Act III Scene II Consider the dramatic significance of this episode in the play

As an auditory sense, we can foresee the dark turn of events which forget be marked by the appearance of dress lav in the latter part of this guessing. Having earlier witnessed the deceitful and calumnious plot conjured up between he and Borachio during their discussion, implementation of the plan expects imminent. And in so far the descent from the comedy of benedict trying to pass off his love-sickness as toothache to the threatened tragedy of supporters slander is perhaps far more rapid than we might have anticipated.The earlier jovial mockery of Benedick by move into Pedro, Leonato and Claudio provides a striking contrast with the underlying acrimony of the deliberately ambiguous and disparaging remarks from Don John. Yet such equivocalness seduces Claudio and Don Pedro in a remarkably similar way to the dual meanings and innuendo which deceived Benedick earlier on. Don John demonstrates an ability to manage his language in a successful bid to influence and manoeu ver the weaknesses of his audience that is, Claudio and Don Pedro. He has a shrewd understanding of the greet and his insinuations ab start Hero play upon the tensions inwardly it relating to honour and status.Don John opens with a customary courteous greeting before baiting both men with his declaration that he has something of interest to reveal concerning them both If your vacuous served, I would speak with you / as yet Count Claudio may hear for what I would speak of concerns him. I know non that, when he knows what I know.With their rareness secured, Don Pedro conveys a rather convoluted proclamation of regret and sorrow for the bad news he is about to impart, You may think I love you not let that appear hereafter and when combined with his duplicitous self-deprecation, we observe further his dexterity as their sympathy and trust is won.As he continues with his tacit allegations, Don John uses a loose and sh bickeringwy disparagement disloyal which would imply a certai n reluctance to accuse Hero, yet his following remark The word is too good to paint out her wickedness incites the other men to affix their own condemnation of her. A striking irony here ensures the audiences perception of this as a further ruse whilst for the seemingly nave and gullible Claudio and Don John, it makes the hurried offer of neighboring(a) visual evidence irresistible Go but with me tonight, you shall see her chamber-window entered, a crude vaginal symbol is used to further offend the impertinently enamoured Claudio, who in his youthful inexperience has believed in his betrotheds virginity.Their melodramatic exclamations in answer to this, 1 after another, serve to indicate ironically how they, who tricked Benedick, have been no less suddenly transformed. Claudio asks rhetorically May this be so? and vows if it is, should not marry her tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there I will shame her. The marked use of sibilants serves to emphasise his fury , suggesting suspicion and fear to be the other side of Claudios idealisation and the aggressive denunciation may educate from a personal insecurity urging him to make such a pledge.In Messina sexual relations are complicated by conventions and illusions, Claudio has already tried and found Hero guilty before even witnessing the evidence. such(prenominal) a rash conviction is reminiscent of his earlier behaviour during the wrapped ball in Act II Scene I which gave us foresight of Claudios impulsive and fickle characteristics, a man so intimately influenced by the hearsay from Don John and his own irrationality and mistrust in women. Though it is easy to criticise and condemn Claudio for such tenuous judgements, one must not disregard Messinaa patriarchal society and the sense of high quality to women which regulated masculine loyalties.Such loyalty is evident in Don Pedro, who when informed of Heros alleged infidelity, endorses Claudios vengeance by offering to join with thee to rase her. Such is Don Pedros influence and arrogance that Claudio offers to accompany his departure from Messina on the wedding day. We must now question Don Pedros willingness to join Claudios slandering of Hero which not only seems cowardly but most absurd having himself been the accused by the same source of indictment his rebel brother, the bastard Don John.Whilst for an audience of the twenty-first century this continued credulous behaviour might seem somewhat contrived, we must consider that Don John, a melodramatically sketched, stereotypical scoundrel, serves a thematic and narrative function. His role is principally to expose the flaws within others, namely his brother Don Pedro and Claudio and highlight the shared immorality in his companions Conrade and Borachio as well as present themes of slander, noting, jealousy, honour, illusion and reality. Since the major knottiness of the play arises from Claudios denunciation of Hero on the basis of Don Johns trickery, and in fact therefore nothing at all, the use of such a villain as a dramatic device is crucial.Whilst only a skeleton episode in the play the significance of the latter part of this scene is paramount to future events. The timing of the episode is most significant as Shakespeare distinguishes misunderstanding and misreport from deliberate and malicious deceit. We prepare ourselves for a potentially tragic consequence yet with the benefit of dramatic irony, remain optimistic that as the title suggests, this will again prove to be much ado about nothing.