Claire Telford and Edie Reynolds

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Study Questions

DIRECTIONS: Use the text of the play to answer these questions. Look carefully at the
CAPITALIZED questions at the end of Act 5; they cover major characteristics of comedies,

ACT ONE

1. Who is coming to Leonato’s house in Messina?

Don Pedro of Aragon
2. What is the “action” to which Leonato refers?
The war
3. Who has received much honor by doing a lion’s deeds although he is young like a lamb?
Claudio
4. Explain these comments Beatrice makes about Benedick:
a. Benedick is a wannabe Cupid
No one falls in love with Benedick.
b. Beatrice will eat all of his killing in these wars
Benedick will lose in the actual war and the war of wits.
c. Benedick is a “stuffed man”
Benedick is too proud and has a big ego.
d. defeating 4 of Benedick’s 5 wits so he is governed by 1 wit
He is so dumb he only has one wit left, like a sense.
e. Claudio’s having “caught the Benedick”
Being friends with Benedick is like a disease.
5. Who is “Lady Disdain”? What does Benedick mean when he wishes his horse had the speed
and continuance of Beatrice’s tongue?
Beatrice. He means we wishes his horses were as fast as her tongue.

6. To what does Beatrice compare a man’s words of love?

She says she would rather hear a dog bark at a crow than hear a man confess his love.
7. What does Beatrice mean when she says that Benedick always ends their arguments “with a
jade’s trick”? How does this show Benedick as weak?
He always leaves mid-argument because he knows he can’t win.

8. How does Benedick make fun of Claudio’s love for Hero? Why is he upset at Claudio’s
thoughts of marriage?
He makes fun of Claudio for being in love with a short brunette and he thinks she is not
worthy of him.

9. Give three examples of Benedick’s anti-marriage comments.

a. he compares marriage to putting one’s neck into a yoke
b. he says he will never have the cuckholds horns.
c. he says you could put a sign on him saying marriage sucks.

10. What does Pedro propose to do for Claudio at the masked revel?
He will pretend to be Claudio and help Hero fall in love with him.
11. How does Antonio mistake Pedro’s intentions? Whom does Antonio tell?
Antonio thinks Don Pedro wants to marry Hero. He tells Leonardo.
12. How does John say that he will follow his own desires and appetites?
a. be sad: be sad without limit.
b. eat: eat when he has stomach.
c. sleep: sleep when he is drowsy.
d. laugh: laugh when he is merry.
e. claw: claw no man in his humor.

13. According to Conrade, what has happened lately between John and Pedro? Who is best
suited to help John?
They have recently become friendly with each other. Borachio and Conrad are best suited
to help John.

14. What dastardly diversion does John decide to pursue? Why does he make Claudio his
victim?
The separation of Hero and Claudio, he is jealous of Claudio’s relationship with Don
Pedro.
15. What does John mean when he says, “Let us to the great supper….Would the cook were o’
my mind!”?
He means that if the cook were like him, he could have poisoned their food.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Study Questions ACT TWO

ACT TWO

1. According to Beatrice, how would John and Benedick make the perfect man?
A balance between the two would be perfect for her.
2. What is the joke on Beatrice’s being “curst” and “God sends a curst cow short horns, but to a
cow too curst he sends none”?
Being too ill tempered is different than being simply ill tempered.

3. Why is neither a bearded nor a beardless man for Beatrice nor she for him?
A beardless man is too young for her and she is too young for a bearded man.

4. What advice does Beatrice give Hero about choosing a husband and following Leonato’s
wishes?
Make sure he is handsome and follow her heart, but also please her father.
5. At the masque, what couples pair off?
a. Don Pedro and Hero
b. Benedict and Beatrice
c. Balthasar and Margaret
d. Ursula and Antonio
6. How does Beatrice make a fool of the disguised Benedick?
She pretends to not know that it is Benedick and makes fun of Benedick.
7. What does John convince Claudio of? How does Claudio act like a lovesick squire?
That Don Pedro is in love with Hero. He is jealous.
8. Why does Benedick say Claudio needs a willow garland and Pedro needs a whipping?
Claudio needs a willow garland because Don Pedro has stolen away Hero and Pedro needs
a whipping for breaking Claudio’s heart.
9. Give three examples of Benedick’s unkind comments about Beatrice in 2.1.230-250?
a. not even a block can endure her.
b. if her breath were as bad as her insults, she would kill everything with it.
c. people sin on purpose so they can go to hell and escape her.

