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An Analysis Of Much Ado About Nothing Essay, Research Paper

An Analysis of Much Ado About Nothing

Written between 1598 and 1600 at the peak of Shakespeare’s skill in

writing comedic work, Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s

wittiest works. In this comedy, Shakespeare’s drama satirizes love and

human courtliness between two couples who take very different paths to

reach the same goal: making the connection between inward and outward

beauty. Much Ado About Nothing shows different ways of how people are

attracted to one another, and how their realization and definitions of

“love” relate to their perceptions of inward and outward beauty.

The play is set in Messina, Italy, a small province facing the Straits

of Messina, in northeastern Sicily, at the estate of the governor of

Messina, Leonato. Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon, Don John, his brother,

Borachio his servant, Benedick, a young lord, and Claudio his best

friend are all returning from war, and have been invited to stay with

Leonato for a month. Shakespeare’s antagonist Don John, bears much

resemblance to Don John of Austria, the illegitimate son of Charles V,

half-brother to the King of Aragon who defeated the Turks at Lepanto and

returned to Messina after his victory in October of 1571 (Richmond 51).

Don John of Austria had many of the qualities that Shakespeare’s Don

John did, he was not on good terms with his brother, and although he

tried with much effort to gain status, he was frequently humiliated in

attempts to bring himself fame. Shakespeare was known to draw parallels

between his characters and actual historical figures, in an attempt to

produce a sort abstract history of the times (Richmond 49).

Upon returning from war, Claudio saw a young woman named Hero that he

had seen before going to fight, and felt a strong attraction to her.

Claudio expressed to Benedick his attraction to Hero, Leonato’s

daughter, and Benedick, with a mouth as loose as oiled hinge immediately

told Don Pedro of the attraction. Don Pedro, being much closer to

Leonato than any of the other veterans were, told the governor Leonato

about Claudio, who in turn informed his daughter Hero of him, all with

the lightning speed of gossip. Claudio’s attraction to Hero is described

by Shakespeare with skill as he puts emphasis on the Claudio-Hero

relationship that is forming but at the same time keeps it in the

background. Claudio is clearly attracted to Hero’s outer beauty and

knows nothing of her inner beauty, but after conversing with his friend

Benedick and then Don Pedro he decides he will marry Hero. A possible

scheme of Claudio can be noted when after describing his attraction to

Hero to Benedick, he asks Don Pedro, “Hath Leonato any son, my lord?”

Don Pedro replies that Hero is “his only heir.”(I.i.262) An

interpretation of this might be that Claudio’s attraction to Hero was

rooted in a pursuance of the love of Hero’s wealth, masked by her

outward beauty.(Brown 79)

At this point the drama takes a twist and a sub-plot is formed as Don

Pedro talks to Claudio about Hero and assures him that he will have

Hero. Don Pedro describes to Claudio his plan of achieving this, he will

don a disguise of Claudio and woo her for him. At this the scene closes,

and Claudio and Benedick are left to wonder about Don Pedro’s

intentions. Benedick believes that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself, and

Don John and Borrachio agree with his statement. This forces Claudio to

act on his instinct and initial attraction to Hero alone and decide to

marry Hero. Don John, feeling resentful of his brother is quick to

accept his servant Borrachio’s plan of deceiving Claudio into thinking

that Hero is promiscuous, so that he can shame one of his prestigious

brother’s followers and prevent Claudio and Hero’s marriage. Borrachio’s

plan included having an amorous encounter with Margaret, Hero’s maid,

and in the middle of everything announcing Hero’s name for everyone who

might be in earshot to hear.

While Claudio describes his love of Hero, Benedick reveals his

attraction to Beatrice to Claudio, Leonato’s niece, but at the same time

profoundly states a declaration of bachelorism. Beatrice’s character is

described as a fine example of a woman in Shakespeare’s time. She has a

biting wit, and in her “high intellect and high animal spirits meet”

(Jameson 349) Benedick and Beatrice quarrel in a skirmish of wits which

is merely a facade of their underlying attraction to each other, and an

ongoing struggle of recognizing their love. Benedick and Beatrice’s

attraction and pre-existing relationship is evident, and their battle of

the sexes is followed closely. Beatrice admits her attraction to

Benedick but is reluctant to act upon it, and at the same time rejects

the idea of giving herself to a man, and jokes about her believing that

she will never find the perfect husband. Beatrice and Benedick’s

relationship is tumultuous from the start of the play because of a

previously soured relationship between the two, and from the beginning

she seems reluctant to trust him as well. Beatrice says to Don Pedro in

response of his noting that she had “lost the heart of Signior

Benedick”, “Indeed, my lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use

for it-a double

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