Now the introduction of the character is complete. We are aware Don John is not held in high regard amongst the other characters and that his character holds the motivation to disrupt happiness and establish himself as the villain of the play. How his success as a villain can be determined is by a number of factors. Initially it appears that Don John has no strong motive for the villainy he commits and that his actions are inspired by a bad nature, something he acknowledges fully: “though I cannot be said to be a flattering honest man, it must not be denied but I am a plain-dealing villain” (act 1, scene iii line 26) However, Don John is introduced as a ‘bastard’ that in it’s self comes with a number of common presumptions amongst an Elizabethan audience. Illegitimate sons of noblemen found themselves in a difficult position in Renaissance England. Often, their fathers acknowledged them and gave them money and an education, but they could never be their fathers’ real heirs, and they were often excluded from polite society and looked upon with disdain. In plays, bastard sons were sometimes admired for their individualism, enterprise, and courage, but in Shakespeare’s works, their anger about their unfair exclusion often inspires them to villainy.
Don John’s jealous, scheming; humourless nature conforms to this ingrained prejudice. His insistence on honesty (i.e. “plain dealing”) in this scene might appear admirable, but he resorts to deceiving many people later on, casting his statements here about being harmless into doubt. In Much Ado About Nothing, Don John is in the difficult position of having to behave well and court favour with his more powerful brother, Don Pedro, while at the same time being excluded from the privileges Don Pedro enjoys because of his illegitimacy. Don John is bitter about the restrictions imposed upon him: “I am trusted with a muzzle, and enfranchised with a clog. Therefore I have decreed not to sing in my cage” (Act 1, scene iii line 27). He complains, in essence, that he is not trusted at all and not given any freedom; he rails against the constraints of his role, refusing to “sing” in his “cage,” or make the best of things. Instead, he seems to want to take out his frustrations by manipulating and hurting other people for his own ends. The feelings of the other characters towards him reaffirm the notion that he is bad. As well as Leonato’s reserved and polite greeting, Beatrice also shows an element of dislike for Don John. “I never can see him but I am heart burned an hour after” Act 2 scene I line 3. Here Beatrice relates the physical discomfort of heart burn with the actual discomfort she feels when in the presence of Don John. Benedick too appears aware of Don John’s capabilities and will not defend him when the time comes. These shrewd character judgements prevent Don John from achieving his aims undetected and ensure the comic element of the play prevails.
By studying Don John’s plot through the course of the play we can understand his character and it’s effectiveness in more detail. We know Don John is angered by Claudio’s intentions towards Hero, but we are also aware that he sees it as an opportunity to punish Claudio for surpassing Don John in his brother’s affections. Initially, disguised as another, he reports to Claudio that Don Pedro is not engaged in winning Hero’s affections for Claudio but for himself. This devastates Claudio and creates a division as Don John intends. However, the plan lacks substance and we are faced with a very inefficient schemer who is opportunistic in his meddling and lacks true villainy to cause pain of real consequence. Only when Don John is paired with another character does the possibility of real evil become credible and Borachio provides this collaborator.
When Borachio serves Don John with a far more brutal plot to end Claudio’s intended marriage to Hero and remove him from Don Pedro’s favour, Don John is keen to participate. It is very important to note that the extent of his villainy can be measured by his eager participation but it must be noted that this character is not the master mind of the plan, which discredits him as the sole source of darkness in the play. He is a very shrewd character however and is aware that discrediting Hero in such a cruel way will be a devastating blow to Leonato and his family and an effective weapon against Claudio but he does not hesitate to agree to Borachio’s plan. When Borachio initially states he can prevent the marriage Don John is passionate about learning more and being involved. “Any bar, any cross, any impediment will be medicinable to be. I am sick in displeasure to him…. [Claudio]” act 2 scene ii line . On hearing the plan in full Don John is committed, “Only to despite them I will endeavour anything” Act 2, scene ii line 29.
It may be difficult to appreciate the true extent of Don John’s acts without discussing the implications of Hero being ‘revealed’ as no longer being a virgin in Elizabethan society. On being aware of Hero’s transgressions, the marriage to Claudio would instantly be halted. Hero would be exiled from her family and society as a whole and could possibly be imprisoned within a convent or another institution for the rest of her life. Even though Hero is ultimately vindicated, her public shaming at the wedding ceremony is too terrible to be ignored. In a sense, this kind of humiliation incurs just as much damage to her honour and her family name as the accusation of unchaste behaviour - a transgression she never commits. The language that both Claudio and Leonato use to shame Hero is extremely strong. To Claudio she is a “rotten orange” Act 4, scene I line 3, and to Leonato a rotting carcass that cannot be preserved: “the wide sea / Hath . . . / . . . salt too little which may season give / To her foul tainted flesh!” Act 4, scene 1, line 139.
Shame is also what Don John possibly hopes will cause Claudio to lose his place as Don Pedro’s favourite: once Claudio is discovered to be engaged to a loose woman, Don John may believe that Don Pedro will reject Claudio as he rejected Don John long ago. Shame is a form of social punishment closely connected to loss of honour. A product of an illegitimate sexual coupling himself, Don John has grown up constantly reminded of his own social shame, and he will do anything to right the balance. Although Don John is targeting Claudio, it is Hero that would suffer greatly if the plan is successful. Don John considers Hero as an acceptable causality in his fight to cross Claudio. At this stage in the play we see that although Don John is not an effective creator of plots, his ruthless nature reasserts him as the true villain. His knowledge of the court and the characters within it aids his plans and the damage he is prepared to inflict on one character to get to another leads us to believe in his drive to avenge and his total lack of conscience.
An Elizabethan audience would be aware that Don John’s actions would be thwarted in the end but as this play relies heavily on ‘gossip’ and misunderstanding the suspense element for the audience would be derived from how Don John is foiled and whether Hero will be vindicated before Benedick kills Claudio. Don John’s role is not to provide true tragedy to the play but is to add confusion, tension and to act as an enabler for other comic elements. How could Verges and Dogberry feature without a criminal element to investigate? Also the romantic element of Beatrice and Benedick could not develop if they did not have the dramatic environment in which to find each other. Don John I believe is used throughout the play as a facilitator through which other plots and characters can develop. This can be justified by Shakespeare’s decision not to confront Don John at the end of the play once he is captured. The need to express what becomes of Don John is not important as he is not a key character and the role of that character is now over.
Bibliography:
Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare, William, Pearson Education Limited, 2001
York Notes, Much Ado About Nothing, Stuart, Ross, York press, 2003
Screen play, Much Ado About Nothing, Brannagh. 1993.
Class Notes.