1598 - Much Ado About Nothing - "...war-thoughts have left their places vacant, in their rooms come thronging soft and delicate desires…”

1598 - Much Ado About Nothing  - "...war-thoughts have left their places vacant, in their rooms come thronging soft and delicate desires…” 

Although 1598 saw the publication of his plays Love's Labour's Lost and Henry IV Part 1, Shakespeare may not have received any money for these publications. The listing of Shakespeare’s name on as the principle actor for Ben Jonson’s Every Man in His Humour meant that he must have still been pursuing the triple life as playwright, actor and country land owner.

After the turmoil of the previous couple of years, Shakespeare must have been thinking much about what makes human nature when he penned ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ in 1598. It may seem like 1598 was a lean year for Shakespeare on paper but the fact of the matter is, he was probably reaping the benefits of revivals of his most successful recent plays ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and the Henry IV plays. He also knew that he must milk the Henry IV plays as much as he could before writing the most anticipated play of this sequence ‘Henry V’.

The emergence back in 1598 in the streets of London of so many soldiers who had been fighting the wars in Ireland meant that Shakespeare was not lost for stories and background for ‘Henry V’. He would have been collecting stories and material for this play, but Shakespeare must have felt that the rumours that abounded about what was really happening in Ireland with the wars and rebellion must have made writing Henry V in 1598 a little too controversial. These rumours were further compounded by stories that Elizabeth I had started to make political overtures to James VI in Scotland. Shakespeare would have put this project on the shelf for the moment. On the business front, after buying the 2^nd biggest house in Stratford, Shakespeare had also bought a quite large granary in Stratford upon Avon. 

So with business in order, a history play almost complete, Shakespeare turned to more poetic pursuits. He probably continued writing sonnets and was thinking about writing a comedy when one day after greeting a bright spring day, Shakespeare went out into the streets of London and he probably saw soldiers in the street and lovers on the doorsteps. It was then that it probably occurred to Shakespeare to write a comedy set in the Italian country town of Messina as soldiers return from war. As the talk of Ireland and the wars filled the streets, Shakespeare probably thought of creating a play with meandering plots dependent on overheard conversations, mischievous plotting and misunderstandings. Shakespeare always liked multiple plots and having events within one plot balanced by other events so with these ideas in mind Shakespeare started to write Much Ado About Nothing.

In Messina, Leonato and his young daughter, Hero, and her cousin Beatrice, wait for Don Pedro and his soldiers to return from war. Beatrice asks about one of Don Pedro’s men called Benedick who she mocks and berates. It is revealed that she was once romantically involved with Benedick and that in their last war of words and wits Beatrice claims that “… four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one…”

When Don Pedro and his men arrive, with intentions to stay at least a month, Leonato welcomes them. Don Pedro, Benedick and the new war hero Claudio are welcomed heartily, while Don Pedro’s half brother Don John is ignored while his grievances and distain for his brother and his companions, fester in his heart. Beatrice and Benedick have a bout of banter with balestra and they beat parries mixed with puns and metaphoric moulinets which are punctuated by Benedick final parry that he has never loved a woman and never will and Beatrice's riposte that this is indeed “…a dear happiness to women.”

When Claudio and Benedick are left alone, Claudio admits secretly to Benedick that he has fallen in love with Hero. Benedick bemoans the fact that he seems to have lost another friend to love. Claudio meanders off on melancholic paths. Don Pedro enters again and Benedick tells him Claudio’s secret. Don Pedro thinks that this is wonderful and to help matters along (since he thinks that Claudio’s shyness may prove an impediment), Don Pedro suggests that he should disguise himself as Claudio at the ball that night and profess Claudio’s love for Hero. Don Pedro decides he will also talk to Hero’s father Leonato advocating Claudio as a good match for Hero. Little do they know that servants will hear and mishear this conversation.

Inside Leonato’s large house, a little while later, Leonato is conversing with his eldest brother Antonio who tells him that he has been told by a servant that Don Pedro loves Leonato’s daughter Hero and that he will declare his love for her at the ball tonight and then ask Leonato for her hand in marriage. Obviously, Don Pedro’s statement of his intention to woo Hero, albeit pretending to be Claudio, is the basis for this rumor. This is, of course, where the rumors and half-heard conversations start to wind up the plot, and allow a simple love story to turn into a story of misconception, deception and the meandering course of true love. Leonato is initially skeptical and declares he will not believe the rumor until he sees Don Pedro approach to court Hero.

