"Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps." -Hero, Leonato's daughter

Look Inside the Book

"If a theatrical performance is primarily seen and heard, the main action in Much Ado About Nothing is principally overheard. The act of noting defines the play. While this dependence on noting seems rather harmless if the task is tricking Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love, Claudio's mistaken noting threatens to upend the comedy and undo all of the matches." -From Elizabeth Howard's Introduction

As is usual for princes, Don Pedro’s courtiers are conniving schemers. But in this case, they're not conniving maliciously -- the only one who wishes him ill is his bastard brother. The others are just plotting to get Beatrice and Benedick to fall in love. As everybody knows, Beatrice would rather listen to a dog bark than a man swear he loves her. And Benedick would prefer a clever horse to a clever woman. Of course, the rest is history…

This famous Canon Classic is a perfect comedy full of scandalous doings and snappy retorts. The Canon Classics series presents the most definitive works of Western literature in a colorful, well-crafted, and affordable way. Unlike many other thrift editions, our classics feature individualized designs that prioritize readability by means of proper margins, leading, characters per line, font, trim size, etc. Each book’s materials and layout combine to make the classics a simple and striking addition to classrooms and homes, ideal for introducing the best of literary culture and human experience to the next generation.

This Worldview Edition features an introduction divided into sections on The World Around, About the Author, What Other Notables Said, Setting, Characters, & Plot Summary, Worldview Analysis, and 21 Discussion Questions & Answers.