Much Ado About Nothing: Express Book Report

Learn more about plot, characters and symbolism in Much Ado About Nothing.

Much Ado About Nothing, written by William Shakespeare, is a play following tangled love stories and trickery. Leonato lives in an Italian town, Messina, with his daughter, Hero, his brother Antonio and his niece Beatrice. Leonato is planning for the arrival of some friends who are returning home from war. Some of the friends arriving are Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick, and Don John. When the friends arrive at Leonato’s house the interactions between characters create humor, twists and turmoil. Claudio immediately falls in love with Hero. Hero confesses similar feelings and the two vow to marry. Leonato’s niece Beatrice has a long standing battle of wit with Benedick. The rest of the group sees through the bickering and realize that Beatrice and Benedick are in love. An effort begins to make Beatrice and Benedick realize the affection that is undeniable to everyone else. To cause trouble, Don John plans a stunt to damage Claudio and Hero’s happiness. One night Don John convinces his friend Barachio to sleep with Hero’s maid Margaret in front of Hero’s window. Don John brings Don Pedro and Claudio to the scene; the men assume that the woman is Hero. Claudio is enraged and embarrasses Hero by leaving her at the altar. Hero’s family announces she is dead, but actually has her in hiding while they wait for the reveal of her innocence. During the time of this ordeal, Beatrice and Benedick have confessed their love to each other. When some watchmen hear Borachio boasting about the trick, he and his comrades are arrested. Claudio now knows Hero was innocent and grieves her. Leonato asks Claudio to announce to the entire town that Hero was innocent and then marry her cousin; who has similar beauty to Hero. At the wedding when the veil is removed, the woman is Hero. Claudio is overcome with joy. Benedick asks for Beatrice’s hand in marriage, and a double wedding takes place.

Main Characters: Leonato- Hero’s father, he is a nobleman in Messina. Hero- young and beautiful woman who falls in love with Claudio but is slandered by Don John. Beatrice- Hero’s cousin who is witty and falls in love with Benedick. Benedick- a soldier and friend of Leonato who marries Beatrice. Claudio- a soldier who falls for Hero but disowns her when she is accused of adultery. Don John- the brother of Don Pedro who masterminds the trick of betrayal.

Symbolism: Hero’s death- Hero’s fake death represented the symbolic rebirth of her public reputation. To regain credibility she had to “die” and be reborn with a new purity. War- As the play opens with soldiers returning home, war is already a central theme. The symbol of war throughout the play represents verbal confrontations. The banter between Beatrice and Benedick is an example of the verbal “warring”. About the Author: William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. His family lived in Stratford England. Many details of Shakespeare’s life are based upon assumption and court records. It is known that he married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582 and they had three children together. Shakespeare went to London and became a well known actor around the year 1592, publishing his first work in 1593. He later joined a group, the Kings Men, as an actor and playwright when the company constructed the Globe Theater. He wrote dozens of sonnets and nearly 37 plays. While rumors surround the life of William Shakespeare, it is accepted that he is a key figure in the history of literature.

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