The following are the characters of Much Ado About Nothing.
Beatrice
Orphaned niece of Leonato.- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Benedick.
- Big Sister Instinct: Beatrice is very protective over her cousin Hero. When Claudio accuses Hero of cheating on him the day of their wedding, Beatrice is understandably pissed off.
- Broken Bird: Depending on the adaptation, her guilt for her mother's death may be emphasized. She may also have had her heart broken by Benedick in a previous entanglement.
- Deadpan Snarker: Effortless jabs seem to be her expertise.
- Genki Girl: She prides herself on being "all mirth and no matter".
- Stepford Snarker: The text indicates her discomfort with serious subjects, and she usually finds refuge in her witticisms.
- Tsundere: Though she initially only opens her mouth to mock him, virtually all she talks about is Benedick. Hero discusses how she is too proud to admit that she holds affection for him.
Benedick
A soldier and favored companion of Don Pedro.- Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Beatrice.
- Deadpan Snarker: Whatever Beatrice dishes out, he usually sends right back.
- Deconfirmed Bachelor: In spite of his proclamations, he cannot help but fall deeply in love with Beatrice.
- He-Man Woman Hater: Self-proclaimed. In truth, he is the only man present who doesn't participate in Hero's shaming, excluding the priest and Antonio.
- Ladykiller in Love: A possible interpretation of his character. He proclaims himself to be very popular with women, but never actually tries to charm anyone on stage. Then, of course, you have his Slap-Slap-Kiss romance with Beatrice.
- What You Are in the Dark: Builds himself up a He-Man Woman Hater, but his reaction to Claudio's shaming of Hero shows Benedick is in some ways more progressive towards women than the men around him. Despite not even liking her, he's willing to stand by her side rather than follow his friends, and agrees to duel his best friend at Beatrice's insistence over his slight of her cousin.
Claudio
A young war hero, friend to Benedick, and companion to Don Pedro.- Blue Blood: He's a count, unlike Benedick and Leonato, both of whom are plain 'signor'.
- Easily Forgiven: When he accuses Hero of adultery, he pretty much humiliates her in front of everyone yet she somehow forgives him by the end of the play and marries him as if none of it ever happened.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: He mentions that his arrival in Messina was his second encounter with Hero, and yet he immediately thinks of marriage.
- Gullible Lemmings: The idea that anyone in the world might be lying seems to just never enter his head.
- Hot-Blooded: He accuses and shames Hero publicly, without having had as much as a private confrontation with her.
- Karma Houdini: Downplayed. He doesn't necessarily do anything evil, but he does make a lot of stupid decisions that don't have any lasting consequences.
- Love at First Sight: Averted. The first time he met Hero, he was too preoccupied with the war to dwell on her. Only upon his return does he become infatuated.
Hero
Leonato's daughter.- Break the Cutie: She is devastated upon her shaming and falls ill.
- Faking the Dead: In order to trick Claudio into forgiving the alleged adultery, Hero agrees to fake her own death.
- The Ingenue: Hero is not nearly as shrewd as her cousin, and forgives Claudio quite easily.
- Nice Girl: She participates in bringing Beatrice and Benedick together, and is arguably too forgiving for her own good.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Don John manages to trick Claudio into believing Hero had an affair the day of their wedding.
- Proper Lady: Her status as such being contested forms the main conflict of the play. Ultimately, it's agreed by the end that she is one.
Leonato
The governor of Messina.- Cool Uncle: He is quite friendly and accommodating to his niece.
- I Have No Son!: His reaction when Hero is accused of adultery.
- Mama's Baby, Papa's Maybe: He jokes about this when introducing Hero to Don Pedro.
- Papa Wolf: It takes him a moment, but once he's convinced Hero has been slandered, he's ready to duel Claudio for her honor.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Had he allowed Claudio and Hero to marry the very next day instead of waiting for the coming Monday, Don John would not have had the time to concoct his plan of making Hero seem unfaithful.
Don Pedro
The Prince of Aragon.- The Ace: Kind and a good general, he draws admiration wherever he goes.
- Dogged Nice Guy: Depending on the actor's performance, he may be interpreted as loving Beatrice.
- I Just Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Again, depending on the performance.
- The Matchmaker: Don Pedro just loves getting other couples together, whether it's courting Hero for the too-shy Claudio, or tricking Benedick and Beatrice into admitting their feelings for each other.
- Shipper on Deck: Don Pedro thinks Benedick and Beatrice would make a great couple and sets out to make it happen. He also starts out as one for Claudio and Hero, before turning against her, and then going back to supporting their marriage.
Don John
Don Pedro's illegitimate half-brother, who has just lost the war against the former and been forced into reconciliation.- Bastard Bastard: This appears to be his sole motivation.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Claims to be a villain by nature.
- Evil Is Petty: Goes about doing whatever villainy he can, purely to spite his brother.
- The Quiet One: Unless he is among accomplices, he is not a man of many words.
Dogberry
The constable in charge of the nightwatch.- Berserk Button: Slander against a Proper Lady is one thing. But DON'T call him an ass.
- Cloud Cuckoo Lander: Always quite odd, particularly his obsession with being called an ass. Especially when played by Michael Keaton, who travels on an imaginary horse.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: An interesting example, as he helps to save the day through a combination of competence and stupidity.
- Hidden Depths: A reluctant constable he is, however when he realizes something devious is afoot, he will uncover the truth of the matter.
- Insistent Terminology: After being called an ass, he goes out of his way to make sure everyone knows it.
- Insult Backfire: While it initially presses his Berserk Button, he ultimately embraces being called an ass.
- Malaproper: Watch his scenes with subtitles for maximum laughs. "We must examination these men!"
