Much Ado About Nothing

William Shakespeare wrote over 37 plays that are categorized histories, tragedies, romances, and of course, comedies.  His drama Much Ado About Nothing falls into the category of comedy, but by the standards of the modern world, the comedy is missing.  The drama shows the deception of class and actions can be achieved by all, and that one may not believe only their eyes, but must question even sight.  This comedic tragedy focuses on how evidence can be swayed, even when the evidence is seen by several people and even mentions the differences in classes even though at some times, the class lines are blurred. The classes, power and the truth are the basis of this drama, and through those misgiving topics is the world shown the jest in both.

Within the very first act the concept of classes is given to the audience.  A messenger arrives at the home of Leonato with a letter from Don Pedro of Arragon.  His response to Leonato upon the number of men lost in the war is But few of any sort, and none of name (I.i.7).  This sets the tone that those without name are not as worthy as those of noble birth.  This is exemplified by Leonato, A victory is twice itself when the achiever brings home full numbers (I.i.8-9).

The other way in which the classes are shown, and even how they are blurred, is through the waiting gentlewomen Ursula and Margaret that are not noble, but are not true servants other than they wait on Hero and Beatrice and are their companions, and through the persona of the Prince, Don Pedros brother, Don John, the bastard brother (Shakespeare 366), and While Don John is not called a bastard aloud in the drama, it is how he is introduced in the cast.  The fact that he is an illegitimate son of the Princes father makes it known that while the Prince accepts him as a noble, his is not a true noble, and others only give him respect because of his brother.  This plays out in Leonatos greeting to Don John in which he says, Let me bid you welcome, my lord, being reconcild with your brother I owe you all duty (I.i.154-156). Even from the beginning, Don John is seen as a type of outcast and thus he uses his outcast status to reek havoc on the people of Messina and to those noble of birth that are in the service of his brother.

In Act 2, Scene I as the revelers enter the festival, it is apparent that they are all wearing masks and are thus all of the same class.  The only differences would be in the clothes that are worn, but even the gentlewomen are dressed fashionably but not lavishly.  The soldiers all wear similar attire, and only differing masks, which shows they are all of the Princes soldiers, but does not let the Prince stand out.  However, this is also the scene in which Don John begins his deceptions.  Don Pedro and Claudio devise a plan in which Don Pedro will court Hero in the name of Claudio, and will get her fathers approval to the match (I.i.315-329).

Don John hears about this plan and as it is being fulfilled whispers to Claudio I heard him swear his affection of Hero (II.i.168), but he also insinuates the difference in class, I pray you dissuade him from her, she is no equal for his birth (II.i.164-165).  These statements are coming from the illegitimate brother who is not of equal birth, but still believes that he his of higher birth then Hero.  It is also from this piece of spoken evidence that Claudio is overcome with belief that the Prince is stealing Hero from him.  Luckily this farce does not play out for very long.  Beatrice brings Claudio back and the situation is resolved as Don Pedro hands Hero over to Claudio and the wedding day is set (II.i.296-301). Immediately, after the correction of this initial deception of Don John, the Prince, Leonato, Claudio, and Hero, decide on playing cupid between Benedict and Beatrice.  In the time until the wedding of Hero and Claudio, the next deception will be completed but only with the help of those present. All agree and the plan is set to begin, in hopes that Beatrice and Benedict will marry (II.i.362-370).  Nothing more is said at this point and the time continues, but merriness continues.

This first deception of Don John easily undone, that a new deception of Don John is again placed in the minds of the audience. The plot is between Borachio and Don John and is laid out.  In the ensuing discussion, it is explained that Borachio will call Margaret by the name of Hero, and she will call him Borachio.  It is up to Don John to get the Prince, Don Pedro, and Count Claudio in place so that they can see this occur in Heros bedroom window.  Borachio explains that this plan will misuse the Prince, to vex Claudio, to undo Hero and kill Leonato (II.ii28-29).  Of course, any plan to deceive and cause problems for his brother, Don Pedro, and the favorite, Claudio, is a grand plan to Don John.  He offers Borachio one thousand ducats if all goes as planned (II.ii.51-53). The plan is set, on the part of Don John, but there is more deception afoot.

Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio began the charade with allowing Benedick to over hear them talking about the love that Beatrice, supposedly, had for him.  They find him hidden in a garden and sit to discuss this new event. Don Pedro starts it What was it you told me to-day, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick (II.iii.90-91). Benedick even thinks for a moment that this is a ploy, but because the white-bearded fellow speaks it then in Benedicks mind it is the truth (II.iii.118-119). The farce continues on with the decision not to tell Benedick of the love stating he would make but a sport of it and torment the lady worse (II.iii.156-157). After they leave, Benedick looks into himself, and realizes that he does favor Beatrice, and even resolves When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married (II.iii.242-244). Benedick has taken the bait and is falling in love with Beatrice.

Hero employs the help of two gentlewomen, Ursula and Margaret.  Margret is to bring Beatrice to the garden with the ploy that Ursula and Hero are talking of her (III.i.4-12).  When Beatrice arrives, the two women talk of the love that Benedick has for Beatrice (III.i.37-39).  However, just as the men stating that Benedick would scorn Beatrices love, Hero and Ursula state similar beliefs it were not good she knew his love, lest shell make sport at it (III.i.57-58). Just as Benedick gave into his true feelings, so does Beatrice in that she states I will require thee, taming my wild heart to thy loving hand (III.i.111112).

