Leonato: "You must not, sir, mistake my niece. There is a kind of merry war betwixt Signior Benedick and her; they never meet but there's a skirmish of wit between them."
A forerunner to the
Romantic Comedy genre by
William Shakespeare,
Much Ado About Nothing's plot centers on two couples: Hero and Claudio, whom the villain Don John spends the play trying to drive apart, and Beatrice and Benedick, whom most of the other characters spend the play trying to bring together.
The most well-known adaptation is probably the 1993 film featuring
Kenneth Brannagh and
Emma Thompson as Benedick and Beatrice.
Benedick is the source of the word "benedict," for a man who marries after a long bachelorhood.
Tropes from the original play:
- Berserk Button: Dogberry reacts this way to being called an ass.
- Beta Couple: Beatrice and Benedick role-wise; Hero and Claudio in terms of stage time.
- Card Carrying Villain: Don John decides to break up Claudio and Hero because, to paraphrase his own words, "I'm a bad guy, so I'm going to be bad."
- Counter Zany
- Designated Villain: Don John again.
- Disorganized Outline Speech: Dogberry, in that trope's page quote.
- The Dragon: Borachio, whose antics with Hero's lady-in-waiting give credence to Don John's claims of Hero's infidelity.
- Due To The Dead
- Easily Forgiven: Claudio, thanks to Values Dissonance.
- Exactly What It Says On The Tin: Well, sort of.
- Get Thee To A Nunnery: The title itself has an obsoleted Double Entendre, "nothing" being a sixteenth-century euphemism for "lady parts". And "noting" being a sixteenth-century euphemism for "doing the deed". So it's "much ado about noting" as well...
- Hurricane Of Puns: in scenes with Beatrice and Benedick.
- Idiot Ball: Claudio
- Malaproper: Dogberry
- Masquerade Ball: In which Don Pedro pretends to be Claudio and courts Hero.
- Meaningful Funeral: The memorial service (of sorts) given by Claudio and Don Pedro.
- Mistaken For Cheating: Claudio thinks Hero is cheating, thanks to Don John's plots.
- My Girl Is Not A Slut: Claudio to Hero.
- Poor Communication Kills: Okay, it doesn't really, but we need to guilt trip Claudio, so play along, 'kay?
- Shut Up Kiss: Benedick to Beatrice
- Slap Slap Kiss: Beatrice and Benedick (possibly the ur-example)
- Speak Now Or Forever Hold Your Peace
- This Is SPARTA: "YOU ARE AN ASS!"
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Benedick and Beatrice. "There's a double meaning in that!"
- What The Hell Hero: Literally, as the one being called out is actually named Hero.
- Don Pedro and Claudio in the wedding scene. "Over hasty" doesn't cover it.
- Not to mention immediately after they are told that Hero has died.
- Why Would Anyone Take Him Back? Huh, Hero?
- Zany Scheme: The plan to convince Beatrice and Benedick that they're in love certainly qualifies; arguably, having Don Pedro court Hero for Claudio does as well.
- And faking Hero's death, just because... just because.
Tropes from the 1993 Adaptation:
