Are white lies considered a sin, or do they mean the bare standards to be considered a virtue? The play, Much Ado About Nothing written by William Shakespeare, shows both sin and virtue as they lie for personal gain, or to make other people’s lives better, like Beatrice’s and Benedicks. But the treachery of this also shows the main theme of the play, that the morality of a person will be shown when they have caused the misfortune of others, while another theme is deception and disguise, typically know as Don John. An outlier of this, is the bastard brother of Don Pedro, the prince. Who, in an effort to lie for personal gain, decides to lie to Claudio, that Don Pedro wanted to have Hero for himself, rather than giver her to him, “Signor, you are very near my brother in his love: he is enamored on Hero” (2, 1; 119). In this quote, Don John tells Claudio that Don Pedro love’s Hero, but in truth, Don Pedro is convincing Hero to marry Claudio. Showing the sinful act of Don John, the archetypal villain. This also gives insight of the character himself, Don John, …show more content…
Showing the disease known as deception spread to the fair and noble Hero, lying to Beatrice indirectly. Even though good intentioned, still a bad thing. Furthering the idea by showing the true evil in the beginning of the play, but depicting everyone else as their own type of even, explaining how they deceive to get their own gain, for Hero, a husband for her cousin. For Claudio, a happy wife. And for Don Pedro, the title of cupid. Developing the play by, not only showing more even than expected to the play, but now also showing that the characters don’t even see it in themselves that they are turning a new leaf, going astray from the normal path, the good path of only white lies, to now, much deeper lies that could ruin
First of all, Don Pedro has influenced the conflict in the story by trying to be a matchmaker. Don John says he wants to help Claudio marry Hero and will do anything he is asked to do. “My love is thine to teach, teach it but how, and thou shalt see how apt it is to learn and hard lesson
The humiliation caused to Hero in the event would be inconceivable to an audience at the time, being accused of adultery would no doubt ruin a woman’s reputation and therefore create difficulty for her when finding a husband; especially for a woman of high status such as Hero. Claudio is being presented as a potential threat at this part in the play, contrasting with the gallant war hero we were first introduced to. This emphasizes how bitter and sinister Claudio has turned, consequently reminding the audience by irony that is he only interested in wealth and status when marrying Hero. Claudio’s shallow fickleness plays into the villain’s hands. Shakespeare uses the threat of Claudio to generate further anxiety in the audience and concern for Hero’s welfare. This scene shows the men of the play coinciding with each other in their response to the defamation of Hero. Don Pedro personally insults Hero during the commotion of this scene, “to link my dear friend to a common stale,” he suggests here that he believes her status has been lowered by what she has supposedly done and rendered her ‘common’. This personal attack on Hero which has come from someone who shouldn’t really be involved advocates the idea that she is isolated in a patriarchal society in which men group together to defend male interests. Hero’s reputation is being publicly ruined here, and at the time this would have ruined Hero’s life and her
Don Pedro does not like that Claudio is in love with Hero so he tricks both Then there is Benedick, who has always had witty insult fights with Leonato’s niece Beatrice because they have known each other for a while. When it comes down to the nitty gritty part of the book, you notice how much trickery and deceit comes into play with the relationships in the this novel. There are multiple acts and scenes within this novel that have trickery in them.
´´We always deceive ourselves twice about the people we love - first to their advantage, then to their disadvantage´´ (Albert Camus). In William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Don John is trying to break Claudio and Hero up. While this plan is in the making there is a lot of other lies that are being created. In this play there is a lot of lies and deceit, but the characters do not think twice about lying, they just do it. Deception in this play is revealed throughout many plans that the characters create like Don John's plan to break up Claudio and Hero, Don pedros plan to get Benedick and Beatrice together, and the Friar's plan to make everyone think Hero is dead and then reveal her at the wedding. No deception is not presented as morally wrong in the
The most pivotal scene in the play (act 4 scene 1) is between the marriage of Leonato's daughter Hero to Claudio. In this scene the blush of Hero after being said to have slept with another man is set too signify “guiltiness not of modesty” to Claudio. However the Friar of the town believes that Hero's blush is that of her “innocence and virtue.”
Don John's malevolent plan to ruin Claudio and Hero's wedding was to take effect the night before they were to wed. The malicious Don John constructed, or rather misconstructed, the scheme that insinuated Claudio's belief in Hero's faithlessness. It is Don John who reports to Claudio and Don Pedro that Hero is having an affair, and he who stage-manages an elaborate charade featuring his own henchman Borachio and an unwitting stand-in for Hero to lend credence to this fiction. Perhaps the most significant thing to be noted in connection with this deception is that the spectator does not witness the crucial scene in which Claudio overhears the counterfeit exchanges between Margaret and Borachio that persuade him of Hero's guilt. We learn of this episode only at second hand, when Borachio boasts of his exploit (Lucking).
