William Shakespeare's "Much ado about nothing".
Set in the wealthy and urbane city of Messina.
The play opens with Leonato, the governor of Messina, on stage, and we soon learn that he lives in a courtly mansion with his beautiful young daughter Hero, and his niece, Hero's cousin, the somewhat older but still attractive Beatrice. Leonato is told of the approach of the Prince of Aragon, Don Pedro, who arrives accompanied by two of his loyal men, Benedick and Claudio. They have just subdued a rebellion against Don Pedro, Claudio and Benedick acquitting themselves well in battle. Somewhat surprisingly, within the Prince's retinue are several rebels led by Don John (Pedro's bastard brother and the play's chief villain) and his foremost henchman, Borachio. Don Pedro explains that his forces defeated Don John with little loss of life and that the two are now reconciled. Beatrice and Benedick immediately turn to an exchange of insults, sparring with each other verbally, each of them casting disparaging and witty remarks upon the other, upon the opposite sex, and upon marriage. Encountering the lovely Hero, Claudio falls in love with her. Witnessing this, his commander, the older and more high esteemed Don Pedro says that he will woo Hero on Claudio's behalf at a masked ball to be held by Leonato that night.
Scenes ii and iii.
Two eavesdropping servants have overheard Don Pedro plan. In scene ii, one report of this ruse makes its way to Leonato through his brother Antonio and falsely apprises the governor that Don Pedro seeks his daughter's hand in marriage. .
In scene iii., a second and accurate report of Don Pedro's ruse is made by Borachio to the villainous Don John, as the recently beaten pretender to Aragon's throne complains about his bitterness to another of his followers, Conrade. Learning of Don Pedro's plans, Don John resolves to sew seeds of discord between Claudio and Don Pedro, encouraging the younger man in believe that he is being betrayed by his mentor, that Don Pedro wants Hero for himself.