In another part of the extremely large house, Don John, Don Pedro’s half-brother is telling his servant Conrad that he resents having to put on a happy disposition with Don Pedro so that he can receive economic and social favours. Don John’s other servant, Borachio enters and we hear his more accurate retelling of Claudio’s love for Hero and Don Pedro’s plan to disguise himself as Claudio to help along the course of love. Don John hates Claudio because of his reputation and he decides he will cause trouble for both his half-brother Don Pedro and for Claudio. Indeed, Don John seems to generally hate the world and wants to take revenge on the world for having made him the bastard and his brother Fortune’s golden boy. Shakespeare will return later in 'KIng Lear' to his contemplations that bastards are... well ‘bastards’ by nature, but for the moment, he Don John is his portrait of villainy. Don John’s reasons for causing trouble are given greater gravity by his illegitimacy and Don John's sense of that villainy is in his nature is shown when Don John boastfully declares that:

“… I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain.”

Much Ado About Nothing Act 2  “Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more,

Men were deceivers ever, one foot in sea and one on shore, to one thing constant never…”

There is a great artistry and ease that seems to have come to Shakespeare around the time he write ‘Much Ado About Nothing’. He uses more free verse in this play than almost any other before, yet the sense of emotional changes in characters and poetic weaving of intricate multiple plots is as strong as ever.

Act 2 of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ echoes with elements and sequences that resonated subtly in ‘Romeo and Juliet’. We start before the start of the masked ball with Hero and Beatrice floating the idea that the perfect man would be a combination between the almost completely silent Don John and the over-verbose Benedick. Beatrice declares that she will never marry even though Leonato and Antonio believe that Don Pedro will, that very evening, ask her to marry him.

The masked ball begins, the music strikes up, masks are put on and the men seek partners for a dance and a conversation. Balthasar (Don Pedro’s musician) finds a welcome partner in Margaret (Hero’s servant), while Don Pedro dances and flirts with Hero pretending to be Claudio. Beatrice is partnered with Benedick but pretends to not know him and insults Benedick pretending that her partner is some other stranger. Benedick is truly upset by Beatrice’s onslaught.

Don John is up to mischief and decides he will make Claudio jealous by claiming that his brother Don Pedro is trying to win Hero’s heart for himself and not for Claudio. Don John sidles up to the wallflower Claudio and pretends to think that he is Benedick. Claudio plays along with this. Don John declaims that Don Pedro is courting hero for himself and states that Don Pedro means to marry her this very night. Don John leaves. Claudio is taken in by this lie and when the real Benedick enters to strike up a conversation, Claudio storms out. Then Don Pedro joins Benedick with Hero and her father, Leonato, and Benedick sees that Don Pedro is true to his words and has wooed Hero for Claudio. Benedick then sinks back into hurt over Beatrice’s earlier statements when low and behold, Beatrice returns having retrieved Claudio. Benedick begs to be sent on some meaningless errand for Don Pedro and when this is refused, he goes anyway.

Claudio is informed of Don Pedro’s success in getting Hero to agree to marry him, Claudio, and Don Pedro announces that Leonato supports the marriage. Claudio is overjoyed. Beatrice declares again that she will never marry and when Don Pedro offers to marry her, Beatrice witterly rejects his offer:

“No, my lord, unless I might have another for

working-days: your grace is too costly to wear

every day.”

When Beatrice leaves, Leonato and Claudio discuss the wedding date which is finally fixed for the next Monday. Don Pedro suggests that in the meantime they should find a way to get Beatrice and Benedick to stop arguing and contrive a way for them to fall in love. They all agree to help Don Pedro with this.

With one opportunity lost, Don John decides to try another tact and his plans turn more sinister. With Borachio’s help he plans to make it look as if Hero is not virtuous and in one fell swoop.

Meanwhile Don John, with Borachio’s help, plots to ruin Claudio and Hero’s wedding by casting aspersions upon Hero’s character. They plan to have Borachio who courts Margaret, the chambermaid of Hero, call Margaret ‘Hero’ when they court next near Hero’s open bedroom window and then Don John will make sure Don Pedro hears and sees this and thus Don Pedro will think Hero unfaithful to Claudio. This way Don John will get the better of Don Pedro, thwart Claudio, undermine Hero reputation and he also insinuates that he will top all this off with killing Leonato for some obscure reason.

