Much Ado About Nothing Free

Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in and Through "noting" sounding like "nothing", and meaning gossip, rumour, overhearing[2] [3] Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their love for each other, and Claudio is tricked into believing that Hero is not a maiden. Claudio therefore rejects Hero at the altar. But Hero is vindicated, and marriages are arranged for both pairs. In Messinaa messenger brings news that Don Pedro will return that night from a successful battle, along with Claudio and Benedick. Beatrice asks the messenger about Benedick, and mocks Benedick's ineptitude as a Much Ado about Nothing. Leonato explains that "There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signor Benedick and her. On the soldiers' arrival, Leonato invites Don Pedro to stay for a month, and Benedick and Beatrice resume their "merry war". Pedro's illegitimate brother, Don John, is also introduced. Claudio's feelings for Hero are rekindled, and he informs Benedick of his intention to court her. Benedick, who openly despises marriage, tries to dissuade him. Don Pedro encourages the marriage. Benedick swears that he will never marry. Don Pedro laughs at him, and tells him that he will when he has found the right person. A masquerade ball is planned. Therein a disguised Don Pedro woos Hero on Claudio's behalf. Don John uses this situation to get revenge on him, [ clarification needed ] telling Claudio that Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself. Claudio rails against the entrapments of beauty. But the misunderstanding is later resolved, and Claudio is promised Hero's hand in marriage. Meanwhile, Benedick and Beatrice have danced together, trading disparaging remarks under cover of their masks. Benedick is stung at Much Ado about Nothing himself described as "the prince's jester, a very dull fool", [ citation needed ] and yearns to be spared the company of "Lady Tongue". They arrange for Benedick to overhear a conversation in which they declare that Beatrice is madly in Much Ado about Nothing with him but too afraid to tell him. Hero and Ursula likewise ensure that Beatrice overhears a conversation in which they themselves discuss Benedick's undying love for her. Both Benedick and Beatrice are delighted to think that they are the object of unrequited loveand both resolve to mend their faults and declare their love. Meanwhile, Don John plots to stop the wedding and embarrass his brother and wreak misery on Leonato and Claudio. He Much Ado about Nothing Don Pedro Much Ado about Nothing Claudio that Hero is "disloyal", [ citation needed Much Ado about Nothing and arranges for them to see his associate, Borachio, enter her bedchamber and engage amorously with her it is actually Hero's chambermaid. Claudio and Don Pedro are duped, and Claudio vows to publicly humiliate Hero. The next day, at the wedding, Claudio denounces Hero before the stunned guests, and he storms off with Don Pedro. Hero faints. A humiliated Leonato expresses his wish for her to die. The presiding friar intervenes, believing Hero innocent. He suggests that the family fake Hero's death to inspire Claudio with remorse. Prompted by the day's stressful events, Much Ado about Nothing and Beatrice confess their love for each other. Beatrice then asks Benedick to kill Claudio as proof of his devotion. Benedick hesitates but is swayed. Leonato and Antonio blame Claudio for Hero's supposed death and threaten him, to little effect. Benedick arrives and challenges him to a duel. On the night of Don John's treachery, the local Watch overheard Borachio and Conrade discussing their "treason" [ citation needed ] and "most dangerous piece of lechery that ever was known in the commonwealth", [ citation needed ] and arrested them therefore. Despite their ineptness headed by constable Dogberrythey obtain a confession and inform Leonato of Hero's innocence. Don John has fled, but a force is sent to capture him. Claudio, remorseful Much Ado about Nothing thinking Hero dead, agrees to her father's demand that he marry Antonio's daughter, "almost the copy of my child that's dead". After Claudio swears to marry this other bride, this Much Ado about Nothing is revealed to be Hero. Claudio is overjoyed. Beatrice and Benedick publicly confess their love for each other. Don Pedro taunts "Benedick the married man", [ citation needed ] and Benedick counters that he finds the Prince sad, advising him: "Get thee a wife". The couples dance and celebrate as the play ends. In the sixteenth century, stories of lovers deceived into believing each other false were common currency in northern Italy. The earliest printed text states that Much Ado About Nothing was Much Ado about Nothing times publicly acted" prior to It is likely that the play made its debut in the autumn or winter of — The play is predominantly written in prose. Benedick and Beatrice quickly became the main interest of the play. They are considered the leading roles even though their Much Ado about Nothing is given equal or lesser weight in the script than Claudio and Hero's situation. It seems that comic drama could be a means of calming such anxieties. Several characters seem to be obsessed with the idea that a man has no way to know if his wife is faithful and that women can take full advantage of this. Many of the males easily believe that Hero is impure, and even her Much Ado about Nothing readily condemns her with very little proof. This motif runs through the play, often referring to horns a symbol of cuckoldry. In contrast, Balthasar's song " Sigh No More " tells women to accept men's infidelity and continue to live joyfully. Some interpretations say that Balthasar sings poorly, undercutting the message. In the Branagh film, Balthasar sings it beautifully: it is given a prominent role in the opening and finale, and the message seems to be embraced by the women. There are many examples of deception and Much Ado about Nothing in the play. The games and tricks played on people often have the best intentions: to make people fall in love, or to help someone get what they want, or to lead someone to realize their mistake. These modes of deceit play into a complementary theme of emotional manipulation, the ease with which the characters' sentiments are redirected and their propensities exploited as a means Much Ado about Nothing an end. Characters are constantly pretending to be others or are otherwise mistaken for others. Margaret is mistaken for Hero, leading to Hero's disgrace. During a masked ball in which everyone must wear a maskBeatrice rants about Benedick to a masked man who is actually Benedick, but she acts unaware of this. During the same celebration, Don Pedro pretends to be Claudio and courts Hero for him. After Hero is Much Ado about Nothing dead, Leonato orders Claudio to marry his "niece" who is actually Hero. Another motif is the play on the words nothing and noting. These were near- homophones in Shakespeare's day. Nothing is also a double entendre : "an O-thing" or "n othing" or "no thing" was Elizabethan slang for " vagina ", derived from women having "nothing" between their legs. This attention is mentioned directly several times, particularly concerning "seeming", "fashion", and outward impressions. Claudio: Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato? Benedick: I noted her not, but I looked on her. Borachio: Thou knowest that the fashion of a doublet, or a Much Ado about Nothing, or a cloak is nothing to a man. A triple play on words in which noting signifies noticing, musical notes, and nothing, occurs at 2. Or if thou wilt hold longer argument, Do it in notes. Balthasar: Note this before my notes: There's not a note of mine that's worth the noting. Don Pedro: Why, these are very crotchets that he speaks —. Don Pedro's last line can be understood to mean: "Pay attention to your music and nothing else! Claudio: I pray you leave me. Benedick: Ho, now you strike like the blind man — 'twas the boy that stole your meat, and you'll beat the post. Claudio: Now you talk of a sheet of paper, I remember a pretty jest your daughter told us of. Leonato: O, when she had writ it and was reading it over, she found Benedick and Beatrice between the sheet? The play was very popular in its early decades, and it continues to be a standard [ clarification needed ] wherever Shakespeare is performed. The great nineteenth-century stage team Henry Much Ado about Nothing and Ellen Terry counted Benedick and Beatrice as their greatest triumph, [ citation needed ] and Charles Kemble also had a great success as Much Ado about Nothing. The title of the album is also a Much Ado about Nothing from the play. The first cinematic version in English may have been the silent film directed by Phillips Smalley. The first sound version in English released to cinemas was the highly acclaimed film by Kenneth Branagh. The Hindi film Dil Chahta Hai is a loose adaptation of the play. InJoss Whedon completed filming of an adaptation[30] released in June Whedon's adaptation is a contemporary revision with an Italian-mafia Much Ado about Nothing. In a filmed version of the live performance at The Globe was released to cinemas and on DVD. There have been several screen adaptations of Much Ado About Nothing, and almost all of them have been made for television. Wilson Dancer. Ina YA adaptation was released by author Mckelle George called Speak Easy, Speak Lovewhere the events of the play take place in the s, focused around a failing speakeasy. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Redirected from Much Ado about Nothing. For other uses, see Much Ado About Nothing disambiguation. The title Much Ado about Nothing from the first quarto edition of Much Adoe About Nothingprinted in Much Ado About Nothing: Entire Play

