ABSTRACT
Like many early modern comedies, Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing ends with the promise of multiple marriages. But in Much Ado, not all marriages are alike; Shakespeare famously contrasts two different models of marriage, one more traditional, the other seemingly more modern. The main plot of the play concerns the courtship of Hero by Claudio. Hero is the only daughter and sole heir of Leonato, the wealthy Governor of Messina. Claudio is a callow young nobleman in search of a wealthy and attractive wife. He begins his courtship not by talking to Hero, but by consulting with his male friends, especially his patron, the Prince of Aragon. The Prince woos on Claudio’s behalf, raising the matter first with Hero, and then, having obtained her consent, with her father Leonato. Claudio is physically attracted to Hero (and she to him), but financial concerns are very much on his mind; he only proceeds once he has confirmed that Hero will inherit all of Leonato’s magnificent estate.
