Much Ado About Nothing1st Scene

Leonato, a nobleman from Messina, Italy, prepares to welcome home Don Pedro, an old friend that is returning from war. Don Pedro a prince from Aragon arrives accompanied by his friends and soldiers under his guidance; Claudio a well respected nobleman and Benedick a very astute man who constantly uses his wit to make jokes about his friends.

Arriving to Leonato’s home, Claudio immediately falls in love with Hero, Leonato’s beautiful daughter, while Benedick and Beatrice go over a constant war of witty insults that they had had with each other in the past. Claudio and Hero fall into a mutual agreement of love and decide to get married, and the same time spend their time trying to put Beatrice and Benedick into and equal pledge, who are obviously meant to each other, and are constantly arguing but later on found that they have feelings for each other.

At a phase, where everyone is enjoying happiness and love, Don John’s hatred ideas got accompanied by conspiring with Borachio’s disdain action of making love to Margaret, at Hero’s window in the darkness of the night, while Don John’s brings Don Pedro and Claudio to witness the false accusation. Infuriated with idea that Hero has been unfaithful , Claudio humiliates Hero by accusing her of lechery the day of the wedding. Hero’s afflicted familiars decide to pretend that the suddenly dies of grief and to hide her until she is proven innocent.

Fortunately, one of the watchmen happened to overhear Borachio bragging about his actions and the local police ends up arresting him. As a conclusion, Hero is innocence in revealed, and Claudio is put in grief and penitence.

Consequently, Leonato tells Claudio, that as a punishment, he should let inform everybody about the Hero’s innocence and also Claudio must marry, Hero’s cousin, who happens to be as beautiful as Hero. Claudio attends church as instructed, in order to marry the mysterious lady and when Hero reveals herself, Claudio is overwhelmed with joy. Concluding with Benedick’s marrying proposal to Beatrice, with her accepting and with a double wedding to celebrate.

Plot

Beatrice – Leonato’s niece and Hero’s cousin. Beatrice is a very charming lady and also very acute, who constantly mocks of people with witty jokes. She engages into a sequence of elaborated verbal fights with Benedick. She appears happy with the idea of being single and not marry.

Benedick – A noble soldier who has been recently fighting wars under Pedro’s guidance, and also a friend of Claudio. Benedick is a very clever man, with very elaborated ideas, always making jokes and puns as Beatrice does. He also swore that he would never fall in love or marry.

Claudio – A young soldier, that gains great acclaim fighting under Don Pedro’s orders the last wars. Claudio falls in love with Hero upon his return to the city of Messina. Unfortunately to his doubtful personality he is made to believe the idea that Hero was not chaste anymore.

Hero – Is the beautiful and delicate daughter of Leonato and also cousin of Beatrice. Also a very gentle and kind lady. She also corresponds to Claudio falling in love with him to later on suffer from Don John’s disdain actions.

Don Pedro – Is the Prince of Aragon, a person of great relevance. An old-friend of Leonato’s and also close the soldiers and friends under his direction; Benedick and the young Claudio. Don Pedro is also a very courteous and generous person and the most powerful in the hierarchy, socially and politically speaking.

Leonato – A well respected and elder nobleman at whose home in Sicily, Italy, the events take place. Leonato is Hero’s father and Beatrice’s uncle. As governor of Messina he takes the second place in the most powerful hierarchy.

Characters

Don John – Is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro. Don John is a very melancholic and resentful person and is the creator of the plan that brought dark scheme to the story by ruining everyone’s happiness but mostly Claudio and Her. The villain of the play motivated by the envy for his brother’s social power.

Borachio – Is a character associated with Don John. He is also lover of Margaret, Hero’s servant woman. He also conspires with Don John’s by tricking Claudio and Hero into thinking that Hero has been unfaithful to Claudio.

Margaret – One of Hero’s serving women who unintentionally helps Borachio and Don John’s to fulfill their plan.

Conrad – Another of Don John’s partners, and also very devoted to him.

Dogberry – The chief policman of Messina.

Verges – A policeman under Dogberry’s charge.

Antonio – Leonato’s older brother, Hero’s uncle and also Beatrice’s father.

Balthasar – A servant in Leonato’s home and also a musician.

Ursula – Another of Hero’s serving women.

Secondary Characters

What is the setting of the play? In the Italian town of Messina, Leonato accompanied by his daughter

Hero and his niece Beatrice, prepare to welcome home a group of soldiers and friends that are returning

from battle. These friends include Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon and two other brave young soldiers, that

respond by Claudio and Benedick. The story starts on a sunny and colorful morning at Leonatato’s Estate

home, with the messenger announcing the arrival of Don Pedro and his comrades, that had returned

from a war in which they have been victorious. Setting the stage for a happy and joyful comedy, where

the main characters fall in love, follow

When does it takes place? In the story Leonato is Governor of Messina, Sicily and it takes place in the

final stages of the 16th century in Sicily, Italy. The 16th century is also know as the Renaissance Era, were

people used to interact with very distinguished manners of social interaction, were individuals strove to

remark them by the use of metaphoric and rhetoric language. In order to project elegance and natural

grace by giving the illusion of effortlessness.