Later, in the garden, Benedick talks to himself about how men in love are idiots and how no intelligent man would fall in love. Then he hears Don Pedro and Claudio entering and he hides. After Don John’s manipulations and machinations, Don Pedro’s plans sound infantile by comparison. He. Leonato and Claudio move to a place in the garden where they know Benedick can overhear their conversation and they talk about how they have just heard that Beatrice is in love with Benedick but that she will never reveal this to Benedick for fear he would make fun of her. Don Pedro ends by stating that although he loves Benedick that he thinks he is unworthy of Beatrice’s love. They then leave for dinner and Benedick reveals himself and he is, for the first time in the play, lost for words. He decides that he will pity Beatrice and pander a bit to her desires. Fortunously, Beatrice has been sent to get Benedick for dinner and when scorns and then mocks him, Benedick treats it as a symbol of her true devotion to him. She leaves him perplexed and Benedick declares that he will take pity on her and even have a portrait made:

“Against my will I am sent to bid you come in

to dinner;' there's a double meaning in that… If I do

not take pity of her, I am a villain; if I do not

love her, I am a Jew. I will go get her picture.”

Much Ado About Nothing Act 3  “…then loving goes by haps,

some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps..”

Shakespeare likes multiple plots and having events within one plot balanced by another event. Just as in Act 2, when Don Pedro and Claudio make sure that Benedick overhears a conversation about Beatrice loving him, Act 3 starts with Beatrice overhearing Hero tell Ursula that she has been told by Claudio and Don Pedro that Benedick is hopelessly in love with Beatrice. When Ursula says that Hero should tell Beatrice, Hero states that Beatrice would mock Benedick and this would break his heart. They end the conversation by praising Benedick’s looks and intellect.

Hero and Ursula exit and Beatrice staggers out, in disbelief at what she has heard and the fact that others would regard her so full of pride and scorn. Beatrice, like Benedick decides that she must take pity on Benedick:

“What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true?

Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn so much?

Contempt, farewell! and maiden pride, adieu!

No glory lives behind the back of such.

And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee,

Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand:

If thou dost love, my kindness shall incite thee

To bind our loves up in a holy band;

For others say thou dost deserve, and I

Believe it better than reportingly.”

We switch back to Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato who are teasing Benedick about his previous vow to never marry. Benedick rises to the bait and declares that he has changed his opinions and they then tease him with the belief that he is in love. Benedick, for the second time in the play, is lost for words and takes Leonato aside to converse on some matter. Enter Don John.

Don John approaches Don Pedro and Claudio and claims that he wants to save Don Pedro’s reputation and protect Claudio from a huge marital mistake by telling them that Hero is not a virtuous woman and she is not virtuous and is seeing other men besides Claudio. Don John offers to show them proof by taking them to below Hero’s window to see how unfaithful she is to Claudio by catching her with another man in her own bedroom. In fact we know that they will in fact be seeing Borachio call Margaret, Hero’s chambermaid, “Hero” in their loveplay at the window of Hero’s bedchamber while Hero is away. Don Pedro is suspicious of Don John’s ‘honest’ account. but agrees to go along. Don John has, however, feed into Claudio’s insecurities and Claudio wants to see if this is true, and claims that if it is confirmed, that he will publicly disgrace Hero at her own wedding.

By this time in his career, Shakespeare has learnt how to use comedy for poignant dramatic and narrative purposes and to have seemingly discordant scenes and characters crucially link into the progression of his plays. So we switch to a street in the town near Leonato’s house where Dogberry and The Watch are overzealously and pedantically going over their duties. We see that even a simple task like having people stand when Don Pedro passes is beyond their capabilities. In short, it seems the only misdemeanor or crime that Dogberry is insistent on them enforcing is preventing the townspeople from stealing their spears. Their final orders include keeping their eyes out for trouble because of the wedding the next day. Dogberry departs with Verges.

The remaining watchmen are alert enough only to the call of sleep when they overhear Borachio and Conrad (Don John’s co-conspirators) taking about the while of Do John and Borachio’s evil exploits. They overhear that Borachio ravished Margaret, Hero’s chambermaid at hero’s window and that this was seen by Claudio who now thinks that Hero lacks virtue. They arrest Borachio and Conrad for “lechery” even though we know they mean “treachery”.

We then advance to the morning of Hero and Claudio’s wedding, Hero is excited but has a strange unease that something will go terribly wrong – a subtle foreshadowing of the events of the morning still to come. They discuss the wedding and even Beatrice now seems to be in high spirits and positive about the coming wedding. Claudio arrives with everyone else for the wedding to commence.

