Much Ado About
Nothing
TEACHIT KS3 INTERACTIVE PACK
SATs Updates 2007: Key themes
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1
Key themes
LESSON 9:
Love & marriage
Framework Objectives
Learning Objective
S&L12: Use a range of drama techniques,
To understand different views of love and
including work in role, to explore issues, ideas relationships within Much Ado About Nothing
and meanings
S&L14: Convey action, character,
atmosphere and tension when scripting and
performing plays
Starter

Ask students how marriage – and what it represents – is different today from Shakespeare’s day?
They should think about the role parents play, how people in the present day choose a spouse, etc.
Introduction
 Write the following quotation from Act 2 Scene 1 on the board: ‘…take of me my daughter, and with
her my fortunes: his grace hath made the match…’ Ask students who is speaking (Leonato), and what
we can learn about marriage from this quotation (that he is referring to the money he must offer as a
dowry, as well as the fact that the Prince has been instrumental in wooing for Hero, almost as if he
has stood as guarantor of Claudio’s good character. This is important as it explains why Don Pedro is
equally shamed by Hero’s seeming betrayal later in the play).

Re-read Act 1 Scene 1 up to line 115, focusing on what we learn about love and marriage. Not all of
Act 1 Scene 1 is set for SATs 2007 – note therefore that much of what Benedick says about marriage
comes in the second half of the scene. What we do see is the start of his relationship with Beatrice.
Development



Students work in groups to read (or if possible perform) lines 74 (‘I think this is your daughter..’) to
104 (‘….jade’s trick’) and decide how the lines between Beatrice and Benedick should be performed.
They should consider it as a playful battle of wits, a nasty battle of insults or as a set of asides whilst
Don Pedro continues (perhaps he and the others go to one side to continue their discussions). Feed
back which works best of the three approaches and any evidence to suggest this is the way the scene
is meant to be played (for example, Don Pedro’s words ‘That is the sum of all’ after Beatrice’s final
line suggest the rest of the group have been talking elsewhere.
Students can then complete Worksheet 11 The purpose of this exercise is to draw out the idea that
each exchange between the two lovers-to-be is a little different. This will help with establishing
character, and in explaining staging or performance. Ask students which of these lines show the
characters to be (briefly) agreeing, and how this sentiment is later turned against them.
Then compare the way the relationship between Claudio and Hero is presented in Act 2 Scene 1 with
that of Benedick and Beatrice. Re-read lines 226 (‘Count, take of me my daughter…’) to 237 (‘and so
she doth cousin..’) and hand out Worksheet 12 for groups to complete.
Plenary

Feed back responses to Worksheet 12 and compare the negotiation of terms between Leonato and
Don Pedro to the innocent, almost naïve love between Hero and Claudio.
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Worksheet 11: Witty words
Find the quotations to which these explanations refer from Act 1 Scene 1 lines 74–104.
Beatrice says she is surprised Benedick is speaking, as no one is
listening to him
Benedick says all women love him, except one –
Beatrice, but he himself loves none of them
Benedick says it would be best if men continued to steer clear of
Beatrice otherwise they’d end up with a scratched face.
Beatrice says any of her words would be better than the
beastly language of Benedick.
Beatrice actually agrees with Benedick on one point! She would
prefer anything to hearing a man say he loved her.
Benedick is surprised to see ‘Lady Disdain’ (Beatrice) is
still alive.
Beatrice answers Benedick’s words by saying that a scratched face
wouldn’t be any worse than Benedick’s.
Benedick compares Beatrice to someone who repeats
meaningless phrases, as if teaching a parrot to speak.
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Worksheet 12: Silence is golden?
Re-read the following section from the play:
Leonato:
Count, take of me my daughter, and with her my fortunes: his
grace hath made the match, and all grace say amen to it.
Beatrice: Speak, count, ’tis your cue.
Claudio:
Silence is the perfectest herald of joy,I were but little
happy if I could say, how much! Lady, as you are mine, I am
yours: I give away myself for you and dote upon the
exchange.
Beatrice: Speak, cousin, or (if you cannot) stop his mouth with a
kiss, and let him not speak neither.
Now discuss these questions in groups make notes of your answers.
1.
Where and how do you imagine the characters standing in this scene?
2.
How do Claudio’s words contrast with the words spoken between Benedick and Beatrice
(in the earlier scene)?
3.
What evidence is there that Claudio feels he and Hero’s marriage is one between two
equals?
4.
Who seems to be controlling the scene between the two lovers?
5.
How do Beatrice’s final words (above) link with words said by Benedick in the final scene
of the play?
6.
What might you conclude about the relationship between Hero and Claudio from these few
lines and the type of love (i.e obsessive love, paternal love, adolescent love, etc.) they
both feel?
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Key themes
LESSON 10:
Power, status and honour
Framework Objectives
Learning Objective
Wr2: Record, develop and evaluate ideas
through writing
R14: Analyse the language, form and
dramatic impact of scenes and plays by
published dramatists
To explore the related themes of power,
status and honour in relation to the play as a
whole, but specifically within the two set
scenes
Starter

