What are the themes, motifs, and symbols in Act 3 of Much Ado About Nothing?

Act III of Much Ado about Nothing highlights the motifs of communication and counterfeit. It is in this act that the two parallel storylines - Beatrice and Benedick/Hero and Claudio - are pushed forward into their conflict and climax. These actions take place because of the two motifs, and particularly the interaction of the motifs. It is through the use of counterfeit communication that Beatrice, Benedick and Claudio are deceived. It is the poor communication of Dogberry that prevents Claudio from quickly discovering that he has been misled. It is the counterfeit of Margaret that also prevents the mishap from being cleared up.

Shakespeare here is illustrating the nature of social pressure. He is showing that truth is subjective, easily influenced by perception, and that people in general put little faith in it. People are more concerned with looking good than being good, and are eager to believe what they suspect, rather than what is true. In this way, people are not only led astray by deceit, but deceitful as well -- whether for positive (Beatrice and Benedick) or negative (Hero and Claudio) reasons.

What are some examples of puns in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing?

Characteristic of Shakespeare, since Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy, a vast amount of puns, or play on words, can be found all throughout the play. Listed below are a few:

The first pun can actually be found in the title. The word "nothing" is a pun because the Elizabethan audience would have heard it as "noting." The Elizabethans considered "noting" to be another word for observing, or even eavesdropping, and as we see, the consequences of eavesdropping is a central theme in the play. Hence, the title is a pun that can also be translated as Much Ado About "Eavesdropping" (Chidester, "Much Ado About 'Noting'").

Another pun can be found in the opening scene when Beatrice refers to Benedick as "Signior Mountanto" (I.i.25). Mountanto can be interpreted as referring to "montanto," which is a fencing term referring to an upward thrust. Hence, this is a play on words being used to refer to Benedick's poor fencing skills.

A third pun can also be found in this scene. Beatrice refers to Benedick as a "very valiant trencherman" (42). The word "trencherman" can refer to a person with a big appetite and Beatrice is arguing that the only reason why Benedick joined the company in the wars is because he was given free food, or "musty victual," meaning "stale food" (41). However, trencherman can also mean parasite, showing us that Beatrice is making a play on words to portray Benedick as both a person with a big appetite and one who takes advantage of others, such as taking advantage of free food.

What are some themes in the play Much Ado About Nothing?

In addition to the superb answer above:

"Men were deceivers ever." The main villain in the play is a male, Don John the Bastard.  He dupes males: Don Pedro and Claudio.  The play's hero is not Hero, but Beatrice, for she has the power to change Benedick, converting him to her gender's side.

Double marriages are better than a funeral. The play is a comedy; as such, it must end happily with union.  At one point, the play seems headed toward tragedy, but Hero's reputation is restored and Don John is captured, resulting in two marriages instead of one.

Low comedy saves the day. There are two kinds of comedy in this comedy: high and low.  The high comedy (battle of the sexes) is between Benedick and Beatrice in their clever wordplay.  The low comedy (Dogberry and the watch), however, uncover the plot of Borachio and Don John.  They unwittingly save the day--and have fun in the process.

The comedy is full of archetypes. We have two sets of lovers who are foils of each other (Benedick and Beatrice versus Claudio and Hero).  The former are disdainful of love, and the latter are infatuated with each other blindly.  We have two brothers who are foils (the legitimate Don Pedro and the illegitimate Don John).  We have the villains vs. the watch.  Alazons (those who think they are better than they are): the men.  And Erions (those who are self-deprecators): the women.  All in all, the characters represent the eternal love that we all share.

Here are also some other topics by Enotes and corresponding thesis statements:

Topic #1
Shakespeare interweaves two love stories in Much Ado About

Thesis Statement: The Claudio-Hero and the Benedick-Beatrice love stories are interwoven in Much Ado About Nothing through a series of parallels and contrasts in characterization, in dialogue, and in plot structure.

Topic #2
Appearance versus reality is the major theme in Much Ado

Topic #3
In Much Ado About Nothing, Benedick and Beatrice explore an unconventional path of love. Write an analytical essay on the lovers' journey in awareness, and the way in which Shakespeare uses syntactic structures to reflect this movement.

Thesis Statement: Benedick and Beatrice explore an unconventional path of love; a journey in awareness which is reflected in their syntactic expression.

What typical themes of Shakespeare's comedies are used in Much Ado About Nothing?