The play takes an ancient theme—that of a woman falsely accused of unfaithfulness—to brilliant comedic heights. Shakespeare sets up a contrast between the conventional Claudio and Hero, who have the usual expectations of each Much Ado about Nothing, and Beatrice and Benedickwho are highly skeptical of romance and courtship and, seemingly, each other. This malicious fiction is soon dispelled, but Claudio seems not to have learned Much Ado about Nothing lesson; he believes Don John a second time, and on a much more serious charge—that Hero is actually sleeping with other men, even on the night before her impending wedding to Claudio. Supported by Don Pedro, who also accepts the story based on seeming visual evidenceClaudio publicly rejects Hero at the wedding ceremony. She is so shamed that her family is obliged to report that she is dead. Former friends are near the point of mayhem until the revelations of the night watch prove Much Ado about Nothing villainy of Don John and the innocence of Hero. Both have a reputation for being scornful and wary of marriage. Though attracted to each other for many reasons, they find it virtually impossible to get beyond the game of one-upping each other. Eventually their friends have to intervene with a virtuous ruse designed to trick each of them into believing that the other is hopelessly but secretly suffering the pangs of love. The ruse works because it is essentially true. Home Literature Plays. Print Cite. Facebook Twitter. Give Feedback External Websites. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article requires login. External Websites. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. World authority on Much Ado about Nothing. Editor of The Complete See Article History. Get exclusive access to content from our First Edition with your subscription. Subscribe today. Learn More in these related Britannica articles:. These plays give greater weight to the less-optimistic perspectives on society…. Much Ado About Nothing c. The young heroine of the more conventional story, derived from Italianate fiction, Much Ado about Nothing wooed by a respectable young Much Ado about Nothing named Claudio who has won his…. History at your fingertips. Sign up here to see what happened On This Dayevery day in your inbox! Email address. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Much Ado About Nothing: Plot Overview | SparkNotes Build up your Halloween Watchlist with our list of Much Ado about Nothing most popular horror titles on Netflix in October. See the list. Title: Much Ado About Nothing To pass the time, they conspire with Don Pedro Denzel Washington to set a "lover's trap" for Benedick Sir Kenneth Branaghan arrogant confirmed bachelor, and Beatrice Dame Emma Thompsonhis favorite sparring partner. Meanwhile, the evil Don Jon Keanu Reeves conspires to break up the wedding by accusing Much Ado about Nothing of infidelity. In the end, though, it all turns out to be "much ado about nothing". Personally I loved the movie, from the opening credits to the last brilliant tracking shot. What I do not understand is the dissing of Keanu Reeves' performance. I can just imagine Ken sitting around his kitchen table with his casting director saying "okay we have this brilliant ensemble cast, the movie is going to be great, what can we do to completely screw it up? I know let's cast Keanu Reeves as Don John and completely snarl up the whole thing" Personally I think Keanu made a great villain, and I trust Ken's ability in casting to choose the perfect actor for the part. I do not think that in reality that Ken would cast someone so hopelessly inept as others have posted in a part that is so essential to the plot. Much Ado about Nothing listen to Ken and Em deliver Shakespere's lines is to listen to them as they would have been spoken and acted when they were written. It is a revelation and pure joy. Looking for some great streaming picks? Check Much Ado about Nothing some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. Visit our What to Watch page. Sign In. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Full Cast and Crew. Release Dates. Official Sites. Company Credits. Technical Specs. Plot Summary. Plot Keywords. Parents Guide. External Sites. User Reviews. User Ratings. External Reviews. Metacritic Reviews. Photo Gallery. Trailers and Videos. Crazy Credits. Alternate Versions. Rate This. Young lovers Hero and Claudio, soon to wed, conspire to get verbal sparring partners and confirmed singles Benedick and Beatrice to wed as well. Director: Kenneth Branagh. Writers: William Shakespeare playKenneth Branagh adaptation. Added to Watchlist. The Best Horror Movies on Netflix. Keanu Reeves. Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated Much Ado about Nothing 1 Golden Globe. Edit Cast Cast overview, first billed only: Richard Briers Leonato Kate Beckinsale Hero Imelda Staunton Margaret Jimmy Yuill Friar Francis Brian Blessed Much Ado about Nothing Andy Hockley George Seacole Chris Barnes Francis Seacole Conrad Nelson Hugh Oatcake Phyllida Law Ursula Emma Thompson Beatrice Alex Lowe Messenger Denzel Washington Don Pedro Keanu Reeves Don John Richard Clifford Conrade Gerard Horan Taglines: A romantic comedy for anyone who's ever been in love. Edit Did You Know? Goofs As the wedding party emerges from the front door in the final shot, the crane used to achieve the elevated view is briefly visible. Quotes [ first lines ] Beatrice : Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more. Men were deceivers ever. One foot in sea and one on shore, to one thing constant never. Then sigh not so but let them go and Much Ado about Nothing you blithe and bonny, converting all your sounds of woe into hey Much Ado about Nothing nonny. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report this. Q: How can a black actor play Don Pedro? Language: English. Runtime: min. Sound Mix: Dolby. Color: Color. Edit page. October Streaming Picks. Back to School Picks. Clear your history. Friar Francis. George Seacole.