Setting

While reading the play it is suggested that Beatrice and Benedick share feelings for each other in the

past, but It was something that did not function. However when both characters meet each other again, everything

turns out in a constant competition to out do one to another. Beatrice also refused to marry because she had not

found the perfect partner and because she was unwillingly to refrain from liberty and submit to the will of a

controlling husband. While, Benedick also vowed that he will never marry, however to their friends , both were

meant to love each other.

Also characters, such as Claudio and Benedick were devoted to Don Pedro, because their positions depended

upon him, for the reason that he was the noblest character in the social hierarchy among them. Don Pedro had

power and it is questionable at a point whether he abuses of it or not. He uses his authority mostly toward positive

meanings, but he also manipulates other character as much as he desires. For example, when he insisted on

wooing Hero, instead of letting Claudio do it himself. Nonetheless , everything results good in spite of what it

appears to be. Despite his unknown motives, Don Pedro brings happiness to everyone, as if he was the director of

a play, were the satire and the following a protocol dominates.

Given Circumstances

The story comes around the final stages of the 16th century in Italy, also know as the

Italian Renaissance, a period of exceptional cultural change that began in the 14 th century and

lasts until the 16th century. It marks the transition between the Medieval and Early Modern Europe,

where many aspects of the Italian culture remained Medieval and were restricted to literature

culture of intellectual endeavor. It was also called the “Golden Age” or Elizabethan Era, where the

exportation of wheat was at its peak, followed by inflation, increase on population and the arrival

of international markets.

Given Circumstances

Classical Style: use of masks, singing

(Balthazar’s song) , imagination (limited props)

Heightened language: use of prose, lofty, hyperbolic, witty

A Shakespearean comedy: no deaths, witty remarks

Festive or merry mood, the prince and soldiers has come and the home celebrates

Style

Sixteenth Century Messina, Sicily near Italy Leonato’s countryside

home Beautiful garden, grape

vines Rolling hills, trees, clear

skys Away from war, soldiers

see it as a respite from the battlefield

Time/Place

Antagonist, villain of the play Envies his brother Don Pedro Always melancholy Represents the roadblock to

marriage Finally captured to symbolize

the end of conflict Should be wearing black to

show the jealousy, melancholy, and his role as antagonist

Don John

Most noble, highest social

heirarchy Works to bring about

happiness with his friends through romance(Claudio, Benedick)

Can be seen as the director of the plot, drives the two main relationships towards

Dons mask to hide true intentions of wooing Hero for Claudio

Should dress like a prince, high class garments with silk but also a soldier

Don Pedro

Both sharp and witty Tries to out-wit, out-do

each other, arguments Benedick uses more of

hyperbole in dialogue Beatrice more cynical Humorously led to

believe one is in love with each other, changes their views on love and marriage

Beatrice & Benedick

Romance trope: Love at

first sight Naïve young couple, full of

energy Hero’s fake death

symbolizing the need to cleanse of the damning accusations of disloyalty, then reborn so she is pure for marriage

Claudio very guillible (Don, fake death)

Hero & Claudio

Hero: white silks to

symbolize virginity, innocence

High class: white clothing, fine silks, jewelry

Low class: gray, worn clothes Soldiers: uniform, sword Dresses for wedding,

dancing Masks to symbolize the

concealed true feelings during the festival scene

Loose clothing for dancing, celebration; a time to relax

Costume Choices

• The Eavesdropper needs to be

somewhere pass for hidden but also be visible.

• The biggest contrast is Demeanor.

• The size was very expansive, the sheer size of the acting space was that many entrances were astonishingly long.

• The different colors of the play were used to represent abstract ideas.

Visibility

The controlling of the distribution of light allowed allowed us to create patterns and compositions of light and shade.

The parallel between the two brothers make their plot seem identical in a sense.

Shapes and Forms

The composition of the lightning was able to

reveal the actors in a mannered way. The stage scene was revealed with broadly

flooded colors. The objects and scenery of the play was

building up to reveal the visual picture and the importance of the play.

Visual compositions

Stage lighting is defined as the use of the light

to create the sense of visibility, naturalism, composition and mood.

When the lighting in the stage swallowed away it would give a significant sign of what mood the play had.

Mood/Style

The changes and combinations of intensity

and visual movement are endless. The visual movement was rapid than it would

go to subtle and unperceivable.

Rhythm of visual movement

Much Ado About Nothing is a delightful sorted

romp, filled with visual splendor, strong performances and flashes of post modern absurdity.

Central visual image