Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

Set in Messina, Much Ado about Nothing concerns two sets of lovers and their inability to trust each other. The play also depicts characters that confuse reality with illusion. Furthermore, the title tells the audience that the characters will eavesdrop and then make a great fuss over nothing. Because the play is a comedy, the problems with trust and eavesdropping are resolved happily, and, as customary, the play ends on a festive note of dancing before the nuptials of the two sets of lovers. The drama illustrates that even slander and distrust can be forgiven.

About the Series:

Novel/Drama curriculum units contain complete lesson plans with preliminary and follow-up work, teacher notes with plot summary, background, and rationale, ready-to-use worksheets, and suggested answers for student questions. These study guides encourage the development of thinking, reading, speaking, research, and writing skills as well as critical thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.