Characters
This witty noblewoman is known for her sharp tongue and eventually agrees to marry Benedick.
Who is Beatrice?
Beatrice ends an argument with this sharp insult: “I had rather hear my dog bark at a crow than—”
What is “a man swear he loves me”?
This nobleman arrives in Messina with his soldiers after winning a war.
Who is Don Pedro?
When a play follows this structure, ending not with death, but with marriage and social harmony.
What is a comedy?
Tricking Beatrice and Benedick into falling in love is an example of this recurring theme in the play.
What is deception?
This young lord is tricked into believing Hero is unfaithful and publicly shames her at their wedding.
Who is Claudio?
After overhearing that Beatrice supposedly loves him, Benedick exclaims, “The world must be peopled!” What decision is he justifying with this line?
What is his decision to marry?
At the masked ball, Don Pedro pretends to be this character in order to woo Hero.
Who is Claudio?
When the audience knows Hero is innocent, but Claudio does not, this is an example of what literary device?
What is dramatic irony?
Hero’s reputation is publicly destroyed by a false accusation, showing the importance of this social value.
What is honor?
This character is the illegitimate brother of Don Pedro and serves as the main villain of the play.
Who is Don John?
Beatrice says this explosive two-word command to Benedick in a moment of grief and fury.
What is “Kill Claudio”?
This plan is proposed by Don Pedro to make Beatrice and Benedick fall in love.
What is tricking them by staging conversations they will overhear?
Beatrice and Benedick frequently exchange witty insults. This quick, clever dialogue is called what?
What is banter or repartee?
The play ends in joyful reconciliation, showing that Shakespeare follows this kind of thematic arc.
What is the theme of forgiveness / redemption / reconciliation?
This bumbling constable frequently misuses words but accidentally helps uncover Don John’s plot.
Who is Dogberry?
“O that I were a man! I would eat his heart in the marketplace” is spoken by this character, not the comic constable it’s often mistakenly attributed to.
Who is Beatrice?
Claudio accuses Hero of infidelity during this event, causing public disgrace.
What is their wedding?
Shakespeare uses this structure—a comparison using “like” or “as”—in lines such as “She speaks poniards, and every word stabs.”
What is a simile?
Beatrice challenges gender roles when she demands Benedick prove his love by doing this.
What is “Kill Claudio”?
This character unknowingly assists in Don John’s plan by dressing up and speaking from Hero’s window.
Who is Margaret?
“Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps” is spoken by this gentle character during a deception scene.
Who is Hero?
To clear Hero’s name and restore her honor, the friar suggests this drastic action.
What is faking her death?
Dogberry says “comprehend” when he means “apprehend.” This type of mistaken word choice is called what?
What is a malapropism?
This theme is shown when Claudio wrongly accuses Hero based on what he thinks he sees at her window..
What is the theme of appearance vs. reality?