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Hidden Themes In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing

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While Shakespeare's play Much Ado About Nothing may seem like a simple comedy at face value, deep themes are hidden below the surface. One of these hidden themes is love creates bonds that are strong enough to overcome every obstacle. This theme is portrayed between multiple characters, including the lovers Hero & Claudio and Benedict & Beatrice, as well as a deep father to daughter relationship between Hero and her father Leonato. When we are first introduced to the lovers Hero and Claudio, we learn that their love is young. Claudio began to have feelings for Hero prior to his leaving for war, but subsided them in order to prepare in the event that he would die. Consequently, after he returns from combat, he yearns to love Hero again. This …show more content…

The bond between this father and daughter is so strong that even after Hero is accused of being unloyal as well as participating in certain events before marriage, Leonato tries to believe Hero above the others, and still tries to secure her happiness and innocence if it can be. Following Claudio’s betrayal of Hero at the wedding, Leonato proclaims, “...if they wrong her honor,/ the proudest of them shall well hear of it...they shall find, awaked in such a kind,/ Both strength of limb.../To quit me of them thoroughly” (4.1.191-200). Leonato demands justice for what has been done to Hero, electing to believe Hero’s story instead of Claudio’s. Leonato’s love for his daughter compelled him to ignore the obstacle that now faces them, and moves him to uncover the truth behind Claudio’s claim. When the truth is finally revealed, Leonato tries to salvage Hero’s happiness, telling Claudio, “I cannot bid you bid my daughter live-/...My brother hath a daughter,/ almost a copy of my child that’s dead,/...giver her the right you should have given her cousin…” (5.1.273-285). Leonato tricks Claudio into marrying Hero, making it seem that he will marry his cousin’s daughter to repay Leonato. This act of selflessness proves that the bond of love between Leonato and Hero is strong enough to overcome the worst of obstacles, and is so strong in fact, that it pushes Leonato to secure Hero’s

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Furthermore, Claudio and Hero do not have the freedom to marry without a deal being struck, due to their relationship being built around a transaction. This is shown when Leonato says “Count, take of me my daughter,

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Analyze The Commodification Of Hero In Act 4 Scene 1

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In this quote we can see that Claudio is asking Leonato if he is giving his daughter to him unbeknowst of any wrong doing. Now the key phrase is “give me this maid, your daughter”.

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But he is also a foil to Leonato, as his actions contrast those of Leonato. While Leonato is quick to believe the false accusations, Friar Francis does the opposite - he defends Hero and wants to help her regain her

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Meaning she directly tells Benedick to physically prove his love for her. Hero on the other hand, settles for Claudio without as much as a proper conversation. Even after Claudio publically shames her and calls her “... an approved wanton”(Shakespeare 154). Claudio calls her a glorified slut. Even after Claudio ruins her life, and forces her to go into hiding,

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we see that Claudio intended to marry Hero because of her honorable dignity and beauty but when He realizes that she not as 'honorable' as he imagined of her , he is disillusioned ; "you seem to me as Dian in her orb as chaste as is the bud ere it be blown. Yet you have more wild sensuality in your blood than Venus, on those pam'pered creatures that rage in savage sensuality", "The symbol and semblance of her glory".

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He tries to break up Hero & Claudio by lying and telling certain things that aren’t true. The truth comes out when there are men loyal to Leonato & the Prince over hear Don Jon’s’ men talking about the plan to ruin the marriage & everything about Hero was a lie. ,“Marry sir…they have spoken untruths”- Dogberry ( 5.1.225-226). When the criminals confessed to what they & Don Jon did they all went to jail. Around that time is when people found out that Hero had “died” and Claudio had to marry Beatrice.

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Borrachio is the first one to overhear that Claudio is in love with Hero and how they plan on getting Hero to marry Claudio. Borrachio felt that their love was an interesting subject to mention to Don John. While Don John cannot stand his brother or his brother’s friends, Don John and Borrachio created a scheme to frame Hero of having an affair with another man. This set up the plot that was being conveyed in the play. Claudio was very upset about seeing is true love being with someone else.

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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.

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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.

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Moreover, Claudio's quickness on believing that Broachio, who claims to be Hero’s supposed lover, comes to show that he is unworthy of her. On their wedding he publicly shamed her by stating, “Give not this rotten orange to your friend…Behold how like a maid she blushes here” (4.1.32-34). This then causes Leonato to fake Hero’s “death” so that Claudio can grieve her memory and admit that he was wrong on publicly bashing her. Shakespeare’s

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This is shown with their views on marriage. Hero is willing to marry whoever her father asks her too and when Leonato finds out that Don Pedro seeks marriage with Hero, he encourages Hero to marry and says to Hero, “Daughter, remember what I told you. If the prince does solicit you in the kind, you know your answer” (II.i.57-58). Beatrice, however rebels completely against marriage and says “If he send me no husband; for the which blessing / I am at him upon my knees every morning and evening” (23-25).

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