This is yet another interesting Shakespearean comedy. The play has one saucy and sharp tongued woman in the character of Beatrice. I’m quite new to Shakespeare works and didn’t expect to see a spirited female character in a Shakespearean play. So, Beatrice was a pleasant surprise to me.
The story’s main focus is love. There are two love stories here: one between Claudio and Hero and the other between Beatrice and Benedict. Former is the acknowledged and formal courtship. The latter was an informal and unorthodox. I enjoyed the teasing courtship of Beatrice and Benedict more. The witty banter between the two gave the play colour, vibrancy, and an overall boost to the play. Unfaithfulness, deception, and villainy also play roles here. All combined make Much Ado About Nothing more like a tragi-comedy if not for the happily-ever-after ending.
True to the title, the story was mostly a “fuss” over Claudio and Hero’s love which was interfered by the treacherous act of a villainous hand. The discovery of truth and the happy union between the two thereafter make the whole drama “much ado about nothing”. There was no complex plot but a simple, light one. However, the characters and the witty and elegant prose of Shakespeare contributed much to the enjoyment.
Rating: 4/5
