SceneFiend library
Much Ado About Nothing
By William Shakespeare - Stage play
Roles
- Benedick - Young Adult (20-35), Adult (36-50), Male
About this piece
Benedick tells Don Pedro he hates Beatrice
Summary
The play takes place in Messina at the house of Leonato, a wealthy nobleman. He lives with his daughter Hero, his niece Beatrice and his brother Antonio. Leonato welcomes at his house some friends who are returning from a war. They are Don Pedro, a prince, Claudio, a shy nobleman, Benedick, a witty and playful character, and Don John, Don Pedro's illegitimate brother. Claudio instantly falls in love with Hero and Don Pedro decides to help him court her at a masked dance that will take place the same night. Benedick and Beatrice, on the other hand, seem to hate each other and constantly play games of wit where they insult each other about anything. The night of the ball Benedick ends up dancing with Beatrice who doesn't recognize him since he is wearing a mask. She insults Benedick saying to him that he is dull and boring. In this monologue, in ACT II, Scene 1, Benedick tells Don Pedro how Beatrice insulted him and how much he hates her.
Tone
Use cases
Library metadata only. SceneFiend never includes script text here - pick up the published version to rehearse.