Universität Kassel, Institut für Anglistik
FB 02 Sprachwissenschaften
Sommersemester 2005

William Shakespeare - Much Ado about Nothing

by: Tobias Herbst

Table of Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Main Part

2.1 Characterization of Don John 4
2.2 The Intrigues 7
2.3 Don John’s function in the play 9

3. Conclusion  12

4. Literature 13

Introduction

William Shakespeare’s comedy Much Ado about Nothing was written sometime between 1598 and 1599 because it was first performed in the year of the comic actor Will Kemp, who played the role of Dogberry. This makes the play one of Shakespeare’s later comedies. Although it is nowadays not regarded as one of Shakespeare’s most brilliant works it was said to be very popular during his days and the following century. The play itself is often described as an atypical Shakespearean comedy. Even though it is comic, it has some disturbing elements because the plot is too serious for a comedy and occasionally the play seems only steps away from becoming a tragedy. Although, like in other Shakespearean comedies, no character dies during the play, Hero’s pretended death makes the topic of ‘death’ more vividly present in this play.

The comedy consists of four plots altogether: the main plot of Hero’s and Claudio’s love, the contrast plot including Benedick’s and Beatrice’s battle of wits, the subplot with Don Pedro, Father Francis and the subject of grace and, finally, Don John’s intrigue against Claudio and Hero. The aim of this term paper is to analyse the plot of Don John’s intrigue against the aristocrat couple Claudio and Hero. Therefore, Don John’s character has to be pointed out in detail in a first step. The focus is put especially on the question how he is presented in the play and how and when the reader realizes that he has dedicated himself to evil. Afterwards, the Bastard’s intrigue will be described and examined in depth. Actually, Don John carries out two dark schemes during the play: A first one which fails soon and a second one which is mainly known as ‘the intrigue’ today. Both attempts to foil the intended marriage of Claudio and Hero will be illustrated, before the focus is put on Don John’s function in the play. Here the purpose of his existence and his actions will be questioned and analyzed. Finally, the subject whether the whole intrigue could have been prevented by anyone will be discussed briefly and especially Don Pedro’s and Claudio’s behaviour and its consequences for the whole plot will be in the centre of attention.

2.1 Characterisation of Don John

Undoubtedly, Don John is the villain of Much Ado about Nothing. All his actions in the play aim at craving mischief and destroying the lives of the people who surround him. He does not only try to ruin Hero’s and Claudio’s happiness by sabotaging their wedding, but also tricks his brother Don Pedro who naïvely believes his intrigue. For the reader it seems as if Don John is a rather stereotypical character, because he openly admits that he has a wicked nature right from the beginning. But how is the character exactly presented during the play? From which point on does the audience definitely know about his evil function and what are the motives for his committed villainies?

The Bastard first appears in the play in act one, scene one when he enters the stage with his brother Don Pedro and his soldiers, who are returning from war. The reader learns that Don Pedro was at war with his own brother, but nevertheless announces that he has reconciled with his brother again. Although his first words in the play seem to be very polite, the audience already has a bad impression of Don John because of his background. First of all, he is generally introduced and known as Don John, Don Pedro’s bastard brother. Although this term was not unusual at that time for describing that he was the Prince’s illegitimate brother the expression always implies a negative connotation. Already by now, the reader and the audience know that Don John cannot be a hero of this play, but must be somehow the antagonist. Furthermore, the negative connotation of his nickname is intensified by the information that Don John had started a rebellion against his admired brother. These two aspects soon give the reader a first bad impression of Don John. Although one knows not much of him, one can guess that he is an evil character.

Don John’s first big entrance takes place in act one, scene three, when the Bastard talks to his assistants Borachio and Conrade. While he behaved quite pleasantly at his first appearance, now his true character is revealed. Asked by Conrade why he looks so sad, he answers that he is very depressed and sullen by nature and never tries to hide his melancholy. “I cannot hide what I am: I must be sad when I have cause and smile at no man’s jests.”¹

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1 Shakespeare, William. Much Ado About Nothing. New York: Bantam 2005, p. 27