At the busiest moment, when Leonato is about to enter the church, Dogberry and Verges sidle up to Leonato and try to talk to him about two important criminals that they caught that night that they want Leonato to interrogate. If Leonato had interrogated these captives there and then we would not have a five act drama and a meandering plot that also will bring Beatrice and Benedick into one another’s arms. But Leonato is busy with the wedding and Dogberry and Verges convoluted explanations mean that he passes on the interrogation task to them believing this to be a trivial matter that doesn’t affect him. How wrong this decision will prove. 

Much Ado About Nothing Act 4  “She knows the heat of a luxurious bed.

Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.”

Weddings normally occur at the end of Shakespeare’s comedies but here in Act 4 of ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ the beginning of the wedding of Claudio and Hero will prove the climatic event in which Hero’s virtue is questioned, and Benedick will be asked to prove his love for Beatrice by promising to kill his friend Claudio.

All seems to be going well with the wedding until Claudo questions Leonato about him giving away his daughter. Then he launches into a tirade:

“… Leonato, take her back again:

Give not this rotten orange to your friend;

She's but the sign and semblance of her honour….

She knows the heat of a luxurious bed;

Her blush is guiltiness, not modesty.”

The scene becomes disturbing and dramatically charged as Don Pedro reveals that the night before he, Claudio and Don John had seen, in a window, Hero with a man in her bed chamber.

“Myself, my brother and this grieved count

Did see her, hear her, at that hour last night

Talk with a ruffian at her chamber-window…”

Leonato asks if any man has a dagger with which he could kill himself out of shame, while Hero swoons in distress. Claudio, Don Pedro, and Don John storm out of the wedding. Benedick and Beatrice stay to look after Hero. Leonato suggests that Hero’s death would be the best way to cover the shame.

The Friar, who has been watching these strange events unfold, intervenes and says that he observed only shock on Hero’s face at the accusations and believes her to be innocent. Hero wakes up and reinforces that she has been faithful to Claudio, but since Beatrice who normally sleeps in the same chamber as Hero did not sleep there last night, Hero has no alibi. Benedick suggests that the accusation is a lie and thinks that Don John must be behind it. Then the Friar thinks of a clever plan whereby Hero will pretend to be dead so that even Claudio and Don Pedro will feel sorrow and grief and the truth will be revealed. He suggests that the worst case scenario would see Hero end up in solitude in a nunnery. Leonato states that his grief would make him go along with anything. The Friar, Leonato and Hero go off to plan Hero’s fake death. Benedick and Beatrice are left alone and Benedick pledges that he would do anything for Beatrice. Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio for his slander and cruelty to Hero. Benedick initially says he won’t but eventually agrees to undertake the task.

“Enough, I am engaged; I will challenge him. I will

kiss your hand, and so I leave you. By this hand,

Claudio shall render me a dear account.”

Meanwhile Dogberry, Verges, the Sexton, the leader of the Watch and his men of the Watch bring their prisoners Borachio and Conrad in for interrogation. Dogberry wants everything written down, even the most unimportant details and this becomes a running joke in the scene. Borachio is forced to admit that he was paid by Don John to stage a charade where he met with Margaret but pretended that she was Hero. The Sexton recounts what happened at the wedding and realizes the significance of this information especially now that he, and most people, believe that Hero is dead. He then calls for Borachio and Conrad to be bound so that he can bring them before Leonato to reveal all that has happened. Dogberry bemoans the fact everything wasn’t written down especially the last statement that he is an ass.

Much Ado About Nothing Act 5 –  “… it is proved my Lady Hero hath been falsely accused, the prince and Claudio mightily abused;

and Don John is the author of all, who is fed and gone…”

Years ago when I taught in the Middle-East, I taught Shakespeare to students including female Muslim students from Afghanistan to Lebanon and students from Indian and Anglo-Celtic backgrounds. All seemed to like ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Macbeth’, but what I was struck with is the powerful discussions that ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ would always evoke. The slandering of Hero for her alleged lack of virtue, the devastation this causes her father and cousin, the ease with which a woman’s reputation is sullied by a man, would always be a hot topic when reading or doing scenes from this play. Many students would think that Claudio and Don Pedro get off too lightly in the end of the play. Recently in Australia, doing  sections of this play with Middle School students, the reaction was once again passionate when concepts of cyber-slander arose. There are not many playwrights and plays that can still elicit such a strong response.

