Much Ado About Nothing - "Game Of Love"

Much Ado About Nothing

The main love themes in the play, Much Ado About Nothing, can be considered as based on "The Game Of Love." Two themes in the plot are examples of this and they are: the situation where Don Pedro, Claudio and Leonardo are speaking loudly of a love possessed by Beatrice for Benedick, and overheard by Benedick (who had promised himself a life of bachelorhood) who consequently falls in deep love with Beatrice; and the situation where Don John (who gets a thrill from ruining the love between two people) plans the illusion of Hero acting in an unfaithful manner the night before her wedding.

Firstly, the "Game Of Love" is played out in Much Ado About Nothing in the theme of the trap to trick Benedick and Beatrice to fall in love with each other. The word "game" means something (with a plan) that is played out, sometimes with rules. This is what Leonardo, Claudio and Don Pedro are doing, creating a plan, to deceive both Benedick and Beatrice into believing that they are both in love with each other.

However, a turnabout in the 'game', or a "Plot Complication," is when Beatrice uses this love in the wrong way and says to Benedick "If you love me, kill Claudio" -(in Act IV, Scene 1: Line 280). This means that the plan almost boomeranged on one of the planners, Claudio.

"Character Development" in regards to the Beatrice and Benedick situation is that they were both originally sworn bachelors and they obviously disliked each other completely. Then, after the plan or 'game' is set to bring them together, they realise how much they love each other. Their characters developed further when they started plotting murder in the 'name of love'. When Benedick admits to Beatrice that he loves her, Beatrice (who already had a hint about his feelings), tells Benedick that he must kill Claudio, then she will love him forever.

The "Dramatic Techniques" in Much Ado About Nothing, is also shown when the mood builds when Benedick and Beatrice admit to their love at the same time as the destruction of Hero and Claudio's relationship. This changes the way the audience feels in that scene very suddenly. This change of mood also happened when in the chapel, Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio. The audience is left with the feeling of wondering whether he will or wont do such a bad thing to his best friend. Circumstances fortunately happen that Benedick doesn't have to kill Claudio and they marry anyway.

The "Game Of Love" is also played out in Much Ado About Nothing in the theme of "Betrayal" when Don John plans to sabotage the love between Hero and Claudio. He does this by getting one of his friends, Borachio and his wife, Margaret, Hero's attendant, to pretend