Act 1 Scene 1
The story takes place in the Italian town of Messina, where a messenger comes and tells leonato , hero, Beatrice and others about the war. And that it was over and successful even though some men died.where the wealthy and kind Leonato welcomes home Don Pedro of Aragon and his friends into his home. In Act 1 scence 2 Leonato is accompanied with his daughter Hero and her cousin Beatrice. Mean while Beatrice asks about Benedick who she clevvery mocked and insults. Also accompaning Don Pedro is his illcit brother Don John “the Bastard”. Don Pedro goes on to annouce To Claudio and Don John that Leonato has invitd them all to stay with him for a month and that he has accepted the offer to stay. Cludio then express his feeling about hero to Bendick, telling benedick that he is in love with her. Benedick trys his best to overthrow Claudio’s love for hero but Don Pedro returns and after being told of Claudio’s for love for Hero by Benedick takes Cluadio aside and Propose a trick. The trick was : at the custume ball, Don Pedro will disguise himself as Claudio and declare his love to Hero. He will then tlak to Leonato (her father) which would permit claudio to win Hero.In this scene Leonato’s older brother Antonio. He says that a servant overheard Don Pedro talking with Cludio outside and Don Pedro was professing his love for hero and he wants to tell her the night of the cutume ball and then he would ask Leonato for her hand in marriage. Antonio obviously heard the truth slightly wrong because it is claudio and not Don Pedro who loves hero.Leonato does not consider the rumour to be true until his daughter is actually “courted”. But he desides to tell Hero so she can have her mind prepared so she can have a response for Don Pedro if the information he recieves is true. Don John is somewhere else in the house conversing with his servant Conrad. When Conrad ask him why he is so angry. Don Pedro pleas that he is naturally depressed and sad. Conrad moves on to remind Don John that Don pedro has only recently started to be nice to him again and if Don John wants that relationship to continue in that manner , he should show a more cheerful face. Because he is depending on his more successful and highly ranked brother economically and socially. Borachio, who is another servant of Don john enters and tells Don John what he has overheard of the upcoming marriage of Claudio and Hero. Don John who hates claudio for being so well loved and respected decides to use the news he has heard to cause trouble on Claudio with the help of Conrad and Borachio.
Act 2 Scene 1
Hero, Beatrie, Leonato and Antonio wait for the evening’s masked ball to begin wile hero and Beatrice discuss their idea of the ideal man. This conversation leads into another conversation about wheather or not Beatrice will ever get a husband. The party begins and everyone was well dressed with their masks and now the women cannot see which man in under which mask. Don Pedro dances with Hero and begins to flirt with her. Benedick dances with Beatrice, who does not recognize him but insults Benedick throughout the whole dance to her partner.Don John who notices Don Pedro courting Hero approaches Claudio and trys to make him jealous by making him think that Don Pedro has decided to win over Hero for himself instead of for Claudio as he had promised. Claudio believes Don John and rushes out. But when Don Pedro comes along with Hero and Leonato, Benedick learns that Don Pedro has been true to his word after all. Meanwhile Benedick remains bitter about the insulting things Beatrice said about him during the dance. So when Beatrice approaches with Claudio, he begs Don pedro to send him on an task rather than be forced to be in the same “air” with her. When Claudio returns, Don Pedro tells him that Hero has agreed to marry him , and Leonato supports him. Claudio, excited , can barely speak, but he and Hero privately make their promises to one another. Beatrice half-seriously remarks that she will never have a husband, and Don Pedro offers himself to her. Beatrice, comparing him to fancy clothes, replies that she wishes she could have him but that he would be too lavish and valuable for her to wear every day. After Beatrice and Benedick leave, Leonato and Claudio discuss when Claudio will marry Hero. Claudio wants the wedding to occur the next day, but Leonato decides on the coming Monday, only a week away. Claudio doubts that the wait will be so long, but Don Pedro comes up with a good way to pass the time.With the help of all his friends, he will design a plan to get Beatrice and Benedick to stop arguing and fall in love with one another. He gains the promises of Leonato, Claudio, and Hero to help him in the plan he will work out. 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 tarnished her own innocence before her marriage and at the same time chosen to be adulterous 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.
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