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Themes
The main ideas or issues present in a text are called themes. In Much Ado About Nothing, these include the themes of love, appearance and reality
and the ideas of ‘nothing’ and ‘noting’.

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English Literature
Much Ado About Nothing
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Much Ado About Nothing - Themes

overview
There are many themes running through this comedy by Shakespeare, including love, confusion and the theme of 'nothing' itself. In this
story of crossed wires, hidden identities and feelings, honour and deceit, we are also presented with themes of friendship and marriage.

There are many themes in Much Ado About Nothing which could be analysed. These include:

 nothingness

 love

 appearances and reality

On the surface Much Ado About Nothing is a light-hearted comedy, but there are darker themes of dishonour, death and deceit running
beneath the humour.

Nothing and noting in Much Ado About

Nothing

The title of this play refers to one of its main themes. 'Nothing' implies that the concerns of
the play are trivial.

The word 'nothing' in Shakespearean times was pronounced 'noting' and so the title itself is
a pun. There are many instances of 'noting' throughout the play: Claudio notes Hero's beauty,
both Benedick and Beatrice note the words of their friends that lead them to love, Claudio
and Don Pedro note Don John's trick to make them believe Hero is unfaithful. 'Noting'
implies that the play deals with characters paying attention to each other and listening to what
each other has to say.

'Nothing' was also a euphemism in Elizabethan times, referring to the female genitalia. The
theme also refers to sexual desire and the quest for love.

How is 'noting'/'nothing' shown in the play?

In Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare shows the theme of nothing and noting
through:

the title
Claudio's noting of Hero
Beatrice and Benedick's eavesdropping
How does
 Shakespeare show Evidence Analysis
this?

The theme of the play

The play opens with
is clear from the title, This comedic opening
light-hearted banter
The title which can imply that seems to support the trivial
between Beatrice and
the events of the play nature of what will follow.
Benedick.
are ultimately trivial.

Claudio falls instantly "Benedick, didst thou The theme of 'noting' is

Claudio's noting in love with Hero and note the daughter of made clear from the start
of Hero asks Benedick whether Signior Leonato?" (Act when Claudio seeks
he too has noted her. 1 Scene 1) approval from his friend.

Don Pedro plays on the

"Why, these are very
When Benedick is word 'note' before Balthasar
crotchets that he
Beatrice and deceived and Beatrice sings in the orchard. He
speaks; / Note, notes,
Benedick's is tricked, both 'note' knows that Benedick is
forsooth, and
eavesdropping the words of their hiding and will 'note'
nothing." (Act 2 Scene
friends. everything that Don Pedro
3)
and the others have to say.

Analysing the evidence

Question
How does Shakespeare use the theme of nothing and noting in Much Ado About
Nothing?

1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4

5.

Love in Much Ado About Nothing

Love is a main idea in this play and is shown through the partnerships between Claudio and Hero, Benedick and Beatrice and also
through the paternal love that Leonato shows for his daughter and niece.

Claudio's love for Hero is often regarded as superficial. He seems to fall in love with her because she fits the model of an ideal woman:
modest, beautiful and obedient. Beatrice and Benedick, on the other hand, are each in denial of their love and need to be tricked by
their friends into realising their true feelings. Ultimately their love seems more real and true.

In the end, both pairs are married and love is triumphant.

How is the theme of love shown in the play?

In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare shows the theme of love through:

 Claudio falling in love with Hero

 Benedick realising his love for Beatrice

 Leonato's love for his daughter and niece

How does Shakespeare

Evidence Analysis
show this?

"In mine eye she is the He is in love at first sight,

Claudio falls
Claudio declares his love sweetest lady that ever I showing that he is romantic
in love with
for Hero to Benedick. looked on." (Act 1 and, it might be argued,
Hero
Scene 1) superficial.

