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Scene 2
The bitter and wicked Don John has learned of the upcoming marriage of Claudio and Hero, and he wishes that he could find a way to prevent it. Don John’s servant Borachio devises a plan. Borachio is currently the lover of one of Hero’s serving women, Margaret. He suggests that Don John go to Claudio and Don Pedro and tell them that Hero is not a virgin but a whore, a woman who has willingly corrupted her own innocence before her marriage and at the same time chosen to be unfaithful to the man she loves. In order to prove this accusation, Don John will bring Don Pedro and Claudio below the window of Hero’s room on the night before the wedding, where they should hide and watch. On the balcony outside Hero’s room, Borachio will make love to Margaret—whom he will have convinced to dress up in Hero’s clothing. The watchers will then see a woman who resembles Hero making love with Borachio, and will thus believe Don John’s claim that Hero has been false to Claudio. Very pleased with the plan, Don John promises Borachio a large reward if he can pull it off and prevent the planned wedding.

Scene 3
Benedick hears Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato approaching, and he decides to hide among the trees in the arbor and eavesdrop. Don Pedro and Claudio, noticing him there, confer quietly with each other and decide it’s time to put their scheme into effect. They begin to talk loudly, pretending that they have just learned that Beatrice has fallen in love with Benedick. Benedick, hidden in the arbor, asks himself in shock whether this can possibly be true. But Don Pedro, Leonato, and Claudio embellish the story, talking about how passionately Beatrice adores Benedick, and how they are afraid that her passion will drive her insane or spur her to suicide. She dares not tell Benedick, they say, for fear that he would make fun of her for it—since everyone knows what his mocking personality would do. They all agree that Benedick would be a fool to turn her away, for he currently seems unworthy of so fine a woman as Beatrice.

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Dogberry and Verges

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Beatrice; Leonata's niece and Hero's cousin. She is quick witted, content never to marry and winds up as Benedick's love interest

Benedick; A bachelor soldier that has been fighting under Don Pedro. Claudio's friend that is adamant he will never marry.

Claudio; Soldier and friend of Benedick that falls in love with Hero. He is very trusting, somewhat naive and hasty with his decisions.

Hero; The beautiful young daughter of Leonato and the cousin of Beatrice. Hero is lovely, gentle, and kind. She falls in love with Claudio when he falls for her, but when Don John slanders her and Claudio rashly takes revenge, she suffers terribly.

Don Pedro - An important nobleman from Aragon, sometimes referred to as “Prince.” Don Pedro is a longtime friend of Leonato, Hero’s father, and is also close to the soldiers who have been fighting under him—the younger Benedick and the very young Claudio. Don Pedro is generous, courteous, intelligent, and loving to his friends, but he is also quick to believe evil of others and hasty to take revenge. He is the most politically and socially powerful character in the play.

Leonato - A respected, well-to-do, elderly noble at whose home, in Messina, Italy, the action is set. Leonato is the father of Hero and the uncle of Beatrice. As governor of Messina, he is second in social power only to Don Pedro.

Don John - The illegitimate brother of Don Pedro; sometimes called “the Bastard.” Don John is melancholy and sullen by nature, and he creates a dark scheme to ruin the happiness of Hero and Claudio. He is the villain of the play; his evil actions are motivated by his envy of his brother’s social authority.

Margaret - Hero’s serving woman, who unwittingly helps Borachio and Don John deceive Claudio into thinking that Hero is unfaithful. Unlike Ursula, Hero’s other lady-in-waiting, Margaret is lower class. Though she is honest, she does have some dealings with the villainous world of Don John: her lover is the mistrustful and easily bribed Borachio. Also unlike Ursula, Margaret loves to break decorum, especially with bawdy jokes and teases.

Borachio - An associate of Don John. Borachio is the lover of Margaret, Hero’s serving woman. He conspires with Don John to trick Claudio and Don Pedro into thinking that Hero is unfaithful to Claudio. His name means “drunkard” in Italian, which might serve as a subtle direction to the actor playing him.

Conrad - One of Don John’s more intimate associates, entirely devoted to Don John. Several recent productions have staged Conrad as Don John’s potential male lover, possibly to intensify Don John’s feelings of being a social outcast and therefore motivate his desire for revenge.

