Much Ado About Nothing

Set in sunny Messina, this comedy pairs two very different courtships. The young soldier Claudio falls for gentle Hero, but the spite of Don John, the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro, nearly wrecks the match with a cruel deception staged on the eve of their wedding. Running alongside is the far livelier romance of Beatrice and Benedick, two sharp-tongued sceptics who trade insults with such energy that their friends conspire to trick them into love. Shakespeare balances wit and near-tragedy with remarkable ease, and the verbal sparring between his reluctant lovers remains some of the funniest writing on the English stage. The bungling constable Dogberry supplies plenty of extra mischief. Enjoy this enduring comedy free as a PDF and EPUB edition.