Betrayal in "Much Ado About Nothing"................

       In William Shakespeare's play entitled "Much Ado About Nothing" betrayal was a theme that was introduced at the begining of this play. Nevertheless, this constant stream of betrayal affects the out come of the plot as well as the characters in the play.
        Betrayal was first introduced in the play when Don Pedro, Claudio, Benedick and the others first arrived in Messina. Although Beatrice and Benedick never met before the two of them diguise their love for each other by pretending that they were enemies. However, Don Pedro, Claudio, Leanto and Hero knew that they had fallen in love from the every first time that they have laid eyes on each other. So, they all  came up with a master plan in order to fool Beatrice and Benedick that one was in love with the other.
       This stream of betrayal affects the plot because in the climax of the play Benedick and Beatrice confessed their love for each other immediately after Claudio rejects Hero during the wedding ceremony. However, Beatrice became very furious with Claudio for embarassing her cousin Hero in front of the entire congregation. Thus, she begged Benedick to challenge Claudio for doing her cousin wrong.
        Secondly, Don John plan to make Claudio believed that his brother Don Pedro the prince of Arragon had betrayed Claudio by wooing Hero for himself. At the night of the mascarade ball, Don John deliberately told Claudio knowning that he was not his brother to make it seems as if Don Pedro his brother, was trying to get Hero for himself. Claudio was then silently angry with Don Pedro because he thought that he was trying to steal the lady that he wanted to marry. But, later on he discovered that this was not true.
         Last but not least, Don John creates a plan to frame Hero and betray Don Pedro and Claudio. On the night before the wedding, Don John arranged for Borachio and Margaret to pretend to have an affair so that Claudio and Don Pedro would think that Hero was being unfaithful and would eventually break Claudio's poor, little, heart.
         Futhermore, this affects the out come of the plot because after Don John totally convinced Claudio and the others that it was Hero, Claudio felt so betrayed that he wanted Hero to be put to death. Don John then fled Messina when he thought that is mission was accomplished but, in fact Hero did not die but further investigation was carried out when the finally realized that Hero was innocent and that it was one of Don John's evil plan.
          In conclusion, betrayal was a major theme of this play because Don Pedro, Claudio, Leanato and Hero all planned on fooling Beatrice and Benedick to make them think that they were deeply in love with one another when it was not true but, in fact turn out to be true. On the other hand Don John was the master of betrayal because he betrayed Don Pedro and Claudio on numerous occassions.