A few things...

A long time ago, in 1985, when I was a senior acting major at Penn State, I was cast as one of Dogberry's Men of the Watch. That summer our director, who was also the artistic director for the Camden Shakespeare Company in Camden, Maine, took several members of the cast -- me included -- with him to Maine and recreated the production. Since then Much Ado About Nothing has been one of my favourite Shakespeare plays.

1. For the most part, Robert Sean Leonard did not bother me. He came across as a young officer, somewhat immature and trying to imitate his mentor, Don Pedro. What got me, however, as it did others, his reaction after he learns that Hero is "dead." At first the character is righteous -- she betrayed him and to die of shame was just. But when the truth comes out that Hero was innocent and that Claudio's unjust denunciation sent her to her grave, where was Claudio's guilt and grief? In our productions, when Claudio read his epitaph at Hero's tomb, the actor really broke down sobbing, tortured by what he had done. And Hero watched his suffering in the shadows behind the tomb.

2. Although our production did not have the physical violence that this version had, that violence did not bother me. Our version was violent, too, but the actors put that violence into their delivery of the lines. The anger, the hurt, the confusion was all very powerful. Our director even took Leonato's line, "Has no man's dagger here a point for me?" and gave it to Hero. She cried out this line right before she fainted. It worked. That said, although I love this play, I, too, find Hero's willingness to forgive hard to rationalize. I mean, if Claudio would think so little of Hero as to suspect she was guilty once, would he do it again? And why did he trust her so little in the first place? The latter we can chalk off to immaturity. The former, well, I don't think any version I've seen has really shown, at least to my satisfaction, that Claudio is humbled by his over-reaction and that he realizes that he is unworthy of Hero.

3. It's a play and a comedy, so we have to have a willing suspension of disbelief. (I should probably have that for my problems in #2.) Junior officer Borachio is boinking Lady Margaret. He asks her to play along when he calls her "Hero." It's all part of the love-making game. But Don John uses it to fool his brother, Don Pedro, and Claudio. Granted, the servants could give Hero an alibi, but the servants, except for Lady Margaret and Lady Ursula, are not at the wedding. Ursula is as confused as everyone else, and when Beatrice tries to defend Hero, she is ignored. Considering the anger and violence, of course Margaret is afraid to say anything. She could be blamed for being a part of it all. Even more so after it is spread around that Hero died of her shame. She could be guilty of Hero's death. Yes, she is welcomed back, but that is only after Dogberry, Verges, and the Watch have proved that Hero was innocent -- and that Margaret was an unknowing pawn.

4. I agree with everything that everyone has said about ET and KB.

Sorry for such a long, rambling post. I guess it's the Irish in me.

Spin