Much Ado About Nothing

The governor of Messina, Leonato, hosts a bunch of soldiers who are returning from the war.  One of them, Claudio, takes about two minutes to decide that he wants to marry Leonato's daughter and is engaged to her by the end of the day.  Before that wedding takes place, Claudio's boss, Don Pedro, and his buddies decide to get another soldier, Benedick, to marry Leonato's niece Beatrice.  The two of them have been flirting and in denial since before the play begins.  However, the loser of the recent war, Don Pedro's bastard brother, decides to ruin Claudio and Hero's relationship by making Hero seem unfaithful to her fiancee.  This works, since Claudio is far too naive for his own good and Don Pedro is willing to back him up.  But the plot is revealed, thanks to the bumbling fools which Shakespeare put in to please the masses, and they all live happily ever after.

Some of the most delicious wordplay I have ever had the thrill of reading.  Where else can you hear a character rant on and on about how he is an ass?  It's just so damn funny.  Look for Beatrice and Benedick's first battle and then Benedick's conversation with Don Pedro and Claudio, both in scene 1.  It doesn't get better than this.  And don't try to tell me Beatrice and Benedick weren't in love already.  That's just too obvious not to be flirting, especially in the movie version, but it's also right there in the text.  This is one of the best of Shakespeare's comedies, quite possibly the best.

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