Much Ado About Nothing

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Much Ado About Nothing, a comedy by Shakespeare, written probably 1598–9, first printed 1600. Its chief sources are a novella by Bandello and an episode in Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.

The prince of Arragon, with Claudio and Benedick in his suite, visits Leonato, duke of Messina, father of Hero and uncle of Beatrice. The sprightly Beatrice has a teasing relationship with the sworn bachelor Benedick. Beatrice and Benedick are each tricked into believing the other in love, and this brings about a genuine sympathy between them. Meanwhile Don John, the malcontented brother of the prince, thwarts Claudio's marriage by arranging for him to see Hero apparently wooed by his friend Borachio on her balcony—it is really her maidservant Margaret in disguise. Hero is publicly denounced by Claudio on her wedding day, falls into a swoon, and apparently dies. Benedick proves his love for Beatrice by challenging Claudio to a duel. The plot by Don John and Borachio is unmasked by the ‘shallow fools’ Dogberry and Verges, the local constables. Claudio promises to make Leonato amends for his daughter's death, and is asked to marry a cousin of Hero's; the veiled lady turns out to be Hero herself. Benedick asks to be married at the same time; Beatrice, ‘upon great persuasion; and partly to save your life, for I was told you were in a consumption’, agrees, and the play ends with a dance.

Much Ado About Nothing. When first acted at the Southwark Theatre in 1789, Shakespeare's comedy featured the younger Lewis Hallam as Benedick and Mrs. Morris as Beatrice. The play proved especially congenial to Victorian temperaments, so Benedick and Beatrice found their way into the repertory of many leading performers of the era. J. W. Wallack used Benedick for his farewell performance in 1859. Other noted artists who appeared in major revivals were Charles and Ellen Kean, Henry Irving and Ellen Terry, and E. H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe. Ada Rehan was also admired for her Beatrice, although her Benedick, Charles Richman, received meager praise. Numbered among the better 20th‐century revivals were a 1959 rendering with John Gielgud and Margaret Leighton, a 1972 New York Shakespeare Festival production with Sam Waterston and Kathleen Widdoes set in pre–World War I America, a memorable Royal Shakespeare Company mounting on Broadway in 1984 with Derek Jacobi and Sinead Cusack, a 1988 Central Park version with Kevin Kline and Blythe Danner, and a Stratford Festival production from Canada in 1998 with Brian Bedford and Martha Henry.