In act 4, Don Pedro states “If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours” (2.1 323-325). This quote demonstrates Don Pedro insisting on turning hatred into love by committing his efforts into making Beatrice fall in love with Benedick. He is deceiving Benedick and Beatrice to eventually fall for eachother. Another act of deception appears in act 2 when Don John schemes up a plan to trick Claudio that his soon to be wife Hero, lost her chastity to another man. “I am sick in displeasure to him and whatsoever comes athwart his affection ranges evenly with mine” (2.2 5-6).
Claudio, Hero and Don Pedro all realize how perfect Beatrice and Benedick are together and so they set up a plan to deceive the two of them into falling in love. Don Pedro comes up with the plan to be having Benedick eavesdropping on Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio chatting about how much Beatrice is secretly in love with Benedick. Just as they expected , their plan goes off without a hitch. After the group is done talking and they all leave, Benedick comes out of hiding and start talking about what he just heard and realizes that he is in love with Beatrice. “I will be horribly in love wit her.”
Much Ado About Nothing revolves around the manipulation and deceptions. Benedict and Beatrice are deceived for their own good. Claudio is tricked into thinking that Hero isn't as innocent as she claims to be, just for the amusement of a villainous character. Have Hero not deceived Claudio, she wouldn't of never won him back. Thus, comes to show that deception was used to lead to the live and romance of each
(4.1.343-50) Benedick and Claudio are dear, if not best, friends, and Benedick is a righteous man who would never wrongfully accuse anyone, let alone his friend. He is hesitant to believe that Claudio is the one to blame for Hero's defamation, but he trusts completely in Beatrice and her judgement. Benedick agrees to challenge Claudio not out of love for Beatrice, but because he knows her and he knows that she has excellent powers of reasoning. Don John tells the Prince and Claudio that Hero has been unfaithful: DON JOHN. I came hither to tell you; and, circumstances shortened, for she has been too long a-talking of, the lady is disloyal.
In the play, masks are used to symbolize the deception of the characters and to show just how simple it is to deceive someone. This is demonstrated in the following quote, “I will assume thy part in some disguise and tell fair Hero that I am Claudio,” here, Don Pedro deceives Hero by courting her under the disguise of Claudio with the intent of bringing him and Hero together. Although his deception is out of goodwill for Claudio, Don John disrupts his plan by convincing Claudio that Don Pedro is out to get Hero for himself. During the ball, Don John takes advantage of the masks worn by the characters to trick Claudio by claiming to be unaware of who he is, asking Claudio, "Are you not Signor Benedick?". Claudio falls for his scheme and is resentful of Don Pedro, but he is quickly soothed after finding that he has Hero's hand in marriage.
The word deceit means to take action or practice deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. In the novel Much Ado About Nothing, a theme of deceit is constantly present, and appears in many different forms. Deceit is used not only for wicked purposes, but mainly for good intentions. In Shakespeare's novel deception is used to initiate and continue the play's plot, by using the masking of characters, faking death and various other forms of deception to demonstrate how true deception can be in our lives. Deception can often be used to mask a certain identity for a particular reason.
Don Pedro, Claudio, Leonato and Antonio were the men and Hero, Margaret and Ursula were the women who got together to play cupid for Benedick and Beatrice. They got together and lied to make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love with each other. In the beginning, they both hated each other and they both wanted nothing to do with love or marriage, but with a little lie that was told between the men and women, they finally realized that they needed to be together. The betrayal of Benedick and Beatrice was one of the betrayals in the play that turned out to have a successful
Within the play, Much Ado About Nothing, there is a central theme of deceitfulness, as a way to solve a problem or an issue amongst the characters. Though this deception may be evil, it can often lead to positive endings after several conflicts. In the creation of this theme, Shakespeare uses both negative and positive examples to contribute to his lesson on ruses. Within this particular scene, all of the cons the various characters have put on are officially revealed to each other. This scene highlights that deception is not always evil, nor is it always moral, but is always solved.
Or how Don John falsely accused Hero of cheating the day before the wedding. Lying is an ongoing theme in this play that changed the course as it progressed. At the beginning of the play we see young, insecure Claudio fall in love with the beautiful Hero. He says “ In mine yes she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked
In Act 2 Scene 1, the characters playfully deceived Benedick and Beatrice as they plotted to bring the two together. As quoted “She were an excellent wife for Benedick” foreshadows Don Pedro’s plan to trick Benedick and “I will do any modest office, my lord, to help my cousin to a good husband” reveals Hero’s involvement to help Don Pedro. With the use of dramatic irony, it helps build suspense as the victims, Benedick and Beatrice knows not of what is going to happen. However, the audience is clearly aware of Don Pedro’s actions, as well as recognising possible consequences. “Bait the hook well, this fish will bite”, responded in figurative language by Claudio, to signal Don Pedro to keep talking about how Beatrice loves Benedick whilst he was swallowing all the lies about Beatrice's love for him.
The audience may understand the concept of love and romance flowing within the characters because it was to portrayed that way but the critics would argue the fact that some of the characters like Beatrice and Benedick were made to fall in love with each other through deception. As simple as the characters were, the situations arousing in the play became more complexed as scenes passed by. What led to the trouble and chaos in the play also led to the solution in the end, when Claudio and Don Pedro were deceived into thinking by Don John that Hero was unfaithful. That very same idea also solved the problem in the end when Leonato, Hero’s father, deceived Claudio by making him believe that she is dead and that it is his duty to clear Hero’s name by reading out on her tomb and marrying the said niece who looks just like Hero. Again the plotting against own is present where the said niece turns out to be Hero and she comes back to life again.
Othello’s actions are motivated in the belief that Desdemona has been dishonest, however; Iago has blinded Othello with his dishonesty. Othello’s quest for honesty allows him to be manipulated by the fear of dishonesty and therefore he becomes oblivious to falsehood. Through Othello, Shakespeare raises the idea of honest reputation, and how quickly it can be ruined by dishonesty in the shape of
Shakespeare reveals the theme that people deceive others out of love, embarrassment, and hatred. All evidence comes from Much Ado About Nothing. Love makes people act less rationally than they would normally behave. In this case, Claudio has fallen in love with Leonato’s daughter, Hero. In this love-dazed state, Claudio seems thoroughly confused at Don Pedro’s plan to win Hero over on his behalf, due to being lied to about the actual plan by Don John.