Act 3, Scene 2 enters Don John again with news that disheartens Claudio and the Prince, Don Pedro.  On the eve of the wedding, Don John takes Don Pedro and Claudio to an orchard to hide and watch Heros bedroom window.  Don John promises that they will see her with another man (III.ii.109-116). The scene does not play out that the audience gets to see the action and events that lead up to the deception but are placed in an alley with the culprit who has deceived Claudio and slandered Hero (III.iii.144-152).  This speech also says that the orchard in which Claudio, Don John, and Don Pedro were hidden was afar off and not very close to the actual window (III.iii.151).  This would seem to have created the misunderstanding that Margaret was hero and that she was with another man, Borachio.  The evidence to some seems to be obvious, but to the audience, it is known to be false.

As promised, the Prince and Claudio defile and slander Hero at the altar.  They call her rotten orange (IV.i.32), approved wanton (IV.i.44), and that she is like those pampred animals that rage in savage sensuality (IV.i.60-61). They accuse Hero, with their own eyes and say that she was with another man the night before.  Even though she begs that it was not her and that she is a maid, it is obvious that the men are not going to accept her words.   Even her father turns on her and states death is the fairest cover for her shame (IV.i.116). Here not just class, but gender plays a major role.  Leonato refuses to believe his only child, who is female, but will believe men, one prince, one count, and an illegitimate bother to the prince over his daughter.  He states, Would the two princes lie, and Claudio lie (IV.i.152).

Most of the wedding guests left and believed Hero to be dead.  However, in truth she had only fainted, but this led to one last deception.  The Friar officiating the wedding create the deception of the death of Hero until her name could be cleared, or she could be sent to a nunnery (IV.i.210-243). Thus Hero left with the Friar to be hidden.  The others left to mourn the loss of Hero to the world.  This left only Beatrice and Benedick alone in the church where they finally admit their love (IV.i.267-273), and Benedick promises to challenge Claudio for the slander of an innocent lady (V.i185-193).

The deceptions begin to fall apart once more, for the night before the wedding, Borachio and Conrad, Don Johns manservant, were discovered in the alley, where Borachio confessed all to Conrad.  Unfortunately, Leonato would not hear the claims that morning since the wedding was that day, but the sexton was found and the villains were brought before him.  The guard told the sexton what had transpired, and the Sexton, verified that Don John had fled just that morning.  When they were finally brought before the Prince and Claudio, the scheme was uncovered, and both Don Pedro and Claudio repented, and begged forgiveness of Leonato.

There is one last deception that the audience knows must come to light, but the revenge and sufferance that must be first achieved to fulfill the punishment of Leonato.  After the night of mourning for Hero, Claudio is to marry the niece of Leonato.  He agrees without thinking of it twice.  He realizes that he has been deceived, not just by Don John and Borachio, but by his own eyes.  He can trust nothing any longer.  Thus when it is time to marry, the women enter the church in masks, and he is told he cannot see her face until after he is wed.  Thus he states
Claudio Give me your hand before this holy friar  I am your husband if you like of me.
Hero And when I livd, I was your other wife, and when you lovd, you were my other husband
(V.iv.58-62).

This is the best deception uncovered in the entire play.  The audience must believe that the drama is done and no more deceptions are left, but there is one more.  Beatrice and Benedick are still refusing to admit their love before anyone but themselves and one another.  They both deny to love one another, and even when told that they were tricked into their affections, and only after proof given of their love in the form of letters and verse, did the two finally admit to their love and wed as well (V.iv.73-99).

Throughout this drama, it the deceptions grow and grow.  The beginning deception is just an appetizer for the larger and more dramatic deceptions that follow.  From the beginning, the only evidence that was ever used, were lies and sight.  The deceptions were not only intricate, but the fact that those being deceived were easily turned to the belief of the worst shows that people would prefer to believe the worst in those around them.  The use of Beatrice and Benedick and the deceptions used to make them fall in love with one another, shows how easily people can be swayed by words, whether true or not.  One would love to believe that another loved them.  If they over hear it, they will believe it.

The best way to describe this is that humans are fickle.  This drama shows that whether the deceit is for happy purposes, or bad, the human will believe what they are told, and will see what they want to see as long as it reinforces what they are told.  It would have been easy for the Prince or Claudio to justify that the evidence was not hard core because of the distance they were from the window, however, because they knew that it was Heros bedroom window and they were told that it was Hero in the window, that is what they saw in the middle of the night from the orchard.

The issue of class was another factor in the drama.  It should be noted that only nobles were of any consequence in regards to deaths in battle.  However, it was also the lower born gentlewoman that was used by the common soldier to slander Hero.  The actions of the gentlewoman were within her class whereas they were unacceptable to the noble born Beatrice and Hero. The other account in which Leonato believes noble born men, even one that was illegitimate over his own daughter proves that class was not just by birth, but by gender as well.

Much Ado About Nothing is exactly that.  There were problems, issues, deceptions and fights all over a misunderstanding.  The morale of the story is to not just trust words and eyes, but question everything and think for yourself.  It is not that all humans are fickle, but only those that would allow themselves to be tricked into believing that lies were truth and truth were lies.   The drama also gives insight into the times, where men were believed over women in most cases.  While this has little to do with being tricked, it does say much for the society in which Shakespeare lived and the actions of those around him.  Shakespeare wrote nothing without hidden meanings, and this drama is no different.  He used Much Ado About Nothing to show his countrymen and peers the perils of their society and their ways.