Shakespeare's Depiction of Superficial Love in 'Much Ado About Nothing'

Thy Love is Foolish, Good Sir

In life, a man or boy may feel attracted towards a certain lady, sometimes before he knows what kind of person they are. This is most often called a crush, and is based almost solely off of looks. “Crush” in this context is a recent term, but the concept is not. In Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”, an example of this can be seen through the character of Claudio. After returning from the war, he is enamored by a young woman named Hero, who barely speaks yet seems to knock him senseless all the same. His display of affection is superficial and immature, and shows that although the term was not the same, the concept of a “crush” was prevalent even in Shakespeare’s day.

Several things prove Claudio’s love to

An example of this is found in the scene where Claudio describes Hero as a precious jewel, and was previously passed over. In response to Claudio’s enquiry as to Benedick’s opinion of Hero, Benedick answers “Would you buy her that you enquire after her?” This demonstrates that other outside sources, in this case Benedick, noticed the lack of depth in Claudio’s love. Benedick notices a shallowness in sincerity manifested through the viewing of Hero as a perfect and priceless being or object. This final example is proof that Claudio’s love was not completely genuine, even through the eyes of others.

The attraction of a man to a woman, albeit mainly off of looks, is a common occurrence, and is most often recently labeled “a crush”. A portrayal of this has been revealed in the character Claudio’s love for Hero in “Much Ado about Nothing”. Several proofs which support for this theory are the manner in which Claudio talks about her, the style he treats her in, and the viewpoints of others in regard to his feelings. In conclusion, Claudio had the equivalent of a modern day “crush”. But in the end, it seems as if one of his main problems could be described with another modern term; “late