Much Ado About Nothing

Throughout the play, nearly all of the characters deceive or manipulate one another, whether for benign or malicious reasons. What is the role of deceit in the play, and how is it contrasted with faithfulness? What are some of the symbols and motifs Shakespeare uses to reflect on the themes of faithfulness and deceit? 

Teaching Suggestion: Urge students to compare and contrast the different ways characters use deceit—for instance, Don John’s schemes are destructive, but Beatrice and Benedick fall in love with one other due to a playful trick. Students should also consider symbols and motifs, especially masks, that represent the larger role of deceit in the play.

Differentiation Suggestion: English learners, students with dyslexia, and those with attentional or executive function differences might find sorting through the entire text to find evidence daunting. You might help these students pinpoint the most relevant sections of text to limit the amount they need to review or allow students additional time to gather evidence.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Much Ado About Something?”

In this activity, students will use creative and critical thinking to propose an alternative ending to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing