Much Ado About Nothing is a 1993 movie based on William Shakespeare's play; it was adapted for the screen and directed by Kenneth Branagh, who also played the role of Benedick.

Much Ado About Nothing was released in May 1993, eventually playing on 200 U.S. screens during its widest release. The film received generally enthusiastic notices from critics and earned $22 million at the U.S. box office and $36 million total worldwide. Although not coming close to the earnings mark set by Franco Zeffirelli's film of Romeo and Juliet, it was one of the more financially successful Shakespeare films ever released, and helped usher in a new era of big-screen Shakespeare adaptations throughout the 1990s.  Emma Thompson as Beatrice and Kenneth Branagh as Benedick

Plot: the action of the story

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Attention:  Everything on this page refers to the Branagh film vesion of Much Ado About Nothing which differs in some ways from Shakespeare's play.  Be attentive to such differences when and wherever they occur. -- Mrs. Cox

On a Sicilian hillside that looks like Tuscany, Beatrice sets the scene by reading a poem about the treachery of men ('hey nonny nonny') to picnicking kinsfolk. Beatrice, Hero, Leonato and the other members of the family house hear the news that Claudio, Don Pedro, Don John, Benedick and many others are coming to their villa after winning a battle. When Claudio and the others arrive they are greeted by Governor Leonato, and after a brief chat with Leonato, Hero - Leonato's daughter - comes into the scene. When Claudio sees her, he instantly falls in love with her. Beatrice and Benedick trade insults, to the amusement of the family.

Benedick is disgusted by Claudio's new love, but Don Pedro offers to help him win Hero's hand. At a masked entertainment, Don Pedro woos Hero on Claudio's behalf. Don John tries to sour the relationship between the two men by telling Claudio that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself. Meanwhile, Beatrice tells a masked figure about what a pathetic figure Benedick is, knowing full well that her listener is Benedick himself.

Don Pedro succeeds in winning Hero's hand for Claudio, and a wedding is planned. To pass the time until the wedding, Don Pedro proposes to set up Beatrice and Benedick and try to make them fall in love with each other. After a musical rendition of the same "Hey nonny nonny" song from the open (here placed in its original position in the text), Don Pedro, Claudio, and Leonato allow Benedick to overhear their discussion of Beatrice's (nonexistent) state of distress. Her agitation is so great, they say, that she may die, for she cannot live without Benedick's love and it would kill her to tell him of it. This revelation is not unwelcome to Benedick, who briefly argues with himself but decides to accept Beatrice's love (exclaiming, "The world must be peopled!") To further the joke, Beatrice is sent to fetch Benedick for lunch, and Benedick interprets her hostility as sweet affection.

Ursula and Hero play the same trick on Beatrice, who overhears a discourse on Benedick's love and how Beatrice's scorn and pride have kept him from expressing his true feelings. She immediately softens and resolves to accept his love.

Meanwhile Don John the Bastard is plotting to stop Hero and Claudio from getting married, and conspires with his man Borachio to seduce the maid Margaret in Hero's chamber. When this is set up Don John goes to find Claudio and Don Pedro to witness this apparent act of unfaithfulness. The act is convincing, and Claudio and Don Pedro believe they have seen Hero fornicating.

In town, the comic characters Dogberry and Verges commission three men to be the Prince's watch. The three overhear Borachio bragging about the night's exploits to Conrade, and arrest them. In the morning, Dogberry and Verges tell Leonato they have prisoners for him to examine, but Leonato is busy with the wedding and does not understand Dogberry's request. He tells them to examine the prisoners themselves and report back.

At the wedding, Claudio announces that he will not marry Hero, pushing her back to her father and telling the entire assembly that he has seen Hero with a man just the night before. Hero collapses in tears while Don Pedro supports Claudio's story. Leonato, shamed and dishonoured, wishes for Hero's death. When the Prince's delegation leaves, the scene calms down and both Hero and Beatrice protest her innocence. The priest suggests a plan in which the family will claim that Hero died of shock at the accusation, causing Claudio to realize the mistake he has made.

