Summary
English Lit: AQA GCSE Much Ado About Nothing, topic 3.3.1
Act 1, Scene 3
Don John has also learnt of Don Pedro’s plans to woo Hero on Claudio’s behalf.
Don John
- Don John reveals his true villainous intentions to the audience and vows to thwart his brother by any means possible.
- He is desperate for revenge (a theme often associated with tragedies) on Claudio, whom he sees as responsible for his defeat in the war against Don Pedro.
Contrasting characters
- This short scene establishes the contrasting characters of Don Pedro and Don John.
- As the play develops, this relates to the contrast between the benevolent (good) and malevolent (evil) deceptions of the two brothers, which form the key action of both the main plot (Claudio and Hero’s relationship) and subplot (Benedick and Beatrice’s relationship).
Test yourself on Summary
Why is Don John desperate for revenge on Claudio?
How does Don John feel towards Claudio?