Much Ado About Nothing Essay: Don John, The Villain

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Heidi Womelsdorf Dr. Alison Rutledge Readings in Shakespeare February 23, 2015 Don John, the Villain In Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, all of the main characters experience and are apart of some form of deceit that is created to fool another main character. But Don John particularly stands out as a villain among the other members of society in Messina, both in his behavior and in his position as an illegitimate son or “bastard”. In this play, Don John is seen by the other characters as a man of few words and incredibly disagreeable. But Shakespeare does allow Don John the redeeming quality that is his honesty. This gives him much more sympathy from the audience through Don John’s own description of himself and through Don John’s punishment of always being seen as an illegitimate son by the people of Messina. Since Don John’s position in society is seen as a bastard, other characters immediately find him to be suspicious and reject him. When Don John…show more content…
Don John says, “I cannot hide what I am. I must be sad / when I have cause, and smile at no man’s jests; eat when I have / stomach, and wait for no man’s leisure; sleep when I am / drowsy, and tend on no man’s business […]” (I.3.10-13). We as an audience can relate to this character, a character confessing that they cannot be anyone but themselves. Conrad replies by saying that he needs to act carefully if he is going to stay in his brother's good graces, since he recently just forgave him. Don John replies that he “had rather be a canker in a hedge than a rose in his grace” and that any bad behaviors come from the fact that “it better fits my blood to be disdained of all” (I.3.21-22). Don John believes that he is an outcast an evil because he is a bastard, so he is just becoming the role he thinks he is meant to
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