Much Ado About Nothing

Roles

• Hero
• Ursula
• Beatrice

About this piece

Hero and Ursula make their friend Beatrice believe that Benedick loves her

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, swear they will never marry and that love is a foolish thing. They seem to hate each other and constantly play games of wit where they insult each other about anything. With the help of Don Pedro, Claudio wins Hero's heart and they decide to marry in a week. To pass the time before their wedding, they decide to play a game, that is to get Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love with each other. When they see Benedick alone in the orchard, Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio pretend that they don't know Benedick can hear them and talk about how Beatrice has desperately fallen in love with Benedick and is afraid to confess it to him. They decide Benedick is not worthy of her love. The same way, Hero and Ursula, Beatrice's friends, make Beatrice believe that Benedick is madly in love with her. In Leonato's garden, knowing that Beatrice can hear them, they have a conversation about Benedick being in love with Beatrice and argue wether telling Beatrice or not, considering that she rejects most men that court her. When they leave Beatrice comes out and expresses her surprise about what she just heard. She decides not to reject Benedick's love.

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