Evidence Planning Thursday 4:00Pm There Are Numerous

¶ … evidence planning Thursday 4:00pm

There are numerous themes that exist in Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing." One of the most prevalent is deception and the myriad effects it produces, both benign and malignant. The characterization of Borachio is highly important in underscoring the gravity of this particular theme. A careful analysis of the text indicates that Shakespeare utilizes Borachio to emphasize the notion that one of the best guises for an enemy is as a friend, which an examination of Borachio's relationship with Don Pedro, Claudio, and Don John proves.

As an intimate of Don John, who is Don Pedro's brother, Borachio is welcomed into the home and affairs of Leonato as a friend. However, this welcoming proves essential to the duplicitous behavior Borachio performs in helping to foment disturbance in the wedding plans afoot in the home, which include a marriage between Claudio and Hero. Yet Borachio uses his position as an intimate in Leonato's house to purposefully deceive Claudio, first into thinking that Don Pedro wants to win her for himself, which he tells him by stating he heard Pedro "swore he would marry her tonight" (Act II, scene iii 553). Later on, Borachio deceives Claudio into believing that Hero is affected by "disloyalty" (Act II, scene iii 803) and has slept with Borachio. This effect produces inordinate displeasure and pain in Claudio, who feels as though he had "drunk poison" (Act V, scene I 2317) while listening to Borachio confess this crime. Borachio's deliberately deceives Claudio so well because he is in a position in which he is received as Claudio's friend.

Borachio is also able to bear enmity against Don Pedro due to the fact that the latter views him as a friend since Borachio is a close acquaintance of his brother. It is due to Borachio's relationship with Don Pedro that he is able to get the latter to convince Don Pedro that "he hath wronged his honor in marrying the renowned Claudio…to…Hero" (Act II, scene ii 780-782). The elaborate deception that Borachio conceives of could not have come as more of a surprise to Don Pedro, who regards Borachio amicably due to the relative closeness of their relationship. When he sees Borachio arrested for the crime of slander due to his machinations, Don Pedro's reaction is one of trusting surprise, which he voices by stating "how now! Two of my brother's men bound! Borachio one!" (Act V, scene I 2284-2285). And when Borachio explains his crime to Don Pedro, he emphasizes the intimacy with which he knos him by saying "I have deceived even your very eyes" (Act V, scene I 2304). Borachio was able to deceive Don Pedro because of his friendly relationship with him.