Examples Of Deception In Much Ado About Nothing

Throughout the play Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare, the theme of deception is apparent. Deception is the action of deceiving someone or someone being deceived. Deception has the ability to be used in both good manners and bad manners. While deception can be used in both fashions, deception with the intent to do good tends to have a higher success rate than mischievous deception. In Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare uses deception in ways that have good intent and ways that have malicious intent. It is visible throughout the play that deception with good intent tends to work in the end while malicious deception does not. The first example of deception is a failed attempt that has malicious intent from Don John. Don John attempts to trick Claudio into believing Don Pedro is wooing Hero for himself when the reality is that Don Pedro is …show more content…
Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato devise a plan to deceive Benedick into believing that Beatrice is in love with him. When Benedick is close enough to hear their conversation, these three men begin talking about how Beatrice is deeply in love with Benedick. Don Pedro asks Claudio and Leonato, “What was it you told me of today, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signior Benedick?” (2.3.95-7). Claudio tells Don Pedro that he did not believe that Beatrice would ever love a man. Leonato then responds, “No, nor I neither, but most wonderful that she should dote on Signior Benedick, whom she hath in all outward behaviors seemed ever to abhor” (2.3.101-4). Benedick hears this conversation and immediately believes that Beatrice is indeed in love with him. Benedick’s friends plot this scheme with the good intent to help their friend find love. This plan, utilizing deception for the benefit of Benedick, ends up working in the end because the deception created had intentions to help both Benedick and