Much Ado About Nothing is a five-act comedy by the English dramatist William Shakespeare. It dates from the second period of his artistic development and was written and first staged in 1598 or 1599. It was first published in 1600.
Shakespeare based this play chiefly on two Italian tales—a short story by Matteo Bandello and an episode in Orlando Furioso (Orlando the Mad), a famous epic poem by Ludovico Ariosto. This romantic comedy centers upon a visit made by Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon, to the home of Leonato, governor of Messina. Accompanying Don Pedro are his villainous brother Don John and two young lords, Claudio and Benedick. Claudio falls in love with Hero, Leonato’s daughter, and Benedick renews a relationship with Beatrice, Leonato’s niece. The relationship is frosty at the start, but Beatrice and Benedick are tricked into believing that each loves the other and eventually they realize they do love each other.
Claudio and Hero become engaged to be married. Don John attempts to slander Hero’s virtue by getting his friend Borachio to appear to woo her. In fact Borachio woos Hero’s maidservant Margaret instead, but Claudio does not know this and denounces Hero on the day of the wedding. She faints and gives the impression she has died. At Beatrice’s urging, Benedick challenges Claudio to a duel to avenge the slander to Hero. Don John’s plot is exposed by two foolish village constables, Dogberry and his assistant Verges. Claudio promises to compensate Leonato for Hero’s death, and Leonato requests him to marry a cousin of Hero. The cousin is brought to the ceremony wearing a veil and reveals herself to be Hero herself, alive and well. Both Claudio and Hero and Benedick and Beatrice are wed, and the play ends with a dance.
The real interest in Much Ado About Nothing centers on the relationship between Beatrice and Benedick. These two young people trade humorous insults throughout most of the play. Their ongoing battle of wits and their final discovery that they love each other provide much of the fun of the play. Adding to the gaiety of the play is the broad humor of the talkative Dogberry and his deputy, Verges.