Shakespeare re-examined certain themes over and over, in both his tragedies and comedies.  One of the predominant themes is appearance versus reality, and another common theme is jealousy.  All of Shakespeare's comedies revolve around love relationships, since, by definition, a comedy must end in at least one marriage, but a twist on the traditional love relationship that Shakespeare often employs as a theme is the battle of the sexes (mostly as a witty war of words) as a sign of true love.

Appearance versus reality is announced as a theme of this play in the very title:  Much Ado about Nothing (or Noting, which is how the word would have been pronounced).  Many characters are taken in by scenes enacted by other characters in order to fool them into believing something that is potentially false.  In Act II, scene iii, Benedick is duped by Leonato, Don Pedro and Claudio into believing that Beatrice is desperately in love with him.  Act III, scene i has Ursula, Hero and Margaret pulling the wool over Beatrice's eyes about Benedick, and the end of Act III, scene ii suggests that Don John will show Don Pedro and Claudio a scene in which Hero will enact her unfaithfulness.  This scene is not enacted onstage, but all of these scenes highlight the theme of appearance versus reality.

Jealousy is thematically examined in the responses of Claudio to what he suspects is Hero's involvement with other men in both the dance sequence of Act II, scene i and the scene mentioned above, but also in the actions of the comic villain, Don John, who is jealous of the place that Claudio holds in her brother Don Pedro's affections.

The battle of the sexes in this play is enacted (famously) between Beatrice and Benedick who, even as they are pledging their troth to each other in Act V scene iv, are still finding ways to battle each other, and must have a truce signaled by Benedick's line, "Peace!  I will stop your mouth," after which he kisses Beatrice.

For more on these and other themes, please follow the links below.

What is the main message of Much Ado About Nothing?

I like to play a game whenever I read a piece of literature.  It's a game to find as many themes as possible.  I fill in the blank with whatever comes to mind, and then dive into the topic deeper to pull out the not-so-obvious.  _______________________is a story about_______________________.  Fill in the first blank with the title of the work.  The second blank is the main idea...there is often more than one, especially in Shakespeare!  He was so smart and his plays very complicated and jam-packed with human motives and nature.

For this play, it's about deception, love, relationships, male vs. female, a game of wits, illusion vs. reality, good vs. evil, and the list can go on and on.

What is the main message of Much Ado About Nothing?

Scholars often point to one of the songs contained in the play, "Sigh no more, ladies," (2.3) for a possible theme or overall meaning to the play. In this song, which, ironically, is sung when Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato are all tricking Benedick into believing Beatrice is in love with him, Shakespeare says that "Men were deceivers ever," and that women are best off not taking them too seriously or moaning over their lack of faithfulness.

Shakespeare then develops the characters of Claudio, who listens more to idle gossip about Hero than he does actually trusting or loving her, and Leonato, her father, who is ready to have her die rather than believe her against the accusations of Claudio, Don Pedro, and Don John (Hello?? Villain!?). However, on the opposite end of the spectrum, Shakespeare gives us Benedick, who once he determines that Beatrice loves him and he loves her, he steps into the breach against his friends (the prince and Claudio) and lets them know what he thinks of how they treated Hero, Beatrice's cousin. He turns out to be the most faithful, loyal man in the play.

Is there one meaning of the play? I highly doubt it. I think there are layers of meaning that will never completely be understood because we can't ask Will himself about them. But I think he's making fun of men and their fickleness, but also giving us an example of one man who is better than the rest. And that love is awesome! :)

What elements of melodrama in the Hero-Claudio plot contribute to the comedy in Much Ado About Nothing?

Hero and Claudio seem to have a simple love, especially in comparison to the complicated romance between Beatrice and Benedick. The two are archetypal lovers, young, bashful, and innocent. Claudio is struck with silence at the approval of their marriage, and Hero demurely whispers affectionate words into his ear.

Their characterization takes a backseat to the dramatic events that beset them, a key aspect of melodrama. Don John convinces Don Pedro and the naive Claudio of Hero’s unfaithfulness, and on their wedding day, Claudio humiliates Hero in front of the congregation.

The pure Hero exhibits “A thousand blushing apparitions” and “a thousand innocent shames / In angel whiteness” before fainting, while her father rages against her and wishes death upon his own daughter. At Beatrice’s urging, Benedick challenges his close friend Claudio to a duel. These sensational developments are meant to elicit strong emotions in the audience.

This drama counterbalances and highlights the comedic aspects of Much Ado About Nothing, from the witty Beatrice and Benedick to the ridiculous Dogberry. In these scenes, the comedy veers into darker, nearly tragic territory, raising the stakes and giving weight to the play.

What are the major themes and issues in Much Ado About Nothing?

Gender is one of the central themes in Shakespeare's comedy Much Ado About Nothing.

In Beatrice and Benedick's squabbles, the differences between the genders are illuminated. Benedick initially swears to live and die a bachelor and rails against the female sex. Beatrice is similarly full of vitriol toward men, claiming she could never love a man who has a beard but could never love a man who doesn't, either. Despite these many protestations, however, Beatrice and Benedick are ultimately more similar than they are different. They are both stubborn, quick-witted, and loath to admit their feelings.

The theme of gender is also hugely important to the Hero/Claudio plotline. When Claudio is deceived into believing that Hero is not a virgin and that she has been, essentially, cheating on him, he publicly shames her on their wedding day. Even Hero's own father believes Claudio over Hero. This dynamic is entirely bound up in the gender ideas of the time. Only Beatrice (and by extension Benedick) believes in her cousin's innocence.

For further evidence of the importance of this scene and of the play's attitude toward gender, take a look at Balthazar's song in act II, scene iii. Generally, the songs in Shakespeare's comedies are giddy things about love and springtime. Here, however, Balthazar sings about the inconsistency of men, comforting wronged women and advising them not to sigh over their unfaithful lovers. These lyrics subvert expected gender roles in which women are the ones who can't be trusted, and they foreshadow the events of the play. Beatrice and Hero remain true to their lovers and their words. It is Benedick who breaks his vow to be a bachelor forever, and it is Claudio who is so easily tricked into turning on his fiancee.

How does villainy in Much Ado About Nothing contribute to its comedic success?

Much Ado About Nothing is the comedic version of Romeo and Juliet, except with two sets of lovers (Hero and Claudio; Beatrice and Benedick).  Both plays have a Prince (Escalus and Pedro).  Both plays have a villain (Tybalt and John).  Whereas Romeo and Juliet's villain is killed in a fight in Act III, thus dooming Romeo, John's plan to have Benedick kill Claudio is ironically spoiled by a buffoon, Dogberry.  It is this turning point in Act III which moves Much Ado from tragedy to comedy.

John's villainy is rather unmotivated.  He is kind of like Iago-lite.  We don't know why he wants to take revenge on Pedro.  John is a Bastard, a stock character, an archetypal villain who is jealous of those who are legitimate, like Pedro.  Bastards, as you know, are dispossessed sons.  They burn with resentment.  John can't have what he wants (whatever that is), so he lashes out to hurt anyone who is happy.  His deeds are more for effect--he wants to provoke action in others.  Usually, a Bastard proudly announces his rebellious dealings; all except John.  He is such a mopey sourpuss about his role as a Bastard that it comes across as funny.

So, John attempts to destroy Pedro's reputation: misery loves company.  But, unlike Iago, John goes about his revenge in a very indrect way.  So says eNotes: "In addition to his attempt to destroy his brother's reputation, he also attacks Hero's honor and happiness."  This villainous attack on reputation brings together both sets of lovers in the end.  Claudio is reconciled with Hero, and Benedick moves from being a sexist pig to a gentleman--nay, a chivalrous defender of the softer sex.

Everyone is fooled by John's ruse: Pedro, Benedick, and Claudio especially.  It is ironic and thus comedic that Dogberry, a bumbling constable, should uncover this plan and not the noble characters.  Comedy is thus achieved by subverting the natural order: a low class character unwittingly upstages and upper class characters.

Dogberry saves the play from tragedy.  Claudio does not kill Claudio.  Benedick comes across as noble for defending Hero's honor, and Beatrice marries him for it.

What are some examples of bawdy humor in Much Ado About Nothing?

Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing is filled with bawdy humor, some of which subtle, some of which definitely is not. Let's look at a couple examples to get you started on this question.

The play's title gives us our first hint of bawdiness. While we might think that the title is simply saying that people are making a lot of fuss for no reason, there is a double entendre here. In Shakespeare's day “nothing” was a slang term for a woman's sexual organ. Knowing this, we can see another meaning in the play's title.

Look at the first scene, too, when Beatrice calls Benedick a “stuffed man.” She is, partly, referring to him as a dummy, but the word “stuffed” also has sexual overtones that the original audience would likely not have missed. Beatrice's wit backfires on her a bit when, in Act III, Scene 4, she uses the word “stuffed,” referring to her sinus congestion. Margaret, however, cannot pass up the chance to turn it into a dirty joke.

Finally, look at the interaction between Don Pedro and Beatrice in Act II, scene 1. Don Pedro scolds Beatrice for putting Benedick down, and she responds that she does so to prevent him from putting her down in quite a different way, a way that would make her “the mother of fools.”