Much Ado About Nothing
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Summary
The armies of the Prince Don Pedro come
for a vacation at the governor, Leonato’s house after the war. Leonato’s
daughter, Hero, niece, Beatrice and
all the servants come out to greet them. The Prince and his company are invited
to stay a month, and are welcomed inside. Beatrice and a friend of the Prince,
Benedick have a battle of wits, in which they both claim to spite of love and
marriage, until they are compelled to stop. The Prince’s other close friend,
Count Claudio and Benedick have a talk alone after the others go inside. Claudio
tells Benedick that he is in love with Hero, and Benedick tells Claudio that he
is a fool. The prince comes searching for them and learns of Claudio’s love
for Hero, the Prince promises to woo Hero for Claudio at the masquerade that
night. Leonato hears a bit of the conversation and thinks the Prince wishes to
marry Hero.
Don John the Bastard, the Prince’s
brother, finds out for his servant that the Prince will woo Hero for Claudio.
Don John doesn’t like either his brother or Claudio, and wishes no happiness
to either of them, so he plans to stop the wedding at all costs.
At the masked party the ladies and
soldiers dance, and the Prince dances with Hero and woos her in Claudio’s
name. Benedick and Beatrice are unknowingly put together, Beatrice insults
Benedick to the masked Benedick (who claims not to be Benedick). Don John,
pretending he thought Claudio for Benedick, tells Claudio that the Prince was
wooing for himself and that he heard Hero claim she loved him (the Prince).
Claudio is much distressed until the prince tells him that Hero loves him
(Claudio) and Claudio is so happy he wants to be married tomorrow, but Leonato
tells him to wait a week.
The Prince, taken by Beatrice’s happy
manner and sharp wit he conspires with Leonato, Hero, and Claudio to make
Beatrice and Benedick love each other.
Don John's failure in breaking up Hero
and Claudio distresses him, but his servant, Borachio has won the love of Hero’s waiting woman, Margaret, and tells Don John that he could help. He
planned to make Claudio think that Hero is unfaithful by dressing Margaret in
Hero’s clothing and speak indecent things with her at night. Don John was then
to bring Claudio and the Prince to the spot where they were so that upon hearing
them Claudio would think it was Hero and refuse to marry her.
The Prince, Leonato and Claudio make sure that Benedick overhears them
talking about how Beatrice loves him, but won’t tell him so. Benedick hides
nearby and listens to the fake conversation, he finds it strange since Beatrice
seemed to dislike him. He then realizes that he loves her, too. He believes that
she wouldn’t take him in earnest if he told her of his love for her, so
decides to keep quite about it. The same sort of trick was pulled on Beatrice,
she was told to hurry to the garden and hide because Margaret said she heard
Hero and Ursula (another waiting woman) talking about her (Beatrice). Beatrice
overhears the theatrical conversation of how much Benedick loves her, and how
arrogant she is and how he will never tell her because he feared she would scorn
his love. Beatrice decides that she really did love Benedick back, but decided
not to tell him.
The day before the wedding Benedick has
his beard shaven off, takes time with his appearance and so on. Leonato, the
Prince and Claudio tease him about looking like he is love. Leonato and Benedick
take a walk and Don John tells Claudio and the prince that he has proof that
Hero is unfaithful.
The city’s constable, Dogberry and his
assistant, Verges, tell the men on watch near Leonato’s house to be wary of
traitors of the Prince. Soon after the officers hear Borachio telling another
one of Don John’s servants of the trick he and his master played on Claudio
and the Prince. The officers arrest the men and take the to the city jail.
On the wedding morning while Hero is
getting ready she and Margaret tease Beatrice about her “cold” saying it can
be cured with Benedick. Dogberry and Verges try to tell Leonato of the two
prisoners, but Leonato can’t understand what they are trying to tell him so he
tells them to go away until the end of the trial, then he will speak with the
prisoners.
At the wedding Claudio publicly tells of
Hero’s dealings with another man and says he will not marry a “spoiled
fruit”. Hero denies it, but the Prince and Don John back him up, Hero faints
because she is so grief struk. The wedding guests leave along with Claudio, the
Prince and Don John. The friar believes her to be innocent and tells an angry
Leonato to pretend that she is dead, with a proper mourning. He said that it
would hurt Claudio to know of it and that when Hero’s name is cleared he will
come back from the “dead” and marry a grieving Claudio. They all leave,
except for Benedick and Beatrice. Benedick gets Beatrice to say that she loves
him, but she is so angry with Claudio for hurting her cousin that she won’t
marry him until he has challenged Claudio to a duel and killed him. Benedick
reluctantly agrees.
