Much Ado About Nothing "What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?" Act I, scene i Written: 1599 Synopsis: Beatrice, a spinster, and her cousin Hero are the heroines of this play. Hero is engaged to Claudio, a right noble twerp and Beatrice is engaged in trading insults with her nemesis, Benedick. Take misunderstandings, trickery and add pretense, stir well and you get one of Shakespeare's funniest comedies ... and a profoundly moving testament on the nature of love. Characters: • Beatrice, sassy heroine • Benedick, our sassy hero • Don Pedro, our noble lord • Don John, our evil villain • Claudio, insipid and unworthy • Hero, a sweet lady who deserves better than Claudio Musings: Isn't it funny that Benedick's name came to mean someone who was married (i.e. ball-and-chained)? The Text of the Play: Much Ado About Nothing Quotes Links: Buy the Play:

Sir John Gilbert, R.A., Beatrice and Benedick Reviews Shakespeare Repertory 1998 MGM / Renaissance Films /Samuel Goldwyn Company 1993 >> previous reviews

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