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Much Ado About Nothing

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Title page of the first quarto (1600)

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. First published in 1600, it was likely first performed in the winter of 1598-1599,[1] and it remains one of Shakespeare's most enduring plays on stage. Stylistically, it shares many characteristics with modern romantic comedies including two pairs of lovers: the romantic leads, Claudio and Hero, and their comic counterparts, Benedick and Beatrice.

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Influences

Shakespeare was likely influenced by several works in his writing of Much Ado About Nothing. The “merry war” between Beatrice and Benedick resembles no specific source, but could have been inspired by Chaucer’s Troilus and Criseyde, while the Claudio and Hero plot could have been based upon Canto V of Orlando Furioso or possibly Matteo Bandello’s Novella (1554). The ideal of the perfect courtier is likely from Baldassare Castiglione’s 1528 work The Book of the Courtier.[2] Beatrice’s playful criticism of men echoes the more violent misandry of Shakespeare’s earlier work, The Taming of the Shrew, while Don John’s spurious treachery and Hero’s victimization suggest his later work, the great tragedy Othello.

Setting

Much Ado About Nothing is set in Messina, a coastal city on the island of Sicily. Though Sicily was ruled by Spain at the time of the play, the characters clearly reflect a more Italian heritage. The action of the play takes place primarily at the home and grounds of Leonato, although some scenes are set in the city itself.

Characters

Dramatis Personae

Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon

Benedick, of Padua; a lord, companion of Don Pedro

Claudio, of Florence; a lord, companion of Don Pedro

Balthasar, attendant on Don Pedro, a singer

Don John, bastard brother of Don Pedro

Borachio, follower of Don John

Conrade, follower of Don John

Leonato, governor of Messina

Hero, Leonato's daughter

Beatrice, an orphan, his niece

Antonio, an old man, brother of Leonato

Margaret, waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Hero

Ursula, waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Hero

Friar Francis

Dogberry, the Constable in charge of the Watch, he uses bad diction

Verges, the Headborough, Dogberry’s partner

A Sexton a good man and the judge of the trial of Borachio

Watchmen

A Boy, serving Benedick

Attendants and messengers

Innogen, a ghost character included in early editions as Leonato's wife

Note: In the original production by the Lord Chamberlain's Men, William Kempe played Dogberry and Richard Cowley played Verges.

Plot

Synopsis

At Messina, Don Pedro, an Italian prince from Aragon and his deputies, Claudio and Benedick have just returned from a successful military campaign. Leonato, the governor of Messina, welcomes them for passing by the city and invites them to stay for a month.

Benedick and Leonato's niece, Beatrice, longtime adversary, carry on their "merry war of words". Claudio’s feelings for Hero, Leonato's young daughter, is kindled on seeing her, and Claudio soon announces to Benedick his intention to court her. Benedick tries to dissuade his friend, but is unsuccessful in the face of Don Pedro’s encouragement. While Benidick teases Claudio, Benidick swears that he will never get married saying,

That a woman conceived me, I thank her; that she brought me up, I likewise give her most humble thanks: but that I will have a recheat winded in my forehead, or hang my bugle in an invisible baldrick, all women shall pardon me. Because I will not do them the wrong to mistrust any, I will do myself the right to trust none; and the fine is, for the which I may go the finer, I will live a bachelor. (Act 1 Scene 1)

To that Don Pedro says, "I shall see thee, ere I die, look pale with love," (Act 1 Scene 1). Later, Don Pedro says "Well, as time shall try: 'In time the savage bull/ doth bear the yoke," (Act 1 Scene 1). This exchange sets up the comical premise for the play.

A masquerade ball is planned in celebration, giving a disguised Don Pedro the opportunity to woo Hero on Claudio’s behalf. Don John uses this situation to get revenge on his brother Don Pedro and Claudio by telling young Claudio that Don Pedro is actually wooing Hero for himself. Claudio then becomes furious at Don Pedro and confronts him. The misunderstanding is quickly resolved and Claudio wins Hero's hand in marriage.

Don Pedro and his men, bored at the prospect of waiting a week for the matrimonial ceremony to take place, harbor a plan to matchmake Beatrice and Benedick. The men, led by Don Pedro, proclaim Beatrice’s love for Benedick while knowing he is eavesdropping on their conversation. The women, led by Hero, do the same likewise to Beatrice. Struck by the "revelations", Beatrice and Benedick, neither willing to bear the reputation of pride and scornfulness, each decide to requite the love of the other.

