Much Ado About Nothing Outline Essay, Research Paper
English Honors Nine
Period 6
August 24, 1999
Much Ado About Nothing
I. Act I
A. Scene 1
1. A messenger comes to Leonato and tells him Don Pedro is coming
2. Don Pedro defeated Don John’s rebellion
3. Don Pedro arrives in Messina with 3 others
a. Don John-now reconciled with Don Pedro
b. Claudio
c. Benedict
4. All the men come to the governor of Messina
5. Beatrice and Benedict insult each other
6. Claudio tells Benedict how he feels about Hero
7. Don Pedro says he will woo Hero for Claudio
B. Scene II
1. Leonato hears that Don Pedro is going woo Hero for himself (which is not true)
2. Leonato tells Hero what is going to happen
C. Scene III
1. Don John is told be Conrade about the deal that Don Pedro and Claudio have made
2. Don John and his associates decide to thwart the plan to get back Claudio and Don Pedro.
II. Act II
A. Scene I
1. Beatrice describes her perfect husband and her uncle is amazed at how observant she is
2. Hero is guarded by her uncle Antonio so she won’t be influenced by her father Leonato
3. All the men put on their masks
4. Antonio’s mask fools no on and is commented on by Ursula
5. Beatrice is apparently tricked by Benedicts mask and talks about him in a derogatory fashion
6. Benedict is obviously surprised at her speech and comments that he will tell Benedict what she has said
7. Don John and Borachio, who are not wearing their masks, go to Claudio.
a. Don John and Borachio convince Claudio that they have been tricked by his mask into thinking he is Benedict
b. They tell Claudio the Don Pedro is planning to marry Hero himself and that he lied to Claudio and he believes them
8. Benedict jokes on how the Prince has Hero but Claudio believes him to be truthful
9. Don Pedro says that he wooed in Claudio’s favor
10. Don Pedro speaks of Beatrice’s words about Benedict
11. Beatrice appears and interrupts Don Pedro
12. Benedict insults Beatrice and makes a hasty exit
13. Don Pedro tells Claudio that Hero will marry him and leaves Claudio speechless
14. Beatrice speaks to Hero and Claudio with many witty remarks and them exits
15. Don Pedro hatches a plan to bring Beatrice and Benedict together in marriage
B. Scene II
1. Don John plans to try to break up Claudio and Hero again
2. Borachio has a plan to break up Claudio and Hero
a. Borachio plans to use Margaret to deceive Don John and Claudio into thinking Hero is unfaithful
b. Borachio is promised a thousand ducats if the plan works
C. Scene III
1. Benedict thinks about Claudio’s upcoming marriage and remembers when Claudio would have thought it outrageous himself
2. Don Pedro and Leonato enter and Benedict hides
3. Balthasar is asked to sing a love song
4. Benedict is tricked into overhearing a conversation that is supposed to make him fall in love with Beatrice
a. The three men claim that Beatrice is madly in love with Benedict
b. They leave Benedict completely convinced that Beatrice is in love with him
5. To complete the ruse Beatrice is sent to call Benedict to dinner
6. Benedict thinks that everything she said was a affirmation of love
III. Act III
A. Scene I
1. Margaret lures Beatrice into the orchard
2. Beatrice overhears Hero and Ursula’s staged conversion
a. They speak of how much Benedict loves Beatrice and how he doesn’t want to say anything because he is afraid of ridicule
3. Beatrice is convinced that Benedict is madly in love with her and she claims she will willingly take his hand
B. Scene II
1. Don John and Claudio joke with Benedict because they know he is in love
2. Don Pedro and Claudio keep making fun of Benedict to get all the pleasure out of his silent suffering
3. Benedict and Leonato draw aside
4. Don John comes and tells Don Pedro and Claudio that Hero is disloyal and that he can prove this because she will have an
C. Scene III
1. Dogberry and Verges instruct the watch to not do anything when they are met with resistance
2. The watch then spies on Borachio and Conrade while Borachio outlines how he and Don John have deceived Don Pedro and Claudio
3. The watch arrest both Conrade and Borachio
D. Scene IV
1. On Hero’s wedding day Margaret prepares her for the ceremony
2. They start talking about sex
3. Beatrice comes and tries to continue with the conversation but grows tired of it
4. Ursula enters and tells them to go to the church
E. Scene V
1. Dogberry and Verges tell Leonato of Conrade and Borachio’s arrest
2. In his haste to prepare for his daughters wedding he ignores the arrest
3. Leonato leaves for the wedding
4. Dogberry and Verges leave for the jail to interrogate their prisoners
IV. Act IV
A. Scene I
1. At the wedding ceremony Claudio denounces Hero
2. Leonato is at first bewildered then he too is convinced that she was unfaithful
3. Hero faints and is taken for dead
4. The Friar believes that Hero is innocent and he thinks that there is indeed foul villains
5. The Friar also says to let it be known that Hero is dead when she really is alive
6. Benedict is asked by Beatrice to challenge then kill Claudio
a. Both have to claim that Hero is dead
B. Scene II
1. During Borachio and Conrade’s trial before the Sexton the are charged guilty of raising doubt on Hero’s name
2. They are ordered to Leonato’s house
V. Act V
A. Scene I
1. Leonato is troubled by the scandal which has befallen his daughters name and not even his brother can comfort him
2. When Claudio and Don Pedro enter it causes Leonato much anger
3. Antonio challenges the two of them
4. Claudio and Don Pedro again state their accusations
5. The two older men withdraw
6. Benedict enters and challenges Claudio
7. As Benedict withdraws he promises to leave their company
8. Dogberry, Verges, and the watch bring Conrade and Borachio
9. Borachio openly confesses that what he did and that it is his fault that Hero is dead
10. Don Pedro is shocked
11. As the Friar had said Claudio deeply regrets his actions
12. Leonato reenters and thanks Claudio and Don John for Hero’s death while completely ignoring Borachio
13. Leonato orders Claudio to hang an epitaph on Hero’s tomb and sing to her that night
14. Leonato then orders Claudio to marry Hero’s supposedly identical cousin
15. Leonato then decides to apprehend Margaret but is stooped by Borachio who says she is innocent
16. Dogberry leaves the prisoners to Leonato but not after telling him of being called “an ass”
B. Scene II
1. Benedict is having a fairly colorful conversation with Margaret before Beatrice enters
2. Benedict and Beatrice both now in love throw witty comments at each other
3. Ursula interrupts them with the news that Don John is the villain who tarnished Hero’s name
4. They all leave for Leonato’s home
C. Scene III
1. Claudio and Don Pedro pay their respects to Hero at her supposed tomb
2. Claudio reads the epitaph he wrote and sings in her honor
3. Claudio vows to right his wrong
D. Scene IV
1. Leonato tells all the women including his daughter to leave and return masked when they are summoned
2. Antonio will act as the father and give Claudio the masked Hero’s hand
3. Benedict asks for Beatrice in marriage and is granted by Antonio
4. Claudio and Don Pedro enter while making fun of Benedict
5. Antonio brings out two masked women
6. Claudio does not know that he is marrying hero until they are before the Friar
7. Beatrice is unmasked and she and Benedict figure out the plan to bring them together but they do not mind the plot
8. Beatrice and Benedict kiss and get engaged
9. News of Don John’s apprehension reaches all but Benedict decides to take care of it the next day
10. Everybody starts dancing
343