The Themes of Noting and Deception in Much Ado About Nothing

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The Themes of Noting and Deception in Much Ado About Nothing "Discuss the themes of 'noting' and 'deception' in Much Ado About Nothing" The play 'Much Ado About Nothing' was written by Williams Shakespeare in the late 1600's and over four centuries later it is still a significantly popular play and has widespread appeal. The play explores many themes including love, treachery, friendship, society and traditions. These five themes mentioned are still very much relevant in a lot of people's lives today. You'll find that a lot of television programmes, movies, magazines and novels are structured around at least one or more of these themes, if not all at the same time. The title 'Much Ado About Nothing' gives you the impression that the play involves characters making a huge deal about nothing significant and worrying over irrelevancies. The structure of 'Much Ado About Nothing' is composed of three hoaxes, four withheld secrets, and three metamorphoses so reality that might actually be true. The reason being the play simply but cunningly tails the relationships of four main characters within the play, Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio and Hero. Although the structure of the play is based on the deception of Claudio in order to bring his love for fair Hero to an end, the highlight of the play is provided by the deception of Beatrice and Benedick with the objective of making them recognize or acknowledge their true affection towards each other. Only then does the play arrive at its climax. Noting, deception and truth are the three main themes that make up the play, deception being the main theme, some deceive spitefully and o... ... middle of paper ... ...have then been a tragedy rather than a comedy. Taken as a whole the play was indeed 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Nothing out of the ordinary would have happened, had there been no noting. Claudio would not have been noting Hero and consequently fallen for her "Benedick, didst thou note the daughter of Signor Leonato?" (Act 1 Scene 1 line 139). Subsequently Don John would not have been given the opportunity to sabotage their relationship and Claudio would not have noted whom he thought to be Hero bidding farewell to Borachio. The watchmen would not have noted the conversation between Borachio and Conrad and last but not least Beatrice and Benedick would not have noted the conversations although it was deliberate and fallen for each other and hence all else that stemmed from these two love affairs would not have happened.

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