Much Ado About Nothing

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Character Analysis

Dogberry and Verges

Major source of comedy as well as being dramatically entertaining

Exploration of the theme deception

Original part was written for Will Kempe a famous clown in Shakespeare's company

Dogberry's humour is the complete opposite to Beatrice and Benedick's accomplished wordplay. He tries to use long and significant words but usually and hilariously gets them wrong.

'writ down an ass' - the comedy that he is an ass but does not realise it

Tension is taken out of the scenes when dogberry and the watch hears don johns plan.

Shakespeare used Dogberry to create an image of authority that is laughable

When he found out the plan Shakespeare did around the idea of deception. Foolish yokels who find the truth whilst everyone else is taken in by the plan.

Key Quotation of Dogberry - 'masters, remember that I am and ass'

Beatrice

Witty, confident, intelligent and extremely interested in Benedict

She has no father to command her or control her - independent strong minded women in the male dominated Messina

Contrast to Hero

She says she never wants to marry - 'till god make men of some other metal than earth'

good loyal friend - first to declare her belief in Hero's innocence and is frustrated with Claudio - 'I would eat his heart out in the market place'

She demanded that Benedick should prove his love by killing Claudio

Beatrice and Benedick marry on their own terms not society's

Key Quotation of Beatrice - 'nobody marks you', 'I had rather hear a dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me', 'kill claudio'

Hero

Contrasting character to Beatrice - conventional, quite and submissive

Much less appealing character on stage - accepts decisions of her father about her life and responds to Claudio

Switches on interest in Beatrice and Benedick

Around men she is quiet and submissive however when she was plotting with her women friends about Beatrice falling in love with Benedick she wasn't afraid to say anything and really enthusiastic - 'devise some honest slanders'

Only her outwards appearance is focused on

doesn't stand a chance with the accusations from all the men. 'Oh god defend me how am I beset'

Key Quotations from Hero - 'And surely as I live, I am a maid', 'devise some honest slanders'

Benedick

plays carefree, committed bachelor, self-consciously cynical about women and love

past womaniser and is particular that he will not marry

Has a 'merry war of wit' with Beatrice

calls her 'lady disdain'

avoids her because 'every word stabs'

marrying Benedick will be a major part of the play because so much is spent on saying how he will not get married 'hang me in a bottle like a cat and shoot me'

He has some sensitivity as when Beatrice mocks him at the masked ball he gets upset.

When he challenges Claudio to a duel this adds dramatic impact due to his sensitive comical side

kiss silent Beatrice

Key Quotations of Benedick - 'I do love nothing in the world so well as you, is that not strange' , 'rare parrot teacher'

Claudio

Stereotype lover - brave soldier, rich, noble and ready for love

However we get the sense he cares more about looks and appearance than personality. ' Is she a modest young lady'

His love is awkward from the start as Don Pedro woo's Hero for Claudio himself.

He is very gullible, as soon as Don John suggests she has been disloyal Claudio says ' I should not marry her'

He maximises Hero's humiliation as the wedding scene by bursting out 'Oh what men dare do! What men may do' - dramatic irony is used as Hero as done nothing wrong and he is making a fool out of himself.

Key Quotations of Claudio - ' Rotten orange', ' will I shame her', 'Is she a modest young lady'

Leonato

Cares more about his status than his daughter

Marries her off however Hero's feelings seem concerning seeing as marriage is more of a social affair

He thinks his niece is too outspoken to gain a husband

When Hero is dropped in the church is only concern is for himself and his status - 'I had but one'

If Hero doesn't die of shame then he would kill her himself - ' strike thy life'

He forgives Claudio to save his status from slander

Key Quotations from Leonato - 'strike thy life', 'For I had one'

Don John the Bastered

classic villain - brooding malevolent presence

Jealous of Claudio getting everything

Borachio his servant is more intelligent than his master and is the one who suggests problems for Claudio in the first place

Convinces the others that Hero is unfaithful

Key Quotations from Don John - 'I am a plain dealing villain'