Classic fiction

Much Ado About Nothing

by William Shakespeare

249 pages · First published 1598

Beatrice and Benedick insist they have no interest in love and sharpen their wit by insulting one another whenever they meet. Their friends decide to trick each into believing the other is secretly in love, while the younger couple Hero and Claudio move toward marriage with far less skepticism. A malicious deception against Hero turns the comedy suddenly serious and forces the characters to decide whom they trust. Shakespeare’s comedy combines sparkling verbal combat, romantic manipulation, mistaken judgment, and questions about honor, creating one of literature’s most enduring enemies-to-lovers pairings.