Deception in Much Ado About Nothing

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Deception in Much Ado About Nothing

Deception is a big concept to consider in Much Ado About Nothing. Deception has a integral role to play due to each of the main characters being the victim of it, and it is because they are deceived that they act in the ways that they do. Although the central deception is directed against Claudio in an attempt to destroy his relationship with Hero, it is the deceptions involving Beatrice and Benedick which provides the play’s dramatic focus.

Nearly every character in the play at some point has to make inferences from what he or she sees, has been told or overhears. Like wise many characters at some point plays a part of consciously pretending to be what they are not. The idea of acting and the illusion it creates is rarely far from the surface- Don Pedro acts to Hero, Don John acts the part of an honest friend, concerned for his brother’s and Claudio’s honour; Leonato and his family act as if Hero were dead, encouraged to this deception by the Friar who feels that this may be the way to get at the truth; and all the main characters deceive Benedick and Beatrice so convincingly that they reverse their normal attitudes to each other.

In act 1 Don Pedro offers to play Claudio and win Hero for him. This plan is overheard, and misreported to Antonio. His excited retailing of the false news of Don Pedro’s love for Hero to Leonato is not without some caution.

The news will be good as “the event stamps them; but they have a good cover, they show well outward.”

Leonato shows a sense here that he could well do with later in the play.

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“Hath the fellow any wit that told you this?”

“We hold it as a dream”.

Admittedly he does not question the ‘good sharp fellow’ who overheard, any more than he examines Dogberry’s prisoners, but the caution of the two older men about what would be only too delightful for them to believe is in sharp contrast to the readiness with which they believe Hero’s disgrace.

The first introduction to the pattern of overhearing is more important than it might at first seem. Eavesdropping is almost a full-time occupation in Messina. Virtually everyone does it. The courtyard is the central ...

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