In the William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, the use of language and communication played an incredible importance as they were emphasized throughout they play. There were two main uses of the language; it was used as a tool for polite social interaction and as a toy that could be manipulated for one’s own enjoyment. The language created difficulty in communicating with others that made the ‘much ado’ out of ‘nothing’, its unreliability brought together Beatrice and Benedict, while it threatened the relationship between Claudio and Hero, it revealed social conformity, was used to mask emotions and its different uses played a role in distinguishing classes. Benedick and Beatrice both loved to manipulate the language to say creative and witty things such as:
Beatrice: Against my will, I am sent to bid you come into dinner.
Benedick: Fair Beatrice, thank you for your pains.
Beatrice: I took no more pains for those thanks than you take pains to thank me. If it had been painful, I would not have come.
Benedick: You take pleasure then in the message?
Beatrice: Yea, just so much as you may take upon a knife's point. You have no stomach, signor? Fare you well.
Benedick: Ha. "Against my will I am sent to bid you come into dinner." There's a double meaning in that. (2.3.247).
These witty conversations helped bring together Beatrice and Benedict. The language was also used as a tool for polite social interaction. An example of this would be the first exchange between Don Pedro and Leonato in Don Pedro says "Good Signor Leonato, are you come to meet your trouble?" (1.1.77). Through the unreliable gossiping that Benedick and Beatrice heard from their respected friends, each thought the other was in love with them. Benedick decided he loved Beatrice because he thought she was in love with him, and Beatrice decided to love Benedick because she thought Benedick was in love with her. This was an example of the language being