Much Ado About Nothing Essay Questions

Who is the protagonist of the play?

Much Ado About Nothing is a unique play in that there is no real discernible protagonist. That the younger characters are so naive about their approach to love makes them difficult to root for, while the older and wiser characters are not without their own faults. The most likely candidate for the play's protagonist is Hero, as she is innocent in her behavior and wrongly accused of infidelity, an accusation that eventually destroys her reputation. Hero's image is restored at the end of the play when it is revealed that she was innocent all along. In many ways, Hero is a protagonist because she is a casualty of other characters' (especially Claudio) overvaluation of reputation as truth.

What elements of the play make Much Ado About Nothing a comedy?

Much Ado About Nothing was originally published and continues to be included among Shakespeare's comedies, and with good reason. In many ways it is a textbook comic play, featuring comic conventions like irony, wordplay, and playful deception. While Don John's plot to destroy Hero's reputation borders on the darker side of traditional comic plots, the end of the play – in which Hero's reputation is restored and she and Claudio are once again betrothed – subscribes to the typical comic ending of at least one marriage. In this case, another marriage – that between Beatrice and Benedick – contributes even more evidence to the classification of the play as a comedy.

How does the courtship between Hero and Claudio compare to that between Beatrice and Benedick?

The play establishes the romances between Hero and Claudio and Beatrice and Benedick as foils for one another, as they both feature young lovers who wind up married by the play's end. However, the two courtships are vastly different: Claudio's pursuit of Hero is rather by-the-book, rife with formalities and ceremony (a fact that has led some to question the true depth of Claudio's purported love for Hero). By contrast, the love between Benedick and Beatrice begins as detestation and conflict as they quarrel with one another until their friends step in to help them realize their true feelings. The latter relationship is therefore portrayed as more organic and true, especially considering Claudio's willingness to abandon Hero based on rumor and reputation alone.

How do lies and deceit factor into the development of the plot?

One of the central themes of the play is deception, which many characters attempt to use to their advantage. The earliest form of deception appears between Beatrice and Benedick, who hide their affection for one another through insults and quarrels. Then, Don John stages a malicious plot of deception when he stages the sexual encounter between Borachio and Margaret and blames it on Hero. Finally, Leonato and Beatrice deceive Claudio when they clear Hero's reputation but allow Claudio to believe she is dead. Deception is a common convention of early modern comedy which often leads to hijinks and misunderstanding. However, in Much Ado, characters' deceptive propensities are exactly what usher in the play's more tragic elements.

Is Claudio a hero or a villain in the play?

On the surface, Claudio can be interpreted as a protagonist of the play: he is a skilled soldier who falls in love with Hero, pursues her according to custom, renounces his affection when she is (allegedly) caught cheating, and restores his love when she is proven innocent of the accusations. However, a deeper reading of the play suggests that Claudio himself possesses some unsavory attributes. His affection for Hero changes according to her reputation, showcasing how easily Claudio is swayed by popular opinion and public image. His pursuit of Hero is also suspect, as it is often performative, based on formalities rather than natural affection. While readers may not perceive Claudio as the villain of the play per se (that title goes to Don John), his approach to love is markedly pompous and amateurish.