10. Explain Pedro and Beatrice’s conversation in 2.1.303-320. How serious is Pedro’s proposal
and her answer?
Don Pedro proposes because it is the polite thing to do and Beatrice had put him in a tight
spot. Her answer got her out of the tough spot.

11. When will Claudio and Hero be married? What will Pedro do for fun in the meantime? How
are all the others “the only love gods”?
They will be married in one week. Don Pedro will try to make Benedick and Beatrice fall in
love. They make their own love.

12. Explain Borachio’s plan to use Margaret to disrupt Hero’s marriage? What is Don John’s
part in this scheme?
He will have Margaret pretend to be hero and stand in the window, so Claudio and Don
Pedro think she is cheating.

13. Give three examples of Benedick’s complaints about Claudio’s being in love in 2.3.5-35.
a. He is a fool because he is in love.
b. He prefers dancing music to the drums of war.
c. He would stay awake ten nights envisioning a new doublet.

14. Where does Benedick hide when Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio come in? Do they know
Benedick is present?
He hides in the arbor. They do know he is present.

15. Explain Balthasar’s song lyrics. What does the song say about men? What advice does it
give to women?
Men are deceivers and women should let them go.

16. What “evidence” do Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato give to convince Benedick that Beatrice
loves him?
Leonato says Beatrice is clearly in love with Benedick and it cannot be pretend.
17. Why is Benedick so firmly convinced that Beatrice loves him?
Because Leonato said it and he is a respectable man and because they spoke seriously and
had Hero’s word backing them up.
18. Why does he fear his friends will mock him?
Beatrice is very against marriage and said he was never going to fall in love.
19. How does he use change of appetite and peopling the world to excuse his falling in love?
People’s appetite’s change as they get older, just as his view on love and marriage changed.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Study Questions ACT THREE

ACT THREE

1. What arguments do Hero and Ursula use to make Beatrice sound curst and hard-hearted?
a. she is as devious and fierce as a wild hawk on a rock
b. there is scorn and disdain in her eyes
c. she can’t love anyone other than herself

2. What praises do Hero and Ursula use on Benedick, and how do they make him seem pitiful?
a. he is the only worthy man in Italy other than Claudio
b. he is the best-looking man bearing intelligence and bravery
c. he has an excellent reputation

3. What signs of lovesickness does Benedick exhibit, and how do Pedro and Claudio mention
even more signs of Benedick’s being in love?
a. he shaved his beard
b. he brushed his head
c. he is more serious

4. What does John tell Pedro and Claudio, and what must they do to get proof?
He says that Hero is disloyal and to come to see proof

5. Give three examples of Dogberry’s and Verges’ comical malapropisms.

a. excommunication instead of examination
b. blunt instead of sharp
c. aspicious instead of suspicious

6. Give examples of Dogberry’s instructions to the Watch about

a. thieves- let him be himself and steak
b. the Prince’s subjects- if he doesn’t stop when the prince says, he is not a subject
c. sleep and quiet in the streets- stay quiet, sleep on watch

7. What does Borachio brag about to Conrade? What does Seacoal do? Who is Deformed?
He brags about getting 1000 coins. The watchman thinks the cirminal is deformed, but it is
just a misunderstanding.

8. As the women prepare for the wedding, what do Margaret’s jokes reveal about her character?
[Compare her to other “maid” characters like Juliet’s Nurse, Lucetta, Luce/Nell, etc.]
She talks about love and isn’t very strict.
9. Why does Dogberry come to Leonato’s house? How does he try to be respectful, but he
unknowingly insults Leonato?
He comes to talk about the criminals but ends up being tedious to Leonato.

