ACT 1
Characters:
Don Pedro - Prince of Aragon
Benedick - young lord of Padua } Don Pedros followers
Claudio - young lord of Florence }
Don John - Don Pedros illegitimate brother (not born to thrown because he was born out of
marriage)
Barachio
Conrad
Leonato - Governor of Messina
Antonio - Leonato's brother
Hero - Leanato's daughter
Beatrice - Leanato's niece (Hero's cousin)
Scene 1
Messenger arrives to tell Leonato that the prince of Aragon is coming to stay in Messina
--> The Prince and his soldiers are on their way back from a war/battle that they have just
won
Claudio is a young man who was one of the soldiers leading the battle on Don
Pedro's side (the prince), he is receiving lots of praise from everyone, including the
prince
Beatrice arrives and asks has Signor Montanto back from the war?
Signor Montanto is a rude name from saying that he is sexually active (Benedick)
Leonato and the messenger tell Beatrice that he is a good soldier and Benedick is stuffed with good
virtue.
--> Beatrice is behaving badly to the messenger as she keeps bring up sexual puns.
Beatrice asks who his new friends are because he always jumps to new friends … and woman
(player) - he changes with the fashion.
The messenger realises that Beatrice and Benedick don't like each other
The messenger says that Claudio and Benedick have been hanging out together (Beatrice
compares Benedick to a disease .. because she says he will hang on to Claudio like a disease)
Now the people from the war arrive …
Leonato greets Don Pedro who has just arrived
They have a little joke about Hero who is Leonato's daughter but they look nothing alike -
they joke because it is possible that Benedick could cheat because he always sleeps around.
Beatrice enters and she says that she is surprised that Benedick is talking because no one is listening
o Benedick says he is surprised that Beatrice is still alive
o They go back and forth with their argument (witty, sarcastic comments)
o Beatrice says she would rather hear a dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves her.
, o When he walks away Beatrice says to herself that she knows him from old (Benedick might
have broken Beatrice's heart)
While Beatrice and Benedick were having their witty argument, Leonato and Don Pedro were making
arrangements for the people to stay in Messina.
Leonato tells Don John that because him and Don Pedro have made amends Don John will
be just as big of a priority as the prince (his brother)
Benedick and Claudio stay and talk about how modest the daughter of Leonato is and Benedick says
that she is too short to be praised to highly and her skin is to tan to be considered pretty and she is
too little for a great praise and so he doesn’t really like her.
Claudio compares her to a jewel (precious, unique, beautiful)
Benedick is wondering why he likes her and wondering if he wants to get married and Claudio says
she is the prettiest lady he has laid eyes on (Love at first sight but he loves her because of her looks
because they have never spoken)
Benedick and Claudio were both never going to get married because they were both going to be
players but now Claudio wants to get married if he can get married to Hero … Benedick is upset
Benedick doesn’t think Hero is good looking because he keeps talking about how ugly and short she
is.
Don Pedro agrees with Claudio and says that Hero is a good modest lady but Benedick is cross and
doesn’t understand why everyone has to get married (especially to an ugly short woman)
Benedick says he will always be a bachelor and he will never fall in love and if he does they
can hit him and hang him.
Don Pedro sends Benedick away so he can talk to Claudio about Hero (Don Pedro is going to teach
Claudio about love)
Hero doesn’t have any brothers and Claudio wanted to know because then if Leonardo dies
and Claudio marries Hero then he will become the governor of Messina.
Claudio confesses that he did see her when they were in Messina before but now that he
has seen her when they are back from War he thinks he is in love with her - Don Pedro says
he will chat to Leonardo and will come up with a date to get married (Hero does not have a
say in the marriage because it is decided for her)
Don Pedro's plan:
Claudio is too shy to talk to Hero about his feelings
There is going to be a party tonight (Masked ball)
Don Pedro is going to pretend to be Claudio at the masked ball and talk to Hero about how he is so
in love with her and once she confesses her feelings for Claudio then he will go and talk to Leonardo
about the marriage of his daughter and Claudio.
Scene 2
Antonia tells Leonardo that someone overheard the conversation between Don Pedro and Claudio
and he tells that Leonardo that the prince is secretly in love with Hero.