After the plan is resolved, Benedick speaks to Beatrice as she prays in the chapel. They reveal their surprise at their mutual love, and Benedick offers to perform whatever task will make Beatrice happy again. Beatrice's reply: "Kill Claudio." After an initial refusal, Benedick agrees to make the challenge.

In a prison, a sexton writes down the statements given by Borachio (as mistranslated by Dogberry). Conrade calls Dogberry an ass, but the Sexton doesn't get that down.

Encountering Don Pedro and Claudio later, Benedick emphasizes that they have killed an innocent maiden, and issues his challenge to Claudio. When he leaves, the prisoner Borachio is brought forth, and confesses to all the plot to incriminate Hero. Realizing his terrible error, Claudio begs Leonato to choose his revenge. Leonato instructs him to proclaim Hero's innocence by writing an epitaph and singing at the family tomb. Leonato also says that Claudio should marry his brother's daughter and then he will forgive his actions.

At the second wedding scene, Claudio is overjoyed to find that the veiled "niece" that he is to marry is revealed as Hero. Benedick and Beatrice argue, then agree to wed. Don John is brought back as a prisoner (without lines, as he does not actually appear in this scene in the play). The film ends with an elaborate shot of the joyous kinsfolk, soldiers and servants dancing (again to "Hey nonny nonny") throughout the courtyards and grounds.

Main Characters

Claudio

Claudio is a close friend of Don Pedro, and in love with Hero. At first Claudio appears to be wise but believes that everybody else is always wrong and that he is always right over others. He is good natured, though a violent temper is shown when he pushes Hero to the ground at their wedding.

Hero

Hero is the love interest of Claudio and the sweet, yet respected daughter of Governor Leonato. She was accused of being unfaithful towards Claudio the day before their wedding, even though this was false. At the end of the film she forgives all of the people who believed she was in the wrong.

Beatrice

Beatrice is the orphaned niece of Leonato, and Hero's cousin and chambermate. She is a strong-willed woman who uses humor to entertain the family and to keep men at bay. Beatrice believed from the beginning that her Cousin Hero was innocent of unfaithfulness towards Claudio. Unable to challenge Claudio herself, she forces Benedick to challenge Claudio in order to prove his love for her. Despite all her prickly speech, in Benedick she finds a man who is worthy of her intellect and good humor, and in the end agrees to marry him.

Benedick

Benedick is a nobleman in the court of Don Pedro. He is a very arrogant and seems oblivious to others' feelings. His pride does not allow him to admit that he loves Beatrice. At the end of the play, Beatrice and Benedick agree to marry. 

Don Pedro of Aragon is the closest friend of Claudio and may have a particular love interest in Beatrice. He makes remarks at the masked ball similar to "Lady Beatrice, I will find you a husband" and claims that he would be willing to marry Beatrice. At one point Claudio begins to believe that  Don Pedrowants Hero for himself, although Don Pedro tells Claudio that this is false.

Don John

Don John is the evil brother of Don Pedro. He cannot stand to see other people happy and if something does not please him, he will do everything in his power to stop it. He conspires with Borachio and Conrad to ruin Hero and Claudio's wedding by pretending that Hero is being unfaithful with another man. When his plot is found out, he attempts to escape but is captured and returned to the city.

Leonato

Leonato is the father of Hero. Ordinarily, he seems to respect his daughter but upon hearing the false news that she has been unfaithful to Claudio, he shouts at her in a moment of rage. Later, he pretends that Hero has died, in order to reunite Claudio and Hero.

Dogberry

"Dogberry" is the captain of the guards. He is dull-minded, but he thinks that he is smart. He and his men catch Borachio bragging about his involvement in separating Claudio and Hero, and his men arrest Borachio and his conspiring friends. He ultimately saves the day by doing so.

Cast

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