Gossip in "Much Ado About Nothing".

Authors Avatar

Gossip in “Much Ado About Nothing”

By: Liran Morav

        Gossip plays a major role in “Much Ado About Nothing”. It is displayed in several ways including intentional gossip, malicious gossip, and innocent gossip. Most of the gossip in “Much Ado About Nothing” appears in the first half of the play. The second half, on the other hand, consists of the consequences of gossip. Of course, some consequences can be found in the first half of the play, however, Shakespeare made sure these didn’t have a central role in the plot. It seems he wanted the play to be divided between gossip, and its effects. The results of gossip in “Much Ado About Nothing” include: a ruined marriage, a family crisis, damaged friendships, a damaged reputation, minor misinterpretation of people’s feelings, and the forming of love. All of which were, and still are, central themes, which probably attracted Elizabethan audiences to plays such as “Much Ado About Nothing”. These consequences will be dealt with in this essay.

        Despite the many consequences of gossip in “Much Ado About Nothing”, it seems there’s only one ‘good’ consequence. It’s the forming of love between Beatrice and Benedick. At first, it seems that achieving love between the two is what Don Pedro calls “one of Hercules’ labours” (Act 2, Scene 1, Line 275). Beatrice and Benedick appear to hate each other all throughout the first half of the play. Beatrice, for instance, displays her opinion of Benedick in Act 2, Scene 1, Line 103, by saying he’s “the prince’s jester”, and “a very dull fool”. Benedick too, like Beatrice, never misses a moment to respond. He often does that by gossiping. In Act 2, Scene 1, lines 187 - 188, for example, Benedick maliciously gossips about Beatrice, saying that “if her breath were as terrible as her terminations, there were no living near her”. In Act 2, Scene 3, however, Claudio, Don Pedro, and Leonato use gossip to deceive Benedick. They let Benedick believe they don’t know he’s eavesdropping on their conversation. Consecutively, they begin gossiping of Beatrice’s secret love for Benedick. This gossip is obviously intentional, and is based on false facts. Benedick, however, is quickly fooled by their deceit. After hearing things such as that Beatrice “loves him with an enraged affection” in Act 2, Scene 3, line 90, Benedick decides he will return her love. A short while after, Beatrice is also fooled into loving Benedick. This time, however, it’s Hero and Ursula who play the gossip – based trick. They too deliberately let Beatrice assume an eavesdropping position while they gossip of Benedick’s love towards her. They begin in Act 3, scene 1, line 38 by ‘asking’ whether “Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely”. They then continue throughout the scene and mention how Benedick has to “wrestle his affection” (line 42), and “fight against his passion” (line 83). Beatrice, in any case, succumbs to the trap, and like Benedick, decides she too will return Benedick’s love. As the play advances, the consequences of the two sets of intentional gossip unfold. In Act 4, Scene 1, line 259, Benedick admits to Beatrice his love for her. This happens just after the disastrous wedding. Beatrice, however, has to wait until her letter of affection for Benedick is revealed in Act 5 Scene 4, Lines 87 – 90, to almost unwillingly confess her love for Benedick by kissing him. By the end of the play, however, Benedick and Beatrice overcome their many differences, and become engaged to each other. This charming result of gossip has a major role in making the play an entertaining comedy with a happy ending.

Join now!

        Gossip in “Much Ado About Nothing”, however, mostly results in bad, if not devastating, consequences. Gossip, for instance, creates minor misunderstandings between Leonato and Don Pedro. In Act 1, scene 2, Leonato and Antonio gossip about Don Pedro’s feelings towards Hero. Consequently, Leonato is led to believe that Don Pedro intends on asking Hero’s hand in marriage. As a result, he informs Hero of his expectations of her in Act 2, Scene 1, lines 48 – 49, where he says that “If the prince do solicit you in that kind, you know your answer”. Hero is therefore put under ...

This is a preview of the whole essay