Book
Much Ado About Nothing
First published 1600
Soldiers returning from war arrive at Leonato’s household in Messina, where Claudio quickly falls in love with Hero while Beatrice and Benedick resume their sharp verbal rivalry. Their friends secretly arrange circumstances designed to make Beatrice and Benedick believe that each is loved by the other.
The comedy darkens when Don John engineers a false accusation that Hero has been unfaithful on the eve of her wedding. A bungling local watch uncovers the deception, allowing the damaged relationships to be repaired. Shakespeare contrasts playful manipulation with malicious slander, making reputation, evidence and the unequal risks faced by men and women central to the movement from courtship to marriage.
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