History YMMV / MuchAdoAboutNothing

** Another moment that's never included nowadays is when Benedick talks about how awful he would be to not requite Beatrice's love by saying "If I do not love her, I am Jew". Common practice is to replace "Jew" with "Fool" which gets across the point of the line without being offensive.

** There are more than a few lines that indicate that Beatrice and Benedick have a romantic history - one that ended badly long before Act I. Beatrice informs the Prince that once, Benedick loaned her his heart, and she gave him hers - but that he won her heart "with false dice." Joss Whedon explicitly starts his film with this idea.
** Is Claudio redeemable after his humiliation of Hero or not? While it is cruel and, as we the audience know, unfair, Claudio thought he'd witnessed his fiancée cheating on him the night before their wedding. Arguably Hero's father has no right to be angry with Claudio when Claudio was the one who was tricked. Still, he really should have talked privately to Hero before the wedding and brought up what he saw, instead of publicly shaming her and by extension her family. However, he was hurt and angry, so it's understandable that he handles it the wrong way. His friends should have insisted he talk to her privately before the wedding, but they mishandle a delicate situation badly, too. Further complicating the issue is that the scene where Claudio and Don Pedro are tricked into mistaking Margaret for Hero takes place offstage - though some productions show it - so we don't know if it was really a convincing trick or if Claudio and Don Pedro were fooled too easily.

** Don Pedro has also been subject to this: is he simply a benevolent match-maker with a mischievous streak, or a burgeoning ManipulativeBastard like his brother whose antics are given a free pass simply because they happen to end happily? Why exactly is he sad at the end of the play even when everything's sorted itself out? Is ''he'' in love with Beatrice (and is his subsequent reaction after she rejects him to pair her up with Benedick a case of IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy or does he think they genuinely will drive each other mad and is therefore a form of punishment)? Some productions have even gone so far as to hint to him being attracted to Claudio, explaining his sadness at the end of the play that Claudio and Hero are getting married after all. His relationship with Don Jon is also up for debate: depending on the production, the relationship can range from anything between Don Pedro actively trying to encourage Don Jon to join in as a show of peace between them (which would help to explain why he accepts the story about Hero so easily) to Don Pedro actively ''excluding'' Don Jon from the various celebrations and shenanigans, almost treating him like a dog on a leash after his defeat.

* AntiClimaxBoss: [[BastardBastard Don John]] is arrested offstage which is mentioned near the very end. Some productions will have him carried onstage with this announcement for an extra moment of tension, which helps. But at the end of the day, the BigBad's EvilPlan comes undone with him unable to see the results, just like how the audience doesn't get to see his downfall. Of course, this is somewhat appropriate for John, as he's really not that competent of a villain anyway, already being beaten by Pedro before the play begins and letting Borachio come up with the successful trick instead of him, with his prior attempt being undone in the same scene where it's introduced. Not to mentioned without either of his henchmen around, it was only a matter of time before his luck turned for the worst. Still, if the production's Don John manages to be a memorable bad guy, then his offscreen loss can be considered anti climactic.
* BaseBreakingCharacter: Claudio for his actions during the wedding. It’s universally agreed on that he handled the situation in an extremely poor fashion, but does his grief earn him sympathy or not? Going along with that, some think he redeems himself at the end when he tries to make things right after realizing his mistake. Others think his quickness to accuse her publicly and in such a vicious manner (which was his own idea, not Don John's) means he doesn’t deserve his happy ending even if his later intents where genuinely noble. This has led to versions where Hero forgives him, but doesn't accept his hand in marriage. A combination of how much his regret is played up, whether or not the audience gets to see how he falls for Don John and Borachio's trick, and how his later confrontational dialogue against Benedick is handled and/or edited can go a long way to how audiences will or will not forgive him.

* HilariousInHindsight: When Benedick is trying to write a sonnet for Beatrice, he bemoans the fact that "lady" only rhymes with "baby" - "an innocent rhyme." Cut to modern day, where calling a woman "baby" has significantly different connotations.