Students have, in a previous lesson, already had to consider how the townsfolk of Messina would
have been feeling as Don Pedro and the other soldiers approached. Part of how they might feel is
governed not only by the knowledge that young, eligible men are arriving, but also by their status.
Look briefly at the first few lines of Act 1 Scene 1. How is status shown to be relevant even in the
answers the Messenger gives to Leonato’s questions about the ‘action’ (the battle just fought)?
(The Messenger says there have been few casualties, and of those killed ‘few’ were of any
importance – i.e. rank or status.)
Introduction


Distribute the cut-out cards from Worksheet 13. Not all of the characters listed appear in the Key
Scenes from Act 1 Scene 1, and Act 2 Scene 1 but most do. Ask students to rank the characters
according to their likely status in terms of power and authority. Point out that this is not the same as
the sort of power relationships that exist on stage (for example, Benedick’s status may be diminished
when he is fooled during Act 2 Scene 3, yet he remains a ‘gentleman’ and thus higher in status than
messengers, attendants and so on).
Feed back responses. Which characters were difficult to place? (Don John and the Friar, possibly,
which is interesting as it might suggest they are outsiders who use their position in different ways –
the Friar stands up for Hero against general opinion; Don John goes against his brother’s authority.)
Development

How does the theme of power and status affect the two set scenes? When Don Pedro appears, the
dialogue that follows offers an interesting mix of different tones and exchanges. Ask students to work
briefly in pairs to identify:
The lines where Leonato praises or flatters Don Pedro
The line when Leonato makes a joke about Benedick being a ladies man (at the expense of his
wife and daughter!)
The line when Don Pedro refers to the cost of his stay (and flatters Leonato at the same time).
Plenary

The point to be made here is that practical matters, manners and joking are all wrapped into one,
and this in a sense, defines the style of the first half of the play – lots of talk and jokes, elaborate
tricks and so on, which are characteristic of Much Ado. This is further developed in Act 2 Scene 1 –
Don Pedro conducts events, hoping to control everything around him. But when Don John’s plot
comes to a head, the second half of the play becomes quite unpleasant – and the whole notion of
status and honour becomes absolutely central.
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Worksheet 13: Status chart
Leonato, Governor of Messina
Messenger
Hero, Leonato’s daughter
Beatrice, Leonato’s niece, an orphan
Don Pedro, Prince of Arragon
Count Claudio of Florence
Signor Benedick of Padua
Don John, Don Pedro’s bastard brother
Dogberry, Constable of Messina
Verges, Deputy Constable
Ursula, gentlewoman to Hero
Signor Antonio, Leonato’s brother
Friar Francis
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OHT 15: Summary to comment
LESSON 11: Deception
Framework Objectives
Learning Objective
S&L13: Develop and compare different
interpretations of scenes or plays by
Shakespeare or other dramatists
Wr17: Cite specific and relevant textual
evidence to justify critical judgements about
texts
To understand the different types of
deception in the play, and the role it has in
the developing narrative
Starter

The deception which is at the heart of the play is especially apparent in the second of the two Key
Scenes, but students need to first decide what deception is. There are several sorts we see in the
play – ask if they can suggest what these might be?
Introduction


Once they have come up with suggestions, distribute Worksheet 14, which lists four types which
might correspond with their own. Work through the sheet in pairs, making decisions about each
deception.
Feed back responses and discuss any examples that don’t sit easily in the four categories. For
example, is pretending Hero is dead really ‘playful’ even if it is for a good reason? Would it be better o
have a further category for this sort of ‘moral’ deception?
Development


Then look at the sorts of deception that appear in the set scenes. We might argue that we see selfdeception from Benedick and Beatrice, who believe themselves to be incapable of loving anyone (or
at least not wanting to). Would playing the scene differently change the way audiences interpreted
this?
Get students to read Benedick’s line: ‘It is certain I am loved of all ladies..’ and Beatrice’s line ‘I had
rather hear my dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loved me..’ in two different ways. Firstly, ask
students to say them with a smile and a wink as if they’re just making a joke or pretending to believe
their own words. Secondly, try the lines as if they are serious – they actually believe it. This will
change the way the audience reads the characters.
Plenary

Students can finish by writing two paragraphs on deception within the play, and which sort of
deception is most central to it – is it self-deception, or deliberate deception setting out to hurt others?
Or perhaps playful deception? Think about what sort has most effect on the action, but also which
sort the majority of characters suffer from.
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7
Worksheet 14: Types of deception
There are at least 4 types of deception shown in the play. Put a, b, c or d alongside the
examples given to show which type of deception you think it is.
a) spiteful deception, setting out to wound or hurt others
b) playful deception, setting out to make fun or even help others
c) self-deception leading to understanding – appearing to hold one opinion which in fact
covers up a reality (which the character comes to recognise)
d) self-deception which doesn’t lead to understanding.
Examples
Leonato, Don Pedro and Claudio talking about how much
Beatrice loves Benedick
Beatrice’s statements that she can’t bear to hear a man say he
loves her
Dogberry’s belief that he is a respected and educated man
Don John’s plot to make Hero look like she has betrayed Claudio
Claudio pretending to be about to marry Hero in Act 4 Scene 1
The Friar’s idea to let people think that Hero is dead
Beatrice pretending she doesn’t know it is Benedick she is
dancing with
Leonato staging the mock wedding at which a mystery bride is
revealed to be Hero
Margaret agreeing to impersonate Hero for Borachio
Benedick saying he will never marry
Antonio, masked, saying he is pretending to be Antonio at the
masked ball in Act 2 Scene 1
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