Act One, Scene One

A messenger arrives in Messina and informs Leonato, the governor, that Don Pedro will be coming to the town with his army. Leonato asks how the war campaign went and learns that no men of high rank lost their lives, and that a man named Claudio received many honors for his valor in battle. Beatrice, the niece of Leonato, asks the messenger if Benedick of Padua has returned from the wars as well. The messenger informs her that he is with Don Pedro's army and has befriended Claudio. Beatrice sarcastically compares Benedick to a disease that men catch and says a great deal of negative things about Benedick.

Don Pedro arrives accompanied by Claudio, Benedick, Balthasar, and Don John (his bastard brother). He greets Leonato and speaks with him while Beatrice and Benedick converse together. Beatrice is caustic and tells Benedick it is a good thing that he does not love any of the ladies because then they would have to put up with him far more than they do now. Benedick is unable to compete with her wit and they finally break off conversation.

Don Pedro announces to his men that Leonato has generously allowed them to stay for a month. Leonato turns to Don John and tells him he is glad that Don John and Don Pedro are reconciled. Don John says, "I am not a man of many words, but I thank you" (1.1.127). Everyone leaves except Claudio and Benedick.

Claudio turns to Benedick and asks him, "didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?" (1.1.130-131). Benedick tells him, "I noted her not, but I looked on her" (1.1.132) and makes fun of Hero's complexion and height. Claudio tells him he is serious about her and wants to know what Benedick really thinks. Don Pedro enters and asks Benedick to tell him what is going on. Benedick reveals that Claudio is in love with Hero.

Don Pedro agrees that Hero would be a good match for Claudio. He then turns to Benedick and asks him why he mocks Claudio. Benedick tells him he wishes to remain a bachelor for the rest of his life and that he will never flush with love for a woman. Don Pedro tells him that he will see Benedick in love before he dies. He then sends Benedick away to Leonato.

Claudio asks Don Pedro is Leonato has any sons and learns that Hero alone is his heir. Don Pedro promises to speak with Leonato about arranging a match between them, but Claudio is afraid to speak to Hero and tell her he loves her. Don Pedro informs him that there will be a masked ball that night and that he will pretend to be Claudio and woo Hero in Claudio's name.

Act One, Scene Two

Leonato and Antonio, his elder brother, meet and discuss Leonato's guests. Antonio informs Leonato that a servant of his overheard Don Pedro and Claudio speaking together in his peach orchard. The man reported that Don Pedro told Claudio he loved Hero and would acknowledge it that night at the dance, intending to go to Leonato if he found Hero consenting. Leonato is excited by this news, but tells Antonio to keep it a secret until Don Pedro actually comes to him. He only decides to tell Hero so that she may prepare an answer.

Act One, Scene Three

Conrad approaches Don John and asks him why he is so sad looking. Don John tells him that there is not reason, merely that he prefers to be the way he is. When Conrad points out that since Don John only recently was reconciled with Don Pedro, he should try to seem happy, Don John exclaims, "I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace" (1.3.21-22).

Borachio, another friend of Don John, arrives and informs Don John that he has overheard his brother and Claudio plotting a marriage with Hero. He hid behind a wall hanging and listened to them discuss how Don Pedro would woo Hero and then give her to Claudio. Don John tells them to come with him so that he can figure out a way to thwart Claudio.

Analysis

Much Ado About Nothing opens in a liminal situation with a war that has just ended. The men enter a "golden world" in Messina where the women are already located. In this situation, people fail to take things seriously, causing the war of the wombs to soon turn into a war of words. Benedick and Beatrice are the main examples of male/female rivalry that converts into belligerent wordplay.

The first act portrays all the characters as being very careful to observe social norms, especially those of civilian obligations to the military. This creates a mask of politeness that slowly dissipates throughout the play until by the end there is nothing but directness of speech left. However, the first exchange between Leonato and Don Pedro is a model of politeness, with each man dismissing the problems of having guests for a month as being meaningless. Don Pedro further catalyzes the entire plot by carefully maneuvering the conversation towards Hero, Leonato's daughter.

Don Pedro: "Good Signor Leonato, are you come to meet your

trouble? The fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you

encounter it.

Leonato: "Never came trouble to my house in the likeness of

your grace; for trouble being gone, comfort should remain, but

when you depart from me, sorrow abides and happiness takes

his leave.

Don Pedro: "You embrace your charge too willingly. I think this

is your daughter.

