Much Ado About Nothing - Characters

Much Ado About Nothing - Characters

1. Beatrice

   • "signor Montanto"
     • She is witty - unconventiional as she is not passive and silent and instead jokes about a man
   • "father as it please me"
     • She is independant and does not require her fathers direction or advice
   • "'til God make men of some other metal than earth"
     • Unlike most women of the time, she does not feel as if she needs to be married and is not impressed by the men she has known
     • "I had rather hear a dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves me"
   • "kill Claudio."
     • She has a very protective mindset and a close bond with her cousin, Hero

2. Hero

   • "i am a maid"
     • Hero's virginity is her most prized possession as a conventional young women from this era. The fact that she has to justify this shows how important it is viewed upon as
   • "devise some honest slanders"
     • In an all-female environment, Hero seems able to speak her own mind when tricking Beatrice. Usually Hero is seen as quiet and submissive and does not speak much.
   • Claudio - "she is the sweetest lady that ever I looked on"
     • Hero is only valued for her outward appearance which is very conventional for women of the time. Shakespear uses Hero as a symbollic role to represent the majority of women of her time and her character is never explored in depth
   • Claudio - "rotten orange"
     • This metaphore is used to describe how she is pretty on the outside however "rotten" on the inside. This is said after Claudio accuses Hero of not being a maid so shows how important her virginity is in a relationship.
   • Claudio - "precious gift"
     • Claudio describes Hero as a "precious gift" from her father showing that she is seen as a gesture rather than as a person. This type of objectification is common for the era as women were seen as a companion for their partner rather than as an individual.

3. Benedick

   • "every word stabs"
     • Even though Benedick and Beatrice have witty banter between them, Benedick shows his underlying emotions for Benedick as he is affected by the things she says
   • "another man is a fool when he dedicates his behaviours to love"
     • Simiarly to Beatrice, initially Benedick does not believe in marriage and so is not a conventional man of the time. He also has very strong opinions like Beatrice so the audience is able to see their underlying suitability for eachother, even if they themselves cannot see this yet.
     • There is a strong sense of irony as he does get married in the end of the play so he goes against his initial words
   • "loved of all ladies"
     • Benedick claims he is popular with the ladies although he has not chosen a partner showing he is either completely against marriage showing his unconventional personality or he may be subconsciencely saving himself for a particular person
   • "boy!"
     • When trying to catch the attention of a young boy, he shouts "boy!" showing his rudeness and lack of sympathy at the begining of the play

4. Claudio

   • "is she not a modest young lady?"
     • Like most men of the time, when it came to meeting a partner, Claudio is most concerned about Hero's virginity. This shows how he is very judgemental and materialistic as the most important part about Hero to him is her status and looks
   • "there will I shame her"
     • Claudio shows his lack of compassion when Hero is claimed to not be a maid. Without wanting to hear Hero's versions of events, Claudio decides that he wants to take his revenge. This shows his lack of empathy and shows how important her virginity is to him. Claudio here is represented as cruel and insecure as he believes Hero's actions reflect poorly on him.
   • "Yet sinned I not but in mistaking"
     • By this, Claudio means he has only done wrong because he was mistaken. This is however not a fair statement as he did not try and understand the situation initially. Claudio is trying to find excuses for his actions instead of taking responsibility.

5. Don John

   • "I am a plain-dealing villain"
     • Don John knows he is the classic villian of the play and has no intention to change that. He is proud of who he is and he plays a key role in the plot of the play.

6. Leonato

   • "she has fallen into a pit of ink"
     • Leonato's opinion of his own daughter, Hero, shows how quickly people lose respect of others if they are no longer seen as pure
   • "myself would...strike at thy life"
     • Leonato is describing how he would kill Hero if she does not die of shame. His conventional attitude is put to the test in this scene showing how far he would go to preserve his reputation. This shows his selfish attitude and shows no sympathy for his daughter who had just fainted at the news she had heard
   • "thou wilt never get a husband if thou be so shrewd of thy tongue"
     • This quotation is said when discussing Beatrice's manner. Leonato is focused around finding husbands for the women in his life. This shows his conventional attitude of how women should live their lives

7. Dogberry and Verges

   • "Thou wilt be condemned into everlasting redemption for this!"
     • The word 'redemption' is mistaken for the word damnation. This sort of mistake brings humour to the play as it shows Dogberry's clueless personality.
     • Although they may be seen as 'fools' and clueless, they are the ones who found out the truth. This adds a layer of complexity around the idea of deception as it is the people you would least expect to find out the plot instead of their 'betters' who are taken in by appearances
   • "Oh, that he were here to write me down an ass!"
     • Dogberry is shocked that he has been caled and ass. This is very comedic as he is an ass but does not realise it, contributing to hid clueless personality.
   • "When the age is in, the wit is out"
     • In this scene, Dogberry is talking about Verges. He is joking about how the older he gets, the dumber he becomes. This shows that iin Dogberry's eyes, Verges is even less clever than him.