much ado about nothing

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"Hero's and Claudio's relationship is naïve, immature and unlikely to succeed, whereas Benedick's and Beatrice's relationship is a triumph.' How far do you agree with this interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing?

Shakespeare uses fashion and manners as one of the main themes in Much Ado About Nothing to suggest masking and disguise of the personalities in a society where status and appearance is important. In the play prose is spoken by Beatrice and Benedick whose realistic language represents their down to earth characters. They also provide the comedy in the drama. When Beatrice says: 'he is no less than a stuffed man' and when Benedick says: 'my dear lady disdain! Are you yet living?' they provide a 'merry war' of conflict, which amuses the audience but overshadows the main plot including Hero and Claudio. This shows they are matched and would make a triumphant relationship. Hero and Claudio speak in poetic verse, which artificially and ideally underlines their sentiments. This indicates their love is superficial and is unlikely to succeed. However it is considered that Beatrice and Benedick are naïve and immature because they are deceived into loving each other and mock each other constantly. Furthermore their relationship may not succeed because they both reject marriage. However, there are signs to say that they have already had a distant affair and they both have the fear of being hurt.

Attitudes to love were different in the Elizabethan period to the modern period we have now. In the Elizabethan period, love was about status, companionship, money, power and mostly about being in the public's eye. They have a mutual understanding, equality, love and trust. However, Claudio cannot possibly love Hero completely because of his mistrust and belief that Hero has been unfaithful to him. Claudio is therefore naïve as he is tricked by Don John. So Claudio is more interested at this point in social status rather than actually being 'in love' with Hero. Claudio and Hero do not speak out of the public's eye, because their relationship is about conforming to courtly society. However I believe their relationship will succeed as in the Elizabethan period this was considered the norm. Hero speaks confidently when she is out of the public's eye, because she complies with social expectations and her class. She shows she has wit and inner beauty. However, as Claudio's fiancée her social role
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Leanne Drewery.

leads to her suppressing her intellectual side 'and bid her steal into the pleached bower'.

Claudio and Hero are naïve as they are young and impressionable. Claudio is tricked by Don John twice. He tells Claudio, 'I heard him swear his affection' at the ball. Claudio thinks that Don Pedro has stolen Hero, 'the prince wooes for himself' and thinks that her beauty has seduced Don Pedro, 'for beauty is a witch'. Claudio is then tricked by Don John a second time when he tells Claudio and Don Pedro, 'the lady is disloyal'. According ...

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