Noting, or observing, is central to many of the ideas in Much Ado. The word nothing was pronounced as noting in Elizabethan times, and it seems reasonable to presume that the pun was intended by Shakespeare to signal the importance of observation, spying and eavesdropping in the play.
Plot development and comedy in Much Ado rely heavily on the use of noting. The play appears to have a simple plot; the romantic couple, Claudio and Hero, are denied marital joy by the evil Don John while the sub-plot, Beatrice’s and Benedick’s resisted but growing love, provides us with some humour until order and happiness are re-established in Messina. However, Shakespeare cleverly employs the many forms of noting (observation, misunderstanding, misreporting) to move the dramatic action forward. The main plot and the sub-plots are laced together with this device and we observe the watch eavesdropping on Borachio recounting the event to Conrade. This eavesdropping reminds us of the orchard scenes where Beatrice and Benedick are tricked into loving each other. They both come closer to a position of self-knowledge and this enables the “merry war” of Beatrice and Benedick to move a step further to its conclusion.
Beatrice and Benedick’s whole “merry war” is indeed entertainingly funny, yet quite heartfelt and romantic, if the audience were to perceive it in that manner. However, Shakespeare brings into the play a deeper observation about the human nature; it is about their inner fear, wishing to guise themselves and protect their true feelings - perceiving falsely that the other cares not for them. We again deal with concepts of what we note and what we do not note.
Because noting/observing has such importance in Messina (and, by implication, Elizabethan society), manipulation and deception are used by the dark forces in the play to exercise power and control. Don John is a stock Elizabethan villain whose intention is to harm all those involved in his downfall – especially Claudio. He tries to convince Claudio that Hero favours another twice. These episodes involve deception and slander and this malevolence distorts Claudio’s perception of the events. His willingness to believe falsehoods and attribute blame – first to beauty (“for beauty is a witch” 2. 1. 135), then to Hero’s base nature (“savage sensuality” 4.1. 135) – also point to self-deception about love, honour and women. Claudio’s failure to distinguish appearance from reality is brought about by his romantic idealism. Hero becomes an illusion in which all womanly virtue and beauty are contained (“Can the world buy such a jewel” 1.1.108-109).
The subjectivity of perception creates problems in the patriarchal, Messina society. Why are some of the characters in Messina perceptive and others not? It appears that Shakespeare is making a damning observation of Elizabethan society. During the dramatic denunciation scene, only Friar Francis, Beatrice and Benedict correctly perceive Hero’s innocence. Friar Francis states this clearly:
“...by noting of the lady. I have marked A thousand blushing apparitions ...trust not my age, My reverence, calling nor divinity, If this sweet lady lie not guiltless here, Under some biting error” 4.1. 150-162
Leonato, however, can not perceive the innocence of his own daughter. He immediately sides with Claudio and Don Pedro and notes that they would not lie:
“Would the two princes lie, and Claudio lie, Who loved her so, that speaking of her foulness, Washed it with tears? Hence from her, let her die.” 4.1. 145-147
Leonato’s adherence to the male codes of honour and virtue cloud his perception. He, too, suffers from Claudio’s distorted view of women. This illusion, seems to be drawn from male idealism because Leonato and Claudio feel it is their honour that Hero has blackened. Don Pedro, Leonato and Claudio are so immersed in the conventions and codes of patriarchal society that their ability to note correctly is impaired. They may be capable of self-perception, but they are bound by the rituals surrounding their roles.
Benedick turns his back on these codes when he challenges Claudio. He is able to perceive Hero’s innocence and suspect Don Jon’s involvement because he exists on the periphery of society. This can also be said for Beatrice (she is an orphan and does not have Hero’s parental pressure). They both eschew the courtly style and behaviour expected of Hero and Claudio and are able to think and act in a freer fashion. Friar Francis, being a cleric, definitely stands outside of society. It seems that Shakespeare is suggesting that only those that are not controlled by patriarchal rules and rituals are capable of an undistorted view of life.
The Watch could be seen as a ‘comic relief’ in the play. Certainly, Dogberry’s continued misunderstandings and malapropisms help soften the tone of the play as they follow the more sinister sections. Dogberry’s insistence on others noting that Conrade called him an ass is especially funny: “Oh that I had been writ down an ass” (4. 2. 70-71). The audience enjoys the irony that Dogberry has been “writ down an ass” – by Shakespeare himself. However, they reinforce Shakespeare’s views that only those exempt from the conventions of society are without self-deception, as they are the ones to overhear the true story of Hero’s shaming, and they are in this play outside of conventional society. However, The Watch’s inability to reveal what they have correctly noted, adds to the tension of the play, and the overall scheme of misnoting. Hero’s shame could have been avoided. Noting is one of the plays main preoccupations, and making observation integral to the plot demonstrates and emphasises its importance.
Much Ado About Nothing is much more than a merry comic romp. In contrasting the melancholy and the amusement, Shakespeare tells a powerful story about deceit and how one should be especially careful of what one “notes”. He shows a complex world where happy endings are not always entirely happy, and how communities struggle to keep a delicate balance. He shows how even in a world that is supposedly resolved, there are still problems, as with the open question of Don John. Many more themes are present which could have been explored, for example, those of friendship and of parent-child relationships. Ultimately, Ado is a poignant work because of the deep human understanding involved in its craft, and it presents a very truthful picture of the world.
