Much Ado About Nothing

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare was written presumably in the period between 1598 – 1599. But there is no evidence when Much Ado About Nothing was written exactly. The comedy was printed from the playwright’s own manuscript in a quarto edition in 1600. The ancient theme revealed in the play –false accusation of a woman in unfaithfulness – is taken to brilliant comedic heights.

The main source Shakespeare used for the Claudio-Hero as his plot was a story from Novelle by Matteo Bandello, an Italian writer (1554–73). The author also may have consulted the epic poems Orlando furioso by Ludovico Ariosto and The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser. The Beatrice-Benedick plot belongs mostly to Shakespeare, though there must have been an allusion to his own story of wife taming in the comedy The Taming of the Shrew.

Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, how many acts are in the play, stories of romantic love

How many acts are in Much Ado About Nothing? One of Shakespeare’s most frequently performed comedies implies five acts and each act includes 2-5 scenes. Where does Much Ado About Nothing take place? The play is set in location Messina, a harbour city of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina.

The scholars argue about the question “When did Ado About Nothing take place?”. According to some evidence, the earliest performances are recorded on 14 February 1613 at Court in the winter of 1612–1613, during festivities preceding the marriage of Princess Elizabeth with Frederick V, Elector Palatine.

The work includes two completely different stories of romantic love.  The first is Hero and Claudio’s love at first sight, but Don John, the antihero, strikes out at their happiness. The second romance is between Beatrice and Benedick that are kept apart by pride and mutual antagonism until the moment others decide to play Cupid.

List of characters

• Benedick, a lord and soldier from Padua; companion of Don Pedro
• Beatrice, niece of Leonato
• Don Pedro, Prince of Aragon
• Don John, "the Bastard Prince", brother of Don Pedro
• Claudio, of Florence; a count, companion of Don Pedro, friend to Benedick
• Leonato, governor of Messina; Hero's father
• Antonio, brother of Leonato
• Balthasar, attendant on Don Pedro, a singer
• Borachio, follower of Don John
• Conrade, follower of Don John
• Innogen, a 'ghost character' in early editions as Leonato's wife
• Hero, daughter of Leonato
• Margaret, waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Hero
• Ursula, waiting-gentlewoman attendant on Hero
• Dogberry, the constable in charge of Messina's night watch
• Verges, the Headborough, Dogberry's partner
• Friar Francis, a priest
• a Sexton, the judge of the trial of Borachio
• a Boy, serving Benedick
• The Watch, watchmen of Messina
• Attendants and Messengers

Entire play in one page

Act 1, Scene 1: Before LEONATO'S house.
Act 1, Scene 2: A room in LEONATO's house.
Act 1, Scene 3: The same.

Act 2, Scene 1: A hall in LEONATO'S house.
Act 2, Scene 2: The same.
Act 2, Scene 3: LEONATO'S orchard.

Act 3, Scene 1: LEONATO'S garden.
Act 3, Scene 2: A room in LEONATO'S house
Act 3, Scene 3: A street.
Act 3, Scene 4: HERO's apartment.
Act 3, Scene 5: Another room in LEONATO'S house.

Act 4, Scene 1: A church.
Act 4, Scene 2: A prison.

Act 5, Scene 1: Before LEONATO'S house.
Act 5, Scene 2: LEONATO'S garden.
Act 5, Scene 3: A church.
Act 5, Scene 4: A room in LEONATO'S house.