Post 3: After reading the whole play.

Well, I have finally finished reading the play. One of the most important themes in it is marriage, which is central in the plot. Hero and Claudio are quick to fall in love and marry, whereas Beatrice and Benedick scoff at the idea. But they are prepared to reconsider their position, as Benedick says:

I have railed so long against marriage: but doth not the appetite alter? […] No, the world must be peopled. When I said I would die a bachelor, I did not think I should live till I were married.

Another important theme is subterfuge, the use of lies and tricks as a means to an end. Don Pedro wooing Hero in the name of Claudio and the convoluted plan to pair Beatrice off with Benedick are examples of deceit used as a force for good. On the other hand, the slander against Hero which severely damaged her reputation is the villains's main crime in the play, as Dogberry repeatedly states:

DOGBERRY: Marry, sir, they have committed false report, moreover they have spoken untruths, secondarily, they are slanders, sixth and lastly, they have belied a lady, thirdly they have verified unjust things, and to conclude, they are lying knaves.

Finally, the importance of honour, which for a woman was based upon her chastity, is also significant in the play. It was the accusations of immoral behaviour that almost killed Hero, and brought shame on her family. Claudio publicly humiliates her by saying:

You seem to me as Dian in her orb,
As chaste as is the bud ere it be blown:
But you are more intemperate in your blood,
Than Venus, or those pampered animals,
That rage in savage sensuality.

Hero fainting at the church, Engraving, 1798

Regarding the title of the play, I feel is quite apt. The characters make a big fuss about very little. If it weren´t for the impulsiveness and gullibility of certain characters, the villains’ plans would not have been successful.

I found it surprising how cruel Claudio could be, and how he went to great lengths to hurt Hero after learning about her alleged libertine behaviour. It made me think how easily love can end up becoming hate, and how slander and rumour can injure someone's reputation. We need to understand how serious an accusation of unchastity was in those times.

If I could ask Shakespeare a question, it would be a simple one: Who are you? There has been heated debated about the real identity of the playwright, and it would be a relief to have the matter finally settled.