Leonato: Her mother hath many times told me so" (1.1.77-86)

Much Ado About Nothing is primarily a play about gossip.Indeed, what does the title mean? It indicates a big fuss about a trifle, and by the end this is exactly what happens. All of Claudio's 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. Alternatively "nothing" is a word that means female genitalia, Hero's "nothing", an interpretation of the word that is evidenced by how ashamed Hero is of sexual desire.

The pronunciation of "nothing" plays on "noting" as well. To note is to observe or mark carefully, something everyone in the play fails to do. It can also mean to stigmatize or point out, exactly what Claudio does to Hero in the church. Indeed, Claudio's first comment about Hero is whether anyone else noted her, "didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?" (1.1.130-131). Benedick tells him, "I noted her not, but I looked on her" (1.1.132), at which point he proceeds to stigmatize her. Benedick jokes about her complexion and height, thereby "noting" Hero in his own way.

Silence is something that Shakespeare always views with suspicion, and this play is no different. Silence is actually worse than talking because it leads to plotting and conniving. As Don John says, "I am not a man of many words" (1.1.127), thereby marking him as a man who instead will plot against the others. Indeed, it is soon obvious that silence is worse than talking too much, something that Beatrice and Benedick do. The danger of silence also affects the relationship between Hero and Claudio. Since they fail to talk with one another, they never resolve questions relating to the other's motives. Indeed, a crucial first mistake for Claudio is when he allows Don Pedro to speak to Hero for him, thereby creating confusion about Don Pedro's true motives.

Don John is the evil bastard brother in the play. He is only recently reconciled with Don Pedro and he plays the role of a schemer, a discontent and a machiavel. In reality, Don John is merely the excluded character, a man who cannot fit into the society he is unwillingly a part of. When Conrad tries to tell him he should act happy around Don Pedro, he states, "I had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace" (1.3.21-22). Don John thus ignores the family network, fails to observe the proper code of conduct, misses the dinner party thrown by Leonato, and rebels against the compulsory set of social rules.

The melancholy of Don John is noted by Conrad who says, "why are you thus out of measure sad?" (1.3.1-2). Don John represents the sadness that is a recurring theme in Shakespeare's comedies. Shylock and Antonio in Merchant of Venice and Egeus in The Comedy of Errors who is condemned to die are other characters who are melancholy. There is no reason for this sadness, and it breeds on itself.

Act Two, Scene One

Leonato has noticed that Don John did not attend the dinner, but Hero tells them he is melancholic. Beatrice says that a combination between Don John and Benedick would create the perfect man, one who spoke just enough. Leonato tells Beatrice she will never get a husband if she continues to make such "shrewd" remarks. Beatrice acknowledges that she is happy without a husband and plans to die a spinster.

Antonio turns to Hero and tells her he hopes she will obey her father, but Beatrice interrupts him and mocks his expectation that Hero will curtsy to her father's every demand. Ignoring her, Leonato orders Hero to accept the Prince's offer if he comes to her. Beatrice gives Hero some advice about how to accept, telling her how to make the Prince wait for an answer and comparing wooing, wedding and repenting to various dances. Leonato tells Beatrice, "Cousin, you apprehend passing shrewdly" (2.1.67).

Don Pedro and the other revelers arrive wearing masks. He immediately goes over to Hero and asks her to dance a with him. She agrees, but tells him she hopes the face underneath the mask is far better looking than the mask itself. Meanwhile, Balthasar, the servant to Don Pedro, has approached Margaret, a serving-gentlewoman to Hero, and they flirt briefly. Antonio and Ursula form another couple on the dance floor, and Ursula tells him she recognizes him as Signor Antonio. Antonio tries to deny it, but she refuses to believe him.

Benedick meets up with Beatrice and refuses to reveal who he is. She starts to talk about Benedick, calling him, "the Prince's jester, a very dull fool" (2.1.118). Benedick assures her he will inform Benedick what she has said about him.

Don John and Borachio figure out who Claudio is by his bearing. Don John approaches him and asks him if he is Benedick, and Claudio plays along, claiming he is. Don John tells Claudio that he should separate Don Pedro and Hero because she is not equal to his brother's birth. Borachio chimes in as well, telling Claudio that he heard Don Pedro swear his affection for Hero and plan to marry her that very night.

Once Claudio is alone he comments that it must be true since friendship is constant in all things except for love. He remarks, "Farewell, therefore, Hero" (2.1.160). Benedick arrives and invites Claudio to go with him, telling him the Prince "that got your Hero" (2.1.169). Claudio, depressed by the thought that Don Pedro has stolen Hero from him, leaves. Don Pedro himself arrives and Benedick accuses him of betraying his friendship to Claudio by stealing Hero. Don Pedro denies the charge and says that he was merely doing what he could for the couple.