After eavesdropping on Although we see Benedick's

Benedick
his friends in the "I do spy some marks of softening towards Beatrice, his
realises his
orchard, Benedick love in her." (Act 2 change of heart can be seen as
love for
decides he loves Scene 3) arrogant. He hadn't noted any
Beatrice
Beatrice. love in Beatrice until now.

Although we find this attitude

"Well, niece, I hope to
Leonato loves Leonato wants his patronising in today's society,
see you one day fitted
his daughter daughter and his niece to Leonato shows his love by
with a husband." (Act 2
and niece find suitable husbands. wishing that his charges will
Scene 1)
be well-married.

Analysing the evidence

Question
How is love presented in Much Ado About Nothing?

Hide answer

 Love is sometimes presented as superficial – Claudio falls in love with an ideal of a woman rather than the
reality.

 The love between Benedick and Beatrice seems to be hidden to themselves. Their friends have to trick them
into realising their feelings.

 Love is seen as protective as well as romantic through Leonato’s wish for his daughter and niece.
Appearances and reality in Much Ado
About Nothing

Shakespeare uses this play to show how appearance and reality are not always the same thing. At the beginning we see the apparent
enemies, Benedick and Beatrice, engaging in witty banter that verges sometimes on the cruel. However, they are tricked into
acknowledging their real feelings of love for one another.

Other examples of this theme can be seen in the masked ball, where mistaken identity is the cause of confusion and upset for both
Claudio and Benedick. In the gulling scene, Benedick appears to hear his friends talk about Beatrice's love for him, but in reality the
audience knows they are playing a trick.

In darker examples of the theme, Don John fools Claudio into believing his wife-to-be is untrustworthy by apparently showing him a
scene of unfaithfulness. When Hero is accused, Leonato makes it appear that his daughter is dead.

How is the theme of appearances and reality shown

in the play?
In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare examines how appearances can sometimes be deceptive. Some of the key aspects are:

 Benedick and Beatrice appearing to be enemies

 Hero's apparent infidelity

 Hero's apparent death

How does Shakespeare

Evidence Analysis
show this?

Although they appear to

Benedick "I / am loved of all
When the pair first meet, dislike one another, both are
and Beatrice ladies, only you
they bicker and taunt one easily persuaded of the
appear to be excepted: " (Act 1
another. other's love by the tricks that
enemies Scene 1)
their friends play on them.

Claudio is tricked into "Proof enough to

Claudio is convinced by
thinking that Hero is misuse the prince, to
Hero's what appears to be Hero's
unfaithful when Borachio vex Claudio, to undo
apparent unfaithfulness. However, the
sets up a scene in the Hero and kill
infidelity audience knows that this is
window that makes it Leonato." (Act 2 Scene
not the reality.
appear that Hero loves him. 2)

Hero faints after Claudio's Later, when Claudio

accusation and Leonato is
Hero's
advised to pretend his
apparent
daughter is dead. Hero
death
appears dead, but in reality
is taken into hiding.
"Let her awhile be
discovers the truth, he agrees
secretly kept in, And
to marry Antonio's daughter
publish it that she is
'unseen'. What appears to be
dead indeed;" (Act 4
a new wife turns out, in
Scene 1)
reality, to be Hero.

Analysing the evidence

Question
 What elements of appearance and reality does Shakespeare highlight in this Much Ado About Nothing?

Hide answer

 Shakespeare shows that appearances can be deceiving and that the reality can be something quite different.

 He shows that the reality of love depends on more than appearances. Benedick and Beatrice's connection,
with their equal wit, seems more reliable than that of Claudio and Hero which relies on looks.

 The truth seems to be hidden at times, as we see in the cruel trick that Don John and Borachio set up.

Glossary
1. euphemism
A word, phrase or expression used in place of one that may be
found offensive or suggest something unpleasant.
2. pun
A play on words, relying on similar sounding words or two
meanings of one word.
More Guides
1. Plot summary - OCR

2. Characters - OCR