Much Ado About Nothing is one of Shakespeare’s great comedies. Claudio and Hero fall in love instantly, but are torn apart by the villainous Don John’s lie that Hero is unfaithful. Simultaneously, the sparring, sharp-witted Beatrice and Benedick are tricked by friends into falling in love. After Claudio publicly shames Hero at the altar, she faints and is believed dead. A plot is hatched to prove her innocence, while Beatrice and Benedick, having realized their love, unite to defend her honor. The deception is revealed, Don John is caught, and the play concludes with a double wedding,