** Wresling/RingOfHonor fans will find it difficult not to laugh at the fact that the main couple shares their names with the Kings Of Wrestling, Wrestling/ClaudioCastagnoli and Wrestling/ChrisHero

** After Claudio's TheReasonYouSuckSpeech to Hero, Leonato's immediate treatment of his daughter [[KickTheDog isn't all that much better]]. But like Claudio, it's clearly inspired by grief as well as anger, believing the child he loves to have been corrupted and ruined, not to mention the great harm that's been done upon his entire family's name.

* MoralEventHorizon: Arguably, the way Claudio chooses to call out Hero for her "infidelity." He did so loudly, in no uncertain terms, and in a public place. By the standards of the day, Hero's reputation would have been ruined forever, as would be her family's, and a pall of doubt would have been cast over anyone connected to her. Her virtue impugned, she never would have been able to marry; Hero likely would have been forced into a nunnery by her family. No matter how naive he might seem, there's no way Claudio didn't know this when he called her out.

** If anything this was Don John's and Boraccio's crossing since they were the ones who planned to frame Hero for this disgraceful act and ruin her life.

** Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leanato playing a trick on Benedick so that he'll accept Beatrice's [[AllLoveIsUnrequited "Unrequited Love"]] right after he bragged about never falling for a woman.

** Leonato's immediate treatment of Hero after Claudio disparages her doesn't exactly reflect well on him either. At first he tries to stick up for her, but once the supposed infidelity has been made clear, he sides with his daughters' accusers and gives her a huge TheReasonYouSuckSpeech, after she just endured plenty of similar verbal abuse from her fiancé. Even worse in some versions [[AbusiveParents where he actually strikes her]]. And while Claudio gets called out for his abhorrent behavior several times afterwards, [[EasilyForgiven Leanoto does not]]. And unlike Claudio, he didn't even see the fake cheating, he's just convinced by the words of other men before even checking to hear his own flesh and blood's side of the story. To his credit, it's only when Don Pedro speaks about seeing Hero's crime himself that he turns against her, and Pedro's word as both a trusted friend and the prince ruling over his lands ''should'' carry weight. [[DisproportionateRetribution But enough weight to wish death upon your kin]]? The fact that [[{{Hypocrite}} he takes the moral high ground on Claudio and Pedro when he reacted just as badly]] as the former and worse than the latter also may not sit right with some viewers. Granted, unlike Claudio he's reacting to all this drama right as he finds out with no time to actually process all the info, and everything he hears first sounds like it's Hero's fault and that she's effectively ruined her own life as well as their family's reputation. Given the circumstances as they happened, it makes sense that he reacted poorly, and once he manages to think things through he does try to help make matters right. Still, audiences members can be forgiven for still holding his [[{{Hypocrite}} Hypocritical]] {{Jerkass}} behavior against him.

** An example that's always cut. Claudio - who is currently redeeming himself mind you - says that he's take his "new bride" even if she were an ethiope. Yes, he bragged about how he's so committed to marrying this woman, he'd still do it if she were black. Creator/JossWhedon's version was one of the rare uses of this line, and even then, it's played as CringeComedy.
** Another moment that's never included nowadays is when Benedick says talks about how awful he would be to not requite Beatrice's love by saying "If I do not love her, I am Jew". Common practice is to replace "Jew" with "Fool" which gets across the point of the line without being offensive.

** This one really depends on the way the role of Claudio is performed- in the vanilla script he seems to be more mistaken and impulsive than malicious.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Some of Dogberry's [[{{Malaproper}} Malapropisms]] will go over the heads of modern audiences members, particularly those not used to the language. Thankfully this hasn't aged the role too much since he has plenty of other moments to gain laughs.

