Deception Deception in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is of two sorts. Firstly, there is “right” deception that leads to marriage and the end of deceit and “wrong” deception that breeds conflict and distrust. Right deception, that of Benedick and Beatrice are self-deceptive in their pretense that each is the last person the other would marry. Wrong deception, that of Claudio by Don John and Borachio succeeds because Claudio is deceptively suspicious and faithless. Through Claudio, Shakespeare displays the power malice acquires when it appears respectable. Danger to social harmony comes so obviously from the character, who conceals his suspicious nature behind a mask of virtue and fidelity. Deception depends on deception, and the double deceptions, reinforced by doubly significant images of eating, noting, fishing, and hunting, unify the play. Long celebrated and criticized, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ is one of Shakespeare’s most popular comedies. Both the d...
Smile A Little More, Regret A Little Less