Much Ado About Nothing Deception Essay

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William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing has many recurring themes. Including, but not limited to, deception and honor. These themes manifest with all of the characters, and plots, and with different degrees of severity and consequence. Deception is one of the largest driving points in Much Ado About Nothing’s plot. Some of the deception is harmless and playful, and some is malicious. The deception is often small, as in Act II, Scene ii, where Claudio has Don Pedro disguise himself, and try to win Hero’s heart in Claudio’s name, and is successful. The deception can also be larger though, and more devastating, not unlike when Don John leads Claudio to believe that Hero has cheated on him, and is no longer a maid. Don John leads Claudio, Benedick, and Don Pedro to a well rehearsed scene, where Margaret (an attendant to Hero that appears to be Hero from…show more content…
During this period of time, a female’s honor was based upon her virginity, if she wasn’t a virgin she would shame her whole family, leaving them with stains they would never be able to wash away. Don John’s deception washed Hero in light that made her look like filth; it made her look damaged, and unworthy of Claudio. Hero became such a disgrace to her father, Leonato, that he says in Act IV, Scene i, “Hence from her! Let her die.” Leonato would have rather let his only child, and heir die, then live with the disgrace of having a deflowered daughter. One rumor almost cost a Hero her life; a rumor Claudio didn’t seemed bothered to ask her about before publicly shaming her. There is a giant double standard though, men of this time could defend their honor. For this reason, Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio: to defend Hero’s honor. Benedick and Claudio never do end up defending their honors because the truth about the fraud comes to light, and Hero’s honor is restored (Themes-Much Ado About
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