Meanwhile Don John, Don Pedro's bastard brother, is a malcontent who plots to ruin Claudio and Hero’s wedding plans by casting aspersions upon Hero’s character. His follower Borachio courts Margaret, Hero's chambermaid, calling her “Hero”, at Hero’s open bedroom window while Don John leads Don Pedro and Claudio to spy below. The latter two, mistaking Margaret for Hero, are convinced by what is evidence of Hero's infidelity.

The next day, during the wedding at the church, Claudio climactically refuses to marry Hero. He and Don Pedro humiliate Hero publicly before a stunned congregation. The two leave brusquely, leaving the rest in shock.

"Claudio, deceived by Don John, accuses Hero" by Marcus Stone

Hero, who has fainted from shock, revives after Don Pedro and Claudio leave, only to be reprimanded by her father. The presiding Friar interrupts, believing Hero to be innocent, and he convinces the family to feign Hero's death in order to exact the truth and Claudio’s remorse.

Leonato and Antonio, Hero's uncle, subsequently blame Don Pedro and Claudio for Hero’s death, and both challenge Claudio to duels. Benedick, forcefully prompted by Beatrice, does the same.

Unbeknownst to everyone, however, on the night of Don John's treachery, the local Watch has apprehended Borachio and his ally Conrade. Despite the Watch's comic ineptness (headed by constable Dogberry, a master of malapropisms), they have overheard the duo discussing their evil plans. The Watch arrest them and eventually obtain the villains' confession, whilst informing Leonato of Hero's innocence. Though Don John has meanwhile fled the city, a force is sent to capture him. Claudio, though maintaining he made an honest mistake, is repentant; he agrees to not only post a proper epitaph for Hero, but to marry a substitute, Hero's cousin, in her place.

During Claudio’s second wedding, however, as the dancers enter, the "cousin" is unmasked as Hero herself, to a most surprised and gratified Claudio. An impromptu dance is announced. Beatrice and Benedick, prompted by their friends’ interference, finally confess their love for each other. As the play draws to a merry close, a messenger arrives with news of Don John’s capture – but his punishment is postponed another day so that the couples can enjoy their newfound happiness.

DON JOHNS FIT!

Themes, motifs, and symbolism

Infidelity

A theme common to Much Ado about Nothing and many other of Shakespeare’s works is cuckoldry, or infidelity of a wife. Several of the characters seem to be obsessed by the idea that a man has no way to know if his wife is unfaithful, and therefore women can take full advantage of that fact. Don John plays upon Claudio’s pride and fear of cuckoldry, which leads to the disastrous first wedding scene. Because of their mistrust of women’s sexuality, many of the males easily believe that Hero is impure, and even her father readily condemns her with very little proof. This motif runs through the play, most often in references to horns, which were a well-known symbol of cuckoldry.

Noting

Another motif occurring throughout the work is the play on the words nothing and noting, which, in Shakespeare’s day, were homophones (that is, pronounced the same way).[3] Taken literally, the title implies that a great fuss (“much ado”) is made of something which is insignificant (“nothing”), such as the unfounded claims of Hero’s infidelity. However, the title could also be understood as “Much Ado about Noting.” Indeed, much of the action of the play revolves around interest in and critique of others, written messages, spying, and eavesdropping. Additionally, nothing is a double-entendre, as it was commonly used by Shakespeare as a euphemism for the female genitals. Thus the title could be read as "Much Ado about Female Genitalia".[4]

Examples of noting as noticing occur in the following instances: (1.1.131-132)

Claudio: Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?

Benedick: I noted her not, but I looked on her.

and (4.1.154-157).

Friar: Hear me a little,

For I have only been silent so long

And given way unto this course of fortune

By noting of the lady.

At (3.3.102-104), Borachio indicates that a man’s clothing doesn’t indicate his character:

Borachio: Thou knowest that the fashion of a doublet, or a hat, or a

cloak is nothing to

a man.

A triple play on words in which noting signifies noticing, musical notes, and nothing occurs at (2.3.47-52):

Don Pedro: Nay pray thee, come;

Or if thou wilt hold longer argument,

Do it in notes.

Balthasar: Note this before my notes:

There’s not a note of mine that’s worth the noting.

Don Pedro: Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks—

Note notes, forsooth, and nothing!

Don Pedro’s last line can be understood to mean, “Pay attention to your music and nothing else!”

The following are puns on notes as messages: (2.1.174-176),

Claudio: I pray you leave me.

