"How much better is it to weep at joy than to joy at weeping?"
In Shakespeare's plays, the road to love is never smooth or straightforward. Much Ado About Nothing is no exception to this rule. Claudio has fallen in love with Leonato's daughter, Hero, but Don John is determined to disgrace Hero and break up the match before their wedding can take place. Then there are Beatrice and Benedick, who quarrel like better enemies, but who, with a little secret maneuvering by their friends, finally fall in love. It takes five acts of mistaken identity, misunderstanding, and mischief before all is set right, but it ends happily ever after.
I thought this was one of Shakespeare's easier plays to read. It certainly didn't bog down any where. And talk about a perfect title! There is much ado about nothing in this play. Beatrice and Benedick trade barbed jests throughout the play; Don John's plot against Hero and Claudio, while effective at first, is resolved relatively quickly and easily; and no one dies! (Sorry if that's a spoiler.)
While this will never be my favorite Shakespearean play, I did enjoy it, and I'd definitely like to see it performed onstage someday.
"I will live in thy heart, die in they lap, and be buried in they eyes..."
