Discuss the extent to which the title of the play Much Ado About Nothing is of dramatic significance.
Before reading any drama it is especially important to take its title into consideration. Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing is one the dramas which title help to tell the story before it is actually read. Thus, his title is of great dramatic significance as it links to the wider context of the play, introduces a major complication within the play and aids with the climax of the play.
As our eyes browse the plays cover and read the title we can already conclude that in this drama there is going to be a fuss over a trivial matter. This is indeed proven because the play’s main plot revolves around Claudio denying Hero his hand in marriage due to a wicked untruth by the jealous bastard Don John. This issue further creates more trouble when Beatrice commands her new love Benedick to kill Claudio, all because of the root nothing.
However, looking deeper into the history surrounding the title of the play it is said that nothing in Shakespeare’s day referred to the female genitilia. That definitely makes a lot of sense as Claudio is tricked by Don Pedro into believing that Hero had slept with Barachio on the balcony. Therefore the entire essence and climatic points in the play would not have existed without the deception of Don John over Hero’s “genitilia”.
In further research I gathered that “nothing” in Shakespeare’s day was actually pronounced “noting”. This suggests eavesdropping. Eavesdropping led to a major climax in the play, as well as false hope. Due to eavesdropping Hero more so Leonato was given the false hope that the prince Don Pedro wanted to marry his daughter this was not such a big deal to Hero as it resulted in her being offered marriage by her love Claudio. A possible lead seems apparent when two watchmen overhear Barachio and Conrade speaking about Don John’s scheme to set up Hero. This causes a major climax because the reader begins to get...