Much Ado About Nothing

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Title page of quarto, 1600

Much Ado about Nothing is a comedy by William Shakespeare. It is set in Messina, Sicily (which is in Italy) and is a comedy/love story about two pairs of lovers, Hero and Claudio and Benedick and Beatrice. This story is one of William Shakespeare's more popular plays.

The villain in this story is called Don John and he convinces Claudio that Hero is cheating on him and then he refuses to marry her whilst Benedick and Beatrice are tricked into confessing their true love for each other. In the end the Constable accidentally sorts everything out and everyone celebrates both marriages.

Don John (the villain) can't bear anyone else to be happy. He is an illegitimate child meaning his upbringing has been rocky and he is insecure, leading to his selfish behaviour getting the better of him throughout the play.