Claudio from Much Ado About Nothing Who The

Claudio from Much Ado About Nothing

Who? • The character of Claudio is a soldier who has just returned from war at the beginning of the play. • Like in most plays, he’s friends/acquaintances with all – or most – of the characters including the villain. He also has a lover called Hero. • A character to contrast him with would be Benedick is different to Claudio because of his independence, his humour – shown by him using puns and joke – and is witty. Perhaps the biggest difference is that Benedick swears to never fall in love – though Claudio is madly in love with the character of Hero.

Where? • This play is set in Messina – a port on the island of Sicily. To be more precise, Italy. • The action itself however all takes place on the character Leonato’s estate. • The monologue itself however takes place in the church said estate.

Why? • The reason for this monologue is because the previous night, Claudio thought he saw Hero having an affair with someone else. He is distraught at this, heartbroken, and decides to get revenge by shaming Hero in front of the whole cast of characters. • He accuses her of being a whore who looks pretty on the outside but who rots on the inside like an old orange. • It ties back to the monologue’s theme – heartbreak. Because of his sadness and confusion of emotion on the matter, Claudio shames Hero but still loves her.

Role? • Claudio’s role in this story is to be tricked three times, lied to, and then to shame his bride thanks to the trickery and lying. At the end however, he is able to see the error of his ways. The title of his role could be considered “The Young Lover. ” • Despite not being the protagonist of the play, he is a sort of catalyst who drives the play’s narrative. The wedding is a prime example – the villain tries to separate them, the monologue scene makes Beatrice and Benedick realise that they love each other, and it makes everyone realise that the villain – who was thought to have reformed at this point – is in fact still evil.

Monologue • The monologue, as I said before, links back to theme of heartbreak. Because Claudio was deceived into believing Hero had cheated on him, he is heartbroken but also disappointed that the woman he loves would do such a thing. • The monologue is him revealing to everyone what he thinks is true, not caring for any consequences afterwards.