Deception is one of the main themes in the play Much Ado About Nothing. How does Shakespeare present this theme in Acts 1 & 2

Pedro wooing Hero, for Count Claudio, whilst he is masked. We know that Hero doesn’t know that it is Don Pedro underneath the mask as she says to him, ‘When I like you favour, for God defend the lute should be like the case.’ This translates to ‘I hope your face is better than your mask,’ this goes to show that Hero is completely unknowing of who the man is behind the mask, Don Pedro. Another piece of deception in the play is when Antonio is trying to persuade Ursula it isn’t him behind the mask. Ursula: ‘I know you well enough, you are Signor Antonio.’ Antonio: ‘At a word, I am not.’ In this scene Antonio is denying it is himself beneath the mask, but because Ursula knows him too well, so he cannot get away with it. However, up till now deception has been used for good and joy, but Beatrice uses the masked ball to get at Benedick and insult him to his face. She pretends to not know it is Benedick beneath the mask, and then make insulting comments to Benedick who is deeply hurt by her slanderous comments. Beatrice’s most spiteful lines are ‘Why he is the Prince’s jester, a very dull fool.’ Benedick says to Don Pedro later on that Beatrice’s words deeply hurt him, ‘She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.’ This goes to show how hurt he is about what she had said to him, while he still believes she did not know it was him she was speaking to. Moreover, Don John uses the masked ball to his advantage in his evil plot to separate Claudio and Hero. Don John puts forward to Claudio (thinking he is disguised as Benedick) that the Prince is wooing Hero for himself and not for Claudio. He says, ‘Sure my brother is amorous on Hero.’ Shakespeare is developing a plot, which Don John undertakes to deceive Claudio into not marrying Hero.                 In order to make Claudio not marry Hero once and for all, Borachio puts forward his plan for the couple to split. Borachio says ‘I am in the favour of Margaret,… I can… appoint her to look out at her lady’s chamber window.’ This plan is to deceive Claudio into thinking that Hero is being unfaithful with Borachio when actually it is Borachio and Margaret at the window.                 So far deception has mainly been used with malicious intent, but Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonato use it to get Benedick to fall in love with Beatrice. ‘Bait the hook well, this fish will bite.’ Claudio is telling Leonato here to make the most of what they can to convince Benedick that Beatrice loves him.                 In conclusion to the essay title, Shakespeare brings about the theme of deception usually with bad consequences, with Don John being the main culprit. However he also uses deception to bring people together, Benedick and Beatrice. Ferdinand Warrington                English homework