Provide a character analysis of Claudio in Act 3, scene 2 of Much Ado About Nothing.

You have picked an excellent act to talk about the character of Claudio in this play. Claudio is presented as young and earnest, a warrior who has accomplished "in the figure of a lamb the feats of a lion" during battle. Now, in peacetime, he is looking for a bride worthy of the fame he has already worked hard to achieve. Critics seem divided about his character. When he sees Hero, it is only after establishing that she is of a good family and has money that he announces his intention to woo her to Don Pedro. Such actions suggest that Hero is nothing but a trophy to Claudio--a fitting beautiful bride for an ambitious young man eager to make his way in society.

Unfortunately, the action in this important scene does not give us much leverage to argue differently about his character. In spite of the light-hearted jesting with Benedick about his radically changed character, when Don John enters with news of Hero's infidelity, Claudio, in spite of his recent protestations of love, is quick to believe the worst of Hero. He doesn't contradict Don John's words in any way, in spite of the obvious malevolence of his character, and both Claudio and Don Pedro play right into the hands of Don John like innocent and naive flies buzzing ever closer towards the spider's web.

How would you critically analyze Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing?

When conducting a critical analysis of a character, we first want to identify the author's main purpose in using the character. Does the author mean to teach the reader/viewer something new, persuade the reader, or just entertain the reader? We would then evaluate whether or not the author accomplished his/her purpose. When doing a critical analysis of a character, rather than of a work as a whole, it can be helpful to first conduct a character analysis.

When conducting a character analysis, we want to probe deeply into the character. We want to consider things such as whether or not the character is ethical. Does the character govern his actions through ethics and make fair and reasonable choices? We can also consider whether or not the character is a wise character or foolish. We can also consider the character's motives for their actions. Other things we can consider in conducting a character analysis are listed in the link below.

When conducting a critical analysis of Claudio through analyzing his character, one of the things we see is that one of Shakespeare's purposes in using Claudio is to show the reader just how much damage a jealous, excessively prideful, and gullible character can do. Claudio's jealous nature is portrayed when he is tricked by Don John, not once, but twice, into doubting the people he loves, such as Don Pedro and Hero. We see Claudio's excessive pride demonstrated in his very rapid decision to publicly shame Hero should he see that she is disloyal, as we see in his lines:

If I see anything to-night why I should not marry her tomorrow, in the congregation where I should wed, there will I shame her. (III.ii.105-108).

Claudio does not stop for one instant to question Don John's honesty, even though he had already been duped by him, nor does he stop to wait for more evidence, but, out of excessive pride, decides that the only way to maintain his pride is to publicly punish and shame Hero.  However, Claudio is not all bad. We see that he has a very caring nature, especially through his close friendships with Benedick and Don Pedro, and we see that he has a great capacity to feel remorseful, as we see towards the end of the play.