Much Ado About Nothing Research Paper

Much Ado About Nothing Essay

Written in 1598 and 1599, Much Ado About Nothing is considered one of Shakespeare’s best comedies. Shakespearean comedies consists 4 major components; Lovers who overcome obstacles, a compilation of tragedies and plot twists, mistaken identity, and clever word play. The Play Much Ado About nothing is a compilation of all 4 components. The clever word play between the main characters is the main source of the humor. Especially the verbal duals between Benedick and Beatrice, who were once enemies to each other but then turned into lovers. The play takes unforeseen turn when Don John plots to create mischief and ruin the impending marriage between Claudio and Hero. Instead of doing it himself, Don John entrusted
This wordplay is also used within the play itself. While preparing to sing his song, Balthasar shuffles with the word ‘note’. ‘There’s not a note of mine that’s worth the noting’(2.3.55-60). Don Pedro added to this by saying,’Notes, notes, forsooth, and nothing’ (2.3.55–60). During the time of Shakespeare, the word ‘nothing’ was pronounced as ‘noting’- meaning paying attention or taking note. ‘Noting’ during this time could also lewdly mean for a woman’s lack of a heterolsexual intercourse.

The love between the Claudio and Hero in the play is vastly dramatized. Claudio and Hero's love came across as overly dramatized and their love seemed to have no depth. The two only met not many days ago. Claudio used Don Pedro to woo Hero into falling in love with him. Don John wanted Hero to himself and plotted to break up the impending marriage Claudio and Hero. When it was discovered Hero was wrongly accused of being unfaithful, Claudio only apologized and the couple returned to each other as if nothing ever happened. Their love didn't come across as sincere to begin with. For that reason their love in the play was written in an exaggerated manner. Their love seemed to only be on the surface. The couple had no intention on marrying in the beginning of the story. The love between Benedick and Beatrice is dramatic in a the sense where they once try to out wit each other with insults and then become lovers.
Hero was also proven that she was innocent and the conspirators of the evil plot were caught and received punishment. The entire play is conspired around tricking lovers into falling for each other. The title of the play, Much Ado About Nothing, could possibly mean the play had much to do with noted what’s meaningful and what’s nonsense. The wordplay throughout the play brings humor into the play. Much of the play consists of the characters trying to decipher between truth and falsehood and still pursue love. Mistaken identity was used by the characters in the play in order to deceive someone or make someone fall in love with another. The play is also considered a Shakespearean comedy being that the play hold the 4 main factors that make up a Shakespearean