Jul 25, 2008

Much Ado About Nothing | Leonato (Character Analysis)

Leonato is the governor of Messina, a city in northeastern Sicily in Italy. He is the father of Hero, a daughter eligible for marriage. He is a genial host who immediately invites the returning soldiers to stay in Messina. He is concerned with making his guests as comfortable as possible and their stay as pleasant as possible. He seeks to provide music for their rest, dinners for their nourishment, and parties for their diversion. He is also an able though not a superb wit who jests in turn with Benedick about Hero's parentage and Beatrice about her marriage prospects. Early in the play he...