Benedick has been stung by what Beatrice said about him while they danced, and the he tries to tell Don Pedro what she said that hurt him. He is mostly upset because she called him the "Prince's jester", yet he ironically confirms this accusation by comically reenacting the scene for Don Pedro. Beatrice arrives with Hero, Claudio and Leonato. Benedick leaves as soon as he sees her, unable to bear her comments any longer.

Don Pedro chastises Beatrice for having been so harsh to Benedick, but she replies that Benedick once won her heart and toyed with her. He then turns to Claudio, who is still jealous of him, and informs Claudio that he wooed Hero successfully and spoke with Leonato who consented to the marriage. Neither Claudio nor Hero are able to speak to one another, and finally Claudio says, "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy" (2.1.267).

Beatrice remarks that everyone is getting married and leaving home except she herself. Don Pedro gallantly offers to marry her but she refuses, telling him he is "too costly to wear every day" (2.1.287). She leaves after Leonato reminds her of some work she needs to take care of. Claudio and Leonato agree to hold the wedding in one week, and in the meantime Don Pedro tells them they will contrive to get Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love. Claudio and Hero agree to participate in the plot.

Act Two, Scene Two

Don John is furious over the fact that Claudio is marrying Hero. Borachio, his friend, offers to thwart the marriage. He tells Don John that he is a good friend of Hero's servant-gentlewoman Margaret and that he can get her to look out at Hero's chamber window. Borachio proposes that Don John get Don Pedro and Claudio to watch the chamber window at an appointed time, and he will then meet Margaret in the room, thereby making them think that Hero has another lover. Don John promises Borachio a thousand ducats if the plan succeeds.

Act Two, Scene Three

Benedick is walking in Leonato's garden contemplating the change in Claudio since he fell in love with Hero. He decides that he will never fall in love the way Claudio did. He sees Claudio and Don Pedro coming and hides so he can listen to them.

Don Pedro arrives with Claudio and Leonato. Don Pedro asks them if they saw where Benedick hid, and Claudio tells him they will give Benedick more than he bargained for. Balthasar is brought onstage to perform a song for them that he duly sings.

After the song is over, Don Pedro asks Leonato if it is true that Beatrice is in love with Benedick. Leonato plays along with the lie, saying that he would never have suspected it given the way she treats Benedick in public. Don Pedro continues asking questions about Beatrice's love for Benedick while Benedick listens in the background, slowly becoming convinced that what Leonato is saying must be true. Claudio joins in, telling Don Pedro what he purportedly heard from Hero, and claiming that Hero thinks Beatrice will surely die before she reveals her love.

The men leave, with Don Pedro hinting in an aside that the same net must be spread for Beatrice by Hero and Ursula. Benedick comes out of hiding and remarks that he cannot sit idly by and be censured for not returning Beatrice's love. He determines to be kind to Beatrice and consider marrying her. She comes out and bids him come to dinner, unaware that Benedick thinks she loves him. Beatrice is as unflattering as ever, making Benedick's attempts to be polite even more comical.

Analysis

Beatrice is one of the most pleasant characters because of her wit and sharp tongue. However, the audience soon realizes that she is so witty because she is on track to be a true spinster. Leonato tells her "By my troth, niece, thou wilt never get thee a husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue" (2.1.16-17). There is therefore a great deal of ambiguity over whether she will marry or not. Beatrice woefully comments on Hero's engagement, "Thus goes everyone in the world but I, and I am sunburnt" (2.1.278-279). In spite of her railings against marriage, Beatrice realizes that marriage is a way out of the house and that it represents the only way to escape from Leonato's protection.

However, Beatrice is also more than aware that marriage brings many risks with it. "Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered with a piece of valiant dust?" (2.1.51-52). Marriage for a woman is to risk her integrity by submitting to a man. A similar fate is seen by Benedick, who views marriage as risk to mens' honor. As a result, he commonly refers to bulls' horns and cuckoldry in the first act. Both Benedick and Beatrice hold a mature awareness of what marriage entails, causing them to shun it. This will show up later in the last act when Benedick remarks, "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably" (5.2.62).

In fact, it is Beatrice and Benedick alone who pay the most attention to social customs. Ironically they do this while arguing with each other, thereby breaking with social norms. They put on a facade of disregard for social norms, but actually note what is happening around them far more than other people. This is evident when Leonato tells Beatrice, "Cousin, you apprehend passing shrewdly" (2.1.67).

