Who's Who Onstage in Much Ado About Nothing

In order of appearance

What happens in Much Ado About Nothing?

• Leonata is the governor of Messina. She lives with her daughter Hero, her brother Antonio, and their cousin Lady Beatrice. Leonata receives word that her friend, (the Prince of Aragon) Don Pedro has returned from war and plans to visit with some of his fellow soldiers. When they arrive, one of the soldiers, Claudio, quickly falls in love with Hero. Don Pedro tells him that he will help arrange the marriage. Benedick, a bachelor who has sworn off love and marriage, squares off with Beatrice. It seems they have something of a past, but now love nothing better than trading barbs. She has also sworn off having a husband.
• Leonata holds a masked ball to celebrate. Don John, the bitter brother of Don Pedro, decides to try to mess with Claudio and tell him that his brother wants Hero for himself. Don Pedro quickly clears this up, and the match is made between Hero and Claudio.
• Leonata, Hero, Claudio and Don Pedro decide that Benedick and Beatrice are ideal partners. The next day, they let Benedick overhear a rehearsed discussion in which they claim that Beatrice is sick in love with Benedick, but will never tell him. Ursula, Margaret, and Hero do the same for Beatrice, proclaiming how tortured Benedick is over Beatrice. Once they hear that the other loves them, Benedick and Beatrice realize that they actually do indeed love one another.
• After his first plan failed, Don John plots with the soldiers Borachio and Conrade to deceive Claudio into believing Hero is secretly meeting up with another man at night. That night, Hero's friend Margaret talks with Borachio at Hero's bedroom window. Don John brings Claudio and the Prince to see this from a distance and they believe that the girl at the window is Hero.
• That same night--the night before the wedding, we meet the village watchmen. They are managed by the bumbling village constable Dogberry, and his sidekick, an ancient man named Verges. The watchmen overhear Borachio and Conrade brag about the trick that they played on Claudio and Don Pedro. They arrest the pair.
• The next day at Hero's wedding, Claudio denounces her and leaves her apparently dead from the shock. With the help of Friar Francis, Leonata, Beatrice, Ursula, Margaret, Antonio and Benedick decide to pretend that Hero is actually dead until her name can be cleared. Beatrice, distraught over her cousin’s misfortune, pleads with Benedick for help. He reveals to her that he loves her, and she tells him that she loves him back. But her anger at Claudio sours their moment of joy. She believes Claudio has wronged Hero. Benedick eventually sides with Beatrice, and agrees to challenge Claudio to a duel to the death for what he did to Hero.
• Dogberry's incriminating information is, after some difficulty, given to Leonata, Claudio, and Don Pedro. A heartbroken Claudio begs forgiveness from Leonata. Leonata asks him to proclaim to the townspeople how innocent Hero was, and makes the offer that Claudio may marry her "niece" in Hero’s place. When he comes to meet her the next day, the bride is revealed; it’s Hero, who forgives him. At the very end, Benedick and Beatrice realize the trick that their friends played on them, and claim they don’t really love each other after all. But their friends show them poems they each wrote about the other, so they have no choice but to come together at last. Conrade comes in to report that Don John has been captured while trying to escape. They decide to not let him ruin another moment, and the play ends in a joyful dance.

Special Thanks

• Joel Tolman
• Kevin Coleman
• Erika Johnson and Shakespeare & Company
• David Starkey

Sponsors & Partners

2024 Season Sponsor

Education Sponsors