ith a woman who appears to be Hero. When Claudio and Pedro observe this, they are easily deceived and Claudio angrily denounces Hero to be hidden as though dead until Claudio regains his senses. When the constable, Dogberry, arrests John’s men, who then readily confess their guilt, Claudio is forced to admit his error in thinking Hero would deceive him. He then mourns for her and agrees to marry her cousin. The cousin turns out to be a disguised and forgiving Hero. After all this “ado” the two couples are married and Don John is arrested.Don Pedro is a linking character, playing many key roles in the play. In many ways, he shows the influence of the time period. Being the prince of Aragon, a region in northeast Spain, he carries the title of respect “Don”. He seems to be the stereotypical leader of the Renaissance times, enjoying being in charge as well as possessing the ability to woo young women. He also shows the time period in the situation with his brother Don John. Because he was born outside of marriage, Don John has no official claim on any of his family’s wealth or position. He then tries to overthrow Pedro in battle. Other characters positions also illustrate the time period. For example, Dogberry and Verges who are the constable and deputy constable. Their rough habits and garbled speech show the mannerisms of the Renaissance peasants. Hero’s maidservants’ occasional vulgar comments also demonstrate actions of less educated servants. The life of the nobles is shown by Leonato and his estate. Hero herself represents a young woman in tune with the traditions of the time: seen but not heard, deferential to her father, and awaiting a suitor to take formal steps to court her. This play has taught me several things about lifestyle in the Italian Renaissance. First of all, I learned about the political structure of the Italian city-states. This is shown with the governor of Messina, Le...
