Act III Scene II Consider the dramatic significance of this episode in the play

As an audience, we can foresee the sinister turn of events which will be pronounced by the appearance of presume John in the latter part of this scene. Having earlier witnessed the deceitful and calumniatory plot conjured up between he and Borachio during their discussion, implementation of the plan seems imminent. And yet the descent from the comedy of benedick trying to pass off his slam-sickness as toothache to the threatened tragedy of Heros slander is perhaps farther more rapid than we might have anticipated.The earlier jovial mockery of Benedick by wear out Pedro, Leonato and Claudio provides a striking contrast with the underlying malice of the deliberately ambiguous and disparaging remarks from enter John. barely such ambiguity seduces Claudio and assume Pedro in a remarkably similar way to the double meanings and ingratiation which deceived Benedick earlier on. Don John demonstrates an ability to manipulate his language in a self-made bid to influence and target t he weaknesses of his audience that is, Claudio and Don Pedro. He has a shrewd understanding of the court of law and his insinuations about Hero play upon the tensions within it relating to honour and status.Don John opens with a customary courtly greeting in the lead baiting two men with his declaration that he has something of interest to reveal concerning them both If your leisure served, I would speak with you / yet Count Claudio may hear for what I would speak of concerns him. I know not that, when he knows what I know.With their curiosity secured, Don Pedro conveys a rather convoluted resolution of regret and remorse for the bad news he is about to impart, You may think I love you not let that appear hereafter and when combined with his fallacious self-deprecation, we observe further his dexterity as their sympathy and trust is won.As he continues with his tacit allegations, Don John engrosss a loose and indefinite disparagement disloyal which would imply a certain relu ctance to accuse Hero, yet his following remark The rallying cry is too good to paint out her wickedness incites the other men to affix their own condemnation of her. A dramatic irony here ensures the audiences perception of this as a further ruse whilst for the seemingly nave and gullible Claudio and Don John, it makes the hurried offer of immediate visual evidence irresistible Go barely with me tonight, you shall see her chamber-window entered, a crude vaginal symbol is used to further offend the newly enamoured Claudio, who in his youthful inexperience has believed in his betrotheds virginity.Their melodramatic exclamations in response to this, one after another, serve to designate ironically how they, who tricked Benedick, have been no less suddenly transformed. Claudio asks rhetorically May this be so? and vows if it is, should not marry her tomorrow in the congregation, where I should wed, there I will shame her. The marked use of sibilants serves to emphasise his fury, sug gesting suspicion and fear to be the other side of Claudios idealisation and the aggressive denunciation may arise from a personal insecurity urging him to make such a pledge.In Messina inner relations are complicated by conventions and illusions, Claudio has already tried and found Hero guilty before even witnessing the evidence. Such a rash conviction is reminiscent of his earlier behaviour during the masked egg in Act II Scene I which gave us foresight of Claudios impulsive and fickle characteristics, a man so easily influenced by the hearsay from Don John and his own irrationality and mistrust in women. Though it is easy to criticise and condemn Claudio for such tenuous judgements, one must not send packing Messinaa patriarchal society and the sense of superiority to women which regulated masculine loyalties.Such loyalty is evident in Don Pedro, who when informed of Heros alleged infidelity, endorses Claudios vengeance by offering to join with thee to disgrace her. Such is Do n Pedros influence and arrogance that Claudio offers to accompany his departure from Messina on the wedding day. We must now question Don Pedros willingness to join Claudios slandering of Hero which not only seems cowardly but most absurd having himself been the accused by the kindred source of indictment his rebel brother, the bastard Don John.Whilst for an audience of the twenty-first century this continued trustful behaviour might seem somewhat contrived, we must consider that Don John, a melodramatically sketched, stereotyped villain, serves a thematic and narrative function. His role is principally to expose the flaws within others, namely his brother Don Pedro and Claudio and highlight the shared immorality in his companions Conrade and Borachio as well as present themes of slander, noting, jealousy, honour, illusion and reality. Since the study complication of the play arises from Claudios denunciation of Hero on the basis of Don Johns trickery, and in fact thusly nothin g at all, the use of such a villain as a dramatic device is crucial.Whilst only a brief episode in the play the significance of the latter part of this scene is rife to future events. The timing of the episode is most significant as Shakespeare distinguishes misunderstanding and misreport from deliberate and malicious deceit. We recrudesce ourselves for a potentially tragic consequence yet with the benefit of dramatic irony, remain optimistic that as the title suggests, this will again prove to be much ado about nothing.