Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare about
two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero.
From Wikipedia
Benedick and Beatrice are engaged in a very "merry war"; they are both very
glib and proclaim their scorn for love, marriage, and each other. In contrast, Claudio
and Hero are sweet young people who are rendered practically speechless by their
love for one another. By means of "noting" (which sounds the same as "nothing,"
and which is gossip, rumour, and overhearing), Benedick and Beatrice are tricked
into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into rejecting Hero
at the altar. However, Dogberry, a Constable who is a master of malapropisms,
discovers the evil trickery of the villain, Don John. In the end, Don John is captured
and everyone else joins in a dance celebrating the marriages of the two couples.
• Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon: A
kind, good Prince who helps
Claudio win Hero. It was very
common for the superiors of that
time to find suitable wives for their
men. He later helps Claudio disgrace
Hero when he believes that she is
unfaithful and he also tricks
Benedick and Beatrice to fall in
love.
• Benedick, of Padua; companion of
Don Pedro: A sarcastic, witty
bachelor who swears he will never
marry, he later falls in love with
Beatrice when he is tricked into
believing that she loves him. He is
said to be very good in battle and
there is hinting at a past relationship
with Beatrice, though they do
nothing but fight when the story
opens.
• Claudio, of Florence; a count,
companion of Don Pedro
• Balthasar, attendant on Don
Pedro, a singer: Though Don Pedro
praises his singing, Benedick calls
him a "cat who sounds as if
someone is killing it."
• Don John, "the Bastard Prince,"
brother of Don Pedro and the main
villain.
• Borachio and Conrade, followers
of Don John: They are the ones who
actually initiate the plot to frame
Hero as an adulteress. Borachio,
who is in a relationship with
Margaret, gets her into Hero's
clothes and makes love to her on the
balcony window, in full sight of
Don John, Don Pedro, and Claudio.
• Leonato, governor of Messina: He
is ready to kill Hero himself when
he believes she has dishonored him,
but when he starts to believe her
innocence, is ready to turn and kill
Claudio instead.
• Hero, Leonato's daughter:
Beautiful, sweet, gentle, and
demure, she is wrongfully accused
of unfaithfulness and publicly
