The watch overhear Borachio
and Conrade talking about
the plot.
Other characters
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Borachio: close friend of Don John, who is paid
to deceive Claudio and defame Hero.
Conrade: one of two close companions assisting
Don John in his scheme.
Margaret: Hero’s maid-in-waiting. She is an
unwitting accomplice in the scheme against
Hero.
Balthasar: a singer attending Don Pedro.
Ursula: another of Hero’s maids-in-waiting.