much ado about nothing
contents
click to edit
Don Pedro and his men arrive in Messina.
There is a masked ball where Don John causes trouble.
Beatrice and Benedick are set up and begin to fall in love.
Don John and Borachio trick Claudio and Don Pedro.
Claudio publically shames Hero on their wedding day.
Dogberry’s men overhear Borachio boasting and arrest him.
Claudio marries Hero’s cousin, but his bride turns out to be Hero.
Beatrice and Benedick realise that they were set up, but want to marry each other anyway.
Everyone is excited at Leonato’s house. Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon, is coming to stay on his way back from battle. Amongst his followers are Benedick, who claims to hate all women, and Claudio, who reveals that he quite fancies Leonato’s daughter, Hero. Don John, Don Pedro’s brother is also there. He is in disgrace for trying to overthrow his brother and is quite grumpy about it
Benedick and Beatrice have an argument, which seems light-hearted and amuses everyone, but ends bitterly. It seems that they might have been together in the past, but Benedick broke Beatrice’s heart
Don Pedro promises Claudio that he will help him win Hero’s heart and sort things out with her father, Leonato. Don Pedro plans to talk to Hero in disguise during the masked ball that evening.
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy set in Italy. It’s about men and women, love, pretence and disguises. It’s about how hatred can turn so easily into love, and love so easily into hatred. There’s a villain that messes it all up for everybody, but like all good stories, the heroes win through in the end.
Don John goes to the masked ball planning to make trouble for Claudio. He is jealous of Claudio because Don Pedro seems to like him so much. He wants to ruin Claudio’s happiness. Don John’s friends Borachio and Conrad willingly agree to help him.
Don John tells Claudio a lie that his brother Don Pedro fancies Hero and intends to marry her himself. Claudio believes Don John and goes off in a huff.
Meanwhile, Benedick wearing a mask, chats Beatrice up. They both pretend not to know who they are talking to and insult each other
Don Pedro sorts things out with Claudio. Claudio and Hero’s wedding date is set for a week’s time.
Don Pedro gets everyone involved in a challenge to get Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love.
The men go to the orchard where Benedick is listening to some music. They pretend that they can’t see him and start to discuss how Beatrice is lovesick for Benedick. It’s all made up, but Benedick believes it and decides that he could fall in love with her after all.
Later, the women go to the orchard and someone sends for Beatrice. As she arrives, they pretend not to see her and start talking about how much Benedick is in love with her. She falls for it, too.
The night before the wedding, Don John tells Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is unfaithful. He tells them that a man visits her bedroom at night. Although this seems very out of character for Hero who is quiet, shy and mild-mannered, Claudio and Don Pedro are ready to believe bad things about her. Don John offers to show them proof at midnight.
This “proof” will be Margaret - Hero’s gentlewoman (pretending to be Hero), kissing Borachio at Hero’s bedroom window. This is all part of Don John’s wicked trick.
Claudio promises that if Don John’s claim turns out to be true, he will publically shame Hero at the altar. Don Pedro agrees that he will back him up.
Benedick and Beatrice calm Leonato down. The Friar suggests that Hero should pretend that she is dead until they can prove that she has been wrongly accused.
Everyone leaves except for Beatrice and Benedick, who declare their love for each other. However, Beatrice is so angry that she asks Benedick to kill Claudio. He is reluctant at first, but to prove that he loves her, he agrees to challenge Claudio to a duel.