At the trail of Borachio and the other
man they are questioned by Dogberry and the story is reveled. The judge tells
Dogberry that all this had happened at the wedding that morning and the Don John
had fled. Dogberry was ordered to take the prisoners to Leonato and have them
tell him the story.
Leonato and his brother tell Claudio and
the Prince of Hero’s death. Then they try and challenge them to a duel but
they refuse. After they leave in comes Benedick who also challenges Claudio,
this time Claudio accepts. Benedick leaves them. Dogberry brings the prisoners
to them and the story is told. Claudio is grieved to hear the news and begs
Leonato to forgive him. Leonato does and tells him to pay his resects to
Hero’s tomb that night and then tomorrow go to his (Leonato) brother’s house
and marry his “niece” (which will really be Hero) there. Claudio agrees.
Benedick tells Beatrice that he has
challenged Claudio, and she is about to tell him that she loves him when they
are told that Hero is proven innocent and that they were to go to Leonato’s
brother’s house for the wedding.
At the wedding all the girls are masked
and Claudio vows he will marry Leonato’s “niece”. After he says this Hero
unmasked and Claudio cries tears of joy. Benedick and Beatrice agree that they
will marry, but only because they pity each other’s love. Claudio and Hero
produce love letters that they has stolen from Beatrice and Benedick which prove
to Beatrice and Benedick that the really do love each other. There is a double
marriage and Don John is captured. All in all, there is a happy ending.
Character Development
Beatrice – (1.1, lines 41-44) Beatrice to the Messenger “I pray you, how many hath he killed and eaten in these wars? But how many hath he killed? For indeed I promised to eat all of his killings” – her sharp tongue and ironic wit
(1.1, lines 129-130) Beatrice to Benedick “I’d rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me.” – her spite of love
(2.1, lines 324-329) “Prince: Your silence most offends me, and to be merry becomes you, for out o’ question you were born in a merry hour. Beatrice: No sure my lord, my mother cried, but then there was a star danced, and under that was I born. . .” – her contentment plainly shows, and she is practical and imaginative.
(2.1, lines 335-339) Leonato to Prince
about Beatrice “ There is little of the melancholy element in her, my
lord. She is never sad but when she sleeps , and not ever sad then, for I have
heard my daughter say she hath often dreamt of unhappiness and waked herself
with laughing.” – Her always bright dissipation and how she can very seldom
be sad.
Benedick – (1.1, lines 73-75) Beatrice about Benedick “He wears his faith but as the fashion of his hat; it changes with the next block [fashion]” – not serious when pledging faith
(1.1, lines 122-125) Benedick to Beatrice “But is certain I am loved by all ladies, only you excepted; and I would I could find it in my heart that I had not a hard heart, for truly I love none.” – his haughty and love-spiteful tone.
Prince Don Pedro – (1.1, lines 94-110) Prince to Leonato, Hero and Benedick “Good Signior Leonato, are you come to meet your trouble? The fashion of the world is to avoid cost, and you encounter it. . . . you embrace your charge too willingly. Is this your daughter? . . . You have it full Benedick. We may guess by this what you are, being a man. Truly the lady fathers herself. – Be happy, lady, for you are like an honorable father.” – his kindly manner and way of turning Benedick’s sharp words into compliments
Claudio – (1.1, lines 291-301) Claudio to the Prince “Oh my lord, When you went onward into this ended action, I looked upon her with a soldier’s eye, that liked, but had a rougher task in hand than to drive liking to the name of love. But now I am returned and that war thoughts have left their places vacant, in their rooms come thronging soft and delicate desires, all prompting me how fair young Hero is, saying I liked her ere I went to wars.” – his devotion to priorities and his great love for Hero
Don John the Bastard – (1.3, lines 12-17) Don John to Conrade “I cannot hide what I am. I must be sad when I have cause, and smile at no man’s jests; eat when I have stomach, and wait for no man’s leisure; sleep when I am drowsy, and tend on no man’s business; laugh when I am merry, and claw no man in his humor.” – how he knows what he wants and will not answer to another man when his needs haven’t been met.
(1.3, lines 28-35) Don John to Conrade “ . . . though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain. I am trusted with a muzzle and enfranchised with a clog; therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage. If I had my mouth, I would bite; if I had my liberty, I would do my liking. In the meantime, let me be that I am, and seek not to alter me.” – he admits to being a villain, but says he will not pretend to be happy when he is restricted [by his brother]
(2.1, lines3-4) Beatrice about Don John “How tartly that man looks! I never can see him but am heartburned an hour after.” – his dark, melancholy thoughts are so plainly worn on his face that it chills someone to look at him.
