Much Ado About Nothing
Synopsis For Each Act
Act 1:
During this act we meet all of the main characters and discover their relationships with one another. Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick have just returned from war and have been invited to stay at Leonato's with his daughter, Hero, and his niece, Beatrice. Claudio falls in love with Hero immediately and consoled in Benedick, who then tells Don Pedro. Don Pedro approves of this match and because Claudio is too shy to "woo" Hero, they create a plan for Don Pedro to pretend to be Claudio at a masked ball and too "woo" her for him. Antonio, Leonato's brother, over hears their plan although he mishears it and tells Leonato that that Don Pedro is in love with Hero. Don John, Don Pedro's "bastard brother", also over hears rumours, however he knows that it is actually Claudio in love with Hero and not Don Pedro. He is jealous of Claudio and is determined to cause trouble for him and begins to make plans with his friends, Conrad and Borachio, to sabotage the relationship.
Act 2:
The masked ball begins, and Hero and Don Pedro start to dance together. Don Pedro begins to flirt with Hero, but as Claudio. Beatrice and Benedick also start to dance together, however Beatrice continually insults Benedick and upsets him resulting in him running off. Don John spots his opportunity to cause trouble and tells Claudio that his brother has decided to keep Hero for himself. Claudio is upset and also leaves to be on his own, however later Don Pedro tells Claudio he has been true to his word and has won Hero for him. Leonato decides that the wedding will be held on the coming Monday, but Claudio claims that he will not know what to do with himself whilst he waits for the day and so Don Pedro decides that they shall make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love with eachother. Don John is outraged by the engagement and is determined to prevent it. He and Borachio make another plan to present Hero as a "whore". Meanwhile, the others begin their plan for Benedick and Beatrice. They do this by letting Benedick overhear a conversation between Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato claiming that Beatrice is already in love with him and will more likely kill herself because of her affection for him. After hearing this conversation Benedick takes pity on Beatrice's supposed love and decides to love her in return, but for her sake.
Act 3:
After dinner, Hero and Ursula, her maid, play the same trick on Beatrice as Don Pedro and Claudio did on Benedick. Beatrice's response is the same as Benedick and she to decides to love him back. Meanwhile, the men are teasing Benedick about is decision not to marry, and when he says he has changed his mind, Leonato takes him away. Don John approaches Don Pedro and Claudio and claims that he can prove that Hero is unfaithful and that they must come with him immediately. Meanwhile, outside of Leonato's house a group of policemen are instructed to keep quiet and to sleep, but they overhear Don John's friend, Borachio, tell Conrad that Don John's plan has worked and Claudio has sworn to declare Hero as a whore during the wedding tomorrow.
(The plan was for Borachio's lover, Margret, to be in Hero's room dressed in Hero's clothes "hugging" Borachio.)
The day of the wedding arrives and everyone goes down to the church. When they are at the church Leonato is approached by two of the policemen who have arrested Don John's friends, and they ask for Leonato to come down to the station so that he may listen to the questioning but Leonato refuses because of the wedding. The policemen do not make it clear how important the issue is.
Act 4:
The wedding is about to begin, but when Friar Francis asks if Claudio still wants to marry Hero he exclaims how she is unfaithful. Everyone in the church go crazy from shock and Hero faints. The men, except for Leonato and Benedick, leave the church and Friar Francis says he believes that Hero is not unfaithful due to her facial expression when Claudio accused her. They make a plan to let the others believe that Hero has died from shock of the accusation and believe that it'll make whoever was the cause of this trouble to feel guilty and reveal themselves. Beatrice and Benedick are then left in t he church and admit their love for one another, and Benedick claims that he would do anything for Beatrice. Beatrice takes advantage of this and asks Benedick to kill Claudio, because she is angry with Claudio for embarrassing Hero and damaging the family's name. Benedick agrees. Back at the station Borachio has admitted that Don John paid him to pretend to make love to Hero and to lie to Claudio and Don Pedro. The policemen then tie up Borachio and Conrad and take them to Leonato's house once they hear what has happened at the church.
Act 5:
The play is now set back at Leonato's house where everyone who knows about the plan are pretending to grief for Hero's death and tarnished name. The house is in uproar and Benedick challenges Claudio to a duel, however Claudio ignores his challenge. The policemen then arrive and explain the whole event as a trick by Don John and that Claudio has falsely accused Hero of being unfaithful. Don Pedro and Claudio apologise to Leonato, who agrees to forgive hem if Claudio announces his mistake to the public and to sing over Hero's tomb. He must also marry Antonio's daughter, who is apparently very much like Hero. Claudio agrees. The next day Claudio sings over Hero's tomb and promises to do so every year. they all then go to the church and to get ready for Claudio to marry Antonio's supposed daughter, until Hero reveals that she is not actually dead. Everyone is overjoyed and Benedick asks Beatrice to marry him, however she denies being in love with him because of her pride and in return he does the same. Claudio and Hero then show the couple love poems they have written for eachother and they then agree to marry.
The policemen then arrive t the church to tell Leonato that Don John has been captured and is now a prisoner.
