SHAKESPEARE ON DISK. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Copyright (c) Interconnection Publications Inc. 1989 DRAMATIS PERSONAE. BEATRICE. Niece of Leonato. BENEDICK. Young lord of Padua. HERO. Daughter of Leonato. CLAUDIO. Young lord of Florence. DON PEDRO. Prince of Arragon. DON JOHN. Bastard brother of Don Pedro. LEONATO. Governor of Messina. ANTONIO. Brother of Leonato. BALTHAZAR. Attendant to Don Pedro. BORACHIO. Follower of Don John. CONRADE. Follower of Don John. MARGARET. Gentlewoman attending to Hero. URSULA. Gentlewoman attending to Hero. DOGBERRY. Constable. VERGES. Headborough. SEXTON. FRIAR FRANCIS. TWO WATCHMEN. BOY. MESSENGERS, WATCH, ATTENDANTS, etc. SYNOPSIS. 1/1 Messina. Before Leonato's house. LEONATO, HERO, BEATRICE, and a MESSENGER converse; DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, and BALTHASAR enter; BEATRICE and BENEDICK banter; all exit, except BENEDICK and CLAUDIO. CLAUDIO says he is in love with Hero; DON PEDRO enters; BENEDICK vows to remain single, then exits; DON PEDRO offers to woo Hero for CLAUDIO. 1/2 A room in Leonato's house. ANTONIO tells LEONATO that Don Pedro was overheard saying that he loved Hero; ANTONIO exits to tell Hero. 1/3 Another room in Leonato's house. DON JOHN and CONRADE speak; BORACHIO enters and tells them that Don Pedro will woo Hero for Claudio; DON JOHN plots to misuse that information. 2/1 A hall in Leonato's house. LEONATO, ANTONIO, HERO, and BEATRICE converse; BEATRICE speaks frivolously about men and marriage. DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, BALTHASAR, DON JOHN, BORACHIO, MARGARET, URSULA, and others enter, masked. DON PEDRO speaks to HERO, and takes her aside; MARGARET and BALTHASAR, URSULA and ANTONIO, BEATRICE and BENEDICK speak together; there is music, a dance, then all exit, except DON JOHN, BORACHIO, and CLAUDIO. DON JOHN tells CLAUDIO that Don Pedro loves Hero; DON JOHN and BORACHIO exit; CLAUDIO soliloquizes sadly. BENEDICK enters and teases CLAUDIO; CLAUDIO exits. DON PEDRO enters and speaks; BENEDICK rails against Beatrice. CLAUDIO, BEATRICE, HERO, and LEONATO enter; BENEDICK exits; DON PEDRO says that HERO loves CLAUDIO; BEATRICE talks merrily, then exits; the others decide to make a match between Beatrice and Benedick. 2/2 Another room in Leonato's house. DON JOHN and BORACHIO conspire to discredit Hero. 2/3 Leonato's orchard. BENEDICK enters, followed by a BOY; the BOY exits; BENEDICK soliloquizes on love, then withdraws. DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, LEONATO, BALTHASAR, and MUSICIANS enter; they speak; BALTHASAR sings, then exits with the MUSICIANS. DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and LEONATO say that Beatrice loves BENEDICK, but is too proud to admit it; all exit, except BENEDICK, who advances. BENEDICK, believing what he has overheard, discovers that he loves Beatrice. BEATRICE enters; BEATRICE and BENEDICK speak; BEATRICE exits, followed by BENEDICK. 3/1 Leonato's orchard. HERO, MARGARET, and URSULA enter; HERO sends MARGARET to find Beatrice; MARGARET exits. BEATRICE enters behind the others; HERO and URSULA say that Benedick loves BEATRICE, but that BEATRICE is bound to ridicule him; HERO and URSULA exit. BEATRICE advances and says she will requite Benedick's love. 3/2 A room in Leonato's house. BENEDICK tells DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and LEONATO that he has a toothache; the others say he is in love; BENEDICK and LEONATO exit. DON JOHN enters and says he can provide proof of Hero's infidelity that very evening; CLAUDIO vows that, if it is true, he will shame her publicly. 3/3 A street. DOGBERRY, VERGES, and the WATCH enter; DOGBERRY gives instructions; DOGBERRY and VERGES exit. BORACHIO and CONRADE enter; BORACHIO describes how he and Don John maligned Hero; FIRST WATCHMAN and SECOND WATCHMAN arrest BORACHIO and CONRADE. 3/4 A room in Leonato's house. HERO sends URSULA to fetch Beatrice, then speaks to MARGARET of her approacing wedding; BEATRICE enters and jokes with MARGARET; URSULA enters to hasten them. 3/5 Another room in Leonato's house. DOGBERRY and VERGES try to tell LEONATO about the conspiracy, but their circumlocution exasperates LEONATO, who tells them to examine the prisoners themselves. A MESSENGER enters seeking LEONATO; LEONATO and the MESSENGER exit, followed by DOGBERRY and VERGES. 4/1 A church. DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, LEONATO, FRIAR FRANCIS, CLAUDIO, BENEDICK, HERO, BEATRICE, and ATTENDANTS enter. CLAUDIO rejects HERO at the altar, accusing her of infidelity; DON PEDRO says they witnessed Hero admit a man through her chamber window; LEONATO is crushed; HERO faints; DON PEDRO, DON JOHN, CLAUDIO, and ATTENDANTS exit. BEATRICE and FRIAR FRANCIS defend HERO against LEONATO's wrath; HERO declares she is innocent; FRIAR FRANCIS suggests they pretend that HERO is dead; FRIAR FRANCIS, HERO, and LEONATO exit. BENEDICK tells the weeping BEATRICE that he loves her; she reciprocates, then asks him to kill Claudio; BENEDICK at first objects, then agrees to do so. 4/2 A prison. DOGBERRY, VERGES, and the WATCH bring CONRADE and BORACHIO before the SEXTON; CONRADE and BORACHIO are accused of taking part in Hero's defamation and death; the SEXTON orders the prisoners taken to Leonato. 5/1 Before Leonato's house. LEONATO grieves to ANTONIO over Hero's misfortunes; DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO enter; LEONATO and ANTONIO challenge CLAUDIO, then exit. BENEDICK enters, challenges CLAUDIO for having wronged Hero, then exits. DOGBERRY, VERGES, the WATCH, CONRADE, and BORACHIO enter; BORACHIO confesses to the plot against Hero; DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO are overcome by remorse. LEONATO, ANTONIO, and the SEXTON enter; LEONATO blames DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO for Hero's death; DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO promise to atone; LEONATO orders CLAUDIO to repent at Hero's tomb and to marry Hero's cousin; CLAUDIO agrees. LEONATO thanks DOGBERRY and VERGES, who exit; DON PEDRO and CLAUDIO exit. 5/2 Leonato's garden. BENEDICK and MARGARET enter and joke; MARGARET exits; BEATRICE enters and banters with BENEDICK. URSULA enters with the news of Hero's vindication. 5/3 A church. DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and others enter and repent at Hero's tomb. 5/4 A room in Leonato's house. LEONATO, ANTONIO, BENEDICK, BEATRICE, MARGARET, URSULA, FRIAR FRANCIS, and HERO converse; the four women exit. BENEDICK asks LEONATO for Beatrice's hand. DON PEDRO, CLAUDIO, and ATTENDANTS enter and speak; ANTONIO enters with ladies in masks; HERO unmasks, to CLAUDIO's amazement; BEATRICE unmasks, and BENEDICK kisses her. A MESSENGER enters and says Don John has been captured. All dance.