Dogberry - The constable in charge of the Watch, or chief policeman, of Messina. Dogberry is very sincere and takes his job seriously, but he has a habit of using exactly the wrong word to convey his meaning. Dogberry is one of the few “middling sort,” or middle-class characters, in the play, though his desire to speak formally and elaborately like the noblemen becomes an occasion for parody.

Verges - The deputy to Dogberry, chief policeman of Messina.

Antonio - Leonato’s elderly brother and Hero's uncle. He is Beatrice’s father.

Balthasar - A waiting man in Leonato’s household and a musician. Balthasar flirts with Margaret at the masked party and helps Leonato, Claudio, and Don Pedro trick Benedick into falling in love with Beatrice. Balthasar sings the song, “Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more” about accepting men’s infidelity as natural.

Ursula - One of Hero’s waiting women.

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Act 3 Scene 1

In Leonato’s garden, Hero, Ursula and Margaret (Hero’s personal attendant) hatch a plan to have Beatrice overhear them talking about Benedick’s love for her – just like Don Pedro did with Benedick.

Margaret lures Beatrice to the garden where she can overhear the conversation between Ursula and Hero. They profess that Benedick is in love with Beatrice and Hero’s states that Beatrice is ‘too full of mockery to listen to any man courting her’. Ursula disagrees, states that Benedick is one of the most eligible men in Italy and Beatrice is too intelligent to reject him.

Beatrice cannot believe what she has heard but swiftly realizes it should not be too hard “to take pity” on her suitor to be and fall in love with him.

Act 3 Scene 2

Elsewhere, Claudio, Don Pedro and Benedick are gathering the night before Claudio is to be wed. They all tease Benedick for not wanting to get married. Benedick is too subdued to respond to any of their jokes.

Don John then approaches the group and states that Hero has been unfaithful. Don John bids that Claudio and Don Pedro look upon Hero's window that night for proof of her whority.

Claudio agrees, and that if Hero has been unfaithful, he will publicly disgrace her at their wedding

Act 3 Scene 3

We meet Dogberry (the head constable) and Verges (deputy in command) head of -The Watch-. They take their jobs seriously but aren't very effective, Dogberry often gets his words mixed up. In short, they may do anything they want and don’t have to do anything at all, as long as they are careful not to let the townspeople steal their spears.

Conrad and Borachio enter the scene (Don John's associates), not noticing The Watchmen. They discuss Don John's plan to ruin the marriage of Hero and Claudio. Borachio made love to Margaret who was dressed in Hero's clothing. Claudio and Don Pedro witnessed the whole thing and now believe Hero to be unfaithful.

The watchmen, who have quietly listened to this whole secretive exchange, now reveal themselves and arrest Borachio and Conrade for “lechery,” by which they mean treachery. They haul them away to Dogberry and Verges for questioning.

Act 3 Scene 4

On the morning of her wedding to Claudio, Hero wakes up early and tells her servant Ursula to wake Beatrice. Meanwhile, Hero’s maid Margaret argues affectionately with Hero about what she ought to wear for her wedding. Hero is excited, but she is also uneasy she has a strange foreboding of disaster.

Beatrice arrives, and Margaret, in high spirits, teases her about her changed personality, saying that now Beatrice too desires a husband. Beatrice expresses annoyance, but Margaret is sure that she is right, and so she continues to tease Beatrice about Benedick—but subtly.

Claudio arrives with his friends, accompanied by the large wedding party, apparently ready to take Hero to the church. They all set off together.

Act 3 Scene 5
- The scene in Hero’s bedchamber, as Hero prepares for her wedding day, provides an example of some of Much Ado About Nothing’s strongest features: the scene combines nonstop jokes with a sense of affection. It means a great deal to Hero to have her cousin and her beloved maids with her on her wedding morning, even amid all the raunchy joking surrounding Hero’s impending marriage—for instance, Margaret’s statement that Hero’s heart will “be heavier soon by the weight of a man” (III.iv.23). Hero’s unexpected sense of foreboding sets off warning bells in the minds of the audience. Hero asks God to “give me joy to wear [my wedding dress], for my heart is exceeding heavy” (III.iv.21–22). There is no clear reason for her to feel this way, except perhaps that she must sadly bid her innocent childhood adieu; we interpret her heaviness of heart as a foreshadowing of something bad to come.

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- Dogberry prepares to interrogate prisoners.
- George Seacoal claims he heard men discussing Don Johns promise to riches if his plan worked.
- Sexton the informs Don John left + Hero has died.