** Another moment that's never included nowadays is when Benedick says talks about how awful he would be to not requite Beatrice's love by saying "If I do not love her, I am Jew". Common practice is to replace "Jew" with "Fool" which gets across the point of e line without being offensive.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** Some viewers think Claudio doesn't deserve to get back together with Hero after his awful treatment of her. Because of this, there are a few productions where she forgives him, but they don't get back together. Even versions that don't go that far though will try to stress just how guilty Claudio feels, and it's pretty common that they'll show Hero [[AttendingYourOwnFuneral Attending Her Own Funeral]] so she herself can see this attitude firsthand before agreeing to wed him.
** The way Claudio and Pedro get tricked into believing Hero cheated on the former has been criticized as an Idiot Plot. Some productions will try to rectify this a bit with clever staging so we can see them reacting the trick. Depending on how well this is done, the moment may be considered redeemed.

** Whatever excuses he has, there's still no denying that [[KickTheDog Claudio's treatment of Hero at their wedding]] is absolutely abhorrent. Still, even as he ruthlessly rails into her for a crime she didn't admit, it's clear that he's heartbroken, both for what he believes she did, and for what he's doing to her. And regardless of how deserving it is, getting challenged to a duel by your best friend is certainly not enviable. Not to mention, after he's been lead to believe she's dead only to discover her innocence, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Claudio is completely overcome with guilt]] and willing to do anything he can [[TheAtoner to make things right]].

** The way Claudio and Pedro get tricked into believing Hero cheated on the former has been criticized as an IdiotPlot. Some productions will try to rectify this a bit with clever staging so we can see them reacting the trick. Depending on how well this is done, the moment may be considered redeemed.

* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:

* IdiotPlot:
** Claudio and Don Pedro already know that John is not a nice guy. And as if that weren't enough, Claudio gets taken in by John's claim that Pedro courted Hero before being disabused of the idea. So, Claudio and Pedro ''know'' that John is trying to spread rumors to break Claudio and Hero up - why do they fall for the plot ''again''?
*** The only truly decent justification is that the trick John and Borachio set up is very convincing. Some productions such as the Creator/DavidTennant and Creator/CatherineTate version will stage the scene of Borachio having sex with Margaret disguised as Hero and the three men reacting to it that is left to happen offstage in the text. While it won't make Claudio and Pedro's logic perfect, this concept, especially if looks convincing can greatly aide the story.
** And of course, the only reason John is in a position to cause trouble in the first place is because Pedro ''brings him and his cronies along on the vacation''--despite the fact they were ''rebelling'' against Pedro '''just before the play started.''' Brotherly love sure can affect the mind rather poorly.

** In the SettingUpdate ''WebVideo/NothingMuchToDo'', John explains after the scheme takes place that [[spoiler:he purely resented Pedro thanks to being AlwaysSomeoneBetter, and he'd intended for Cora to immediately reveal the truth after Claudio's accusation, making Pedro look bad. He deeply regrets that Hero was the one who ended up getting hurt, which allows him to redeem himself just as much as Claudio.]]

* WhyWouldAnyoneTakeHimBack: Huh, Hero? This decision is without a doubt the biggest criticism you'll about the otherwise hugely acclaimed classic.

* BaseBreakingCharacter: Claudio for his actions during the wedding. It’s universally agreed on that he handled the situation in an extremely poor fashion, but does his grief earn him sympathy or not? Going along with that, some think he redeems himself at the end when he tries to make things right after realizing his mistake. Others think his quickness to accuse her publicly and in such a vicious manner means he doesn’t deserve his happy ending even if his later intents where genuinely noble. This has led to versions where Hero forgives him, but doesn't accept his hand in marriage. A combination of how much his regret is played up, whether or not the audience gets to see how he falls for Don John and Borachio's trick, and how his later confrontational dialogue against Benedick is handled and/or edited can go a long way to how audiences will or will not forgive him.

** Hero is ''delighted'' to eventually get married to the {{Jerkass}} who accused her of being a whore on her wedding day. While she was ''at the altar''. In fact, in the BBC's recent {{setting update}} of the play in ''Shakespeare Retold'' (starring Creator/BilliePiper as Hero), she actually ''doesn't'' take him back. Same in the recent vlog adaptation, Nothing Much to Do, where Hero forgives him but also doesn't take him back.