Love

Perhaps the most obvious subject or theme in Much Ado About Nothing is love. However, Shakespeare presents love in different ways. There is Claudio's love for Hero: this is an immature view of romance, a type of puppy love. He does not know her and is falling in love with an idea of what she is like. Later, when he is suspicious of her, he instantly forgets he loved her and is full of hatred. At the end of the play he seems more settled. He has grown up a little and perhaps starts to understand that love is about more than just appearances. claudio holding hero, she's resting her head on his chest, they both look dreamy, the image title is 'love'.

Hero's view of love is also quite simple. She accepts what her father wants and is ready to marry Claudio without knowing him. Even the proposal to marry does not come directly from Claudio. In private, she might have more to say about love, but in public Hero stays silent a lot of the time. Claudio and Hero's views of love are very different to Beatrice and Benedick's. At the start, the latter both laugh at the idea of love and are determined not to marry. They constantly insult each other, yet are ready to believe the other one loves them. Gradually, though, they both start to show genuine concern and interest in each other.

When they do fall in love, they are ready for any sacrifice. Benedick deserts his best friends to protect the honour of Beatrice's cousin, for instance. However, even when they are ready to marry, they still poke fun at romance, and each other.

Leonato shows a different view of love - as a proud father to his daughter. He is keen on her marriage and wants the best for her. However, he is also very keen on Hero behaving in the correct way. When Claudio accuses Hero of being unfaithful, Leonato is more concerned about the dishonour. He even prefers Hero to die rather than to be 'dishonoured'.

Finally, there is another view of love: as something spiritual and between friends. This is shown with the love Beatrice shares with Hero and the friendships between Don Pedro, Benedick and Claudio. Each of these characters shows a close understanding of the other. They might make fun of one another and criticize each another's choices, but they respect and care for one another.