The masked ball is one of the more interesting scenes because of the fact that nearly everyone is unmasked before it starts. Leonato and Hero know that Don Pedro will approach her, Beatrice and Benedick, although seemingly unaware of who the other is, could arguably be quite aware of with whom they are speaking, and the other characters all recognize each other as well. Of all the characters present, only the two unmasked people at the ball, namely Borachio and Don John, are actually wearing masks. They pretend not to know Claudio and cause him to think Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself.

Benedick appears to be quite distraught over what Beatrice calls him at the ball, a Prince's jester. In speaking with Don Pedro he gives a wonderful performance in which his mind is wonderfully captured, a piling up of anger and fury but also commingled with his attempts to render the situation comical in order to entertain Don Pedro. This attempt at comedy in spite of his anger ironically confirms Beatrice's charge that he is the Prince's jester:

She told me, not thinking I had been

myself, that I was the prince's jester, that I was

duller than a great thaw; huddling jest upon jest

with such impossible conveyance upon me that I stood

like a man at a mark, with a whole army shooting at

me. She speaks poniards, and every word stabs:

if her breath were as terrible as her terminations,

there were no living near her; she would infect to

the north star. I would not marry her, though she

were endowed with all that Adam bad left him before

he transgressed: she would have made Hercules have

turned spit, yea, and have cleft his club to make

the fire too.

The quarreling between Benedick and Beatrice has often been marveled at, both within the play itself and by the audience. Many readers of the play try to imagine that they are in fact deeply in love in spite of their quarrels, and Beatrice does indicate that she previously loved Benedick: "Marry, once before he [Benedick] won it [my heart] of me, with false dice" (2.1.243-244). However, their own words later on belie any sort of deeper love between them, especially in the last scene where they realize they have been tricked into declaring their love for one another. Yet the conspiracy to make them marry is a form of social pressure that they cannot overcome. Benedick, having overheard Leonato say Beatrice loves him, is afraid of being censured: "I hear how I am censured" (2.3.199-200). He later admits that, "The world must be peopled" (2.3.214). Their constant fight against the pressures of society fail in the end, and we are left thinking that marriage is itself a conspiracy.

The specter of silence crops up again in this act, this time between Claudio and Hero. The silence between them will become more dangerous later when Claudio thinks Hero has committed infidelity. In this act he surprisingly cannot speak even once he realizes that she will marry him. He says, "Silence is the perfectest herald of joy" (2.1.267). The irony of course is that silence is no herald at all, but rather implies complete lack of emotion from either Hero or Claudio towards the other person.

Language is a significant part of the play and the plot. Much Ado About Nothing has more prose than almost any other Shakespearian play, and it is significant to see how Shakespeare uses this prose. Benedick remarks on the change in Claudio by noting his change in language: "He was wont to speak plain and to the purpose, like an honest man and a soldier, and now is he turned orthography" (2.3.17-18). This shows the transition from uncluttered military language to stylistic prose, and it is indicative of some of the confusion in the play, specifically, people do not speak plainly.

A common theme throughout Shakespearian drama is the role of gardens. Gardens are dangerous places to be because they harbor serpents trying to seduce the senses. Much Ado About Nothing has many garden scenes, all of which are involved in plotting against or confusing other characters. For instance, Don Pedro spread his rumors about Beatrice loving Benedick in the garden where Benedick is hiding. In the first scene Claudio and Don Pedro are overheard in the garden, causing Leonato to think Don Pedro wants to wed Hero. Beatrice will likewise overhear Hero and Ursula in the garden, causing her to think Benedick loves her.

Shakespeare was acutely aware of the similarity between the words note, noting, and nothing:

Don Pedro:Do it in notes.

Balthasar: Note this before my notes:

There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting.

Don Pedro: Why, these are very crotchets [whimsies] that he speaks -

Note notes, forsooth, and nothing!" (2.3.48-52)

The song that Balthasar sings is a song about infidelity. However, the men listening all fail to note this song. Indeed, the song actually foreshadows what will be mis-noted in the near future when Hero is accused of infidelity.

The use of the word fashion is deftly invoked by Shakespeare both as a noun and a verb. It represents the social system that all the characters are involved in, and is used to draw a parallel between the evil plots of Don John and the more mild ones of Don Pedro. "I would fain have it a match, and I doubt not but to fashion it" (2.1.319-320). This comment by Don Pedro is immediately followed by Don John who allows Borachio to fashion his plot as well: "I will so fashion the matter that Hero shall be absent" (2.2.38). The parallel between the two brothers makes their plots actually seem identical in a sense; they both corrupt the social system to achieve their own ends. The fact that society will condemn Don John but not Don Pedro is merely because we as a society think that marriage is not a crime whereas infidelity is. In many ways, the audience becomes guilty of Don Pedro's corruption of the truth while hypocritically condemning Don John's.

