Her sweet, gentle nature highlights her piety and contrasts nicely with Beatrice. Hero is presented as a perfect picture of sweetness and virtue but says very little in the first two acts of the play and starts off as a bit of a mystery. Much Ado About Nothing, comedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written probably in 1598–99 and printed in a quarto edition from the author’s own manuscript in 1600. The earliest printed text states that Much Ado About Nothing was "sundry times publicly acted" prior to 1600 and it is likely that the play made its debut in the autumn or winter of 1598–1599. Setting Much Ado About Nothing in the present without those changes while maintaining its original ending and its comedy would be unpalatable to a modern audience, especially the young female audience that makes up much of Whedon’s viewing audience. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon (Keanu Reeves) conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity. She is the innocent victim in the play when she is slandered by Don John as part of his plan to crush Claudio. Hero's cousin Beatrice (a confirmed spinster) and Benedict (an eternal bachelor) are each duped into believing the other is in love with them. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Though they were jokes, they seriously refer to the distrust men had for their wives, and we’d bet it also makes them hesitate to stand up for their daughters. In the end, though, it all turns out to be "much ado about nothing". Revise and learn about the characters of William Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing with BBC Bitesize GCSE English Literature (OCR). Don Pedro is the Prince of Aragon. Beatrice is talking about Benedick, but calls him Signior Mountanto, which no one understands. The play takes an ancient theme—that of a woman falsely accused of unfaithfulness—to brilliant comedic heights. Explore Course Hero's library of literature materials, including documents and Q&A pairs. Much Ado About Nothing, comedy in five acts by William Shakespeare, written probably in 1598–99 and printed in a quarto edition from the author’s own manuscript in 1600. (Arguably, as Hero is one of the four lead characters in the play, and her first line is about Beatrice and Benedick, Shakespeare is introducing us to the fact that Beatrice and Benedick’s subplot might be more important than Hero and Claudio’s.) In the end, though, it all turns out to be "much ado about nothing". For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: Hero’s reputation is on the line, and in the end, as a woman, her word isn’t worth much against a man’s. Beatrice is one of the most delightful characters in all of Shakespeare — certainly one of the most talkative and witty. She’s a gentle, loving girl who doesn’t have much of a backbone, but doesn’t have much of a mean-streak either. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon (Keanu Reeves) conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Hero of infidelity. This episode reminds us of the constant cuckoldry jests in the play. Much Ado struck me as a lovely little independent film. He also helps bring together one of the play's major couples, Beatrice and Benedick. This study guide and infographic for William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing offer summary and analysis on themes, symbols, and other literary devices found in the text. The Much Ado About Nothing quotes below are all either spoken by Hero or refer to Hero. Written by Liza Esser Compared to how much her cousin, Beatrice, has to say, Hero is virtually silent, even when being given to Claudio. Much Ado About Nothing is a play by William Shakespeare first performed in 1612. Written by Liza Esser (The term foil originated as a piece of shiny metal placed under a precious stone to heighten its luster. He reconciles himself to his brother, though he doesn’t speak to him much and may merely be keeping him close to keep an eye on him. Much Ado About Nothing Summary Count Claudio falls in love with Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero is Leonato’s daughter, Beatrice’s cousin, Antonio’s niece, and the beloved (and slandered) fiancée of Claudio. It's a delight for fans of Joss, as we get to see many fan favourite actors clearly having a great time. She is likely to touch a responsive chord with many readers and playgoers today in light of current social ideas that encourage greater equality and self-assertiveness for women than has been traditional for women of the Western world.