So today I'm talking about much ado about nothing.

So much ado about nothing was written in 1598 to 9 and first published in 1600.

I'm going to talk a little bit about that first quarter publication in 1600.

Then of course it's included in the folio in 1623.

As you almost certainly know, it's a romantic comedy with two pairs of lovers,

the rebarative and reluctant Beatrice and Benedict,

and the sopier, more conventional, hero and Claudio.

The play's villain, Don John, attempts to interrupt the courtship of Hero and Claudio and almost brings about disaster. His machinations, however, are foiled by some unlikely comedy

watchman to bring about the play's happy ending. And the question I want to use to focus the

discussion of the play today is,

why does everyone believe Don John?

So let me just start with some analysis of what Don John does in this play.

He enters in Act 1, Scene 1, where his stage direction is, uncompromisingly, John the bastard.

We'll come back to the bastard bit later. He's silent throughout that scene until he is welcomed

by Leonardo, to which he replies simply, I thank you, I'm not of many words, but I thank you.

Leonato suggests that I thank you. I'm not of many words, but I thank you.

Leonardo suggests that there has been bad blood between Don John and his legitimate brother, Don Pedro,

but that they are now reconciled.

Two scenes later, we see Don John in full villainous mode, alone with his companions, his kind of henchmen,

again defined by a kind of saturnine melancholy, claiming his sadness is without limit.

Don John interestingly commits himself to a radical policy of self-disclosure.

Very much in contrast to Shakespearean characters who say they are not what they are or they are not what they seem.

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