In William Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing, love has played a major rule as theme in this play. Shakespeare discussed different kinds of loving relationships; romantic love, family support and loyal friendship, and he shows how different characters react to love in many different ways. The main plot of Much Ado About Nothing is that of the relationship between Claudio and Hero, and the hidden love between Benedick and Beatrice. Similarly, deception is a big concept to consider as a theme in this play. Each of the main characters being the victim of deception; Shakespeare in this play shows that deception is not inherently evil, but can also be pure.
In his comedy Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare raises numerous ethical issues regarding deception and the treatment of women through Hero and Claudio’s relationship. Throughout the play, Hero is denied the opportunity to be an active participant in her own relationship, revealing the powerlessness imposed upon women by Elizabethan society. Hero and Claudio’s relationship unnecessarily begins with an act of deception. When Claudio reveals his feelings for Hero to Don Pedro, Don Pedro promptly concludes Claudio “shalt have her” and devises a plan (1.1.305).
Claudio only saw Hero for a brief moment upon returning from the war, and immediately desires her. Don Pedro agrees to woo the beautiful woman in Claudio's name at the upcoming celebration. He succeeds and summons Claudio who proposes to Hero immediately. As soon as Don John hears of the engagement between Hero and Claudio the audience learns of his desire for Hero. In deep resent of his brother and Claudio, Don John accepts Borrachio's plan of deceiving Claudio into thinking that Hero is promiscuous for the dual purpose of shaming one of his prestigious brother's followers and preventing Claudio and Hero's marriage. Borrachio's plan included having an amorous encounter with
The play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare consists of many themes which grow out of the game of love'. The two main themes consist of perception and deception. Through the plot complications, character development and dramatic techniques these themes can be explored. In the play deception is shown on both good and evil sides, the game of love between Beatrice and Benedick and the Don John plot to split up Hero and Claudio. Perception is a theme used in most of Shakespeare's plays. Perceptive views by the characters help portray the game of love. Hero is perceived as dead which then Claudio is sorry and feels for her. Beatrice and Benedick's loved is clouded by each other's perceptions and arguments.
Earlier in the play, a scene was described where Borachio and Don John plan to trick Claudio into thinking that Hero is diwsloyal because of a man in her chamber the night prior to her wedding. After the stated quote, the intent is to try and trick Claudio and show that Hero is disloyal when she is actually not. This quote presents significance by describing the overall trait of the entire act and scene which is the trickery and sabotage of Borachio and Don John upon the hapiness of all of the other characters in the play. Overall, the previouly described scene, in part with an already confused Claudio, makes this quote important to the wedding of Claudio and
Hero, the unfortunate damsel in distress, sacrificing her own marriage and pretending to perish in order to ameliorate the reputation of her family, compelled to work upon the words of other’, Hero is actually a hero according to the denotation of the word “hero” in “Much Ado About Nothing.” Born into royalty, Hero endures a traumatic incident, but eventually achieves her destiny. One of Shakespeare’s major themes is deception regarding gender roles. With his use of characteristic archetypes, he evokes that deception is what lies between perception and reality, which in this case drives Claudio to misconstrue the reality. A man’s superiority towards a woman is prominent throughout the play and Shakespeare recognizes that a woman’s place in society is much more than standing inferior to men. By portraying Hero’s death, he shows the immense guilt Claudio suffers form and merely suggests that Hero is more than just an object. She is a hero, who, with her sacrificial death, cleanses her family’s reputation and marries the man of her drema. Overcoming the abominable deception imprinted upon Hero, she proclaims herself a hero by fulfilling her goals and through her role, Shakespeare portrays the role of women via society’s views on gender roles.
Deceit and trickery play a huge part in the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare. Deception is a key theme in the play, it also moves the plot along. Trickery and deception is used in the love stories of couples Hero and Claudio, and Benedick and Beatrice, with opposite results. This play demonstrates two different kinds of deceit: the kind whose only purpose is to cause trouble, and the kind that is used to form a good outcome. In the relationship of Hero and Claudio, deception nearly succeeds in breaking them apart forever, while in the case of Benedick and Beatrice, it brings them closer together.
In Shakespearean drama, a common motif is that of deception and disguise. There are two types of deception: those that are benign and those that are pernicious. Benign trickery is a less serious form of trickery. On the other hand, pernicious trickery is more serious and has lasting implications as a result. In the play Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, deception features prominently. Examples of deception in the play include Benedick and Beatrice being tricked into believing they love one another, everyone being tricked into believing Hero was dead, and Claudio and Don Pedro being tricked into believing Hero was unfaithful to him, and they contribute to the development of the play’s important themes by highlighting Shakespeare’s ideas and opinions that are expressed in the play. Two important themes in this particular play are that not all trickery is evil and status in a society is important, which are both highlighted through deception in this play. Shakespeare uses several examples of deception in the play to develop the play’s important themes.
Nearly every character in the play at some point has to make inferences from what he or she sees, has been told or overhears. Likewise, nearly every character in the play at some point plays a part of consciously pretending to be what they are not. The idea of acting and the illusion it creates is rarely far from the surface -