Despite going through with the plan of ‘staging’ his daughter Hero’s mock death, Leonato is still worried that his daughter has been virtuous. When Don Pedro and Claudio enter, Leonato and his brother Antonio confront them and although being old, Leonato challenges Claudio to a duel for the shame he has brought on Hero and claims that he is not so old that he will not kill or be killed for the honor of his daughter. Leonato and Antonio exit emphatic that they will have their revenge soon enough.

Enter Benedick. Claudio and Don Pedro try to engage in witty banter with him but Benedick will have none of it. Benedick calls Claudio aside and tells him that he Benedick will avenge the slander he has brought against Hero’s name and that he challenges Claudio to a duel. Benedick also tells Don Pedro that he can no longer serve him and that Don John has fled the city. Benedick leaves and Claudio and Don Pedro talk about how they think that Benedick is serious in his intentions and that they think that love for Beatrice has caused Benedick to take this course.

Resolution to the plotlines comes in the form of Dogberry and Verges and the Men of the Watch who enter with their prisoners Conrad and Borachio in tow. Claudio and Don Pedro hear how Borachio has confessed to crimes of treachery and lying but it takes a little while for Dogberry’s words and charges to be understood and the fact that Borachio has been part of Don John’s scheme to slander Hero, and undermine both Claudio and Don Pedro. Borachio more clearly confesses to Don Pedro, probably because he believes that he has caused Hero’s death (even though we know she is still alive), when he says:

“Sweet prince… I have deceived even your very eyes…

Don John your brother incensed me to slander the Lady Hero … court Margaret in Hero's garments… The lady is dead upon mine and my master's false accusation;

and, briefly, I desire nothing but the reward of a villain.”

When Leonato and Antonio enter again, Claudio and Don Pedro seem truly sorry and offer themselves to submit to any punishment which Leonato wishes to enact. The clearing and re-establishment of Hero’s name is Leonato’s first demand and he believes that a public poetic epitaph should be posted, read and sung at her tomb. Moreover, he demands that Claudio must marry his brother Antonio’s daughter who is very much like Hero in many regards (obviously he has suddenly come up with a clever plan to have Hero in disguise marry Claudio. Claudio accepts these demands. The scene ends with the villain Borachio being carted off for more questioning.

Back at Leonato’s mansion, Benedick requests that Margaret go and get Beatrice so that Benedick can have some private words to her. He bemoans his inability to put his intentions of love into a love poem for Beatrice and tells of how he earlier attempted to write a love sonnet for Beatrice but he failed in this earlier attempt also. When Beatrice enters, they amorously flirt with one another through wit and insults. Benedick reveals that he has already challenged Claudio to a duel for the honour of hero and to prove his love for Beatrice. The scene ends when Ursula, the maid, enters and urges Beatrice and benedick to come quickly to the house because:

“… it is proved my Lady Hero hath been falsely accused,

the prince and Claudio mightily abused;

and Don John is the author of all, who is fed and gone…”

As the sun rises, Claudio reads out, at Hero’s alleged tomb, the epitaph he has written for her, which decries her virtue and innocence. He promises that he will do this annually. Claudio then leaves to wed Leonato’s niece, who apparently looks like Hero (but is in fact Hero in disguise).

At the church, it is Claudio’s wedding Take 2. The Friar is not one to say “I told you so”, but he seems quite proud that his belief in Hero’s virtue was proven correct. We overhear that Margaret was interviewed and that she is innocent because she was not aware of Borachio and Don John plan. Benedick, relieved that he does not have to fight his friend Claudio, calls Leonato aside and asks for his permission to marry Beatrice. This is granted.

Enter Don Pedro and Claudio and soon after Hero, Beatrice and other women enter wearing masks to hide their identities. Claudio swears he will marry the masked women he think is Leonato’s niece, even without seeing her face. Hero reveals herself beneath the mask and Claudio is shocked but overjoyed that he should have his love and wife returned.

Benedick then asks Beatrice to declare in public that she loves him. She refuses to and Benedick does the same. Claudio and Hero declare they know this is not the case and they reveal the draft of unsuccessful love poems written from Benedick to Beatrice and Beatrice to Benedick. Beatrice is finally silenced with a kiss. So the play ends with two weddings, a mock funeral, a cancelled duel, Benedick and Claudio friends again and soon to be cousins. This is finally topped off with the arrival of the final news that Don John has been caught. Benedick says to Don Pedro that Don John’s interrogation can wait until tomorrow when they will devise all means of suitable torture. In the meantime, he emphatically demands that they music strike up and they all dance.