Jul 25, 2008

Much Ado About Nothing | Appearance Vs. Reality

In this piece John Russell Brown examines the ability of "love's truth" and "lover's imagination" to reveal Truth and Beauty despite false appearances as demonstrated in Much Ado About Nothing. In his examination of this theme, he offers a reconsideration of Claudio, asserting that, contrary to popular criticism, the character is interesting in his own right.

The theme of appearance versus reality has been deemed central to the structure and tone of Much Ado. Reflecting on the numerous instances of deception in Much Ado, Barbara K. Lewalski has observed, "mistake, pretense, and misapprehension are of the very substance of life in Messina." Reflecting on the numerous instances of deception in Much Ado, John Dover Wilson has asserted, "Eavesdropping and misinterpretation, disguise and deceit—sometimes for evil ends, but generally in fun and with a comic upshot-such are the designs in the dramatic pattern of Much Ado."...