Dogberry – (3.5, lines 9-11) Dogberry to Leonato about Vegres “Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter. An old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt as, God help, I would desire they were . . .” He says “blunt” which is a mistake for “sharp”. In many other passages Dogberry, in attempting to sound dignified and smart says the wrong words in place of a fancy word or mispronounces them. As in act 3, section 5 (line 44) he says “Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two aspicious persons . . .” mistaking “comprehended” to “apprehended”, and “aspicious” for “suspicious” and (line 50) “It shall be suffigance.” - a mistake for “sufficient”. In this way Dogberry seems to be a dimwit trying to be important.
(1.1, lines 76-76) “Messenger: I see, lady, the gentleman is not in your books. Beatrice: No. An he were, I would burn my study.” – Beatrice pretending to take a metaphor literally to throw a blow at Benedick.
(1.1, lines 167-172) “Benedick: Why, i’faith, methinks she’s too low for a high praise, too brown for a fair praise, and too little for a great praise. Only this commendation I can afford her, that were she other than she is, she were unhandsome, and being no other but as she is, I do not like her.” – Benedick judging Hero on what ways he can’t praise her.
(2.1, lines 59-64) Beatrice to Leoanto’s wish for her to be husbanded “Not till God makes men out of some other metal than earth. Would it not grieve a woman to be overmastered by a piece of valiant dust? To make an account of her life to a clod of wayward marl? No, uncle, I’ll none. Adam’s sons are my brethren, and truly I hold it a sin to match in my kindred.” – Metal - mettle – a person’s character and metal – the physical body. Dust as in the Genesis 2.7 “the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground.” So Beatrice is refusing to marry someone until humans are formed of something else.
(3.4, lines 51-53) “Beatrice: . . . By my troth, I am exceeding ill. Heigh-ho! Margaret: For a hawk, a horse, or a husband? Beatrice: For the letter that begins them all, H.” – Beatrice plays on the word “ache” and how it was pronounced “H”, also earlier on in the play she says to the Prince that she will never marry; “I may sit in a corner and cry ‘Heigh-ho for a husband’” which now in this context might be taken as her hinting towards loving Benedick.
(3.4, lines 70-76) “Beatrice: . . . By my troth, I am sick Margaret: Get you some of this distilled carduus benedictus and lay it to your heart. It is the only thing for a qualm. Hero: There thou prick’st her with a thistle. Beatrice: Bededictus! Why benedictus? You have some moral [hidden meaning] in this benedictus? - Carduus benedictus is the herb that was said to cure everything, also carduus [thistle] sounds like the Latin word that means “of the heart” and benedictus [holy] is a pun on Benedick’s name. Margaret is hinting that all Beatrice needs to feel better is Benedick, but denies it when Beatrice accuses her of it.
(3.5, lines 9-11) Dogberry to Leonato about Vegres “Goodman Verges, sir, speaks a little off the matter. An old man, sir, and his wits are not so blunt as, God help, I would desire they were . . .” He says “blunt” which is a mistake for “sharp”. In many other passages Dogberry, in attempting to sound dignified and smart says the wrong words in place of a fancy word or mispronounces them. As in act 3, section 5 (line 44) he says “Our watch, sir, have indeed comprehended two aspicious persons . . .” mistaking “comprehended” to “apprehended”, and “aspicious” for “suspicious” and (line 50) “It shall be suffigance.” - a mistake for “sufficient”.
Great Lines
(act 2, section 1, lines 29-49) “Beatrice Lord, I could not endure a husband with a beard on his face. I had rather line in the woolen! Leonato You may light on a husband that hath no beard. Beatrice What should I do with him? Dress him in my apparel and make him my waiting gentlewomen? He that hath a beard in more than a youth, and he that hath no beard in less than a man; and he that is more than a youth is not for me, and he that is less than a man, I am not for him. Therefore I will take sixpence in earnest of the bearherd, and lead his apes into hell. Leonato Well then, go you into hell? Beatrice No, but to the gate, and there will the devil meet me like an old cuckold with horns on his head and say ‘Bet you to heaven, Beatrice, get you to heaven; here’s no place for you maids.’ So deliver I up my apes and away to Saint Peter; for the heavens, he shows me where the bachelors sit, and there live we as merry as the day is long.”
(act 2, section 1, lines 169-170) Benedick to Prince about Beatrice “O God, sir here’s a dish I love not! I cannot endure my Lady Tongue.”
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