THEMES

The total unpredictability of love is at the heart of Much Ado About Nothing. Every attempt to corral love or thwart romance ends in failure and becomes a simple case of "much ado about nothing."

The mood of the play is a unique mixture of seriousness, gaiety, and sparkling wit. It opens on victory in battle, then love and romance. The promise of an upcoming wedding causes some excitement and happiness. The play is replete with clever, fun- loving repartee between Beatrice and Benedick, who are irresistibly appealing in the way they fight so hard not to be in love. At certain junctures, the mood is heavy with the gravity of certain situations. Hero's reputation and even her life are in jeopardy. Certain injustices happen that threatens the sparkling comedy of the love stories. In the end, though, sobriety gives way to visual color, revelry, dances, and weddings.

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