Research on Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing is a play filled with deception, love and most importantly lies. Throughout the play, Shakespeare creates scenes where misunderstandings and lies help develop and destroy relationships and characters. The couples are influenced by the efforts of others to find their love for each other or doubt their love for each other. There are a lot of examples to deception. The tricks played on people often have the best intentions, to make people fall deeply in love, or to make someone realize the big mistake they made. Not all the deceptions have good intentions. Although there are a lot of characters in the play, I chose to do my essay on how all the lies affect the relationships of the people; Benedick and Beatrice and also Claudio and Hero. I chose these people because lies and deception is a very big part of their relationships and everyday lives. As Don Pedro and his brother Don John, Claudio and Benedick return from a victorious war, preparations have been made for them as they return. Beatrice and Hero plan to greet and welcome them peacefully into their space and home. As they arrive they greet each other after a long time not seeing each other, apart from the arguments and aggressiveness between Benedick and Beatrice who always has to argue. This is seen by all the other people that were there who wonder if they really hate each other or maybe they are just hiding their feelings and deceiving themselves and each other. The opposite happens with the couple Claudio and Hero, The moment Claudio sees Hero he instantly falls in love with her.

At the Masked Ball, everyone has to wear a mask, the people feel free to spread rumors and talk about each other because no one knows whom he or she are actually talking to. At the ball, Benedick and Beatrice are dancing together not knowing whom they are paired with. Suddenly Beatrice starts talking to her partner while they continue to dance. She adds “why, he is the prince’s jester, a very dull full. Only his gift is in devising possible slander.” obviously by saying this, she is implying that Benedick is just a loser that the only job is to entertain the prince. The lie may seem to just push themselves further away from each other but actually, it's just bringing them closer. Later in Scene 3 Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato are planning to play a nasty trick on Benedick into believing Beatrice had told her cousin Hero that she loved Benedick. This is actually a lie that will have a pretty big effect on what he thinks of her, changing the course of their relationship.

Benedick hears what happened and he slips awkwardly into the lover's role when Beatrice comes to call him for dinner and thanks her with a regular verse: “Fair Beatrice, I thank you for your pains.” This takes their relationship forward. In Act 3 close to the same thing happens to Beatrice. Hero and Ursula wait until Beatrice is passing and in hearing distance and say that Benedick told Don Pedro that he loves Beatrice. She is shocked by this news at the fact that Benedick had hidden feelings for her. Now both of them think that they love each other. They rejoice in this knowledge. Through deceit and lying their feelings have changed towards each other very good. The deception by Don John was with evil meaning. He decided to ruin all good before relationships.

He gets his friend Borachio to hook-up with Margaret, a maid. At night Don John leads Don Pedro and Claudio past the building where Borachio is in the room with Margaret. Through the window of the house, Claudio thinks that Margaret the maid is actually Hero because they look alike and it is pretty dark and then he hears Borachio call out “Hero” because of another deception. At the wedding the next morning, Claudio disagrees to marry and humiliates Hero in front of everybody. This relationship has been ruined by lies and deceit. Hero then fainted, but then revives after Don Pedro and Claudio leave the wedding, only to be scolded by her father. After the day's horrible events, Benedick and Beatrice confess their love for each other. Beatrice then asks Benedick to kill Claudio. “Kill Count Claudio.” She said. “Ha! Not for the wide world.” Replied Benedick. Beatrice leaves with the feeling of rejection. The Friar believes Hero is innocent and convinces the family to fake Hero’s death in order to get the truth out and Claudio’s remorse. When the truth of the deceit about Hero becomes public, Claudio is shattered and believing Hero is dead he agrees to marry hero’s cousin. During Claudio’s second wedding, the “cousin” is actually Hero and Claudio is very surprised and happy. Beatrice and Benedick, finally confess their love for each other to everyone to know.

In conclusion, the whole play shows that lies will destroy relationships and mend them. They bring true feelings to show which may have never come out, so when in a relationship always be honest and do not let other people fool you.