Benedick: Ho, now you strike like the blind man—‘twas the boy

that stole your meat, and you’ll beat the post.

in which Benedick plays on the word post as a pole and as mail delivery in a joke reminiscent of Shakespeare’s earlier advice “Don’t shoot the messenger”; and (2.3.123-126)

Claudio: Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I remember a pretty

jest your daughter told us of.

Leonato: O, when she had writ it and was reading it over, she

found Benedick and Beatrice between the sheet.

in which Leonato makes a sexual innuendo concerning sheet as a sheet of paper (on which Beatrice’s love note to Benedick is to have been written) and a bedsheet.

Significance of character names

Don Pedro: Pedro is the Spanish form of the Biblical name Peter, which means "stone." The significance of the name is that it immediately identifies him as Spanish—the Italian variant of the name is Pietro.

Benedick: Benedick means "blessed"; the root bene means "good." Note that Benedick and Beatrice have similar meanings.

Claudio: Claudio is derived from claudus, meaning "lame" or "crippled." Claudio is both the Spanish and Italian variant.

Don John: The name John is reminiscent of King John of England (known as Prince John), who had a reputation for treachery and usurpation of the throne. The Spanish variant is properly Juan, which would likely have been pronounced "djoo-en" in Shakespeare’s day. Also, see Don John, the illegitimate son of Charles I of Spain.

Borachio: Borachio is similar to the Spanish word "Borracho", which means "drunkard ".

Leonato: Leonato is derived from the Greek word for lion.

Hero: In Greek mythology, Hero was the lover of Leander. Each night Leander swam across the Hellespont to meet her. When he accidentally drowned while crossing, she threw herself in the water and drowned as well.

Beatrice: Beatrice means "the one that blesses". Note that Benedick and Beatrice have similar meanings.

Dogberry: The name Dogberry reflects Shakespeare’s common practise of giving fools ridiculous-sounding names. Dogberry is also the name of a type of North American wild gooseberry.

Verges: Verges is derived from the word verge, a wand or staff of office.

Noteworthy performances

On stage

On film

There have been several film versions of Much Ado About Nothing, but almost all of them have been made for television. The first cinematic version in English may have been the 1913 silent film directed by Phillips Smalley. The first major non-silent cinematic version in English was the highly acclaimed 1993 film by Kenneth Branagh, filmed in Tuscany with Kenneth Branagh playing Benedick, Emma Thompson as Beatrice, Robert Sean Leonard as Claudio, Denzel Washington as Don Pedro, Keanu Reeves as Don John, Michael Keaton as Dogberry, and Kate Beckinsale as Hero.

Adaptations

Stage Musicals

  • A musical adaptationl of the story was recorded in London in 1996, written and composed by Bernard J. Taylor. It had its first production at Stratford on Avon in 1997, where it received standing ovations at each performance. A major production opened in Budapest, translated into Hungarian by Levente Lõrincz, in June 2007. The 1996 concept recording starred Peter Karrie, Claire Moore, Paul McGann, Barry James, Simon Burke, Janet Mooney, David Pendlebury, and others. It received excellent reviews. Terry Wardrope, in the review magazine Words and Music, wrote: "It's another impressive piece from Bernard Taylor, reinforcing my impression that he is one of the finest British musical talents we have."

other adaptations

In 2005 the BBC adapted the story by setting it in the modern-day studios of Wessex Tonight, a fictional regional news programme, as part of the ShakespeaRe-Told season.

In 2006 the American Music Theatre Project produced The Boys Are Coming Home, a musical adaptation by Berni Stapleton and Leslie Arden that sets Much Ado about Nothing in World War II America.

There is also a play called Score! set around a football club based on the play.

References

  1. ^ See textual notes to Much Ado about Nothing in The Norton Shakespeare (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ISBN 0-393-97087-6) p. 1387
  2. ^ See Stephen Greenblatt’s introduction to Much Ado about Nothing in The Norton Shakespeare (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ISBN 0-393-97087-6) pp. 1381-2
  3. ^ See Stephen Greenblatt’s introduction to Much Ado about Nothing in The Norton Shakespeare (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ISBN 0-393-97087-6) at p. 1383
  4. ^ See Gordon Williams "A Glossary of Shakespeare's Sexual Language" (Althone Press, 1997 ISBN 0-485-12130-1) at p.219: "As Shakespeare's title ironically acknowledges, both vagina and virginity are a nothing causing Much Ado."
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