Ø Benedick, Claudio, and Don Pedro talk with wit to attract attention 

and approval in noble households- this is because they were expected 

to make their clever performances seem effortless. 

Ø Claudio and Don Pedro are constantly trying to remain in Don Pedro’s 
good favour. We can see this when Claudia asks Don Pedro to woo Hero 
for him. He might do this, not because he is too shy but to stay in 
Don Pedro’s good books. 

Ø Claudio displays social grace when we see him abandon Hero at the 
wedding. Don Johns plan fails, Claudio is still Don Pedro’s favourite, 
and it is Hero who has to suffer until her good reputation is 
restored. 

Deception 
========= 

Ø A lot of Much Ado… is based around the idea of deliberate deception. 

Ø There is deceit involved when Beatrice and Benedick are tricked into 
to thinking that each loves the other which results in them actually 
falling love. This means that deception can be used for good aswell as 
bad. 

Ø Examples of deception in the play include: When Claudio thinks he 

has been deceived when he finds out about Don Pedro and Hero, Beatrice 
and Benedick flirting at the masked ball pretending they do not know 
who they are talking to, and when Claudio is deceived into thinking 
that he has to take another girls hand in marriage. 

Ø To conclude, deceit is not entirely positive nor is it entirely 

negative: it is a way to an end and a way to create a wrong idea. 

The importance of Honor 

======================= 

Ø The climax of the play is when Claudio rejects Hero at the wedding, 
shaming her in front of her father. 
Ø In Shakespeare’s time, a woman’s honor was based upon her virginity 
and her innocent behaviour. For a woman to lose her honor by having a 
sexual relation before marriage was a disaster that would damage the 
whole family. 

Ø This is why Leonato, after he finds Hero has lost her honor believes 
they should ‘let her die.’ 

Ø A mans honor however was different as it depended on friendship. A 

man would defend his honour was to fight a battle or duel. An example 
of this honor in the play is when Beatrice urges Benedick to duel with 
Claudio in order to avenge Hero’s honor. 

Motifs: literary devices that help to develop the text’s major themes. 

Public Shaming 
-------------- 

Ø When Hero’s honor is damaged, the language Claudio and Leonato use 
to shame her is very strong. E.g.) To Claudio she is a “rotten 
orange.” 

Ø Shame is also what Don John hopes will cause Don Pedro to forget 
about Claudio. This is because he believes once Claudio is said to be 
engaged to Hero (a loose woman) Don Pedro will reject Claudio. 

Ø However this does not work as in the end Don John is shamed himself, 
and threatened for being deceitful. 

Noting 

Ø In Shakespeare’s time the ‘nothing’ of the title would have been 

pronounced ‘noting.’ Many of the characters in the play take part in 
observing, listening, writing, and noting. 

Ø An example of this is: when the women manipulate Beatrice into 

believing that Benedick loves her, they hide themselves in the orchard 
so that Beatrice can better note their conversation. The same is when 
the men convince Benedick of Beatrice’s love for him. 

Ø Don Johns plot also involves a lot of noting. This is because in 
order for Claudio to believe Hero is being unfaithful, he must brought 
to her window to note Hero saying farewell to Borachio. 

Ø In the end, ‘noting’ unites Beatrice and Benedick, and Hero and 
Claudio reveal the love sonnets noted by Beatrice and Benedick that 
proves their love for one another. 

Entertainment 
============= 

Ø There is a lot of music and dancing at the end of the play where the 
characters spend much of their time engaging in entertainment. 
====================================================================== 

Ø The play itself is meant to be entertaining, comic, and absorbing. 

This is done by court entertainment in the middle, as well as two 
songs and a dance. 
==================================================================== 

Counterfeiting 
============== 

Ø This is the idea of presenting a false face to the world and it 
appears throughout the play. 
================================================================= 

Ø An example of counterfeiting is when Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro 

pretend that Beatrice is head over heels in love with Benedick so that 
that Benedick can overhear it. 
====================================================================== 
Ø However, what Leonato and co dismisses is the idea that perhaps 
Beatrice does have a love for Benedick. They talk of there love as “O 
God! Counterfeit? There was never counterfeit of passion came so near 
the life of passion as she discovers it” 
===================================================================== 

Symbols: objects, characters, figures, or colours that are used to 

represent ideas and concepts. 

The Taming of Wild Animals 

========================== 

Ø The play is full of metaphors involving the taming of wild animals. 

For example, with Beatrice and Benedick, a symbol of a tamed savage 
animal represents what must happen to both of them so they will be 
ready for marriage. 

Ø Another example is when Benedick is described by Claudio to be 

changed from a labouring farm animal, a bull straining under a yoke, 
to a wild god. 

War 

Ø Images of war are constantly used to symbolize arguments and 

confrontations. 
============================================================== 

Ø For example, Leonato says to the other characters that there is a 

“merry war” between Beatrice and Benedick and then Beatrice recalls 
how she has won the last duel with Benedick, “four of his five wits 
went halting off.” 
=================================================================== 

Ø On a more serious note, Leonato accuses Claudio of killing Hero with 

the words: “Thy slander hath gone through and through her heart.” 
Another example of war being used is when Benedick challenges Claudio 
to a duel to the death over the loss of Hero’s honor.