TOO MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
PLOT:
The comedy begins with the festivities for Prince Pedro d’Aragona’s arrival to the major of Messina’s house
whose name is Leonato. As soon as they arrive , Claudio (one of Don Pedro’s knights ) falls in love with Ero,
Leonato’s daughter, and he reveals his feelings to the Prince, who promises to help him that very evening
at the costume party. Among the knights there is Benedetto, who dislikes marriage , so when he sees
Beatrice (Ero’s cousin, who’s famous for being tactless) , they begin to argue.
During the party Don Pedro convinces Ero to marry Claudio, at the same time Don Juan (Don Pedro’s evil
brother) tells Claudio that the prince is flirting with the girl, but the mischief is revealed , so Claudio and Ero
get engaged to each other.
The next day Don Pedro , helped by the major’s family and by his knights , manages to make Beatrice and
Claudio confess their feelings.
Before Ero and Claudio’s wedding, Don Juan orders one of his thugs to go to Ero’s terrace with a girl to
convince Claudio that his fiancée is cheating on him. The day of the wedding Claudio repudiates Ero in
public so her father tries to kill her and she passes out. The only ones that trust her are Beatrice and the
priest. In order to demonstrate Ero’s innocence , the priest suggests to fake her death so that Claudio
regrets his acts.
In order to avenge her cousin’s death Beatrice makes Benedetto promise to kill Claudio.
The guards make the thug confess that the girl on the terrace wasn’t Ero.
After that Leonato makes Claudio promise to marry another Ero’s cousin to apologise, but the cousin is Ero
herself.
The comedy ends with the capture of Don Juan , Ero and Claudio’s wedding and Beatrice and Benedetto’s
engagement.
CHARACTERS:
•
DON PEDRO D’ARAGONA: is the prince of Spain. He represents the ideal nobleman: he is an
amazing warlord ,a kind and clever person(because…).
•
DON JUAN : is Don Pedro’s brother, his opposite and the villain. In fact he tries to destroy the
friendship between his brother and Leonato.
•
CLAUDIO: is a Florence ?? and he is one of of the Prince’s knights. He’s dupe (because…) and
insecure(because…)
•
BENEDETTO: is one of the Prince’s knights, he’s polemical , in fact he thinks that marriage is the
end of freedom for every male; he’s also proud (because…).
•
BEATRICE: she is Ero’s cousin , she is tactless (because…) and she has the same thoughts of
Benedetto, but she is more controversial than him.
•
ERO: is Leonato’s daughter , she is sensitive (because…) and pretty.
THEMES:
All the comedy is based on two types of traps: the well-meaning traps , like Don Pedro’s plan to make
Beatrice and Benedetto confess their feelings and also the priest’s deception in order to ?? Ero and
Claudio’s wedding , and the bad-meaning traps like Don Juan’s attempts to ruin the relationship between
Ero and Claudio .
Other important themes are Love and Hate : for example is the Hate for his brother that causes the evil
acts of the antagonist, while the family love brings Beatrice to want Claudio’s death . The relationship
between Beatrice and Benedetto is made of both love and hate , while the love between Ero and Claudio
causes the beginning of the story.
Pride is the cause of the arguments between Beatrice and Benedetto , because they don’t want to confess
their feelings to each other .
Females in the act are considered inferior to males, that’s why Beatrice is so contrary to marriage and
males and this theme is the cause of Ero’s possible death.
Frisoni Davide
Maroncelli Fabrizio
Pazzini Luca
Quacquarelli Alessandra
Ravegnini Giulia