Act Three, Scene One

Hero tells her servant Margaret to fetch Beatrice and tells her that she overheard Hero and Ursula gossiping about Beatrice in the orchard. Hero then orders Ursula to talk about Benedick as if he were madly in love with Beatrice. She agrees, and they wait until they see Beatrice hide herself in the orchard before walking towards the hiding spot.

They arrive where Beatrice is hiding and Hero informs Ursula that Benedick is madly in love with Beatrice, but that she will never tell Beatrice because she is afraid her cousin would only ridicule Benedick. Ursula agrees, and Hero then mentions that Beatrice is so sharp tongued that she often finds faults in men that are not really there. Ursula then praises Benedick as a man, saying he is one of the best men in Italy and would be an excellent match for Beatrice. After they leave, Beatrice steps forward and comments that rather then be condemned for her pride and scorn she will requite Benedick's love and marry him.

Act Three, Scene Two

Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato find Benedick to be acting sadder than usual, and make fun of him as if he is in love. He does not deny their charge, but finally asks Leonato if he could have a word with him in private. Don Pedro tells Claudio that Benedick must want to discuss Beatrice with Leonato.

Don John arrives and informs Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is unfaithful. He offers to prove it to them, telling them to go with him that night and look into Hero's chamber window. Claudio states that if he sees any reason not to wed Hero that night, he will shame her in the church before the wedding ceremony the next day. Don Pedro supports him and they promise to meet Don John that night.

Act Three, Scene Three

Dogberry and Verges, both fools in charge of the watchmen, get one of their men and make him the constable of the watch for the night. He agrees, but asks what he should do if he orders a man to stop and the man refuses. Dogberry tells him to ignore the man, and good riddance of a knave, because they can only stop loyal subjects of the Prince. Verges then orders the man to keep silence throughout the town. They leave the man to his job as constable, and Dogberry orders him to wake him up only if something important comes up.

Borachio and Conrad arrive and accidentally stand within hearing distance of the watchman whom Dogberry appointed constable. Borachio tells Conrad that he earned a thousand ducats from Don John that night because he wooed Margaret in Hero's room and called her Hero. Meanwhile, Don John had brought Don Pedro and Claudio to orchard where they watched this whole scene and became convinced that Hero was committing infidelity.

One of the night watchmen, having overheard this story, arrests Borachio and Conrad for villainy. They agree to go peacefully and are taken to be judicially interrogated.

Act Three, Scene Four

Hero is getting dressed by Margaret for her wedding that day. She sends Ursula to fetch Beatrice, who arrives but has lost her wittiness and has also caught a cold. Margaret makes severally sexually explicit puns before mentioning to Beatrice that Benedick is now in love. Margaret then implies that perhaps Beatrice will someday decide to fall in love much the Benedick has. Ursula interrupts her and informs Hero that the men are all gathered to take her to the church.

Act Three, Scene Five

Dogberry has gone to Leonato to inform him that two suspicious men were arrested the night before. He asks Leonato to examine the men, but since the wedding is that day, Leonato refuses and orders Dogberry to conduct the examination himself. Dogberry orders Verges to bring one of his men who knows how to write so that they can write down the entire examination and bring it to Leonato.

Analysis

The issue of noting, or making much ado about nothing, comes up when Claudio and Don Pedro, led by Don John, look at window and think they see Hero. They fail to note that it is not Hero, but instead Margaret. This is fabrication through substitution, and it leads Don John to stand condemned at the end of the play.

This scene also plays on men's fears of female infidelity. Claudio tells us, "If I see anything tonight why I should not marry her, tomorrow in the congregation where I should wed, there will I shame her" (3.2.103-107). This fear is so strong that Benedick declared himself a bachelor as a result, he is terrified of wearing bull's horns, a sign of the cuckold.

Gardens are again dangerous places to be. Hero and Ursula are talking in the orchard. This is not merely a plot against Beatrice, but also against female virginity. In fact, gardens can be seen as representing the female sexuality, and they are dangerous places because they are where virginity is compromised. This can be seen when Claudio convinces Don Pedro to win him Hero's heart, a scene that takes place in a garden. In this act, Beatrice will be tricked into loving Benedick by what she overhears in an orchard. Indeed, Hero's reputation, and also Claudio's perception of her virginity, is lost when Claudio and Don Pedro stand in the orchard and watch Borachio woo Margaret.