Scene 3
Characters:
Don Pedro - Prince of Aragon
Benedick - young lord of Padua } Don Pedros followers
Claudio - young lord of Florence }
Don John - Don Pedros illegitimate brother (not born to thrown because he was born out of
marriage)
Barachio
Conrad
Leonato - Governor of Messina
Antonio - Leonato's brother
Hero - Leanato's daughter
Beatrice - Leanato's niece (Hero's cousin)
Scene 1
Messenger arrives to tell Leonato that the prince of Aragon is coming to stay in Messina
--> The Prince and his soldiers are on their way back from a war/battle that they have just
won
Claudio is a young man who was one of the soldiers leading the battle on Don
Pedro's side (the prince), he is receiving lots of praise from everyone, including the
prince
Beatrice arrives and asks has Signor Montanto back from the war?
Signor Montanto is a rude name from saying that he is sexually active (Benedick)
Leonato and the messenger tell Beatrice that he is a good soldier and Benedick is stuffed with good
virtue.
--> Beatrice is behaving badly to the messenger as she keeps bring up sexual puns.
Beatrice asks who his new friends are because he always jumps to new friends … and woman
(player) - he changes with the fashion.
The messenger realises that Beatrice and Benedick don't like each other
The messenger says that Claudio and Benedick have been hanging out together (Beatrice
compares Benedick to a disease .. because she says he will hang on to Claudio like a disease)
Now the people from the war arrive …
Leonato greets Don Pedro who has just arrived
They have a little joke about Hero who is Leonato's daughter but they look nothing alike -
they joke because it is possible that Benedick could cheat because he always sleeps around.
Beatrice enters and she says that she is surprised that Benedick is talking because no one is listening
o Benedick says he is surprised that Beatrice is still alive
o They go back and forth with their argument (witty, sarcastic comments)
o Beatrice says she would rather hear a dog bark at a crow than a man swear he loves her.
, o When he walks away Beatrice says to herself that she knows him from old (Benedick might
have broken Beatrice's heart)
While Beatrice and Benedick were having their witty argument, Leonato and Don Pedro were making
arrangements for the people to stay in Messina.
Leonato tells Don John that because him and Don Pedro have made amends Don John will
be just as big of a priority as the prince (his brother)
Benedick and Claudio stay and talk about how modest the daughter of Leonato is and Benedick says
that she is too short to be praised to highly and her skin is to tan to be considered pretty and she is
too little for a great praise and so he doesn’t really like her.
Claudio compares her to a jewel (precious, unique, beautiful)
Benedick is wondering why he likes her and wondering if he wants to get married and Claudio says
she is the prettiest lady he has laid eyes on (Love at first sight but he loves her because of her looks
because they have never spoken)
Benedick and Claudio were both never going to get married because they were both going to be
players but now Claudio wants to get married if he can get married to Hero … Benedick is upset
Benedick doesn’t think Hero is good looking because he keeps talking about how ugly and short she
is.
Don Pedro agrees with Claudio and says that Hero is a good modest lady but Benedick is cross and
doesn’t understand why everyone has to get married (especially to an ugly short woman)
Benedick says he will always be a bachelor and he will never fall in love and if he does they
can hit him and hang him.
Don Pedro sends Benedick away so he can talk to Claudio about Hero (Don Pedro is going to teach
Claudio about love)
Hero doesn’t have any brothers and Claudio wanted to know because then if Leonardo dies
and Claudio marries Hero then he will become the governor of Messina.
Claudio confesses that he did see her when they were in Messina before but now that he
has seen her when they are back from War he thinks he is in love with her - Don Pedro says
he will chat to Leonardo and will come up with a date to get married (Hero does not have a
say in the marriage because it is decided for her)
Don Pedro's plan:
Claudio is too shy to talk to Hero about his feelings
There is going to be a party tonight (Masked ball)
Don Pedro is going to pretend to be Claudio at the masked ball and talk to Hero about how he is so
in love with her and once she confesses her feelings for Claudio then he will go and talk to Leonardo
about the marriage of his daughter and Claudio.
Scene 2
Antonia tells Leonardo that someone overheard the conversation between Don Pedro and Claudio
and he tells that Leonardo that the prince is secretly in love with Hero.
Scene 3
