ABSTRACT
In the classic Shakespearean romcom Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice and Benedick loathe each other. Until, as a joke, their friends start telling them that the other secretly loves them. Even though it's a lie and a prank, this idea begins to work into B&B's consciousness causing them to rethink each other and eventually fall in love. This play was adapted into a film in 1993 by Kenneth Branagh who co-starred with his then-wife Emma Thompson. When young lovers happen to be on opposite sides of a feud or war, the obstacle is powerful and clear. The classic example of this is Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet which includes the musical adaptation West Side Story. And it does not have to be literally a feud or war. Even when two people are on the same side, war itself can be a huge obstacle.