The only way to clear up the confusion inherent in the play is to write everything down. Writing becomes a way of clarifying and clearing up the mistakes. Dogberry says, "get the learned writer to set down our excommunication [a joke, he means examination]" (3.5.55-56). This is the first point in the play where writing appears. It will later be used by Benedick and Beatrice, the Sexton, and Claudio who will write the epitaph to Hero.

Act Four, Scene One

The people are all gathered in the church to witness the wedding between Hero and Claudio. Leonato tells Friar Francis to hurry up. The Friar asks Claudio if he has come to marry Hero, to which Claudio replies, "No" (4.1.6). Leonato ignore the answer by playing with words to give it a different meaning, but Claudio interjects when asked if anyone knows why they should not be married. He tells Leonato, "Give not this rotten orange to your friend" (4.1.30) and accuses Hero of infidelity.

Don Pedro also refuses to defend Hero's honor, telling Leonato that he watched with his own eyes as Hero embraced another man the night before. Claudio cries out, "O Hero! What a Hero hadst thou been" (4.1.98) before once again saying farewell to her forever. "But fare thee well, most foul, most fair, farewell" (4.1.101).

Hero faints and falls to the ground. Don John, Don Pedro and Claudio all leave the church. Beatrice runs up and tries to help her cousin, but Leonato tells her that, "Death is the fairest cover for her shame" (4.1.113). Leonato then tells them that he is ashamed to have had such a daughter and that he wishes she had never been born. Benedick says, "Sir, sir, be patient. / For my part, I am so attired in wonder /I know not what to say" (4.1.142-144). Friar Francis tells them to stop attacking Hero. He tells them that by noting her complexion and the way she reacted, he has become convinced that she is actually guiltless.

Hero awakes and tells them that she has know idea what man Claudio thinks he saw her with. Leonato swears that if she is lying, he will hurt her, but if Claudio and Don Pedro maliciously harmed her honor then he will be avenged on them. Friar Francis tells Leonato to pretend that Hero has died of shame. He tells Leonato that if Hero pretends to be dead, instead of remembering her dishonor people will pity her and even Claudio will regret his words. Benedick promises to keep the secret as well, in spite of his intimacy with Claudio.

Everyone agrees to the plan and leaves. Only Benedick and Beatrice remain behind. They both declare their love for each other and Benedick asks her to make him do anything to affirm how much he loves her. Beatrice famously replies, "Kill Claudio" (4.1.287). Benedick at first says he will never do such a thing, and Beatrice tells him he does not really love her then. She tries to leave, but Benedick repents his answer and stops her. He tells her that he will challenge Claudio for her.

Act Four, Scene Two

Dogberry has brought Borachio and Conrad before the Town Clerk (the Sexton) and is interrogating them. Everything is carefully written down to avoid any mistakes. Dogberry is completely incompetent as an examiner, but the Sexton takes charge and orders the watchman who arrested them to step forward. He relates that he overheard them discussing the plot against Hero's reputation.

The sexton informs the men that they cannot deny the charge since Don John secretly stole away that morning. He further tells them that Hero was accused by Claudio in the church and died from humiliation. The men are bound and ordered to be taken to Leonato.

Analysis

The fear of the men that they will be cuckolds is inherent in the scene where Claudio accuses Hero in the church. Leonato falsely thinks he has noted that she is guilty. Claudio further insults him by stating, "Give not this rotten orange to your friend" (4.1.30). Hero's fainting is taken as sign of her guilt, leading Leonato to tell Beatrice that, "Death is the fairest cover for her shame" (4.1.113). This is part of the social norms, it is Leonato's way of avoiding humiliation. Leonato chooses Hero's death in order to protect his reputation and avoid embarrassment.

Claudio now mimics the first time he thinks he has lost Hero. "But fare thee well, most foul, most fair, farewell" (4.1.101). This is virtually identical to 2.1.173. The audience by this point can tell that Claudio is a bad reader; after all, he makes the same mistake twice! He is also the most unfriendly lover in Shakespeare. Claudio dotes on Hero in his mind but prefers to choose male bonding over marriage. This becomes even more apparent in the next act when Claudio and Don Pedro mock Benedick together; Claudio shows no remorse for Hero's death and appears positively triumphant in having killed her.

It is interesting to note that Benedick becomes speechless when Hero is accused. Benedick says, "Sir, sir, be patient. / For my part, I am so attired in wonder / I know not what to say" (4.1.142-144). This marks the first time that he is unable to comment on the proceedings around him. For Benedick, it also moves him away from his male companions and his jocular talking and towards Beatrice, with whom he is more serious and less verbal.

