Much Ado About Nothing
The 1993 film, “Much Ado About Nothing” which featured the all-star acting ensemble of Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, Robert Sean Leonard, Denzel Washington, Keanu Reeves, Michael Keaton and Kate Beckinsale was actually the film version of a comedy written by William Shakespeare. The play centers on the romance of two couples, Claudio and Hero, the main protagonists and their comic counterparts, Benedick and Beatrice.
A common motif in “Much Ado About Nothing” is the use of the words “nothing” and “noting” which were homophones or words that were spoken in the same way during the time of Shakespeare. Double-entendre and some mild sexual innuendoes were also evident in some lines of the play. Interestingly, the word “nothing” was used by the playwright as a euphemism for female genitals. This led many to conclude that the play’s title could also mean “Much Ado about Female Genitalia.” A recurring theme in the story is the generic distrust of males in the fidelity of women. In the play, Don John, the lead antagonist, used Claudio’s fear of being cheated to dissuade the latter from marrying Hero in the first wedding scene. Regardless of its theme, motif and symbolism, this play continues to be one of the most enduring stage plays of the Bard of Avon.
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