Much Ado About Nothing

The play “Much Ado About Nothing” is one of William Shakespeare’s mature comedies. It is a light-hearted story that captures the imagination of its audience through the use of language, particularly that of wit. It concerns itself most importantly with the notion of love and relationships, especially marriage in Elizabethan society. There are many other social and personal conflicts between the various characters that will be discussed, including the view of illegitimacy during those times, the patriarchal society, as well as the personal faults of certain characters that play a part in the misunderstandings and confusion of circumstances in the play. Rather than resolving these conflicts with the ending, they are rather forgotten about and put aside, only to presumably resurface at a later stage. The play tries to end by tying up the loose ends of the various plots and give the false impression of the characters living ‘happily ever after’. It is for this reason that Much Ad...