Truth and DeceptionWilliam Shakespeare is known for his use of dramatic irony and complicated plots. In Much Ado About Nothing, he also adds the element of disguise to what the characters know, or what they think they know. There are multiple characters who try to trap others in different facades, both for better and for worse. Deception and illusion in the play can help the characters or completely shatter the situation, but either way Shakespeare advises us to make inferences about what we hear or see before jumping to conclusions. Benedetto and Beatrice both benefit from the deception that they encounter. At first, both are enemies in a battle of insults and wits, until they are tricked into thinking that the other loves them. When Benedick hears that Beatrice is supposedly attracted to him, he thinks that he is "a seagull, but that the white-bearded man speaks it: knavery, of course, cannot hide in such reverence" (111). He does not know that Leonato, the "white-bearded boy", is also in on the joke (111). Benedetto begins to admire her when he realizes that Beatrice might be attracted to him too. She is also amazed when she first feels that he loves her. However, when Beatrice comes to terms with their affection, she hopes that "Benedetto will love [her]… And [she] will believe it better than she is told" (134). In other words, she falls in love with Benedick as soon as she believes he loves her too. Each of them begins to fall in love with each other with the excuse that the other was hiding his affection from them. Now that they are both in love, they begin to open up to each other and prove that the deception they suffered was ultimately worth it. Claudio is also deceived; ......middle of paper......ce Borachio confesses his and Don John's plot, everyone puts aside their own grudges and challenges. Claudio marries Hero again while Benedick and Beatrice also marry together. The characters in Much Ado About Nothing are easily tricked into inappropriate situations that could easily be prevented with a little investigation. We can only imagine how simple their lives would be if Claudio had simply asked Hero about his alleged actions the night before the wedding. On the other hand, Beatrice and Benedetto perhaps would never have fallen in love if it hadn't been for the deception that trapped them. Again, if their friends came forward and suggested it might be a possibility, they might warm to the idea and embrace it anyway. Shakespeare convinces us that it is easier to discover the truth than to clean up the mess from premature actions based on an illusion.