Leonato’sdaughter, Beatrice’s cousin, and the beloved of Claudio. On the night before her wedding, Herois unknowingly impersonated by Margaret and framed for being unfaithful to the groom, Claudio. She is publicly…
read analysis of Hero
Claudio
A young Florentine soldier who fights for DonPedro, and a friend of Benedick. He falls in love with Hero and plans to marry her, but disgraces her publicly after he is tricked…
read analysis of Claudio
Benedick
A witty young Lord of Padua and a soldier. He is extraordinarily successful with women, but is fanatically committed to a bachelor’s life. He has a “merry war,” of wits and insults with Beatrice…
read analysis of Benedick
Beatrice
Leonato’s niece, an extremely witty and strong-willed young woman. Beatrice has a “merry war,” of wits and insults with Benedick, whom she hates. Like Benedick, Beatrice never wants to marry. All the same, she…
read analysis of Beatrice
Don Pedro
The Prince of Aragon. He is always involved in the affairs of the other characters. Don Pedro woos Hero for Claudio. He also comes up with the idea of setting up Beatrice and Benedick…
read analysis of Don Pedro
Get the entire Much Ado About Nothing LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
The bastard brother of DonPedro, and the antagonist of the play. When the play begins, Don John has just been defeated by his brother in battle while trying to usurp him. Out of…
read analysis of Don John
Minor Characters
Leonato
Governor of Messina and father to Hero. When Hero is publicly disgraced at her wedding, Leonato is outraged, and cannot decide whether or not to believe in his daughter’s faithfulness to Claudio. Leonato participates in DonPedro’s scheme to bring Benedick and Beatrice together.
Antonio
Leonato’s brother. At the wedding in the final act, he poses as father to Leonato’s niece: in reality, this is Hero in disguise.
Balthazar
A servant of Don Pedro’s. He flirts with Margaret at the masked dance, and plays music in the garden where Leonato, DonPedro and Claudio have arranged for Benedick to overhear them. He is witty, and makes puns on the words nothing and noting.
Borachio
A minion of DonJohn’s. He is paid for coming up with and carrying out the scheme to ruin Hero and Claudio’s marriage. Borachio is arrested by the watch after boasting to Conrade about his villainy.
Conrade
A minion of DonJohn’s. During his interrogation, he calls Dogberry an ass, which obsesses the constable for the rest of the play.
Dogberry
A constable of Messina. Dogberry is not strict with criminals, and cautions the other members of the watch to also leave criminals alone. He misuses language terribly, and his inability to articulate himself is one of the reasons it takes so long for DonJohn’s treachery to be revealed.
Verges
A headborough of Messina. He works with Dogberry, and is insulted by him for being old.
Friar Francis
He conducts the two weddings. When Hero is disgraced, he is the first one to suspect that she might be innocent. It is his idea to pretend that Hero is dead while the matter is investigated.
Margaret
Hero’s witty and flirtatious waiting-gentlewoman. Margaret is seduced by Borachio on the night before the first wedding, as part of his scheme to ruin Hero. DonPedro and Claudio are looking on from outside, and are lead to believe that Margaret is Hero.
Ursula
Another of Hero’s waiting gentle-women. Ursula helps Hero make Beatrice fall in love with Benedick.