Comparing Claudio And Leonato's Discourses In Much Ado About Nothing

Insults, sarcasm, and banter are an important part of almost every story. In Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare follows this pattern as he makes them an integral part of the play. The incorporation of these writing tools can add humor and amusement as well as brutal seriousness and resentment when they are used by the characters of the play. They are also used as a means of revealing key details about each character’s past. These aspects of discourse are clearly portrayed in scenes such as Beatrice and Benedick’s first conversation, Claudio and Leonato’s dialogue over the course of their respective relationships with Hero, Leonato’s opinions of Beatrice after her rant about men, and the misadventures of Constable Dogberry and his deputy

After hearing from Don John that Hero is cheating on him and seeing the staged affair that Borachio took part in, Claudio is ready to unleash his wrath on Hero during their wedding ceremony. His anger is shown through his insults aimed at Hero as he calls her a “rotten orange” (4.1.27), “approved wanton” (4.1.39), and “common stale” (4.1.59). The use of these insults clearly has a major effect on Claudio and Hero’s relationship and without them, Claudio’s pure rage would not be as evident. Claudio also reveals his feelings of betrayal through sarcasm in this scene by saying “What a hero hadst thou been” (4.1.93). The use of sarcasm in this scene, like the use of anger through insults, reveals Claudio’s true feelings in a much stronger way than if it had not been used at all. When Claudio walks out and Hero “dies” of shock, it is clear that Claudio’s insults and sarcasm drove a knife through the heart of their relationship as husband and wife. Hero’s understanding of Claudio is also changed forever in this scene, as she now sees him as a cruel man who does not trust the word of the woman he loves. Likewise, Claudio confirms to himself through his rant that Hero is promiscuous and does not deserve to be