Of all the men and women present at the wedding, only Friar Francis actually "notes" Hero. He says, "By noting of the lady...trust not my age...If this sweet lady lie not guiltless here" (4.1.157,166,168). The Friar is correct as we all know, and his choice of words, "by noting of the lady" is significant. It is the first time that anyone points out to the characters what we all know to be true; they fail to note what is happing around them.

Friar Francis is similar to Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet. He tries to save Hero by making her seem dead. "Come, lady, die to live" (4.1.253). This parallels the death of Juliet. The later marriage between Hero and Claudio will serve as a resurrection moment. Thus Friar Francis plays God with Hero's life and later resurrects her in a shroud of death.

One of the most significant lines is when Beatrice tells Benedick to "Kill Claudio" (4.1.287). She asks this as a way for Benedick to prove his love for her. Her demand essentially forces Benedick to choose between the brotherly love of men and the loyalty of a man to his wife. Beatrice knows that she must destroy Benedick's former male bonding. Her order is therefore a command for Benedick to support her against Claudio, and represents the only way for them to have a mature relationship.

Much Ado About Nothing is the only comedy in which no woman dresses as a man to influence the plot. Beatrice comes closest to this function, saying, "O God that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the market place" (4.1.303-304). She cannot take revenge on Claudio herself, indicating the power of the men in Messina. Beatrice therefore falls back on her wit to get Benedick to challenge Claudio.

For the first time sense is made out of the nonsense of the plot. This is done by the Sexton who cuts through Dogberry's nonsense. It is a crucial turning point in the play, akin to when Friar Francis notes Hero's innocence, because someone finally notes what is wrong and forces it to be clarified.

Act Five, Scene One

Antonio is trying to comfort Leonato who is still grief-sticken over what happened in the church. Antonio tells Leonato to make the men suffer that have caused him pain. He says he will.

Don Pedro and Claudio enter. Leonato challenges Claudio to a duel on the grounds that he killed Hero through his accusation and wrongly harmed Leonato's reputation. Antonio steps forward and supports Leonato by challenging Claudio as well. Leonato tries to stop him, but Antonio continues hurling insults at Claudio and Don Pedro for the way they treated Hero. Don Pedro refuses to accept the challenge, telling them that Hero, "was charged with nothing / But what was true and very full of proof" (5.1.106-107). Antonio and Leonato leave in a rage, furious with the condescending way Don Pedro is treating them.

Benedick arrives and is greeted warmly by both Don Pedro and Claudio. They tell him he missed watching Leonato and Antonio challenge Claudio to a duel. Benedick challenges Claudio, but he thinks it is a joke. Both men make fun of Benedick for looking so angry and for seemingly having lost his ability to wittily reply to their jests. Benedick finally thanks Don Pedro and informs him that Don John has fled Messina. He then turns to Claudio and tells him they will meet soon in order to fight.

Don Pedro remarks that Benedick is serious about his challenge. Claudio caustically replies that it must be for the love of Beatrice. Dogberry and Verges enter with Conrad and Borachio as their prisoners. Only then does Don Pedro realize that Benedick told him Don John had fled. He approaches the prisoners and demands to know why they have been arrested. Borachio tells him the entire story, causing Don Pedro to exclaim, "Runs not his speech like iron through your blood?" (5.1.227-228).

Leonato arrives with the Sexton, who has informed him of what happened. Furiously Leonato accuses Borachio, Don Pedro and Claudio of killing his daughter. Claudio and Don Pedro plead their innocence but, realizing they are guilty of mistakenly accusing Hero, promise to inform the city that she was innocent. Claudio further promises to marry Leonato's niece, whom he tells Claudio is his sole heir.

Leonato then turns back to Borachio and demands to know Margaret's role in the scheme. He tells Leonato that Margaret is innocent and did not know what she was doing. Leonato orders the watchmen to bring Borachio and Conrad with them and leaves to question Margaret.

Act Five, Scene Two

Benedick has written a sonnet to Beatrice that Margaret is helping him with. He then sends her to fetch Beatrice for him. She enters the room and plays word games with Benedick. He finally states, "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably" (5.2.61), indicating that they are too aware of what love and marriage entails to be overemotional about it. Ursula arrives and tells them to quickly come since they proved that Hero has been falsely accused.

Act Five, Scene Three

Claudio, Don Pedro and several other men visit Hero's gravesite and perform a short memorial service. Claudio has written an epitaph for Hero, after which he sings a song and then promises to perform the same ritual every year. Don Pedro bids the other men good night and takes Claudio with him to Leonato's house.

