Much Ado About Nothing Character Foil Essay

Character foils are characters that have characteristics that are so opposite, they compliment each other. The play “Much Ado About Nothing” is a play that follows two love stories, with one being an unlikely pair and the other was being sabotaged. This play is set in 16th century Italy, so we are able to see the timelessness of these love stories. In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, the characters Beatrice and Hero are foils of each other because they have different personalities, reactions to scenarios, and beliefs. In the play, Beatrice and Hero are shown to have very different personalities. Beatrice is independent and confident while Hero is shy and quiet. While Beatrice and Hero are talking about Don John towards the beginning of the play Beatrice says, “How tartly that gentleman looks I never can see him but I am heartburned and hour after” (Shakespeare 3). This line shows that Beatrice is not afraid to speak her mind. This also shows Beatrice using her wit and not being quiet or soft-spoken. Following that line, Hero says, “He is of very melancholy disposition” (Shakespeare 5). This shows how careful of her words Hero is. She likes to be nice and polite instead of

When Claudio accuses Hero of cheating at the wedding she reacts by saying, “Is my lord well, that he doth speak so wide?” (Shakespeare 61). This reaction show Hero trying to prove him wrong so she can get married. She wants to please people by being innocent. Beatrice’s reactions were very different. She reacted by saying, “O, on my soul, my cousin is belied” (Shakespeare 145). Beatrice’s reaction shows that she trusts people and doesn’t care what others think. By being defensive of Hero she shows that she is not afraid to stand up for what she thinks is true. In Hero’s reaction she shows that she doesn’t stand up for the thing which she knows to be false while Beatrice