Sample Solution

Through the use of irony Shakespeare conveys that Hero tells nothing but the truth, however acquaintances including Claudio choose to doubt her and believe the men who witnessed it. If Claudio abandoned his ignorant attitude and listened to what Hero really had to say, they would’ve come to a realization that everything was a lie. Moreover, the play is full of dramatic irony where we know that characters are being deceived while they are not aware of what is really happening. In this case, we know that Hero has been disgraced, and it’s shown how the love between Claudio and Hero deteriorates.
Hero’s humiliation was enough to affect Leonato and his daughter, causing them to conduct an act of revenge towards Claudio. Friar proposed that Hero pretended to be dead, in the eyes of her friends and family to make Claudio grief. In act 5 scene 3, Leonato asked Claudio to write a epitaph, which stated “Give her fame which never dies, so the life that died with shame, lives in death with glorious fame”. Shakespeare utilizes an oxymoron to demonstrates what Claudio is feeling after finding out that he is guilty of Hero’s death, his love for Hero remains strong and he now desires to bring her back with a clean record.

To summarize, lies play a huge role in the play Much Ado About Nothing due to Shakespeare’s tendency to focus on love, relationships and friendships and how they are affected by deceit. Through the characters stories, the message he is trying to convey becomes apparent which is that honesty is the only way to avoid issues that may result in serious consequences. As the play progresses many cases of deceit are present, and characters respond differently.