The play is set in Messina, Italy, in and around Leonato's house (who the text makes clear is the Governor of the town). The soldiers, led by Don Pedro of Aragon, seem to originate in Aragon (in Spain) but their reason for being in Messina (we know they have just won a war of some description) is unclear - is it a personal visit, or have they been billeted?
Shakespeare's sources for 'Much Ado' seem to be drawn largely from classical or knightly romances (Ariosto and Bandello in particular are often cited as sources for the play) and so perhaps Shakespeare saw the play in similar terms. But unfortunately, he left no detailed information about the period in which he wants the play to be performed - and the absence of historically tracable characters (i.e. in 'Henry V', we can just rehearse the history of the real Henry V) makes it a difficult decision to make.
Scholars often believe that Shakespeare's plays were always performed in the modern dress of the day (a supposition fuelled by teh Peacham engraving of Titus Andronicus, which shows actors in versions of Elizabethan costume) - and so one could argue either that the play should be performed in Elizabethan dress, or in the modern dress of OUR day. Both could be seen as being true to Shakespeare.
The setting of the play is Leonato's estate in Messina, Italy. Leonato is the governor of Messina. All of the action takes place in this one setting; there is no movement to another place like many of Shakespeare's other plays that at least partially introduce a second setting. Prince Don Pedro and his group are from Aragon (Span) though none of the play takes place there. The time setting of the play is typically vague and could be just about any time.
What time period does Much Ado About Nothing take place in?
An interesting question. It takes place in the Renaissance, but not in any specific period beyond that. (There aren't, for example, clear references to specific kings or historical events that would tie it down.) It also isn't possible to really pin it down through the setting. Shakespeare sets the play in Messina, in Sicily, but there aren't any real references there to anything that would anchor it more fully. It has been suggested that the society portrayed in the play is artificial—that it doesn't really represent Messina or a specific period, but is a kind of Italian mishmash.
Where and when does Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing take place?
The play is set in the city of Messina on the Island of Sicily. Sicily belonged to the Crown of Aragon, a Spanish dynasty that was the most powerful in the 14th and 15th centuries. The Crown of Aragon was abolished as late as 1716 after the War of Spanish Succession (1702-1713). The wars mentioned in the play most likely refer to the Spanish Wars, which was a challenge between Spain and France for parts of Italy. The wars started in 1494 due to France's invasion of Italy...
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and finally ended in 1559 when Philip II, King of Aragon, gained complete domination of the Two Sicilies, including Messina, and Milan. We do not know which war of the Spanish Wars the play is referring to; however, the play could most likely be referring to the final campaigns of the wars that secured Sicily under the Crown of Aragon, such as the battle of St. Quentin in which Spain defeated the French in 1557, or any of the final two battles in 1558 that led to the Treaty of Cateau-Camresis in 1559.Hence, we know that the play is set in Messina under the rule of the Spanish dynasty, the Crown of Aragon, and refers to the Spanish Wars. However, we don't know the exact years in which the play is set. Nevertheless, since Prince Don Pedro and his company have just returned from a very successful war with very few causalities, we can assume that the play may be referring to the later more successful battles. We learn in the first scene that the war was successful and that very few men died when the messenger declares, "But few of any sort, and none of name," after being asked how many men have been lost (I.i.5-6). Thus, we may be able to assume that the time period in which the play is set is the last three successful battles beginning in 1557 and culminating in complete Spanish rule over Sicily in 1559.
When was Much Ado About Nothing written?
It is believed that Shakespeare wrote Much Ado About Nothing between 1598 and 1599. A published version of the play appeared in 1600. Will Kemp, an actor who is known to have played Dogberry, left the Lord Chamberlain's Company in 1599, meaning the play must have been first staged before the end of 1599.
While there is no record of a performance before a royal court performance in 1612, there are records from 1598 that show a staging of Love's Labor Won, which many believe is an earlier title for this play.
Shakespeare seemingly wrote the play in his early mid-career, at the same time that he wrote a series of other comedies, including The Merchant of Venice, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and As You Like It. Many scholars believe that the plot with Beatrice and Benedict is a reworking of Shakespeare'sThe Taming of the Shrew. Shakespeare borrowed the story of Claudio and Hero from old romances from Spain, Greece, and Italy, as did other English authors of the time period.
Nothing is a pun on the word noting, which would have been pronounced the same way at the time. Noting is gossip or hearsay. As we remember, much of the play's plot is driven by gossip and manipulation.
What era is depicted in Much Ado About Nothing?
Much Ado About Nothing is assumed to have been written around 1598. The story is set around that time in the 16th century, in the port city of Messina. It is important to note that the soldiers have just returned from war, so it is moving into a post-war era and a time and place of peace.