Table of Contents A Cast of Characters Our Setting Act I UUUUUUUUUIIIIIIIIIIIII I III Act II IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Act IIT IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Act IV Act V Behind Much Ado About Nothing Famous Phrases About the Author Additional Works by Shakespeare About the Adapters Glossary Web Sites
Cast of Characters Don Pedro Prince of Arragon Hero Daughter of Leonato Don John Don Pedro's brother Margaret Hero's servant Borachio Don John's follower Ursula Hero's servant Conrade Don John's follower Dogberry A constable Leonato Governor of Messina Claudio A lord of Florence Antonio Leonato's brother Benedick A lord of Padua Friar Francis Beatrice Niece of Leonato
Our Setting 585 Much Ado About Nothing is set in the Italian town of Messina Messina is a port on the northeastern tip of the island of Sicily Italy It is an ancient city first mentioned in 730 BC From the fifth century BC until 241 BC Messina was occupied by Greeks Carthaginians and Syracusans In 241 BC Messina gained independence and became an ally of Rome For many years there was peace After the fall of the Roman Empire Messina was conquered again Later the city was severely damaged when Byzantines conquered it in AD 535 In 1908 Messina was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake It was rebuilt with wide streets and the city is now an important port connected to the Italian mainland by a ferry
