Lovers in Messina
Figuratively speaking, there are several ears propped to a door, eavesdropping on a conversation pivotal to Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing; a story about love; real, new and pretended, that began before the messenger arrives with his news. Two very different couples cling to each other or push one another away during five acts of masked balls, sighing under balconies, hysterics, a make-shift death and resurrection, attempts to compose poetry and finally, a feast. The lovers of Messina: innocent Hero, fiery Beatrice and their gallant knights, weak Claudio and comic Benedict stumble through abundant trickery, taking very different paths to reach the same goal: a happily-ever-after ending. Hero, though one of the main characters of the play is a silent presence for the entire First and Second Acts, given a voice only when others speak about or for her. She is first introduced not by name, but as "the daughter of Signior Leonato", described by Claudio as a "modest young lady" and "the sweetest lady I ever laid mine eyes upon". Hero is described by everyone as beautiful, kind and gentle. Always she was the dutiful daughter. When her father, Leonato, instructs Hero that she must consent to a wedding proposal by Don Pedro
These two very different cousins are very close and more like sisters. Beatrice describes Hero, much like a everyone else does, as a quiet, sweet girl. She appears to be the older cousin and certainly the wisest. Beatrice is very protective of her cousin. After Hero's abortive when she was declared a "rotten orange" by the misguided Claudio, Beatrice remained true to her cousin, unlike her rash uncle. Beatrice declared in certainty that her cousin had been wronged. Despite her being, or perhaps because she was, so much more outspoken than most other women Bene*censored* fell in love with Beatrice long before Hero and Claudio ever met. It is out of the unfortunate couple's dead love and disastrous wedding that Beatrice and Bene*censored* discover their love. She used her newfound love with Bene*censored* to her advantage, demanding that he kill Claudio. Bene*censored* and Claudio along with Don Pedro are very good friends. It is in Bene*censored* that Claudio first confides his love for Hero. Claudio is the gallant soldier just arrived from the wars in which he had distinguished himself. He can be considered both one of the heroes and villains of the play. He is a hero as Shakespeare deemed him worthy of a happy ending but also a villain for his treatment of Hero. It was proven very easy to trick Claudio as he accepted first Don John's insinuation that Don Pedro woos Hero for himself. Claudio condemns not the Prince's alleged deception but the feminine wiles he believes to have inspired it. He says, "Let every eye negotiate for itself and trust no agent, for beauty is a witch against whose charms faith melteth into blood." As for the relationships of these four characters, they are very different as well. From the beginning it seems that quiet Hero, the ideal young lady and strong, honorable Claudio are to fall in love and get married. On the other hand, Beatrice and Bene*censored* appear to have a never-ending conflict that hints at a previous relationship; one that somehow ended in anger. Beatrice says, "Indeed, my Lord, he lent it me awhile, and I gave him use for it, a double heart for his single one. Marry, once before he won it of me with false dice. Therefore your grace may well say I have lost it." Bene*censored
Some common words found in the essay are:
Beatrice Bene*censored*, Don John, Hero Beatrice, , Hero Claudio, Claudio Beatrice, Don Pedro, Signior Leonato, Claudio Hero, Bene*censored* Claudio, beatrice bene*censored*, don pedro, hero claudio, protagonists exchange personalities, claudio's attraction, real love, claudio hero, attraction hero, marriage hero, protagonists exchange, exchange personalities, claudio's attraction hero,
Approximate Word count = 1512
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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