| A sweet story, about love and the ease of which it can be perverted into hate. A bickering couple. A sensitive couple. A scorned brother. A proud father. A beaming uncle. A bashful friar. A noble prince. And an ass. |
Cast: [top] Leonato - Governer of Massina. Hero - Loving daughter of Leonato. Beatrice - Hero's cousin. Leonato's Brother (Anthony) - Hero's uncle. Margaret - Hero's gentlewoman. Ursula - Hero's gentlewoman. Don Pedro - Prince of Aragon. Count Claudio - Young, blushing lord from Florance. Signior Benedick - Gentleman(?) from Padua. Balthasar - Singer, friend to many Signior Antonio Don John - Don Pedro's brother, wascally wabbit. Borachio - Don John's friend, Ass. Conrade - Don John's friend, Ass. Dogberry - Master Constable in Messina. Verges - Dogberry's partner. George Seacoal - Leader of the watch. First and Second Watchman Sexton - Clerk Friar Francis - Frier Messengers Boy Various musicians, lords, ladies, and extras. 
In my own words... [top] 1 : 1 The play begins with the returning of Don Pedro, the Prince of Aragon, and his army, to Messina. He and his soldiers enter a congregational area with the people of the town. The governor, Leonato, welcomes them to stay for a long time. Benedick declares himself immune to love, as it is a foolish thing to have. Then, per their current relationship, he has a cute little duel of wits with Beatrice, Leonato's niece. She gives as good as she gets, and also hints at her inability to find a suitable mate. Meanwhile, Count Claudio has looked on the most beautiful site of Leonato's daughter, Hero. He is smitten, now a slave to the passion he feels. He confesses his love to Benedick, but is only greeted with reasons not to love. The prince joins them, wondering why they aren't following the rest to Leonato's house. Claudio tells the prince of his love. The prince, in return, says that he will woo Hero for him, and get her hand in marriage. 1 : 2 Leonato's brother, witness to the aforementioned love confessional, reports his (wrong) information to Leonato. They think the prince will want Hero. 1 : 3 The evil Don John, the prince's brother, gets (accurate) news of Claudio's confessional. Being generally hated and moreover very hateful, he desires nothing more than to wreak havoc. He enlists the help of two other evildoers, Borachio and Conrade. 2 : 1 A party is held, with dancing and the whole deal, for the soldiers. Dressed in masks, they have fun with the women of the town. The prince goes to woo hero, and the party generally starts going. Benedick, masked, talks with Beatrice. She brings up Benedick, and inadvertently insults him. Meanwhile, Don John, addressing the masked Claudio as Benedick, stirs up things. He makes Claudio think that the prince will woo sweet Hero for himself. Claudio is summoned to a gathering of Leonato, Hero, the prince, Benedick, Beatrice, and a few others are. He is at first a little scared that Hero does not love him, but is quickly reassured by the prince. He and Hero fall in love, and get engaged on the spot. (Its the cutest scene!). They need a week to prepare for the wedding (even though the lovebirds would have it tomorrow), so the prince proposes a jolly challenge for the group to endeavor to accomplish. They will bring the sparring Benedick and Beatrice into the bonds of holy matrimony.....with each other! 2 : 2 Don John, hearing news of the lovebirds, endeavors to once again try to stir up a raucous. Borachio offers his services, in that he can attain access to Hero's room. He has favor of Margret, one of Hero's gentlewomen. He stirs up a plan to make it seem as if Hero is unfaithful, by making Margret answer to 'Hero' as Borachio is doing (sorry, can't get much more polite with that). No wonder they call him John the Bastard. 2 : 3 As the first step in their endeavor, the prince, Claudio, and Leonato plan to make Benedick believe that Beatrice loves him. Hiding, Benedick overhears a stirring description of her love for him. How she would die if she confessed her love and die if he wooed her. Hence, she is in a very poor position. The prince says he will try and dissuade her from her love. Benedick, baited successfully, is quite happy with this news. His defiant heart has been pierced! Then, as further jest, the prince sends Beatrice to call Benedick to dinner. She does, and he falls in love with her 'brave' attempt to restrain herself. 3 : 1 Ursula, a gentlewoman to Hero, and Hero herself bait a trap of their own for Beatrice. It is made for her to overhear the fact that Benedick loves her. They speak of how arrogant she is, and how she can always find fault with a man. Hence, Benedick is intimidated out of professing his love. She is also baited, and falls in love with Benedick. She plans to profess her love to the man she loves... 3 : 2 The conspirers observe a beardless Benedick, showing symptoms of love. They mock him a bit, then Don John enters to tell the prince and Claudio that he has proof that Hero is unfaithful. They go to see. 3 : 3 The bumbling constable, Dogberry, and his partner, instruct the local watch in their job. They understand their duty, despite the odd man's instructions. A little later, Borachio and Conrade enter, talking of Borachio's participation in the trick. The watch arrest them, and take them to Dogberry. 