Haider 1

Sakina Haider

1415130

Zeeshan Haider

Play Analysis

26th march 2015

Much Ado about Nothing: Act iii, Scene iii Analysis

We live in a world full of people, pretending to be something we are not. Why? Because we

are afraid to reveal our real faces to the world? Or is it because we don’t even know who we

really are anymore? Life has become an illusion for all of us, we don’t want to see the truth

anymore because we think that truth is way too harsh for us and this illusive world is

where we are happy. The whole idea of this world bringing us happiness is an illusion. We

are getting deceived by our own selves and like Leonardo da Vinci said, “The greatest

deception men suffer is from their own opinions.”

William Shakespeare in his play, Much Ado about Nothing is trying to explore the truths

about life and reality, how materialistic this world is and to what extent a man can use

deception as a means to an end.1

1
End here means something they want to achieve, doesn’t matter whether good or bad.
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The opening sequence of Act iii, sets the audience in mood for some fun. The whole idea of

Hero and Margaret trying to indirectly convince Beatrice, that Benedick loves her, and Don

Pedro and Claudio doing the same for Benedick, makes the audience enjoy the art of

deception in a comical way. Then the tension is created when Don John informs Claudio

and Don Pedro about Hero fraternizing with men who are not her betrothed. Because of

these two scenes, the audience expected the next scene to be either related to Benedick and
2
Beatrice sorting out their problems with each other, or the conspiracy scene to take place.

But that does not happen. As this play is said to be a comedy, Shakespeare through scene iii

approaches the whole idea of evil plotting in a different way. If he would’ve shown the

actual scene of conspiracy taking place, somehow because of its nature it would’ve been

considered as a tragic scene but he instead provided comic relief through Dogberry’s and

Verges conversation. Through this he made the audience more curious, and made them

think that maybe after this scene the conspiracy might take place but yet again, the

expectations are not fulfilled instead, the audience gets a shock that the whole conspiracy

scene has already taken place. This happens through Borachio’s account to Conrade about

how he deceived Don Pedro and Claudio into thinking that he was with Hero instead of

Margaret which was the truth. Hence, the whole relationship of Hero and Claudio gets

ruined because of deception.

2
The scene which is described by Don John- Of Hero being disloyal to Claudio.
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Shakespeare throughout this play is trying to explore the world of deception and in turn,

creating a road for the main plot. In act I, Don Pedro plans to woo Hero for Claudio through

deception of appearance during the masked ball. It might be a co-incidence, but both of

them, Claudio and Don Pedro in act iii, gets deceived in similar way, i.e through deception

of appearance, into thinking that Hero is fraternizing with Borachio. First, the deception of

appearance was created through masks in act ii, and then in act iii, it was done through

apparels and get ups. First it was done to create love and later it was done to break that

love. Hence, it can be said that “love is deception!” or that the world probably perceives

love as a game of deception. Then the whole wooing scene between lords and ladies during

the ball, where the lords flirt with ladies, pretending to be someone else, creates another

humorous scene of deception, as a means to an end. In act iii, scene iii, we again question

the love of Claudio for Hero when he without any problem decided to believe that Hero is

disloyal. We questioned it previously when Claudio in act I asked Don Pedro if Hero has any

brother, and if she does than that would mean that she is not the only heir of Leonato and

Claudio won’t be getting any benefits of her being the heir after the marriage. 3 Through all

these scenes, whether good or bad, Shakespeare is trying to create an example of a fictional

world comparing it with the real life scenarios and how one misunderstanding can create a

person’s future and ruin it at the same time.

3
Benefits being the wealth and governorship of messina after leonato’s death.
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World is full of pre conceived notions about things, ideas and society as a whole. Similarly,

there were many different ideas and beliefs regarding status, women and society during

late 16th century.4 One of them being the most important trait which every lady should

uphold was the woman’s honor. The era, in which this play was written, women were not

considered equal to men. Men being the male, alpha specie were considered dominant. 5

Throughout the play, woman’s honor has been targeted by the males of the play. It was

done through the whole conspiracy about Hero being unchaste and also in the first act

through Benedick’s joke about Hero being a bastard child. Although it just might be a joke

but if it was not a comic play, it would’ve been considered as an insult to Lady Messina’s

character.6 Benedick’s line “Were you in doubt, sir, that you asked her?” referring to the

birth of Hero clearly explains how men used to think about women of that time. 7 Another

thing which proves the point that women’s honor was one of the major themes in the play

is that the scenes which were the turning points in the play were mostly held in the garden

or an orchard. Few examples being, Act iii, Scene I, in which Hero and Ursula tricks Beatrice

into thinking that Benedick loves her and the whole conspiracy scene in which Claudio and

Don Pedro saw all Don John’s plan in action, from Leonato’s orchard. Garden’s during

1500’s were seen as a place to compromise the “purity” of women. As in most historical

romance’s the Rendezvous between a lord and a lady during English season’s used to take

place in gardens. 8

4
Much Ado about Nothing was written in 1598-99.
5
In short, it was a male dominated society.
6
Lady Messina: Leonato’s wife and Hero’s mother.
7
Lines: 100-110 of act I, scene i.
8
Some examples of historical romance’s with garden as a place for randezvous are: The Masquerade by
Brenda Joyce, Heirs of Cornwall series by V.J.Dunraven and others.
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Shakespeare through the use of Puns and Wits makes the play more comical. Infact it can

be said that the name of the play itself is a sort of a pun. And during the play there are some

dialogues which not only creates humor but also creates misunderstandings as well. An

example is the dialogue of Beatrice when she twisted the messenger’s words and referring

to Benedick, said, “And a good soldier to a lady. But what is he to a lord?” 9 The

misunderstanding or misinterpretation of words is common throughout the play. The

conversation of Dogberry and Verges and Watchmen in which, Dogberry seems to mean

something different but the words spoken were different and were misinterpreted or

misunderstood. The title of this play, during Shakespeare’s time was pronounced as “much

ado about noting.” Noting, here being a theme in the play as well. We can call it as

deception as well but a different kind of deception, and as stated earlier, a man is deceived

by his own opinions and that’s what has happened here. Claudio and Don Pedro were of

opinion that women are not to be trusted and that’s why they did not notice Margaret

rather they thought that its Hero with Borachio and that’s how the whole public shame

conspiracy took place. Another point of noting being the one in which the constable hears

Borachio’s conversation with Conrade and arrests them for treason. If the constable has

followed Dogberry’s advice and did not notice them talking then the whole conspiracy

wouldn’t have been cleared out. Hence that’s why noting is an important theme and this act

iii, scene iii is also important because it reveals Don John’s plan indirectly to Leonato which

in turn would help Hero in future to clear her name and rumors about her infidelity.

9
Act I, Scene I.
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One more side of Aristrocratic society of that time is revealed through the play and this

particular scene and act. Here, Dogberry asks the constable to leave the suspicious alone as

“…They that touch pitch will be defiled.” It’s like him saying that do not go against wrong

because you will be considered as wrong too and no one will believe you because of your

status in society. Act I has already revealed, through Leonato’s concern, only for men of

name and upper class, that people of high rank do not care much about the people of low

rank. But the future of Leonato’s daughter is saved by these men only; giving the lesson

that sometimes the people you underestimate are the ones that helps you out in the end.

All in all, Act iii, Scene iii is the most important scene of the play due to all the reasons

mentioned above and as it has all the elements which Shakespeare is trying to explore

about life and reality, the materialistic world and deception as a means to an end.