Act Five, Scene Four

Leonato sends the woman into their chambers and orders them to come out masked when they are called for. Antonio has promised to pretend that Hero is his daughter so Claudio will believe he is marrying Hero's cousin. Benedick then asks Leonato for permission to marry Beatrice at the same wedding ceremony. Leonato agrees to the marriage.

Claudio and Don Pedro arrive and are greeted. The women then come out wearing masks to hide their identities. Claudio asks which lady he shall marry, and Antonio gives him Hero. She unmasks herself, causing Claudio to cry out, "Another Hero!" She replies, "Nothing certainer" (5.4.62-63).

At the wedding Benedick calls for Beatrice to reveal herself. She does, and he asks her if she loves him. Beatrice gives the surprisingly cold answer, "Why no, no more than reason" (5.4.74). Benedick admits the same thing, and they both realize that they were set up by their friends. Watching this extraordinary exchange, Claudio and Hero pull out sonnets that Benedick and Beatrice wrote to each other and show them as proof that they really do love each other. Benedick states, "A miracle! Here's our own hands against our hearts" (5.4.91).

Benedick and Claudio reconcile their friendship and tell Don Pedro to find himself a wife so he is not alone. A messenger arrives at the very end and informs them that Don John has been captured and brought back to Messina. Benedick tells them, "Think not on him till tomorrow, I'll devise thee brave punishments for him. Strike up, pipers" (5.4.121-122).

Analysis

The fact that there is truth through writing, first seen when Dogberry demands that everything be recorded, is made abundantly clear in this act. Beatrice and Benedick write sonnets to each other, and the sonnets are taken to be more meaningful than even their words. When they are at the point of nullifying their declared love for one another, Claudio and Hero produce the sonnets, thereby "proving" that they are lying to each other. Claudio earlier in the act writes his epitaph to Hero, a way of declaring his love for her real. Dogberry also has the written statement of his watchman, thus securing Hero's innocence.

An interesting line is that of Don Pedro: "But on my honour she was charged with nothing / But what was true and very full of proof" (5.1.106-107). This is a challenge to the audience to "note" the words of the actors. The second line reverses the meaning of the first line, turning Hero's initial innocence to guilt.

A fundamental question that haunts the plot is whether Benedick and Beatrice really love each other. Many audiences have simply assumed that they harbor a deep-seated love that neither will admit. However, if we take them at their word then the likely answer is no. They are mature lovers who have been pushed together by a social conspiracy to make them marry. Benedick: "Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably" (5.2.61). Later they both realize that their friends were plotting against them. "Do not you love me?" "Why no, no more than reason" (5.4.73-74). We expect tender words at this point but we get the opposite. The fact that we still think love wins out is because we willingly join the conspiracy against them both. The audience roots for them to fall in love and get married; the actual feelings of the two characters are irrelevant at the end.

Friar Francis, unlike his Romeo and Juliet counterpart, succeeds in his resurrection of Hero. She comes out masked and reveals herself to Claudio. He cries out, "Another Hero!" She replies, "Nothing certainer" (5.4.62-63). If we take her pronunciation literally, "noting certainer", we can see that this is really the first time that Claudio has noted her as a person. Only through a feigned death could she force Claudio to really pay attention to her and "notice" who he was marrying.

The question of whether there is any love between Hero and Claudio is almost certainly answered with a resounding no. Hero is mostly a young girl who obeys her father regardless of his demands. Indeed, Beatrice mocks this expected obedience in the opening act, causing Leonato to hush her. Hero willingly switches from Don Pedro to Claudio as if it makes no difference who her husband is. Later we see the same ability in Claudio, who readily agrees to marry Hero's "cousin" without ever having seen he girl. This lack of dedication compromises their credibility as a pair of lovers.

An interesting question is why does it takes so long for Claudio to learn Hero is alive? The answer is that Claudio must learn something first. Initially he and Don Pedro stick to their beliefs and refuse to see the truth. Claudio must have a penance for his sins against Hero; he must agree to marry her cousin instead. In fact, Hero has become a nothing by this point in the play, her very existence wiped out. Claudio is marrying someone he has never seen, and it is his trust will be what brings Hero back to life in the end.

As in many Shakespearian comedies, we are left with a sense that everything is not perfect at the end. In Much Ado About Nothing the ending is tarnished by the return of Don John. He is returned to Messina in chains and Benedick promises to punish him the next day. This casts a shadow hangs over an otherwise mostly happy ending.

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