3 : 4 Hero prepares for the wedding, and in girlish banter, Beatrice is mocked. They leave for the wedding. 3 : 5 Dogberry, before the wedding, comes to Leonato and tells him that they have prisoners, and asks for advice. Leonatio is very busy and can barely make out the man's foolish words, and so tells him to interrogate the prisoners himself. 4 : 1 The wedding, once a time awaited by the lovebirds, too easily breaks love infested hearts. Claudio, during the marriage ceremony, publicly tells of her wrongdoing. Backed by the prince and his brother, the fact is generally accepted. Everyone leaves, save for Beatrice, Benedick, the friar, Hero and her gentlewomen, and Leonato and his brother. Hero faints with grief that her fiancée would accuse her of something so grievous. Her father thinks she was disloyal, and gets mad at her, but everyone else convinces him that Hero is innocent. The friar says that it should be told that she died of grief, so that Claudio should be made to love her again in mourning. Beatrice and Benedick are then left alone, where they profess their love for each other. Beatrice, angered by Hero's maligning, asks Benedick to kill Claudio. 4 : 2 The interrogation of the prisoners goes more or less smoothly, and it is learned that they contributed to all the turmoil. They go to tell everyone. (The most fun in the play happens here!). 5 : 1 Angry, Leonato and his brother meet up with Claudio and the price to duel them, but are regarded as old men and unfit to fight. They leave still furious, and Benedick enters. He challenges Claudio to a fight, and then leaves. Now, Dogberry enters with the prisoners and the watch. They make known the events to the prince and Claudio as the Sexton (present at the interrogation) tells Leonato. Claudio is beside himself with grief when he learns his slander killed a sweet, innocent woman. He begs Leonato for forgiveness. To atone for his actions, Leonato wants Claudio to marry his niece (really Hero) at a wedding, and to mourn Hero at her grave. He will do so. 5 : 2 Benedick and Beatrice talk about their love a bit, and how the recent events mar their own relationship. Ursula then enters with news of Hero's proved innocence. 5 : 3 Claudio mourns for Hero at her tomb. 5 : 4 All is resolved in this last scene. Claudio, present to marry Leonato's 'niece', is present with everyone else. Hero comes out, masked, to marry. Claudio does so, and is greeted with the original Hero. They are all reconciled. Benedick, in favor with the new mood, asks Beatrice to be his wife. She agrees, out of pity, yet poems each wrote are produced against their feelings. Don John, recently fled, is captured and brought back for torture. A double wedding is planned, and all dance. They all lived happily ever after. 
In my humble opinion... [top] Oh no! I have to review this! I can't do that....I love it too much! First of all, Much Ado About Nothing is the best comedy I have had the overwhelmingly orgasmic pleasure of reading. (Mental Note: Create G-Rated site for all the uptight conservatives that don't like the word orgasm. Orgasm orgasm orgasm. :) Seriously, this whole play is an utter joy to read. Anything I say here would only be a drop in the bucket of my praise for this play. I fell in love with Hero and Beatrice, one for her innocence and one for her witty lack thereof. The guys are perfectly innocent as well, and act as though perfect suitors to the ladies. The villains are easy to hate. And the comic relief is hilarious. Dare I say more? Dare I shall. The movie, by Kenneth Branagh, is one of my favorites. Kenny's funny as hell, Denzel is regal as if a lawyer, Keanu is perfectly laughable as a villain, and Keaton is the funniest idiot (now he's reduced to snowmen. sheesh.). The ensemble cast is also comprised of Kenny's favorites who seem to follow him throughout his Shakespeare movies. But, as good as everyone else is, I have to love the women the most. Emma is the bomb with her weird little smile, and the other gal (whom I mistake for Irene Jacob because they could be twins) is -- like -- THE perfect woman. Loyal, loving, and lovely. Marry me, Hero. And for music per my usual format. I listened to Deep Blue Something, as I got on some kind of weird kick with them. But anyone mellow would do. Try Everclear, Third Eye Blind, Everything, or anything with a guy singer. I'm not sure why a guy, it just works better that way. Jeff ; - ) (Addendum: The only pictures worth getting were the movie ones. As I did this image scouring, I came accross a buncha KB fan sites. They have compelled me to want to start a small one here. -- Hey, and who know that Helena Bonham Carter was such a major cutie?! Way to go Ken!!) 
More... [top] The movie - The fantastic movie. This is the only link worth visiting. A study guide - Lots of info. (Well, this is worth visiting too...) Pictures - Where I stole all my pictures. This is also worth going to. Much Ado About Nothing - A cute little rant on why to watch the movie. Sigh no more... - Cute site that displays only the famous song. Nonny! I was dissappointed with the results of my search for decent pages. Here's the ever humble rest... Reading lists - Apparent reading lists for the play. An essay on the movie - I question the reasons for writing this. MABN - An online quiz. Kinda sucks.
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