Act 1:
During this act we meet all of the main characters and discover their relationships with one another. Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick have just returned from war and have been invited to stay at Leonato's with his daughter, Hero, and his niece, Beatrice. Claudio falls in love with Hero immediately and consoled in Benedick, who then tells Don Pedro. Don Pedro approves of this match and because Claudio is too shy to "woo" Hero, they create a plan for Don Pedro to pretend to be Claudio at a masked ball and too "woo" her for him. Antonio, Leonato's brother, over hears their plan although he mishears it and tells Leonato that that Don Pedro is in love with Hero. Don John, Don Pedro's "bastard brother", also over hears rumours, however he knows that it is actually Claudio in love with Hero and not Don Pedro. He is jealous of Claudio and is determined to cause trouble for him and begins to make plans with his friends, Conrad and Borachio, to sabotage the relationship.
Act 2:
The masked ball begins, and Hero and Don Pedro start to dance together. Don Pedro begins to flirt with Hero, but as Claudio. Beatrice and Benedick also start to dance together, however Beatrice continually insults Benedick and upsets him resulting in him running off. Don John spots his opportunity to cause trouble and tells Claudio that his brother has decided to keep Hero for himself. Claudio is upset and also leaves to be on his own, however later Don Pedro tells Claudio he has been true to his word and has won Hero for him. Leonato decides that the wedding will be held on the coming Monday, but Claudio claims that he will not know what to do with himself whilst he waits for the day and so Don Pedro decides that they shall make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love with eachother. Don John is outraged by the engagement and is determined to prevent it. He and Borachio make another plan to present Hero as a "whore". Meanwhile, the others begin their plan for Benedick and Beatrice. They do this by letting Benedick overhear a conversation between Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato claiming that Beatrice is already in love with him and will more likely kill herself because of her affection for him. After hearing this conversation Benedick takes pity on Beatrice's supposed love and decides to love her in return, but for her sake.
Act 3:
After dinner, Hero and Ursula, her maid, play the same trick on Beatrice as Don Pedro and Claudio did on Benedick. Beatrice's response is the same as Benedick and she to decides to love him back. Meanwhile, the men are teasing Benedick about is decision not to marry, and when he says he has changed his mind, Leonato takes him away. Don John approaches Don Pedro and Claudio and claims that he can prove that Hero is unfaithful and that they must come with him immediately. Meanwhile, outside of Leonato's house a group of policemen are instructed to keep quiet and to sleep, but they overhear Don John's friend, Borachio, tell Conrad that Don John's plan has worked and Claudio has sworn to declare Hero as a whore during the wedding tomorrow.
(The plan was for Borachio's lover, Margret, to be in Hero's room dressed in Hero's clothes "hugging" Borachio.)
The day of the wedding arrives and everyone goes down to the church. When they are at the church Leonato is approached by two of the policemen who have arrested Don John's friends, and they ask for Leonato to come down to the station so that he may listen to the questioning but Leonato refuses because of the wedding. The policemen do not make it clear how important the issue is.
Act 4:
The wedding is about to begin, but when Friar Francis asks if Claudio still wants to marry Hero he exclaims how she is unfaithful. Everyone in the church go crazy from shock and Hero faints. The men, except for Leonato and Benedick, leave the church and Friar Francis says he believes that Hero is not unfaithful due to her facial expression when Claudio accused her. They make a plan to let the others believe that Hero has died from shock of the accusation and believe that it'll make whoever was the cause of this trouble to feel guilty and reveal themselves. Beatrice and Benedick are then left in t he church and admit their love for one another, and Benedick claims that he would do anything for Beatrice. Beatrice takes advantage of this and asks Benedick to kill Claudio, because she is angry with Claudio for embarrassing Hero and damaging the family's name. Benedick agrees. Back at the station Borachio has admitted that Don John paid him to pretend to make love to Hero and to lie to Claudio and Don Pedro. The policemen then tie up Borachio and Conrad and take them to Leonato's house once they hear what has happened at the church.
Act 5:
The play is now set back at Leonato's house where everyone who knows about the plan are pretending to grief for Hero's death and tarnished name. The house is in uproar and Benedick challenges Claudio to a duel, however Claudio ignores his challenge. The policemen then arrive and explain the whole event as a trick by Don John and that Claudio has falsely accused Hero of being unfaithful. Don Pedro and Claudio apologise to Leonato, who agrees to forgive hem if Claudio announces his mistake to the public and to sing over Hero's tomb. He must also marry Antonio's daughter, who is apparently very much like Hero. Claudio agrees. The next day Claudio sings over Hero's tomb and promises to do so every year. they all then go to the church and to get ready for Claudio to marry Antonio's supposed daughter, until Hero reveals that she is not actually dead. Everyone is overjoyed and Benedick asks Beatrice to marry him, however she denies being in love with him because of her pride and in return he does the same. Claudio and Hero then show the couple love poems they have written for eachother and they then agree to marry.
The policemen then arrive t the church to tell Leonato that Don John has been captured and is now a prisoner.