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SUMMARY

Act 5 Scene 1

Leonato who is angry that Hero’s reputation has been challenged Claudio, this causes her death. Don Pedro maintains the view that the accusation against hero was true. The two elders leave them enraged.

Benedick arrives accuses Claudio of ruining Hero’s reputation and challenges him to a dual. He informs Don Pedro that he will no longer be a member of his company and that Don John has disappeared. Once he leaves the other characters are concerned for Benedicks behaviour.

Prisoners are brought in to face Leonato, Don Pedro demands to know what they have done wrong.  Borachio confesses to the plot to shame Hero outlining how they were deceived underneath Hero’s window.  Don Pedro and Claudio recoil in shock, realising that Hero – or so they think – lies dead because of their false accusation.

Leonato then confronts Borachio who confesses.  In turn, Leonato demands that Claudio and Don Pedro spread the news of Hero’s innocence across Messina.  Leonato demands that they appear at her tomb that evening.  Leonato then announces that he needs to find Margaret to ascertain whether she knew she was actively participating in a plot to tarnish Hero’s reputation.  Meanwhile, Claudio is ordered to Hero’s tomb to hang an epitaph.  He also agrees to marry Antonio’s daughter – even though he has never met her – the following day.

Act 5 Scene 2

Benedick can practice his song alone. Beatrice arrives and is concerned with the dual to which Benedick has challenged Claudio.  Benedick tries to turn the direction of the conversation away from the dual to the elements of his character that she first found attractive. Conversation gets playful. Ursula arrives to summon Beatrice to her uncle.  Ursula reveals Don John’s plot to Beatrice.

Act 5 Scene 3

Just before dawn, Claudio and Don Pedro mourn for Hero at Leonato’s family tomb.  Firstly, Claudio reads a verse that he has written aloud.  There then follows a song of mourning.  As dawn breaks, both characters leave to prepare for Claudio’s wedding to Antonio’s daughter.

Act Five, Scene Four

The Friar opens the plays final scene by reminding all of the characters that he never doubted Hero’s innocence. Leonato then forgives Claudio and Don Pedro and plans for the final deception.

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- Start of wedding, Friar asks for any reason for Claudio + Hero not to marry.
- Claudio confronts Hero about alleged infidelity. Refers to her a 'rotten orange' and 'common stale' i.e. a tramp.
- Hero denies but is overthrown by claimed witness testimony from Don Pedro + Claudio.
- Shamed, Leonato curses Hero + prays for her death.
- Beatrice, Benedick, Friar believe they are mistaken + Hero is innocent.
- Benedick assumes Don John as a part of the events.
- Hero will pretend to die in hopes Claudio will grieve for her
- Beatrice asks Benedick to kill Claudio as a confession as his love for her.

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-Don Pedro and his followers are returning from a victorious battle against Don John
- A messenger also told Leonato that Florentine has excelled in his military duties favoured by Don Pedro and Benedick of Padua
-Beatrice's bad comments about Benedick made it look she didn't like him. but  she actually likes Benedick
-Benedick and Beatrice traded insults
-Antonio tells Leonato, his brother, that Don Pedro is in Love with hero
-Don John felt depressed from losing to his brother, Don Pedro
-Don Pedro expresses his desire to poison the quests

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Act2 scene1
dance setting, most of the characters are masked throughout. The scene allows for a crucial encounters between the characters.
Beatrice has a bad attitude towards men and Antonio and Leonarto worn her about the future if she keeps up the bad attitude , Beatrice then attacts Benedick.
Antonio tells all the guest to wear masks at this point only two people are without masks don john and borachio. Don pedro dances with hero baltharer . Margret flirts with Antonio and Ursula.; Beatrice does not recognise benedick- who is wearing a mask.
Borachio identifies claudio(who has a mask) - don john decide to put his plan into operation.
Don john tells claudio that Don pedro has sworn his love for hero and desires her for himself.
Claudio has to deal with don pedros alleged betrayel.  Benedick  tries to joke with claudio about his loss.
Benedick  tells claudio feelings to don pedro.
Don pedro tries to court hero but for claudios benefit.
When claudio comes back - don pedro makes sure he knows what hes done
Attention turns to the question how to find beatrice a husband.
Don pedro suggests to unite beatrice and benedick. Leonarto, hero,claudio all agree to the idea and agree to help.
ACT2.
Don john is left