How much ado about nothing summary
Everyone gets married. Count Claudio falls in love with Hero, the daughter of his host. Hero's cousin Beatrice a confirmed spinster and Benedict an eternal bachelor are each duped into believing the other is in love with them.
Claudio is deceived by a malicious plot and denounces Hero as unchaste before they marry. She faints and is believed dead, but recovers to be proved innocent by a chance discovery. Leonato receives word that his friend, the Duke Don Pedro has returned from war and plans to visit with some of his fellow soldiers. Among the party is Claudio, who quickly falls in love with Hero.
Benedick, a bachelor who has sworn off love and marriage, also comes, and he enjoys speaking his mind in witty argument with Beatrice. Leonato holds a masked ball to celebrate the end of the war. While at the ball, the engagement of Claudio and Hero is arranged. At the same time, Don Pedro's brother, Don John, seeks a way to spoil the general happiness just because he's bitter and petty that way. Don John plots with the soldiers, Borachio and Conrad, to deceive Claudio into believing Hero has cheated on him.
In This Section. About the play In an imagined futuristic world, two very different couples fall in love — but who is really pulling the strings? Read More. See cast photos. Find out more. Information and resources for teachers and learners on Much Ado about Nothing Find out more. You may also like. We use cookies on this website. By using this site you agree that we may store and access cookies on your device. Find out more about how we use cookies and your options to change your acceptance of cookies.
Unfortunately, payments are no longer supported by Mastercard in your web browser Mozilla 0. Dogberry and Verges , both in charge of the night watchmen, bid their soldiers good night and tell them to wake them up only if there is something important. They leave after putting one of the watchmen in charge. Soon thereafter Borachio shows up with Conrad. While the watchman listens to everything they say, Borachio tells Conrad that he went to Margaret in Hero's chamber.
Claudio watched the whole scene and thought Hero was with another man. Borachio laughingly informs Conrad that Don John paid him a thousand ducats for the deception. The watchman comes out of his hiding place and arrests the two men in the Prince's name. The next morning Dogberry goes to Leonato and informs him that he caught two disreputable men the night before.
Leonato tells him he does not have time to interrogate the men and orders Dogberry to take care of it. At the wedding Friar Francis asks Claudio if he will marry Hero. Claudio says no and then proceeds to reveal that he saw Hero with another man the night before. Don Pedro defends his story, causing Hero to collapse in a faint. Leonato is disgraced by the accusation and wishes that Hero had died in order to save her from the embarrassment.
Friar Francis tells them that he noted Hero when she was accused and that he thinks she is innocent. Hero wakes up and informs her father that she has no idea what man Claudio was talking about.
Leonato swears revenge if she is telling the truth. Friar Francis cleverly tells Leonato to pretend that Hero has died. That way Leonato can turn the town's scorn into sympathy as well as make Claudio feel guilty for the way he acted. Benedick and Beatrice remain in the church after the others have left. They both declare their love for one another and Benedick promises to do anything for Beatrice.
She orders him to kill Claudio, and after some hedging he reluctantly agrees to challenge Claudio to a duel. Dogberry has brought Borachio and Conrad before the town Sexton and is trying to make them confess. They refuse to cooperate. The Sexton then makes the watchman who overheard them describe what they said.
He reveals the plot against Hero and the Sexton tells them that Don John secretly left that morning after Hero fainted and died. The men are ordered bound and taken to Leonato's. Leonato and Antonio meet Don Pedro and Claudio on the street. Leonato immediately challenges Claudio to a duel for dishonoring him and killing his daughter. Don Pedro laughs at the challenge, causing Antonio to step forward and challenge them as well. Leonato tries to stop his brother.
Don Pedro refuses to accept the challenge on the grounds that it is beneath his dignity and will not listen to them.
Benedick then arrives and challenges Claudio to a duel. Claudio and Don Pedro make fun of him for being angry and tell him he has lost his wits.
Benedick reiterates his challenge to Claudio and leaves. Dogberry and the constables arrive with Borachio in tow. Don Pedro sees the men and recognizes them as friends of his brother whom Benedick told him had run away. Borachio reveals the entire plot against Hero, causing Claudio and Don Pedro to react with guilt and fear.
Leonato arrives back having heard from the Sexton that Don John had plotted against Hero's reputation. He learns that neither Claudio nor Don Pedro realized it was a plot and that they were therefore innocently drawn in to the conspiracy.