10. What does Dogberry mean by sending for Francis Seacoal “to examination” these men and
write their “excommunication” at the jail?
He means examine

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Study Questions ACT FOUR and ACT FIVE

ACT FOUR
1. Why does Claudio claim that Hero is a “rotten orange” who “knows the heat of a luxurious
bed”?
He is saying that she is corrupt and not a pure virgin anymore
2. Whom does Leonato suspect has “made defeat of her virginity”?
Claudio
3. Who supports Claudio’s accusation with his testimony? Why doesn’t Leonato believe Hero?
Don Pedro supports Claudio’s accusations. Leonato believes the two men over a woman,
even though she is his daughter
4. What happens to Hero? Who leaves after this event?
Hero faints, then Don John, Don Pedro, and Claudio leaves
5. Why does Leonato say he wishes Hero had been a beggar’s child rather than his issue?
[Compare this to Brabantio’s statement in Othello: “I had rather adopt a child than get it.”]
If she weren’t his child, he wouldn’t feel the shame, dishonor, and embarrassment of what
she has done because she would not be his blood.
6. Why does the Friar believe that Hero is innocent?
She acted innocent and based on his experience, she seemed innocent
7. What does the Friar suggest be done about Hero? About Claudio? If Hero remains disgraced?
He suggested they hide her and say she is dead.

8. What does Benedick confess to Beatrice? What does she ask him to do to prove it?
He confesses that he is in love with her. She asks him to kill Claudio
9. How does Beatrice criticize all men? Why does she want to be a man?
Beatrice says all men are nothing but their words and she wants to be a man so she can get
revenge on Claudio.
10. What is the purpose of Dogberry’s “examination” of Borachio and Conrade? How does
Dogberry make himself ridiculous?
To see what criminal acts they had performed. He makes himself ridiculous by saying he
wished the Sexton would have written down that he was an ass.

ACT FIVE
1. Why can’t Leonato accept Antonio’s advice to be patient?
He is in pain and grieving
2. How does Leonato challenge and accuse Claudio?
He challenges him for a duel for wronging his innocent daughter.
3. How do Leonato and Antonio exchange modes/attitudes in this scene?
It starts with Leonato being rash and Antonio calm, then Leonato is calm and Antonio is
rash.
4. How do Pedro and Claudio make fun of Leonato after he leaves?
They say he is a crazy old man
5. What is Benedick’s challenge to Claudio? How is he polite but firm to Pedro?
He challenges him to a duel, and tells Don Pedro that Don John has fled.
6. Why don’t Pedro and Claudio seem to take Benedick seriously?
They are confused at first because he is not normally serious, but then realize that his
actions were because of his love for Beatrice.
7. What atonement must Claudio make to satisfy Leonato?
Telling the city that Hero was innocent and writing an epitaph.
8. What is Benedick attempting to compose for Beatrice? How does this make him a lover?
He attempts to write her a sonnet because of the Renaissance love poetry but isn’t good at
writing so Beatrice makes fun of him.
9. Why or how are Benedick and Beatrice “too wise to woo peaceably”?
They are both too independent.
10. What is the meaning and purpose of Hero’s epitaph?
It celebrates her innocence and Claudio grieves her death.
11. How and why are the ladies disguised at the wedding?
They are wearing veils so that Claudio doesn’t know which is Hero.
12. How do Benedick and Beatrice argue themselves into marriage?
They couldn’t deny their feelings any longer, and Hero and Claudio give them poems that
they wrote.
13. How has Benedick completely changed from the beginning of the play?
In the beginning, he was witty and a comedic character, but he changes when Beatrice is in
love with him.
14. What has become of John? What will Benedick do?
Don John has been arrested, and Benedick will put off thinking about it until after the
wedding.
15. How does this end like a classical comedy?
It ends happily and with a marriage.

EXPLAIN HOW THIS PLAY SHOWS / ILLUSTRATES THE FOLLOWING DEVICES AND
IDEAS ABOUT COMEDY:

HOW DOES THIS PLAY SHOW THE YOUNG PEOPLE FOOLING THE OLD?

HOW DOES THIS PLAY START IN CHAOS AND END IN PEACE?

WHAT ROLE DOES MARRIAGE PLAY IN MAKING PEACE AT THE END?

HOW DOES THIS PLAY USE A VILLAIN?

HOW DOES THIS PLAY USE COMIC-STYLE FIGURES, SUCH AS THE “VILLAGE
IDIOT” OR THE “BUMBLING POLICEMAN”?

WHAT PARTS OF THIS PLAY ARE BEST LABELED “COMEDY OF SITUATION” OR

“SITUATIONAL COMEDY” BECAUSE OF MISTAKES, PLOTS-WITHIN-PLOTS,