- Autor: William Shakespeare
- Editorial: Mare Nostrum
- Nº Registro: 22861
- Género: Teatro
- Edades: Todos
- Tipo: Normal
The action of “Much Ado About Nothing” occurs during several days of a visit by Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, and his followers at the large estate of Leonato, Governor of Messina. Don Pedro has been victorious in a small war against his own half-brother, Don John, who has now (reluctantly) joined him.
From the beginning to the end of the play, two love stories are intertwined. One story follows the formal, romantic relationship between Leonato’s daughter, Hero (a young woman), and Claudio (a young officer): Claudio realizes, after returning from war, that he is deeply in love with Hero and wants to ask her father for permission to marry her. His commander, Don Pedro, helps Claudio propose marriage, with some momentary confusion about who the suitor is — Don Pedro or Claudio.
The other couple, Beatrice (Hero’s cousin) and Benedick (another officer), work hard to give the impression that neither is the least bit interested in the other, still smarting over bad experiences in earlier encounters with one another. From the beginning of the play, Beatrice and Benedick tease and insult one another mercilessly and repeatedly deny that they will ever marry anyone, let alone marry one another. However, the audience can tell almost immediately that they don’t entirely believe their own disclaimers. Their friends arrange for them to overhear conversations revealing how much each is loved by the other.
