Interpretation of Much Ado About Nothing: Views Upon Deceit's
The word deceit means to give an appearance or an impression that is
different from the true one. Deceit is a recurring theme in Much Ado
About Nothing. Characters are constantly deceiving each other or being
deceived, be it for good or bad means. Without this continual theme of
deception the plot would not be able to unfold.
The theme of deception is revealed early on in the play when Don
Pedro, the prince, agrees to woo Hero in place of Claudio.
‘I will assume thy part in some disguise
And tell fair Hero I am Claudio,’
Don Pedro also tells Claudio that ‘we are the only love gods’ meaning
that nothing will happen between Claudio and Hero unless he
intervenes. Here deception is used by Claudio and Don Pedro as a way
to win Hero despite Claudio’s seemingly shy and sensitive nature.
Shakespeare could have constructed Claudio’s character in this way as
a way of illustrating the difference between the romantic, sensitive
Claudio and the more outgoing and vibrant Don Pedro. Don Pedro
successfully manages to woo Hero who happily agrees to marry Claudio,
creating a happy resolution to Don Pedro’s trickery; this then gives
the audience an optimistic impression of Don Pedro.
There is a constant tension between deception as a means to a good end
and as a means to a bad end. This is shown clearly when Don John
learns of Don Pedro’s plan to woo Hero in place of Claudio. Knowing
this, Don Jon plans to mislead Claudio, causing him to believe that
the prince has wooed Hero for himself. This creates a tension in the
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deceits where created to get Beatrice and Benedick to realise there
love for each other.
In conclusion it could be said that the deceit in the plot of Much Ado
About Nothing is not inherently evil as the main deceits, the tricking
of Beatrice and Benedick to realise there true feelings for each other
was necessary for the plot to develop but it was also done out of
desperation of the other characters. The only deceit that could be
portrayed as evil is Borachio’s deception which was created due to the
jealousy of Don John for Claudio; this was due to how Claudio was now
favoured by his brother, the prince, Don Pedro.
Bibliography:
* Cambridge Student Guide on Much Ado about Nothing,
* York advanced notes on Much Ado about Nothing,
* York advanced notes on William Shakespeare
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"Much Ado About Nothing: Entire Play." Much Ado About Nothing: Entire Play. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. .
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