Tag Archives: sex

The first three acts of this play were filled with drama fueled by sex, gossip and misunderstandings. Low comedy at its best. The significance of the title becomes very clear throughout this section of the play. It seems that every character wants the lowdown and will use any opportunity to hear what isnt for their ears. They all make a big to do or “much ado” about noting what others are talking about.
As if this isn’t bad enough, it seems that everything overheard is taken in the wrong context and used to hatch up some cockamamie scheme which is usually thwarted by someone else listening in on their plans and devising a way to foil those. These people really had too much time on their hands. I think much of the drama is due to the fact that everyone is single. It is a fact that single people generally get into more mess than people in relationships. Most likely because they don’t have a mate to be busy with (pun intended).
The double meaning of the title is obvious. The characters are also making big deals over nothing. Situations are being blown way out of proportion because everyone is snooping and scheming. (Reading this play, I get a sense that Leonato’s house is way too small.) Major plot twists are based on complete falsities which could have been avoided if all the characters weren’t so willing to connive and conspire.
Maybe Shakespeare is showing us the pointlessness and ill effect of noting that which has nothing to do with us.